Sunday, September 26, 2010

Desert Xpress delayed by FRA

All,  An article from the Las Vegas Sun on Sept. 24 is reporting that the FRA (Federal Railroad Admin) has released a supplemental draft on the EIS for DX.   http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/sep/24/desertxpress-likely-further-delayed-federal-agency/ How does this effect you and me?  It effects us in that there were concerns brought by the public over certain parts of the route that there needed to be a so-called "re-write" in the route DX will take. From the Las Vegas Sun....Richard N. Velotta [..]
"Two more public hearings are scheduled as well. In Las Vegas, a meeting is scheduled from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Southwest Event Center B at the Hampton Inn Tropicana at 4975 Dean Martin Drive. A second public hearing is scheduled in Barstow, Calif., the next day.
The two biggest deviations from the original document involve changes on the southern end of the route. They include a new site plan for a passenger station in Victorville and a modified alignment through Barstow, where residents are angling for a station and stop instead of a bypass of the city.
**see our story on the new E-220 route and the expansion of the City of Victorville to include the new station.  http://canvmaglevnews.blogspot.com/2010/09/antelope-valley-e-220-scoping-meetings.html
There’s also a proposal to change the rail alignment through the Clark Mountains near the Mojave National Preserve, an area overseen by the National Park Service. The preferred route would veer into the preserve; the modified route would cost more to build because it would involve tunneling, but it would avoid Park Service land.
In Southern Nevada, the new document considers new sites for maintenance and operation facilities in unincorporated Clark County at Sloan Road, Wigwam Avenue and Robindale Avenue along the existing right-of-way near Interstate 15.
Finally, the new document suggests moving the rail alignment in metropolitan Las Vegas from the I-15 corridor to a route closer to Industrial Road and Dean Martin Drive.
Four Las Vegas train station sites remain in the plan, but the Industrial-Dean Martin deviation makes it clear that developers have their eyes on a site known as Central Station B, just south of Flamingo Road and west of I-15."
[...]
(possible maintenance/operations site for DX)
(possible Central Station "B" area for DX)
*All designs, locations, stations, surrounding elements and areas are subject to change, remodel, removal, and retooling.  Interested parties should contact the respected companies for exact placement/alignment(s).*
Keep Flying On The Ground!  Ca/Nv Maglev News

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Antelope Valley E-220 scoping meetings this week! & Victorville Tie-in

All, A lot of Maglev News and articles have been released this week.  Please be patient with us as we try to get all the information together to post. One of the projects that is related to both Desert Xpress and CaNvMaglev is the E-220 freeway project connecting both the Antelope Valley (Palmdale/Lancaster) and San Bernardino (Victorville/Apple Valley) Counties.  A posting by metro.net, la.steetsblog, and the sbcounty.gov websites are all listing Scoping Meetings for this coming up week in a few locations... (we will post them below). The E-220 will also go by (with possible exits to the Southern California Logistics Center) connect to Interstate -15 and the far side of Apple Valley.
So, this new Freeway if you can imagine, will almost be the same route for Desert Xpress to connect to Palmdale if it ever gets approved.  But, if this does get built it would be easier for LA to drive to Victorville and the DX Victorville station if they (DX) had to cancel the Palmdale connections.
Here are the Scoping Meetings....THIS WEEK.
Palmdale on September 27, from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. Larry Chimbole Cultural Center 38350 North Sierra Highway, Palmdale, CA 93550 Lancaster on September 28, from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. Lancaster City Hall, Emergency Operations Center 44933 Fern Avenue, Lancaster, CA 93534 Apple Valley on September 29, from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. Apple Valley Parks and Recreation Department, Ward Room 14955 Dale Evans Parkway, Apple Valley, CA 92307 Victorville on September 30, from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. City of Victorville Conference Room D 14343 Civic Drive, Victorville, CA 92393
In other Victorville News... from September 14. http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/use-21777-board-victorville.html The City of Vicorville is looking to expand its City limits by just 8.4 miles.  4,525 acres...just enough to include the potential terminus station for DX. Keep Flying On The Ground! Ca/Nv Maglev News

Saturday, September 11, 2010

City Council delays DesertXpress economic study

http://www.desertdispatch.com/commo....esertdispatch&id=9200 

Mark your calendars.... 
[...] 


BARSTOW • Despite city staff urging the Council to act quickly, its members postponed discussion on a study that would highlight Barstow’s potential losses should a proposed high speed train between Victorville and Las Vegas become a reality. 

According to city staff, Barstow could lose $1.3 million a year in revenue if the DesertXpress train project is built. Barstow Finance Director Terri Willoughby based that amount on a traffic impact study, which states the project would result in 20 percent fewer cars on Interstate 15, and the amount lost in sales tax revenue from fewer people shopping at the outlet malls. 

[...] 

DesertXpress officials expect to be finished with the permitting process and ready for construction by the end of this year, said spokesperson Lee Haney. The project will be partly funded with federal loan dollars, but Haney said the company will pay those loans back. She couldn’t go into more specific detail, however. 

The DesertXpress project is one of two high speed trains proposed for the High Desert. The Council has long opposed the project because it does not include a stop in Barstow. Another proposed high speed train project, a magnetic levitating train, will stretch from Anaheim to Las Vegas with a stop in Barstow. 

The supplemental environmental impact report can be found on the Federal Railroad Administration’s Web site,http://www.fra.dot.gov/Pages/1703.shtml. 

A public hearing will be held Oct. 14 at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Barstow.

Keep Flying On The Ground!
Ca/Nv Maglev News