High Speed Rail
Concerned about High Speed Rail?
You should be!
I have now been on Burlingame’s City Council for almost 4 years and the time has come for me to run for re-election. As your Councilman and current Vice Mayor I have accomplished and am working on and will continue to work on many issues: I share your concern for the damage HSR can do and therefore wanted to inform you of my position.
Latest in the news regarding HSR
Blended approach? The “Blended“approach follows the “Phased” approach which followed the “Complete Build Out with Context Sensitive Solution” approach which followed the “Complete Build Out” approach. Why the progression?
Caltrain Board of Directors ( Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board)
Jerry, by a vote of the 20 Mayors of San Mateo County have for the first time placed a Burlingame Councilmember onto this highly coveted Board which owns and operates Caltrain. Burlingame therefore now has a voice regarding High-Speed Rail. As the Vice-Chair of the SamTrans Board of Directors and as a Board Member of the Peninsula Congestion Relief Alliance, Burlingame now has regional transportation representation.
HIGH SPEED RAIL AS PLANNED. BOONDOGGLE?
High Speed Rail sounds like a great idea. In fact 52.6% of California voters said yes for the $9 million in bonds to be sold to help finance High Speed Rail throughout California. This was before our current financial crisis. However, as they say, “the devil is in the details.” If you were a proponent of HSR when it was first proposed you will definitely want to check out this website, http://www.cc-hsr.org/ for a group called “Community Coalition on High Speed Rail.” Signs around Burlingame say HSR is a Boondoggle. The claim is heard, “I want it built right.” There is not enough money to “build it right.” I want to be clear: High Speed Rail as proposed will bankrupt California and drain all available transportation money from all other transportation projects. You will pay and pay dearly for many years. We will be stuck with not only a large bill, estimated by some from $60 to $80 billion dollars for just the first phase but also with $6 to $9 billion each year in subsidies. The original estimate was $43 billion for the entire system and no subsidies. High Speed Rail as proposed is not just a bad idea for the Bay Area and for California but potentially a catastrophic undertaking. I have a long record of questioning the information provided by the High Speed Rail Authority.
HSR is proposed to run along the CalTrain right of way and will divide Burlingame in two. Remember the Embarcadero Freeway in San Francisco? That’s High Speed Rail’s Burlingame solution. I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that does not happen! I have, along with other Council members, been persistent in denouncing the bloated HSR plans which are based on a flawed business plan and highly exaggerated ridership numbers. Can a much simpler HSR solution be found with a reasonable cost? Maybe? If not, then it must STOP!
If High Speed Rail becomes a reality in Burlingame it must be a two track system in a “cut and cover” alignment and it must be economically feasible. I don’t believe that all three will happen and HSR will become a fantasy for the forseeable future . I will remain dilligent!