Randy Iwasaki, Director of the California Department of Transportation, will be the featured speaker at the upcoming luncheon to be hosted by the Contra Costa Council, October 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Drive, Concord.
Addressing the future of transportation in the once Golden State, Iwasaki, a licensed civil engineer, succeeded Will Kempton, who resigned in June to become CEO of the Orange County Transportation Authority. Since 2005, Iwasaki has been Caltrans’ chief deputy director, having previously served as acting chief deputy director from November 2004 to January 2005 and interim director from July 2004 to November 2004.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I wonder if it is correct to say that private enterprise built the railroads? The government gave the railroads free land, monopoly and contracts way above costs for mail and the like and allowed for extortion rates. There was a reason it was the era of Robber Barons.
The question of earthquakes or other natural disasters is interesting. I do not recall a railroad closing down its depots/stops because of high winds or fog or rain delays.
Rather common with airlines. Though a comparison might be interesting. A more interesting feature might be that in the case of an emergency such as an earthquake it would be easier to get a rail line up and going and using it to deliver food, relief etc than highways and that could be done substantially cheaper than say your planes.
High speed trains may have some cargo delivery aspects that may be interesting that is not available via plane.
There could also be strikes at private companies. One thing to consider if you really are worried about strikes is what has a greater record of strikes private unregulated free market type things such as existed in the period of the 1800’s expansion of railroads- or government ones? Some data research might be interesting.
The real issue is simple costs and cost recovery and the other stuff: earthquakes/strikes. etc is minor. It may be that a bullet train is not directly economically, then again the same may be the case with the BART system or the Bay Bridge.
A plot to steal your money — that’s what all this talk of new transportation projects concerns.
There is no need for a bullet train between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The cost per passenger mail of such a train is much higher than an airplane.
Transportation changes should involve building new airports and expanding existing ones.
If a bullet train is to be built, there must be a pilot test in which a bullet train is constructed between New York City and Washington, D.C. The train must make a profit and not be subsidized.
Any bullet train must be built by private enterprise, not by taxpayers’ money. Private enterprise built the railroads in the 1890’s. Let the private sector, not taxpayers, assume the risk.
If government builds and maintains new railroads, the costs wil be exhorbitant. There could be strikes. Think how closely Bay Area residents came to a BART strike in the summer of 2009.
An earthquake could destroy a California bullet-train system. The impact of an earthquake on an airline system would be much less severe.
Please say “no” to bullet trains in California.
Richard S. Colman
Orinda, CA
Sept. 23, 2009