CHSR Propaganda
A helpful Friend sent in this California High Speed Rail (CHSR) propaganda video. It’s about what will happen in Fullerton if the LA-Anaheim line goes in – a giant boondoggle within a fantastically bigger boondoggle. It’s mindbogglingly stupid.
So Fullerton’s Transportation Center is going to have massive negative impacts for years as CHSR builds ramps and tunnels, removes and relocates south platform parking, shuts down Walnut Avenue, and who knows what all else?
And get this: Fullerton isn’t even a “preferred” site for a stop. That decision has already been made.
The silly sales pitch is laughable: all this disruption will make it easier for northbound commuter trains to get to the north platform without crossing all the tracks – nonsense because they can use the south platform with a little logistical planning.
I suppose we can get some satisfaction that this massive disaster will possibly never be built. There’s no justification for HSR between LA and Anaheim, except that cooked up by people like our old friend, lobbyist and conman Kurt Pringle working for who knows whom. Pringle’s grand contribution to this mess has already been the embarrassment of ARTIC, the $200,000,000 station that is no station at all, but sold to the silly and gullible as a necessary component of the Big Idea.
The travel time between LA and Anaheim for HSR is essentially the same as current Metrolink service. The short distance from Union Station, and Deadman’s Curve in Fullerton militate against high speed travel through densely populated areas.
But never let facts and commonsense stop the CHSR propaganda machine; after all, propaganda is almost all the CHSR has produced so far, plus a few grossly overpriced overpasses around Fresno. Not much to show for 18 years of effort, and billions wasted. Not a single track has been laid; not a single train car delivered.
Will Fullerton put up some resistance, even token resistance? We’ll see if anybody on our City Council has some courage. It’s a damn good issue to go to bat for; which means probably not.
Appreciate the daily blog post defending your owner Bushala’s interests!
The improvements coming to the train station are much needed. This blog is only interested in protecting Bushala’s scummy land banking strategy for as long as possible.
How about instead of just thinking about Bushala’s nut, this blog thought about the taxpayers who actually want their services improved? This is just pathetic
Thanks for visiting, as always!
And what services are being “improved” tender Elijah? There are already FOUR elevators and a bridge to get over the tracks. A tunnel and stupid ramp is completely unnecessary at this point. Building this stuff will take two years, cost several million bucks, and what for? To sell the uninformed on the wonders of HSR.
Yes, two years is a good estimate. The cost will be way higher than “several” million. I figure at least ten million. Why? They say it’ll save a few minutes once in a while for northbound trains. That’s all they’ve got.
This is a waste of money and a classic boondoggle. It will disrupt commuter schedules for years and benefit only a handful of people. Let’s not throw away our money on such a ridiculous project. Anyone who supports this is an idiot.
It will benefit the lobbyist Pringle and his clients – the parasites who profit off this stuff.
This was the brain child of Arnold Schwarzenegger and kept on life support by Jerry Brown, so that should tell everybody what they need to know about CHSR.
Ah yes, that pedestrian bridge from the 1940s is perfectly suitable for a modern train station. Oh, and the fact that this station is not accessible from the other side of the road is so great!
This blog should change its name to “Friends For The Shittiest Future Imaginable”. It would be more accurate
“So Fullerton’s Transportation Center is going to have massive negative impacts for years as CHSR builds ramps and tunnels, removes and relocates south platform parking, shuts down Walnut Avenue, and who knows what all else?”
This is called progress, buddy. Did you go to college? If so, you went through years of negative impacts for a payoff later. Do you think people are so dumb that they don’t understand this basic concept?
That’s odd. College to me wasn’t years of negative impact. You are going to the wrong college, Elijah.
Anyway, this would only be considered progress in the intellectually inbred brain of a “progressive.” high speed rail does nothing for Fullerton. It won’t even stop here if it ever gets built at all.
What pedestrian bridge would that be, young Elijah?
You stupid idiot, the train station pedestrian bridge was built in 1995.
Be nice. The youngster is just a crazy, mixed-up kid looking for a little validation. He may grow out of it.
A tunnel is completely unnecessary. There are already steps down to Harbor on the west ends of the platforms. It would be simple to connect the two under the Harbor bridge. If this was even an issue, which it isn’t. There are already two elevators on either side of the tracks built at great expense.
Building a tunnel would mean closing off the ends of both platforms, installing piling and laggings; building CIP walls, deck, slabs, ramps and stairs in, under, and around three active train lines.
The cost could easily surpass 5 million dollars; add a relocated south platform, parking etc. and we’re up to ten million. And this doesn’t even include the actual HSR infrastructure! What for?
I would love to see the PR and “studies”/actual construction ratio on this boondoggle. Bet it’s real high.
You would thin they would wait until LA was connected to SOMETHING before this piece would even be considered.
But those responsible are well aware of the power of inertia and the ease with which fallacy of sunk costs can be sold to liberals.
No one is selling “sunk costs.” The costs were real but established the right of way and built some infrastructure. To abandon the project would abandon absolutely abandon something of value. Have you calculated it or are you just making an assumption?
Second it will provide public goods so it doesn’t need to turn a profit. Ever. It should provide more value than cost. If you say it can have provide more value than it will ultimately cost, how are you gauging the value of the public good
One accomplishment of HSR has been legal, establishing the right of way. No small feat.
How much? Be sure to include Los Angeles, Orange, San Mateo and and Santa Clara Counties.
Taking people’s property for a boondoggle? I guess it’s a feat if you’re into that sort of thing.
Hoogie strikes again!
The project will never be finished. It should be abandoned. I’m a supporter of high speed rail, but this project is not anything that will ever work or support itself.
Ironically, the City rejected the idea of an underpass 33 years ago because it was too scary and instead built that bridge.