California High Speed Rail Thread

[Busy Bee]

The Senate has two opportunities to pass through the reconciliation process. They used one for the 1.9T Covid Stimulus Bill a couple weeks ago. Thats the direct checks amongst many other things designed to assist affected business and to generally rejuvenate a badly damaged economy. They are hoping to be able to pass the first infrastructure bill with R support, since it should ideally be bipartisan, but most signs just point to the GOP likely roadblocking, pardon the pun, as usual because thats what they always do and they don't actually know how to legislate and because they've convinced themselves that the white foxnews grievance crowd is still more interested in irrationally opposing Biden and "sticking it to the libs" than seeing their water lines or streets in their neighborhood rebuilt... because communism... and abortion or something. So this leaves the Democrats with a tough choice because they feel convicted to also pass HR-1, which is the federal voting access reforms in response to the GOP's state level attempts at trying to secure future power by making it harder for people likely to vote against them and for progress to have their vote count or vote at all because they know they're going to start loosing seats if the popular vote is allowed to stand i.e.Georgia.

[eltodesukane]

China High Speed Rail YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=belm4kDAHgM

[SoCalKid]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

The Senate has two opportunities to pass through the reconciliation process. They used one for the 1.9T Covid Stimulus Bill a couple weeks ago. Thats the direct checks amongst many other things designed to assist affected business and to generally rejuvenate a badly damaged economy. They are hoping to be able to pass the first infrastructure bill with R support, since it should ideally be bipartisan, but most signs just point to the GOP likely roadblocking, pardon the pun, as usual because thats what they always do and they don't actually know how to legislate and because they've convinced themselves that the white foxnews grievance crowd is still more interested in irrationally opposing Biden and "sticking it to the libs" than seeing their water lines or streets in their neighborhood rebuilt... because communism... and abortion or something. So this leaves the Democrats with a tough choice because they feel convicted to also pass HR-1, which is the federal voting access reforms in response to the GOP's state level attempts at trying to secure future power by making it harder for people likely to vote against them and for progress to have their vote count or vote at all because they know they're going to start loosing seats if the popular vote is allowed to stand i.e.Georgia.

HR-1 can't go through reconciliation. That would require getting rid of the filibuster (or getting 60 votes, which not gonna happen), in which case the infrastructure bill could be passed through normal proceedings. So either way, infrastructure will only require a simple majority in the senate.

[Busy Bee]

You're correct. SR-1 (HR-1) cannot use budget reconciliation to pass with a simple majority. I stand corrected. Infrastructure, immigration, voting reform... regardless the real rot at the core of the dysfunction is the manipulation of the filibuster to block legislation from even coming up for a vote and requiring the 60 vote threshold. That is a perversion of the democratic process. Filibuster reform must happen because this country just cannot be governed like this anymore. I'll refrain from elaborating about who I think bears the brunt of the blame, but I think it's self evident to anyone paying attention for the last 15 years.

[aekrid]

Originally Posted by SFBruin

LA to IE is already serviced by hundreds of Metrolink trains per week.
link the two largest employment centers (downtown LA and downtown SD) with the fastest possible service, and leave commutes between IE and San Diego to have a transfer at LA Union Station.

It's worth noting one of the faster growing parts of IE is south riverside county, specifically Murrieta and Temecula, and plenty of those residents have jobs in San Diego County.

[plutonicpanda]

Originally Posted by k1052

I'm not sure that CAHSR isn't going to be in the bill just on the basis of Amtrak not talking about it.

Some articles I've seen word it as if this is only phase one as a larger overall infrastructure initiative. Lots of articles placed the total cost of Biden's infrastructure spending from 3-4 trillion with some broader estimates 2-4 trillion. I was surprised to see it "only" 2.1 trillion. I bet we see more proposals but hopefully we can just get this one passed as there is no guarantee the dems will hold both house and senate. If they loose even one you can pretty much kiss any infrastructure package goodbye.

