Fullerton City Council Asleep at the HSR Switch?
I applaud the Orange City Council for taking the initiative here, to discuss State Assemblywoman Diane Harkey’s AB2121. Basically, Harkey’s idea is to pull the plug on the bond financing for the High Speed Rail (HSR) massive boondoggle. Our sources tell us Councilman Jon Dumitru has taken the lead on reviewing this issue.
Hell, the HSR isn’t even proposed to go through Orange, and their council is more concerned about the boondoggle than Fullerton’s is.The route, as proposed could cut a several mile long swath of destruction through Fullerton. And our council doesn’t seem able to even talk about it. Maybe because staff didn’t agendize it first.
When are the people of Fullerton going to start electing people that stick up for Fullerton? A concerted opposition by our council could help kill this fiasco now.
I’d hope your Council could kill it, and if they were to pass a resolution saying ‘stay out of town’, that would get major press and cause Pringle some heartburn. As it is now , HSR could share the Metrolink/Amtrak tracks that come through town now. That’s one crash you don’t need. Metrolink’s last one cost 27 lives and 150+ serious injuries. Make them guarantee that that wouldn’t happen or tell them to go elsewhere — like through Pringle’s living room.
Denis Bilodeau told me he wanted this on the Agenda, because he fears they will take land in Orange for some of the station. But Fullerton is in the same place as Anaheim, when it comes to City Council responding to this, you can hear crickets chirping! Other cities have hired lobbyists to talk to legislators, and are hiring lawyers and environmental experts to go over the studies, anddo what they can to protect their constituents. Ultimately the State has greater authority, but I applaud those cities who put their people first. Sorry to hear Fullerton is left hanging along with Anaheim. Although you at least have Shawn Nelson who has spoken up, most recently in the OCRegister. Not a single Anaheim Councilmember has spoken up on this that I have heard of!
I challenge any Fullerton Council member to explain to residents what benefit would be derived from HSR going through our city when connecting routes to LA already pass through our station. Stop wasting (y)our time with that Google crapshoot and protect what’s left of Fullerton!
Meanwhile, there is a meeting about the giant Fullerton Transportation Center plan on Monday, April 19th, 6 pm, at the Senior Center on Commonwealth. Maybe the topic will come up…
After the CHSR made their first presentation to Buena Park and the 5 LA County cities, The Gateway Cities Council of Governments met with the rep’s of the CHSR which lead the the signing of an Memorandum of understanding to study ways to metigate the impacts of row takes. This lead to last weeks decision by the CHSR to reconsider the joint use of AMTRAK, Metrolink, and BNSF tracks. Remember that the tracks North of Fullerton Junction belong to BNSF. Not everyone was asleep at the wheel.
Hey Art, has BNSF been included in these discussions yet?
Although I support possible shared use, I get the feeling this idea is off to a bad start. You can’t assume BNSF will go along. They are under no obligation to do so … don’t be fooled because Amtrak and Metrolink use their tracks the govt can shove HSR down their throats.
From an operational standpoint (which I’m very familiar with) it will take more convincing of BNSF than our state leaders. Pitch this the wrong way and mark my words, BNSF will go to the Feds and have them overrule California lawmakers faster than you can blink an eye.
Please be mindful that for HSR to coexist on the same right-of-way, it must be constructed in such a way that interstate commerce is not affected. Screwing BNSF over is screwing the country over. BNSF needs the ability to run freight trains 24/7/365, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Hey Art, considering you’re on the Metrolink board, what have you to say about their record of killing people? What’s your projection of death and injuries when you combine the HSR with your train set in the same corridor?
Hey Art, when the HSR starts competing with your Metrolink system, what’s the projection of their revenue loss when this supposedly faster train starts siphoning off ridership from an already lightly used railroad? If your Metrolink ride subsidy is somewhere around $15 per now, what’s the additional burden on the taxpayer if the (slightly) faster HSR sucks off your ridership?
And will the HSR stop at your pet Buena Park station, or is that just reserved for Curt Pringle’s ARTIC boondoggle? Why did you have to have a Metrolink station anyway that your own city staff didn’t support? It was built long after the others, so one might suspect it wasn’t all that important, except for its picture on the wall of your home office.
Beware Orange City Council. ARTIC does not address the massive parking needed for the HSR. You need to really study the quick shoddy HSR EIR. The only parking alternative for HSR will be on the east side of the river with access built across the river. Traffic and land impacts in Orange? As one Orange council member knows, you can make the HSR traffic study say anything they want to hide real impacts.