We have come across the following article from the Press Enterprise (Riverside/San Bernardino, CA. areas) newspaper about the DX and the release of its final EIR.
[...]
http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_xpress01.2290246.html
11:20 AM PDT on Friday, April 1, 2011
With one month left before federal officials finalize plans for a high-speed train from Victorville to Las Vegas, opponents of the project worry it will take money from High Desert cities and potentially destroy pristine landscapes and sensitive wildlife.
The Federal Railroad Administration -- which must approve the $6 billion Desert Xpress project -- unveiled the final environmental report last week and will open public comment today on the 185-mile route. Supporters and opponents have one month to review the environmental report and respond.
Barstow and Baker, cities that rely heavily on travelers to stop for gas and food, are fretting that the train could divert a lot of their business. And skeptics worry that vital habitats for the desert tortoise, bighorn sheep and Gila monsters could be lost.[...]
This is a really great large article that the Riverside/San Bernardino area (which is SouthEast about 45-50 miles of Victorville) asking questions about the validity of the project. Including the jobs and sales tax that will end due to the "increased ridership" passing though Barstow. But, one should take a few minutes and read the public comments posted within this article about this project. [...]
Josh R. "On paper, the DesertXpress sounds better than the Maglev. It's cheaper (though they have publicly admitted that it will need federal funds). However, when examining the project closely, you will see that it is a waste of money, full of "what ifs" and possibilities. And the so-called Palmdale extension might as well be a separate project because it has it's own separate EIR,which can be a hassle to obtain.
The maglev project, while more expensive, is better in the LONG RUN because even though it will be built in phases, it still is one single project with it's own EIR. Please, don't let this boondoggle get built."
Guest Post...unknown How could anything whose key promoter is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid NOT be a great thing! ;-) I love how this is promoted for its great "environmental" benefits and yet the line ends 86 miles from downtown LA - accessable by traffic clogged S. Calif freeways! (I'd suggest that most of the pollution that is caused by the LA to Vegas trip is done in the LA basin - not zipping across the empty desert where this trian will lie.)
To heck with the desert tortoise andother habitits that will be lost. $6 billion to build this train that will end in the middle of nowhere is well worth the costs if Harry Ried says so! By federal budget standards $6 billion is just another drop in the bucket. Hooey to the Federal deficit!
I think Vegas and Victorville should pay for this next boondoggle since they are the only ones who might get any benefit from this if built .[...]
Editors note:I think Vegas and Victorville should pay for this next boondoggle since they are the only ones who might get any benefit from this if built .[...]
If this is a project built for the people, theres not a lot of pro-DX people except the public of Victorville, who will be the only California winners.
The loosers...the public having to park in a open (unshaded) parking lot of 10,000 cars, drive and get stuck in the traffic congestion of the Victorville area only having to go past Victorville (North) to park at the station, and vast amount of rental cars leaving Victorville trying to reach the LA Basin to their real destinations.
Keep Flying On The Ground!
Ca/Nv Maglev News
