How could anybody be afraid of a fictitious bullet train? Well, I am! Here’s why; They’re doing it all wrong!
Issue #1:
Narrow gage! They want trains to be able to run on SHARED TRACKS which means at ground level. How many ways can you spell stupid? We here in LA area know all to well, why shared tracks don’t work! A few years ago, a train engineer was texting, and blew threw a stop signal, and crashed two trains together, head on. Remember that, killed a bunch of people, and wrecked a few carrots? Shared tracks are the norm for Amtrak, and commuter trains. Why, it’s a trick! The railroads get paid for your commute, and they get to brush off most of the upkeep on the lines, onto the tax payers.
Doing it right:
Elevate the trains on one way passenger service only tracks, over/under city traffic. But most of us would like to see day light! Sorry Railroads, your still the best way to ship, though!
Issue #2:
Commuters and grid lock: This will not be solved by bullet trains alone! It might move the location of grid lock, but there will still be grid lock, somewhere. The idea can not be to trap workers into trains, they have tools, and product, and… to move! Where are we all going to park?
Doing it right:
Major Venue to Major Venue: Forget the every day commuter, he’s not the one we want off the road, as much as everybody else! Link the Airports, the Amusement Parks, the Stadiums, the Casinos, etc., to the bullet trains. If I had an hour commute by train to Dodger Stadium, I’d see more Dodger games! This would spread out parking problems, meaning less grid lock, shorter commutes.
Linking San Diego to San Fransisco with a bullet train is stupid, and useless. Isn’t going to help California a bit! Enjoying the view, isn’t bringing money to the communities, and we already have airports. Link the venues, then worry about the major city linkage!
Issue $3:
How much will it cost (riders)?
Doing it right:
It would be cheap transportation. My idea would let local Station locations decide the cost of parking. Venues would create some competition in that market as well. Venues would also cause communities to trade money naturally, and circulating money is a good thing!
Issue #4:
Passengers only? Doesn’t help local business, except services.
Doing it right:
Light freight should be able to ride too! Design containers that roll on, and roll off, as easy as passengers, always on the back of the train, so if there is a bomb the train is always moving away from it!
Issue #5:
We don’t need A TRAIN, we need TRAINS!
Doing it right:
Loop routes that take 45 minutes, round trip, always one way. No, I’m not kidding. Having to transfer from one train to another, like interlocking bee hives, will make people spread money across communities. Each hub would become like a shopping mall, with local city promotions (like county fairs, music events, etc.).
If we can REACH for the STARS, why can’t we have that kind of planning and thinking in public transportation? I love my car, and I love my independence. But we are far behind the world, because we are slaves to our failed independent cars- we sit in grid lock, because we are stupid!
Footnote:
One of the Republican lies, was always money for a bullet train from Disneyland to Los Vegas, right? There were no such plans ever, except in their imaginations. But the first High Speed Rail project that I’ve heard of is Orlando to Miami? I smell a rat, equal to that mocking lie, they told about us.
My point:
Bullet Trains done right, are long term job creators, grid lock busters, and practical, worth the investment because they will make profits over time. Bullet Trains done wrong, waste of money, and public confidence, that will only bleed money, and lack riders.
Wanting passenger trains is the right step. But wide vision is required, with a full plan on only of how to build them, but you need a plan on how they will be the greatest service to each and every community. To me, a scenic view of California Coast is a total waste of money and time- Who does that serve? Have you sat in a traffic jam in LA?
Stopping a bullet train is like catching a bullet in your teeth. They are coming, like it or not. They will merge into being just more Amtrak, rather than MetroLink. They serve nobody in particular.
Venue to Venue, is the only way to build a good train system, for both commuters and visitors. Tourists hate LA and love San Fransisco, for one reason! You don’t drive in SF, unless you’re crazy! From a 12 mph cable car, to 20 mph trains, and even so, SF did it right. LA never should have done away with the Red Cars (see Roger Rabbit- that part of the film was true). LA is different than everywhere else, it’s all SPRAWL!