The republicans have shown time and time again they love talking about building roads and infrastructure but when it comes time to find a way to pay they drop the subject entirely and nothing happens. Rinse and repeat for decades. Even though I am not thrilled with the anti-highway stance by Biden's administration I am happy they have a REAL proposal for infrastructure overhaul now we just need to get it passed.

[jmecklenborg]

^So are they proposing to rebuild the station below grade? This article is pretty vague.

This station location is terrible for TOD because it's in direct alignment with the SFO runway, meaning they probably can't build anything over 100 feet tall.

Extending BART to Broadway and building the HSR station there would allow for a hi-rise TOD. Keep in mind that this station is going to have better transit and HSR access than virtually anywhere else outside of a downtown anywhere in the United States. The potential for a monster TOD is being wasted at Milbrae.

[Busy Bee]

100% agree on all parts

[k1052]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

^So are they proposing to rebuild the station below grade? This article is pretty vague.

This station location is terrible for TOD because it's in direct alignment with the SFO runway, meaning they probably can't build anything over 100 feet tall.

Extending BART to Broadway and building the HSR station there would allow for a hi-rise TOD. Keep in mind that this station is going to have better transit and HSR access than virtually anywhere else outside of a downtown anywhere in the United States. The potential for a monster TOD is being wasted at Milbrae.

I don't exactly get what Millbrae is actually complaining about in the first place.

Burlingame would mount an armed resistance at the mere mention of anything over 40 feet, so I'm a little skeptical of a high rise district at Broadway.

[Busy Bee]

Is it time to start talking about how BART to San Mateo is actually needed and likely to be inevitable once Caltrain and HSR are in operation?

[TWAK]

I would hope CHSR or the state can stop this sort of thing, because there's gonna be other places with the same idea....and they know how much a tunnel would increase costs. Is this going to actually block the ROW? Since caltrain is already there and they are supposed to be sharing tracks with CHSR.

[Busy Bee]

I'm assuming they are talking about both the HSR and Caltrain tracks being submerged.

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Is it time to start talking about how BART to San Mateo is actually needed and likely to be inevitable once Caltrain and HSR are in operation?

There are six grade crossings in a half-mile stretch in San Mateo. That really seems like the spot where a tunnel or elevated section needs to happen. An underground Caltrains station would be a lot more expensive than elevated. No doubt people would go berserk at the very notion of a half-mile long viaduct, even though the tracks rise onto a berm nearby and cross another half dozen local streets.

As I believe I mentioned on this thread earlier, a huge amount of study has gone into the gate closings on the peninsula. They are designing scheduling scenarios where passing trains meet the critical intersections at the same time so that two trains only cause one gate closing. With so many grade crossings in a short distance in San Mateo there is no way to accomplish this meaning some gates will be going up and down 20+ times per hour during peak operation.

[k1052]

All the city has to do is message it as a traffic improvement and the people will cheer. The ROW through downtown San Mateo mostly faces alleys and the backs of buildings anyway.

Caltrain/HSR will get its separation and drivers get no gates.

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Is it time to start talking about how BART to San Mateo is actually needed and likely to be inevitable once Caltrain and HSR are in operation?

As someone who has never lived in the area that appears redundant to me under current circumstances, but if a place like San Mateo decides to (gasp!) upzone then there might be a capacity need.

It seems to me that digging a 3-4 mile tunnel between a point southeast of the Milbrae Station and near the Hayward Park Caltrains station for HSR and Caltrains express trains could negate the need to grade separate the current tracks in San Mateo. They'd be left as-is for the local stops and freight.

The tunnel would negate the need for HSR express trains to stop at Milbrae since the existing tracks would behave like a passing siding for local Caltrains, and so trains could be cued into Transbay this way rather than forcing all trains to stop. In short, if an inbound local misses its schedule slot it would just dwell before rejoining the mainline.

The other issue is that the need to transfer to BART to get to SFO is obnoxious. If we're really throwing money around, it seems like HSR/Caltrains Express could me made to stop under the SFO terminal and therefore bypass the BART transfer.

