California's failed Bullet Train

[avatar! | 1,819]

How California's Bullet Train Went Off the Rails

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/us/california-high-speed-rail-politics.html

Now, the tortured effort to build the country’s first high-speed rail system is a case study in how ambitious public works projects can become perilously encumbered by political compromise, unrealistic cost estimates, flawed engineering and a determination to persist on projects that have become too big to fail...they turned a project that might have been built more quickly and cheaply into a behemoth so expensive that, without a major new source of funding, there is little chance it can ever reach its original goal of connecting California’s two biggest metropolitan areas in 2 hours, 40 minutes.

When California voters first approved a bond issue for the project in 2008, the rail line was to be completed by 2020, and its cost seemed astronomical at the time — $33 billion — but it was still considered worthwhile as an alternative to the state’s endless web of freeways and the carbon emissions generated. Fourteen years later, construction is underway on part of a 171-mile “starter” line connecting a few cities in the middle of California, which has been promised for 2030.

Meanwhile, costs have continued to escalate. When the California High-Speed Rail Authority issued its new 2022 draft business plan in February, it estimated an ultimate cost as high as $105 billion. Less than three months later, the “final plan” raised the estimate to $113 billion.

Unless rail authority managers can improve cost controls and find significant new sources of funding, they said, the project is likely to grind to a halt in future decades.

I remember hearing about this back in 2008 and thought it was wonderful! California has long hailed itself as a fairly non-corrupt state, but when you look into the corruption caused by projects of this magnitude...  So, a promise was made that originally the line would connect LA and SF (about 400 miles apart)- the new "promise" is that it's possible there will be a 171-mile line connecting a few cities no one cares about by 2030. How sad and pathetic for a state with the largest GDP at nearly $3.5 trillion.

 

 

[Tanooki | 4,939]

Looks are one thing, reality is another.  Given the power shift there largely since after the 90s, it's super corrupt, super rotten to the core so it doesn't surprise me this happened and continues to dig deeper as it's just par for the course as the state has been turned into a guinea pig of bad ideas, and worse yet, ones to double if not triple down on.

[AirVillain | 490]

Sounds like a great idea....

[avatar! | 1,819]

sigh... and things are going to get worse

 

Edited October 11, 2022 by avatar!

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Its definitely new information that LA has bad traffic. We totally needed that update thanks  

 

all large Highly populated metro areas do lol. Not exactly sure how the bullet train would solve downtown LA traffic issues but You must be running out of things to post.  making a thread on the bullet train here is scraping the bottom of the barrel. 
 

As far as my stance on the bullet train, I don’t care how long it takes and how much it costs - it keeps a lot of tradesman busy and puts food on their tables. 

[avatar! | 1,819]

34 minutes ago, MrWunderful said:

Its definitely new information that LA has bad traffic. We totally needed that update thanks  

 

all large Highly populated metro areas do lol. Not exactly sure how the bullet train would solve downtown LA traffic issues but You must be running out of things to post.  making a thread on the bullet train here is scraping the bottom of the barrel. 
 

As far as my stance on the bullet train, I don’t care how long it takes and how much it costs - it keeps a lot of tradesman busy and puts food on their tables. 

True, all highly populated metro areas do indeed have bad traffic, but LA is notorious.

Not exactly sure how the bullet train would solve downtown LA traffic issues

Are you being serious? First, no one said the train would "solve" (whatever that means) traffic. It would certainly help, a lot. You don't have to take my word for it, look at every country that has a bullet train or all studies on bullet trains or all studies on the proposed LA to SF bullet train... in other words, just do a tad bit of research.

You must be running out of things to post.  making a thread on the bullet train here is scraping the bottom of the barrel. 

No, actually it's a fascinating project that is marred by too many problems. It's also an interesting topic from an engineering, political, and fiscal perspective. Regardless of what will happen there are billions of dollars already invested with potentially many billions more. Not sure how exactly this is "scraping the bottom of the barrel" but seriously, if you think this is a shite post why reply?

