July 8, 2008 - 5:37pm
Veteran former lawmaker and judge to lead charge for high speed rail ballot measure
By Jeff MitchellEven though it may be No. 1 on the list of initiatives in California, Prop. 1 doesn't seem likely to stir up a lot of excitement amongst voters this November.
But be careful to not offer than bit of conjecture to former state lawmaker and retired superior court Judge Quentin L. Kopp who is chairman of the state's High Speed Rail Authority and Prop. 1's most vocal cheerleader.
Kopp got five minutes or so this morning on KTVU Channel 2 and was interviewed on the measure by veteran anchor Ross McGowan.
Prop. 1 asks voters to approve a $9.95 billion bond issue to partially pay for the heretofore sketchy transportation proposal that's been floating around the Golden State's political world since before 1996 when the state-sponsored HSRA was established. The authority's cool site can be found here.
"High speed rail exists in 10 nations and they all operate at a profit," Kopp told McGowan.
According to Kopp, the bond money, if approved, will amount to just a little less than a third of the estimated $33 billion it will take to construct the project's first phase. The balance will be made up a combination of public money and private investment.
The initial leg, set to run from Los Angeles to San Francisco, will see the trains moving at an estimated 220 mph and will take about 2.5 hours. Kopp said a one-way ticket for the ride will cost about $55.
If Prop. 1 is OK'd, construction on the project would start in 2010 and be completed in eight to 10 years. A second phase to run from Orange County to San Diego will bump up the total project cost to approximately $45 billion, Kopp said.
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Answers to some questions posed on 07/09/08 2:51 pm
* Ticket prices are given in today's prices. Inflation means in ten years time, the ticket (liek all goods and servcies) will cost more, but we'll be earning more, so it all cancels out.
* The Acela Express opeartes at a profit (not an answer to a question you posed, but worth saying)
* I know for a fact that the hish sped rail systems in France (TGV) and the UK (Eurostar) opearte at a profit. I expect the systemsin Italy, Spain and Japan do so as well.
* "Profitable" here means receiving moer in revnue than spending on operating expenses
* "Why do the media keep buying this Kool-Aid?" I always though Kool-Aid was a drink that benefits the user, hence why peopel keep buying it.
* The authrority is due to publish its buisness case before teh ballot in Novemeber. The watch-dogs asking hard questions will therefore be the Californian public, who also get to make the descision
* By the way, the state will have to spend about twice as much as as the entire project on highway upgrades if this doesn't go ahead. (Agin, not an answer to a question you posed, but worth saying)
* Instead of foaming at the mouth about this pending success, how abouit doing some homework and checking out the facts?
Great project for California and its economy!!!
High Speed Nonsense,
Hey MARTIN ENGEL, why don't you quit posting the same stupid comments all over the web!! Quit trying confuse the facts because you don't want the train to go by your town. This type of short sightedness will kill a great country.
GO HIGH SPEED RAIL & PROP 1!!!
yes on prop 1
SO all the whiners what are we going to do
build 110 billion dollars of freeways? ?None
of them have answers,,just head in the sand ideas..and 30millon more cars!!!
High Speed Nonsense
$55 for a one way ticket? In 12 years? And no inflation? It will be the lowest cost high speed train ticket in the world. Wait, what's wrong with this picture? Even Acela, the subsidized fast train on the northeast corridor costs more, today!!!
In ten countries high speed trains are profitable? What countries? How do you measure profitable? All these trains are like each country's airlines, or "flag carriers." That means, many of the trains are semi-public and highly subsidized by their governments. Be assured that the ticket -- which is not cheap, by the way -- is only a part of the total seat cost. How can it be otherwise with this California train?
Why do the media keep buying this Kool-Aid? Where are the watch dogs who should ask hard questions about all their fantasy numbers? Too many lapdogs, I guess.
Did any of you guys ask Kopp what was his Plan B if there are no federal funds or private investors? Did you ask him where the funds will come from when it turns out that the promised $45 billion is a low-ball number and it costs 3 times as much?
Instead of rubber stamping this pending disaster, how about doing some homework and getting behind all their verbiage?
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