Want to know what's worse than root canal? Phased Implementation of high-speed rail, shoved down the throats of Peninsula businesses and residents. Here it comes. This is one of their better public relations stunts. "Phased Implementation of High-Speed Rail for Dummies."
The two documents, put out by the CHSRA public relations factory, bring a whole new meaning to meaninglessness. What Phased Implementation really means, is this. They don't have the money to work on either the Bay Area Peninsula or the segment from LA to Anaheim. So, it's time to bluff.
They are hereby suggesting that with this super-clever new strategy, they will have more time to do more studies and to inform us stupid stakeholders. It's really a stalling tactic.
Before we address some of the details, here's the bottom line. What's this all about? Staking out turf. Why are they doing this? To 'lick all the spoons on the table' and claim them as possessions before they run out of money.
The CHSRA is suddenly confronting the fact that they will not get any more funding from Washington beyond what they have been awarded now. So, on the Peninsula, the new rule is, "look busy." Look like you are doing something, even if only as a placeholder.
They are already altering their engineering design plans for the Central Valley to cover more ground and do less. The will lay tracks but nothing else. That makes those tracks useless for high-speed rail. They will explain this by saying it's only the start.
What you read below is what they are good at; constantly rationalizing their improvised agenda. Remember, they are not a professional railroad development agency. They are a bunch of self-promoting politicians pushing a concept of an infrastructure project that is not needed but will cost hundreds of billions of dollars. "Pay no attention to the man behind the screen!"
They may never complete what they start, but that's not the point. The point is to get and spend tax dollars, or any other kind of dollars. It's about the money.
The US Department of Transportation, in order for the CHSRA to receive any federal funding, required them to start building in the Central Valley. That's not what they had in mind. Given the Board's make-up, they wanted to start on the Peninsula Corridor (from SF to LA) as well as from LA to Anaheim (which is not even the main HSR route, but a spur line).
Now, they are facing the terror of accusations for building "a train to Nowhere." How do they overcome this? By making a fuss over the segments of the HSR corridor that they don't have the money to work on. So, why not called it "phased implementation?" That's an excuse for not being able to actually do it.
Note that a lot of this blather talks about, "collaborate with local and regional agencies," "communities and stakeholders have the opportunity to learn more about the project and what it means for their communities and then provide informed input," and so forth. That's nonsense, of course. They have never had any intentions of listening to or responding to stakeholder input. People on the Peninsula have let them know for over two years what they do and don't want. It's all been ignored. There is no "collaboration" here. Ironically, a lot of people on the Peninsula still don't get that and think that what they have to say matters. It doesn't. We are being scammed; lied to; snookered.
They use the phrase "the most cost effective manner" in three places in the Q&A. That really means they can't "afford" to do anything that residents and businesses want or suggest. Everything, except their own ideas, are too expensive. More scamming!
This approach accomplishes some other needed tasks. It keeps Caltrain on their leash. Caltrain, now concerned that HSR will never come to the Peninsula for lack of funding, will abandon them in their "hour of need." This step of "phased implementation" will let Caltrain know that HSR isn't going away and will -- some day -- join them on the Caltrain Corridor and pay for all the upgrades that Caltrain has been dreaming about.
Another excuse for this flimsy PR effort "phased implementation" is that it buys them time to get more funding. They rationalize it with a lot of other verbiage -- so patently transparent -- that they need the time to do more analyzing and providing opportunities for us ignorant stakeholders to learn more.
Here is yet another step in their agenda to continue to treat us all like fools. And so far they have been successful at this.
There are very few facts in their Fact Sheet and very few real answers in their Questions &Answers.
When will you wake up, California, and take the hands of the CHSRA out of your pockets?
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http://cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/assets/0/152/256/265/831d413c-43b4-41fe-9244-fa5a04381320.pdf
SAN FRANCISCO TO SAN JOSE PHASED IMPLEMENTATION FACT SHEET
Background
The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board voted in December 2010 to begin construction of the high speed train system connecting Los Angeles to the Bay Area in the heart of the state’s Central Valley, choosing an option that makes the best use of available funding and lays the foundation for expanding the system both north and south. This designation allows the San Francisco-San Jose section additional time to study many of the complex issues related to developing high speed train service along a shared corridor.
