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TAMC Rail Policy Committee Meeting Report
September 13, 2010 Meeting Reported by Chris Flescher, Associate Director According to the California Transportation Commission (CTC), TAMC needs to conduct an independent ridership review and economic analysis, for the Monterey Branch Line (MBL). The study will be very important when TAMC asks for money for engineering. TAMC will ask for $50,000 of Prop 116 funds. If…
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High Speed Rail: The View on November 4th
Report by Bill Kerby, RailPAC Treasurer November 4, 2010 — Public commentary opened and closed the meeting of the California High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) held today in the State Capitol. In his opening remarks, San Mateo’s Assemblyman Jerry Hill announced that he will introduce legislation dealing with expenditures, transparency and disclosure by the HSRA.…
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Your Donations are now Tax Deductible!
The IRS has approved our application to be recognized as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit charitable corporation! RailPAC filed the application with the Internal Revenue Service early in 2010. IRS approval means membership dues and other donations can be deducted from the individual federal income tax returns of donors. Any donation you made to RailPAC on…
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HSR: Fantasy versus Reality
Editorial by Noel T. Braymer The main obstacle to High Speed Rail service in California is not rich NIMBY homeowners or the Union Pacific Railroad. The main obstacle is the consultants being paid by the California High Speed Rail Authority to plan and design the service. There is broad popular support for better passenger rail…
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More Shovel Ready Stimulus Please
Opinion by Noel T. Braymer With mid-term elections coming up the administration is now talking about spending 50 billion dollars for transportation projects in the long delayed transportation bill. The amount of new money going for infrastructure pales compared to the trillions of dollars of deferred maintenance we have in this country. Given the need…
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Tracking Rail News: October 2010
Comments by Russ Jackson Photos by Bob Snow and Russ Jackson . . . On Time Performance. With the fiscal year ending in a few days, we will hold off the big numbers until the yearly data is available. September has been a fairly routine month, once the flooding in Iowa subsided. The California Zephyr…
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How much does the UP want to run a daily Sunset?!
$750 million, that’s how much. By Russ Jackson This article appeared on page one of the October 2010, Western Rail Passenger Review. On September 30, Amtrak released its plan for the Sunset Limited without a start date. A followup article will appear next month.
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RailPAC Takes HSR Tour of France
By Bruce Jenkins, RailPAC Director RailPAC Vice President North Art Lloyd and Director Bruce Jenkins joined a High Speed Rail Tour of France on September 13 thru 18th. The Tour was superbly guided by Rick Harnish, Executive Director of MidWestern High Speed Rail Association, who is also on the board of NARP. The tour was…
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LA City Council Rail Resolution Passes Unanimously
This morning a RailPAC resolution supporting the construction of double track between Van Nuys and Chatsworth and the building of a second platform at Van Nuys station was passed unanimously by the City Council meeting at Van Nuys. Paul Dyson, RailPAC president, spoke in favor of the motion, which was proposed by Council members Tom LaBonge and Greig…
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What AB 32 and Rail Service have in Common
Editorial by Noel T. Braymer AB 32 is a law passed and signed into law in California back in September 27, 2006. Its goal is to reduce the state’s emission of carbon back to 1990 levels by 2020. This law has broad bi-partisan support. Environmentalists support the law because it would clean the air and…