More Monday morning rail news:
— A draft environment statement says that building California’s high speed rail system from Bakersfield to Palmdale, Calif., across the Tehachapi Mountains would cost $18.1 billion and force the removal or relocation of more than 300 businesses and 250 residential units in the Lancaster-Palmdale area. The Los Angeles Times reports that the preferred route would include 9.3 miles of tunnels and 15.8 of bridges.
— A District of Columbia council member is proposing making transit free for district residents by providing $100 in monthly ticket credits. The Washington Post reports council member Charles Allen says the plan would provide new fare revenue for DC Metro, remove an obstacle to jobs for low-income residents, and would be paid for with surplus tax revenue, which has exceeded projections the last five years.
— Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit could extend service north to Healdsburg, Calif., by 2024 if a ballot measure passes Tuesday, the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports. That date was included in a Feb. 21 to Healdsburg city officials in advance of a meeting tonight in Healdsburg on possible locations for a Healdsburg station. Tuesday’s ballot measure would extend by 30 years the quarter-cent sales tax that has funded the building and operation of SMART.
Right off the bat, free transit eliminates the costs of fare collection and enforcement. When combined with potential increased ridership, the surrounding economic growth may make up for the lost revenue. Since the farebox recovery is so low for transit (50% or less, compared with over 95% on Amtrak long distance trains before Anderson), the end result of free transit might be lower overall cost to the community. I’d love to see an economist weigh in.
DC metro has got to get their hours expanded so people can use the system early in the morning and late at night. You can’t have riders if you don’t operate. The hours were cut a few years back, and I don’t believe they were ever re-expanded.
For that kind of money they should route it straight thru like I 5 using lots of long tunnels. Italy does it all the time thru equally seismically active mountains.
If SCRRA would’ve kept the old ATSF Pasadena heavy rail instead of LRT. They could’ve had the perfect entry for a tunnel under the San Gabs
If DC is collecting excess tax revenue that excess should be returned to the district’s tax payers and the fares for Metro should be raised to cover operating costs rather than providing free rides.
The California High Speed Rail Authority could save money buying Amtrak’s current fleet of Acela Express train sets due for retirement in two years. The Acela I’s could be refurbished and upgraded to exceed 200 mph over the current maximum speed of 160 mph. Weight reduction of the body shells and the latest technology in electrical and mechanical components would be incorporated.
The sight of a former Amtrak Acela Express train in new colours and a different paint scheme would be amazing.
Unfortunately D.C. and FREE go together. They just can’t help themselves.