California High-Speed Rail Environmental Impact Review Passes Muster

[xchrom]

http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2012/09/24/california-high-speed-rail-environmental-impact-review-passes-muster/




Last Wednesday, the Federal Railroad Administration approved construction on the $69 billion high-speed rail line that will someday roll through California’s central valley.

Two months after receiving approval from the state legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown, the project passed its environmental impact review and inched one step closer to fruition. However, as has happened at every step along the way, the project is expecting to face more lawsuits from those who believe it is environmentally unsound.

The 41-page impact review showed that there will be “significant” negative impacts, but still deemed the project worthwhile. Private construction firms will now have until November to bid on the first $2 billion contract that will connect Merced to Fresno. It will take until Spring for the winning contractor to get together blueprints and workers for the project.

[patrice]

1. Kick!

[demosincebirth]

2. Another money pit for California taxpayers

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. It really doesn't pass the sanity check

HS rail is a really good thing. However, by going between Hooterville and Petticoat Junction, there will not be nearly enough traffic to sustain it. The right answer was to swallow hard and have two major anchors. Political cowardice at its worst.

[tinrobot]

4. Hooterville, Petticoat Junction, Gotham City.

The plans will take it to the big cities, but you gotta lay the first rail somewhere, and Hooterville is a much cheaper place to start.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. My concern is that is the only place rails will be laid.

And if that is the case its damn near fraudulent.

The CA Pols did not have it in them to do the hard choices...typical

[XemaSab]

7. If the goal is to create a public transportation system that will reduce fossil fuel use

then the money would be better spent expanding BART.

Pop it up to Santa Rosa, over to Fairfield, out to Livermore, and down to Gilroy, with plans to take it to Monterey, Santa Cruz, Stockton, Davis, and Sacramento.

People would ride the hell out of that.

[tinrobot]

8. They sure would ride it... and add Los Angeles to that list.

If Los Angeles expanded rail/subways to the Valley, the airports, beach cities, and a few other key areas, we'd have a very functional system.

[demosincebirth]

9. Agree.

[CRH]

5. From the picture, and experiences of past, I can only say; ...

'That looks Bitchin'. hrh.