High-speed rail:
Union Pacific won't share with high-speed rail -- California's largest railroad has heaved an obstacle in the path of the state's high-speed rail plans, saying it doesn't want to share its rights of way with a 200-plus-mph passenger train system. And while high-speed rail officials say the Union Pacific Railroad's disinterest in sharing is "much ado about nothing," critics hope it will slow the speedy train project and possibly delay a $10 billion bond measure scheduled to appear on the November ballot. SF Chronicle 6/6/08
*Senate report pokes holes in bullet train plan -- A state Senate panel issued a stinging report Thursday questioning the financial assumptions made by the California High-Speed Rail Authority and urging significant changes to its plan to develop a 700-mile bullet train system. "Neither the authority's 2000 business plan nor any of the agency's subsequent documents discuss the risks that might be associated with the project," charges the 27-page report by the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. CC Times 6/6/08
California Senate committee calls for more accountability, information from high-speed rail authority -- California Senate Transportation & Housing Committee Chairman Alan Lowenthal recently unveiled a report identifying the potential risks and benefits of California’s proposed high-speed rail system. The report is based on testimony given during oversight hearings held by the committee in December and January. The committee is calling on the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) to demonstrate greater financial transparency and accountability. Progressive Railroading 6/6/08
Gutting the HSR Project -- The recent concern over AB 3034's emphasis on regional construction and the UP's resistance to sharing its ROW may not be such separate matters after all - once their combined political effect is assessed. And the final piece in this is the State Senate Transportation and Housing Committee's Final High Speed Rail Report which, in my reading, suggests that the core of the HSR project - linking SF to LA - is about to be gutted. High-speed Rail Blog 6/6/08
*Text of Final Senate High Speed Rail Report 6/4/08
Infrastructure:
Landscaping S.F. walkways and byways -- San Francisco's sidewalks, crosswalks, alleys and medians would be remade into landscaped urban oases for residents and visitors under a proposal trumpeted Thursday by city officials and community activists. The proposal will return outdoor San Francisco to its "rightful place as the center of civic life," Mayor Gavin Newsom said Thursday at a newly renovated pedestrian plaza South of Market. SF Chronicle 6/6/08
Transportation:
*Students make Prius noisy, on purpose -- The bright blue Toyota Prius that two Stanford graduate students slowly drove down the road earlier this week could be heard humming. That might surprise any pedestrian or bicyclist ever startled by the sudden appearance of a stealthy Prius passing by with its eerily quiet electric motor. But the grad students produced the soft, high-pitch sound for a reason - "public safety, especially for blind people who rely on their hearing to get around. SJ Mercury 6/6/08
Homeless settle lawsuit against Fresno, Caltrans -- Several homeless people in Fresno who claimed their belongings were wrongfully seized and destroyed in raids on their camps have reached a $2.3 million settlement with the city and state. The proposed settlement filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Fresno calls for the city to pay the eight plaintiffs and any others who qualify under the class action suit $1.4 million in cash and living allowances. The California Department of Transportation will pay an additional $85,000 in cash. San Diego Union Tribune 6/5/08
Air travel:
Airport has new 2nd in command -- Longtime airport official Kim Becker will step into the No. 2 position at Mineta San Jose International Airport June 16, just in time to oversee the airport's transition to its new billion-dollar terminals beginning next year. SJ Mercury 6/6/08
Water:
Searching for solution to mussel invasions -- When zebra mussels were found in January in San Justo Reservoir, about 250 miles away from Lake Tahoe in California, state and local agencies made the decision to close the lake to boating. Now, the strategy at Lake Mead has shifted from prevention to control, with a focus on the 4,500 slipped and moored boats at Lake Mead. Those boats must be cleaned before entering Lake Mead and after exiting the waters. Boaters also are required to notify the marina manager when they leave the marina. Nevada Appeal 6/6/08
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