California High Speed Rail - Boondoggle or Boon? (Los Angeles, San Jose: 2014, house)

[BBMW]

You think the fairs will be cheap enough that someone would commute daily on the HSR. That sounds like you're expecting a lot of ongoing operating subsides.

Originally Posted by njbiodude

The WSJ had a piece on this recently it’s sad. A lot of “infrastructure” projects spend millions on permits and legal battles then outright die before construction even begins.

Having a high speed rail connection would be a huge boon for the state. Being able to commute in 30 minutes from Modesto to San Jose or Bakersfield to LA would reduce traffic immensely and reduce traffic congestion in core urban areas significantly.

If you make 200k/yr at Adobe then you can buy a 4 bedroom home with a yard and a pool in the central valley, have a spouse stay at home with the kids and commute by train in a reasonable time frame. If you commute now as is by car that’s hours a day in your car. Buying the same home in San Jose that you can get in the Central Valley isn’t even close to achievable on that salary

Alas, parts of this train were already supposed to be done but the completion date keeps getting pushed back further and further.

[Thekdog]

Originally Posted by vincenze

It costs $36 to ride Amtrak SD<->LA. The time is usually 3 hours, but they are still fixing the rails near the ocean.

A train opens its doors, you just show you ticker, that's it. Nobody asks your passport, you don't have to register.

I looked at this because they were doing a few promotion, but it's 3.5 hours not including getting to the station vs 2 hours and 20 minutes to just drive.

[citizensadvocate]

Originally Posted by Thekdog

I looked at this because they were doing a few promotion, but it's 3.5 hours not including getting to the station vs 2 hours and 20 minutes to just drive.

It seems a neat idea. But this LoSsan corridor is mighty unreliable due to beach erosion and other issues and they just throw riders under the bus or should I say train when they cannot run. Many people are stranded or forced to drive this route often due to unexpected and frequent route disruptions.

Apparently this has caused a new trend for people to ask money to help them get between San Diego and Los Angeles as their rail to rail monthly pass the cheaper ones from NTCD and Metrolink is suspended for the four bus bridges between Irvine and Oceanside.

I assume fares would be around $40 between SD and LA should the project be finished. Which would be very competitive compared to driving and the few airlines that does this.

[njbiodude]

Originally Posted by BBMW

You think the fairs will be cheap enough that someone would commute daily on the HSR. That sounds like you're expecting a lot of ongoing operating subsides.

How much do you think it will cost to go 60 or 70 miles daily?

People pay for gas or wear and tear on their car commuting far already.

[BBMW]

A high speed rail line should not have stops that close. And, again, do they have any idea what the fares will be,, and how much in the way of operating subsidies will be necessary to keep the fares affordable?

Originally Posted by njbiodude

How much do you think it will cost to go 60 or 70 miles daily?

People pay for gas or wear and tear on their car commuting far already.

[njbiodude]

Originally Posted by BBMW

A high speed rail line should not have stops that close. And, again, do they have any idea what the fares will be,, and how much in the way of operating subsidies will be necessary to keep the fares affordable?

If there is one good thing about NJ it’s that trains go right into NYC. Yes it’s partially subsidized—but it keeps people off the roads so less wear and tear on there and less money spent. Lots of people use the train, even people making hundreds of thousands per year because it’s more convenient than driving.

[vincenze]

Originally Posted by Thekdog

I looked at this because they were doing a few promotion, but it's 3.5 hours not including getting to the station vs 2 hours and 20 minutes to just drive.

That's 5 hours of driving by your estimates, could be 7-8 hours if you hit the highways 5 and 405 during rush hours.

Riding a train, it's easy to accomplish a task in SD or Mexico in one day, and don't feel exhausted.

[BBMW]

Okay, but those trains are designed as commuter trains, and there's nothing particularly high speed about them. This is a long haul, high speed intercity train. The main city pair it's designed o link is LA and SF. But they've added a bunch of intermediate stops to buy political favor.

Originally Posted by njbiodude

If there is one good thing about NJ it’s that trains go right into NYC. Yes it’s partially subsidized—but it keeps people off the roads so less wear and tear on there and less money spent. Lots of people use the train, even people making hundreds of thousands per year because it’s more convenient than driving.

[artillery77]

I mean....just because it costs more than the entire initial interstate system and transcontinental railroad when adjusted for inflation combined....and takes more time than both to build doesn't make it a bad idea. it just means corruption levels have gone way too high.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by vincenze

That's 5 hours of driving by your estimates, could be 7-8 hours if you hit the highways 5 and 405 during rush hours.

Riding a train, it's easy to accomplish a task in SD or Mexico in one day, and don't feel exhausted.

It will likely never come all the way down and if it eventually does, we won't be alive to ride it.