Well, it all certainly looks obvious not only to us, but to other papers around the country. Here's the view from Zanesville, Ohio. Ohio's Republican governor was one of the three turning down the 'generous' gift from Sect. Ray LaHood to build high-speed rail in that state.
The rejection explanation from Gov. John Kasich was that the state couldn't afford to take the money because that down-payment would put an enormous cost burden on the state, which is in the same (or not even as bad) economic straits as California.
Here's another place -- Ohio -- where we could, but aren't, learn something.
But wait, as they say on TV, there's more.
Below the Ohio article is one about the HS2 in Great Britain. They also are calling for more due diligence before they make such enormous financial commitments about which there is so much doubt.
We made that point in the prior blog entry.
As someone from the transportation industry commented: “If HS2 is to meet its environmental or economic potential, it needs to be planned properly within a long-term national transport strategy that cuts carbon.”
Besides setting out the need for such a strategy by 2014, before phase two of HS2 is formally consulted on, the report outlines how changes are needed to the way the future is forecasted and how communities are engaged in consultation on major infrastructure proposals.
It also calls for ‘better recognition and protection of the value of the natural and historic environment’. The groups are calling for the lessons from previous schemes, such as High Speed 1, to be learned from.
Even 'railroad cultures', like in the UK, with its history of railroad dependency, are calling for further due diligence. They want to learn from earlier mistakes, such as their HS1. We could learn from Amtrak's mistakes. But, not us.
Oh no. We know what we're doing, right?. What could possibly go wrong?
============================================
Nov. 25, 2011
High-speed-rail
supporters should
take note of
California's
situation
The editorial pages of the Washington Post
and Wall Street Journal, 3,000 miles
removed from the scene, recently joined in
the growing criticism of California's wasteful
and costly proposed high-speed rail
system. We hate to keep saying we told you
so, but those in Ohio who still push for such
wasteful spending here should take note.
The Washington Post wrote in a Nov. 12
editorial: "Things just went from bad to
worse for high-speed passenger rail in
California. After the Golden State's voters
approved a $9 billion bullet-train bond i
ssue in 2008, officials said they could
build an 800-mile system by 2020, for
$35.7 billion. The cost projection now, as
issued by the state Nov. 1: $98.5 billion.
..."
And the Wall Street Journal in a Nov. 13
editorial had this to say: "California Gov.
Jerry Brown must have loved 'The Little
Engine That Could' as a kid. Last week his
state's high-speed rail authority released a
new business plan that estimates its 500-
mile bullet train from San Francisco to
Anaheim will cost $98 billion. ..."
What would have been different in Ohio
had Gov. John Kasich not rejected federal
seed money for a high-speed line
connecting the largest three cities? Kasich
and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker took some
expected criticism from the left when the U.S
. Department of Transportation yanked
$1.2 billion from the two states because
the Republican governors wanted to use
the money for more pressing road needs.
...
If the situation in California repeated itself
here, Ohio would need more than $1.1
billion to do just the $400 million worth of
high-speed-rail worth the U.S. Department
of Transportation was "paying for."
Even from afar, this boondoggle is obvious.
-- The Lima News
==============================
http://www.rail.co/2011/11/25/imminent-decision-on-hs2-needs-to-be-part-of-wider-transport-strategy/
Imminent decision on HS2 ‘needs to be part of wider transport strategy’
BY A. SAMUEL · NOVEMBER 25, 2011 · ASSOCIATIONS, HIGH SPEED PROJECTS, RAIL NEWS
The report calls for 'better recognition and protection of the value of the natural and historic environment'. \
A broad coalition of campaigning groups is launching a new report on high speed rail, setting out what ‘still needs to be done by the Government to meet its commitment to local communities and the environment’.
When the Right Lines Charter, supported by environmental, transport, heritage and legal charities with over 600 combined years of involvement in the planning of major infrastructure, was launched in April 2011, then Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond said that:
“These respected organisations…should be assured that the Government is already acting on their points of concern.”
Over half a year later, on the verge of the Government announcing its decision on High Speed 2 (HS2), these organisations are launching a report to set out for the benefit of the new Secretary of State, Justine Greening, what still needs to be done.
Karen Gardham, Campaign Manager for the Right Lines Charter, says:
“The two transport policies the Government is clear about are that they want high speed rail, but they do not want a third runway at Heathrow.
“We strongly support the commitment to shifting intercity transport from air and road to rail, but so far HS2 has been developed in a vacuum.
“If HS2 is to meet its environmental or economic potential, it needs to be planned properly within a long-term national transport strategy that cuts carbon.”
Besides setting out the need for such a strategy by 2014, before phase two of HS2 is formally consulted on, the report outlines how changes are needed to the way the future is forecasted and how communities are engaged in consultation on major infrastructure proposals.
It also calls for ‘better recognition and protection of the value of the natural and historic environment’.
The groups are calling for the lessons from previous schemes, such as High Speed 1, to be learned from.
Karen Gardham added: “Justine Greening has shown her environmental credentials and eye for detail during the successful challenge to the third runway at Heathrow.
“Now she has been promoted to run the Department for Transport, we’re hoping she will once again secure the best outcome for communities and the country by improving the planning of High Speed Rail.”
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