[Busy Bee]

Actually guys I wasn't suggesting it follow the Caltrain/HSR row into San Mateo. I would have the extension follow Caltrain to the Burlingame station and then dive and turn underground under Lorton Ave and then jogging over to El Camino Real in the vicinity of Peninsula Ave. The extension would run under ECR using bored tunnel or cut/cover and terminate either at Route 92 or continuing to the San Mateo fairgrounds property with a yard facility. You want to talk about redevelopment opportunities... that area around the Event Center and Hillsdale Caltrain would absolutely explode. You could probably build 30,000 units in that CA-92/ECR/Caltrain quadrant there. A huge cost... yes... A huger payoff... yesser.

For me it seems like future Caltrain is going to suffer from capacity issues. Without a 4 track peninsula mainline, you are going to have packed trains before you even reach San Mateo northbound.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

For me it seems like future Caltrain is going to suffer from capacity issues. Without a 4 track peninsula mainline, you are going to have packed trains before you even reach San Mateo northbound.

There is much lower hanging fruit for continued Caltrain capacity expansion like moving to 8 car trains by purchasing more cars and modestly extending some platforms.

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by k1052

There is much lower hanging fruit for continued Caltrain capacity expansion like moving to 8 car trains by purchasing more cars and modestly extending some platforms.

It doesn't make much sense to me to expand BART as long as there is no movement by the peninsula cities to upzone property within walking distance of the stations. The Caltrains stations themselves should see their parking lots replaced by garages topped by hi-rise residential.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

It doesn't make much sense to me to expand BART as long as there is no movement by the peninsula cities to upzone property within walking distance of the stations. The Caltrains stations themselves should see their parking lots replaced by garages topped by hi-rise residential.

The state is gradually turning the screws on cities that don't meet their housing targets and that's probably going to increase. Ultimately I expect the most resistant cities will eventually rezone low intensity commercial parcels near Caltrain to work towards those goals and head off further state intervention, lawsuits, and use of SB35. A few cities might jump at the chance for a high rise district but I'd best the majority will try to cram whatever they need into midrises hidden best they can.

[Pedestrian]

California faces a critical decision this spring. Its choice will have a big impact on the future of passenger rail and transit nationwide.

It’s urgent that you get your friends in California involved right now.

The California Assembly has the power to release more than $4 billion in voter-approved funds to continue towards electrified high-speed trains linking Los Angeles and San Francisco in less than 3 hours.

If they vote yes, the first segment of high-speed line in the United States will open in this decade. And the critical links between the valleys will be prepared for construction.

This first segment will link Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield in the Central Valley, a densely populated region of 4 million people that encompasses nine counties and is roughly the size of South Carolina. The area’s higher-education consortium has 25 member institutions.

Trip time will be cut in half, from 3 hours to just 90 minutes, and the daily roundtrips will increase from 7 to 18.

The line will turbo-charge the state’s already robust public transit network.

California leads the nation in building forward-thinking transit and passenger rail systems. Metrolink, which serves the Los Angeles region, is in the midst of a major upgrade. The Pacific Surfliner and Capitol Corridor lines are the two most popular Amtrak routes in America.

But what’s most remarkable isn’t an individual line or transit system. It’s the way the whole system is integrated. For example, Metrolink feeds into the Pacific Surfliner, and vice versa. And California has a big-picture plan for making the state’s entire transportation system progressively more coordinated.

Along with coordinated schedules, frequency is a huge driver of demand. With high-speed rail, daily departures on the highly successful Thruway bus routes will also be increased to 18. And more routes to multiple points would likely be feasible. At Merced, ACE and Amtrak service will be expanded to a combined 18 departures, branching to Oakland, Sacramento and San Jose.

With these upgrades, ridership would double, revenue would more than double, and the state’s share of operating the trains would drop.

The Central Valley segment will be a game-changer for California. And the Assembly’s yes vote will send a powerful signal to D.C. as the future of transportation is being debated.

https://www.hsrail.org/blog/californ...2-8d81d94ffa29