Phased Implementation
To meet this goal, the Authority, in partnership with Caltrain and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), will develop a phased implementation approach for High Speed Train (HST) service between San Francisco and San Jose. This is a positive opportunity to collaborate with local and regional agencies, and the communities to incorporate a phased implementation approach into the project environmental documentation.
The phased implementation approach will enable the Authority, Caltrain, the FRA, other agencies and stakeholders to study how to provide initial HST service between San Francisco and San Jose in the most cost effective manner and as soon as possible to coincide with the initiation of HST service to San Jose via the Central Valley.
The environmental document will address both the infrastructure needed for HST service between San Francisco and San Jose in 2035 and initial infrastructure needs. Phased implementation approach will allow for more time to consider the design refinement of later phases of the ultimate build alternative as they are implemented.
Initial Operating Project
The phased implementation approach would support early initial operations with the minimum infrastructure required to support an initial level of HST service. The potential environmental impacts of an initial phase of operations will be evaluated as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Study (DEIR/S) document. Sharing existing Caltrain track for initial HST operations while maintaining Caltrain service adds complexity and requires careful planning, and collaboration.
Extended DEIR/S Timeline
To accommodate this effort, the timeline for the public release of the draft environmental document for the San Francisco to San Jose section has been extended to the fall of 2012. The additional time will ensure that communities and stakeholders have the opportunity to learn more about the project and what it means for their communities and then provide informed input on the DEIR/S during the public comment period in the fall of 2012.
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http://cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/assets/0/152/256/265/7e7a3c11-0933-4f04-82fa-8767a92aa7eb.PDF
Phased Implementation Questions & Answers
1.What is Phased Implementation analysis?
It is an approach that allows the Authority, Caltrain and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), with local and regional agencies and stakeholders along the section to study how to plan and construct HST service in phases from an initial level of service to complete build out of the full system. It will examine how to provide the service in the most cost effective manner and as soon as possible to coincide with the initiation of HST service to San Jose via the Central Valley.
2.What are the benefits of a phased implementation approach to stakeholders, communities?
Phased Implementation analysis will provide local and regional agencies with additional opportunity for collaboration with the Authority, Caltrain and the FRA to determine how HST service can be provided incrementally over time in the most cost effective manner and as soon as possible to coincide with initiation of HST service to San Jose via the Central Valley. This approach would be based on operational needs for increased capacity, funding, and other factors that affect both HST and Caltrain service.
3.Why is a phased implementation approach good for the San Francisco to San Jose section?
This is an opportunity to collaborate with local and regional agencies, and the communities to incorporate a phased implementation approach into the project environmental documentation.
The phased implementation concept will enable the Authority, Caltrain, the FRA, other agencies and stakeholders to study how to provide HST services between San Francisco and San Jose in the most cost effective manner and as soon as possible to coincide with the initiation of HST service to San Jose via the Central Valley.
The environmental document will address both the infrastructure needed for HST service between San Francisco and San Jose in 2035 and initial infrastructure needs. Phased implementation approach will allow for more time to consider the design refinement of later phases of the ultimate build alternative as they are implemented.
4.What is an “initial operating project” (IOP)?
The phased implementation analysis would support early initial operations with the minimum infrastructure required to support an initial level of HST service. The potential environmental impacts of an initial phase of operations will be evaluated as part of the draft EIR/EIS document. Sharing existing Caltrain track for initial HST operations while maintaining Caltrain service adds complexity and requires a careful planning, and collaboration.
5.How does this impact Caltrain?
An IOP along the SF-SJ section assumes sharing the existing Caltrain tracks and maintaining Caltrain service during phased implementation. It would also require electrification of Caltrain tracks to accommodate both Caltrain and HST service between San Francisco and San Jose.
6.Why has the timeline for release of the DEIR been extended?
The complexity of developing a service along a shared corridor requires more time to analyze alternatives and the environmental impacts of the initial operation project. Extending the deadline for the public release of the draft environmental documents for the San Francisco to San Jose section also will ensure that communities and stakeholders have the opportunity to learn more about the project and what it means for their communities and then provide informed input on the draft EIR/EIS during the public comment period in the fall of 2012.