As far as my stance on the bullet train, I don’t care how long it takes and how much it costs - it keeps a lot of tradesman busy and puts food on their tables. 

Easy to say if you're wealthy, which I believe you noted you are. What about all the people that are stuck in traffic and lose numerous hours because they have no choice? What about all the people that are stressed? What about all the people who are hurt on the roads? What about all the carbon being omitted? If you actually care about any of that stuff, then you should advocate getting this project done as soon as possible. I know I do.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

29 minutes ago, avatar! said:

True, all highly populated metro areas do indeed have bad traffic, but LA is notorious.

Not exactly sure how the bullet train would solve downtown LA traffic issues

Are you being serious? First, no one said the train would "solve" (whatever that means) traffic. It would certainly help, a lot. You don't have to take my word for it, look at every country that has a bullet train or all studies on bullet trains or all studies on the proposed LA to SF bullet train... in other words, just do a tad bit of research.

You must be running out of things to post.  making a thread on the bullet train here is scraping the bottom of the barrel. 

No, actually it's a fascinating project that is marred by too many problems. It's also an interesting topic from an engineering, political, and fiscal perspective. Regardless of what will happen there are billions of dollars already invested with potentially many billions more. Not sure how exactly this is "scraping the bottom of the barrel" but seriously, if you think this is a shite post why reply?

As far as my stance on the bullet train, I don’t care how long it takes and how much it costs - it keeps a lot of tradesman busy and puts food on their tables. 

Easy to say if you're wealthy, which I believe you noted you are. What about all the people that are stuck in traffic and lose numerous hours because they have no choice? What about all the people that are stressed? What about all the people who are hurt on the roads? What about all the carbon being omitted? If you actually care about any of that stuff, then you should advocate getting this project done as soon as possible. I know I do.

1) the people driving from torrance to inglewood for their 9 to 5 most likely wont be taking the SF TO LA. What about the people that sit in traffic to go 8 exits down the freeway? How will it help them? It will absolutely speed up freight and other commerce, from north to south California.  But for commuters in LA, specific to your follow up post, wont  do anything. SF has shitty traffic too. 
 

2) While I applaud your optimism at the engineering and political ramifications, your obvious negative clicky baity title betrays that. Why not start by talking about successful bullet trains, then use this one as a counterpoint? Since such a fan? Not personally buying it but you do you. And all posts on this site are subject to being commented on. 
 

3) my wealth is irrelevant, but appreciate you thinking of me.  I mean, me supporting blue collars workers making a fair living wage is a weird point to take opposite of.  Its still getting finished what exactly is your point?
  When you bring in random societal problems as facets of your argument, it kind of waters it down. Can you show me a study about all the lives that will be saved by this bullet train? Why is that more important than the workers making a wage? 
 

What about all the people that are stressed? Hehehehehe 

I think you are giving the bullet train too much credit if its going to solve “stress”. 
 

Lets be serious, how much do you really care about a partially failed infrastructure project in a state 3000 miles away? Feels weirdly fake to me, but thanks I guess. I appreciate how much you really do care. 

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

I always thought it would be beneficial to have a network of bullet trains that basically started/ended right near airports. Gives you two options of transportation. I see it as a secondary long distance transportation option and should skip intermediate stops like conventional trains make. But I don’t think such a thing will ever happen, we can’t even keep roads and bridges upkept

[Tabonga | 2,324]

One wonders how many desalination plants could have been build instead........

[Tanooki | 4,939]

15 hours ago, Tabonga said:

One wonders how many desalination plants could have been build instead........

I used to, it's pathetic.  How much that moron Gov Davis screwed up the water and electrical supply in the day he got impeached over it could have been helped with the billions lost on this joke that could have gone into those plants and more to help.  By now it would have turned things around in a better way with those shortages.

[phart010 | 1,708]

The bullet train project wasn’t meant to produce transportation. It was first and foremost a front for funneling tax dollars over to special interests.  
 

Always follow the money. That hundred billion didn’t just disappear. It was spent. Find out who it went to and what did they contribute to the project to justify getting paid