I didn't acknowledge the joy that I felt when I learned that we will, in fact, have Supertrain in California. High speed rail from SF to LA, with future routes to San Diego, and hopefully on to Portland and Seattle one day. It's awesome.
The proposal has its flaws, not least that it isn't running to Oakland. Running the line through Oakland would've made northward expansion easier, since the terminus would've been on the mainland, and not isolated on a peninsula. Plus, I'm a fan of the East Bay.
Still, pretty cool to be in the future home of North America's first truly high-speed rail line.
Alas that we can't be as progressive in terms of defending Californian families against discrimination.
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Even in little Rhode Island they're actually building commuter rail stations in Warwick, Wickford, and Westerly. The Mass Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) has already promise it will run trains all the way out to Westerly which sits on the border of RI and CT.
And CT Transit has said they'll even do cross state links so it'd be possible to do commuter rail from all the lines that terminate in Boston right through CT and into NY.
Compare the number who chose to vote (Yes or No) for the almost 10 billion dollar issue and the number who chose to vote about the intangible issue. One half million of those that voted on the (relatively) intangible issue couldn't be bothered to express their opinion on the train.
Outrage! Rarrgh!
http://vote.sos.ca.gov/
Does "Supertrain" run on oil?!
What measures will be put in place to assure safety and security?
I hope this has been thought through.
I believe that high speed rail systems usually use electric motors and overhead powerlines. That means that the trains will run as cleanly as the entire grid, and California generates more and more power from renewable sources.
And yes, safety was a consideration as the route was negotiated.
I wish you had been in the office on Wednesday, no one was sharing my supertrain joy. At least not with the same enthusiasm.
One half million of those that voted on the (relatively) intangible issue couldn't be bothered to express their opinion on the train.