""HSRA has, as yet, no actual experience with construction cost and management," the letter states. "Adopting a blended approach with local agencies would permit a sharing of the planning and management burden in those areas where HSRA could move up the learning curve on the higher speed section in the Central Valley.""

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So in other words, the largest, most expensive, most ambitious public works project in the history of California, is being managed by......



....an advocacy group.



I'm still waiting for someone to pinch me so I can wake up from this nightmare.

"The rail authority has been skeptical about the "blended" proposal, with several members of the agency's board of directors saying they were worried about the prospect of Caltrain dipping into high-speed-rail funds."

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Considering that the HSR project's projected budget has ballooned from 43 billion to 60 billion without shovels hitting dirt yet, I find it ironic and somewhat hypocritical of the HSR to express concerns that Caltrains may "dip" into their budget.

Its much more likely that the HSR will be doing the "dipping"/raiding into other people's budgets, before this project is through, provided it ever gets off the ground.

"The agency has been in existence for more than a decade, but has spent most of this time advocating -- rather than planning -- for a new system..."

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Elementary my dear Watson, Elementary...the mystery of how got to be in this predicament we are now faced with is now crystal clear.

Starting small and adjusting as you go along makes sense to me. I am hopeful this blended approach will bring us closer to a sane transportation infrastructure in California.

There are 37 million people in the state, with many living in one of the two major urban areas. A proper rail system between them makes sense.

As with most things, mass transit in the form of high speed rail is a great idea, in theory, but execution makes all the difference.

Unfortunately, as noted in this article, the organization (HSRA) responsible for the execution of this particular project has spent more time advocating for it, as opposed to planning the project. They publicly admit they don't have a stitch of experience managing the construction or costs of any project, let alone one of this size and complexity.

Regardless of whether you start small or not, you don't hand over the keys to the Ferrari to a 16 year old teenager by telling him, "Well, just go slow first and you'll be fine..."

Sure, going back the moon sounds like a great idea. But if Homey the Clown is driving, I don't hold out much faith in it being a successful venture.

If starting small is truly the intent here, the monies allocated for the HSR should be divided amongst the regional transit agencies like BART, Caltrans, VTA, etc, that can focus funding to address acute regional transit problems.

More good will be done by figuring out how to get people out of their cars for commuting on a daily basis, rather than how to get them off the airplane, when they go on vacation. California spans enough area and demographics from Southern to Northern California to make it obvious that no one mass transit solution is going to unilaterally fix all our transit problems. The strategy instead should be to divide and conquer.

As I noted 2 or 3 weeks ago in this 'venue', let's thank the Board
(Advocates!) or whoever for their 'service' to the public and this
left-field-project, and re-group to work on something a lot more
realistic and logical. And just look at the BILLIONS of dollars
that won't be wasted!

I would hate to see a high speed crash or rail derailment going at top speed.

Lets face it the quickest way between these 2 locations is by flying.

The environmental impact this would have is outrageous. We think the birds hitting wind generators is bad, wait till they have to wipe there remains off the trains.

By the time all the committees and the many people involved in this project, come up with a solution, all the money for the project will be gone.

"The three legislators unveiled the plan largely out of concern about the way the controversial project is being managed."

There is no hope for this project. Let's kill this turkey before it costs us, the taxpayers, even more money.

How do we get a grass roots movement started to put a measure on the ballot to repeal this unbelievably ill-conceived proposal?
With the economy and national debt as it is and is projected to be the timing is absolutely the worse.
I would anticipate that the length of time it will take to complete will be double or more and the cost over-run three to four times the current estimates. And all for a system that seems to have little verified value. It is a bottomless pit that will suck up our money to build and continue to do so to subsidize it's ongoing operation.
It is not the governments responsiblity to create jobs. That is the result of successful and profitable private enterprise.
The only ones who will gain in this endeavor are the foreign countries that proveide the material and machinery and the bloated profits of contractors who lobby to get the bids. Lets stop this now and cut our losses.

Lots of negative comments about HSR, I wonder if anyone one of them have taken the rail system that currently exists. A dear friend cannot fly due to medical issues, and spent $1400/round trip to go see her son in Denver. It took over 24 hours each time, they lost her bags, and tons of other problems.

I would like to see HSR built, and I would like it done right, maybe the people on the HSR board aren't the right people, but this is a transportation system that would get used if built right.

I too would like to see this built. Too many naysayers. Timing is always bad it seems. But think of gasoline costs in the future among other things. I believe HSR should have been seriously discussed in the 1970's and built THEN!!!

"A dear friend cannot fly due to medical issues, and spent $1400/round trip to go see her son in Denver. It took over 24 hours each time, they lost her bags, and tons of other problems."

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One off anecdotal examples do not make a compelling argument for spending billions of taxpayer dollars on a scheme managed by amateurs who have no experience in managing construction projects of any size, let alone one of this magnitude.

I would also casually point out that your friend would not be any better served by HSR, as it is intra-state rail, not inter-state.