California Condemns More Land for High Speed Rail. TX High Speed Rail Replies- Texas is NOT California.

While Texas Central Railway openly talks to landowners, California is building a state financed high speed rail. 

On Friday, California’s Public Works Board voted to condemn 38 more pieces of property. in total, the state has condemned 192 land parcels to build high speed rail. In total, they need 1,300 parcels of property.

Fresno Bee

The very next day Texas Central Railway …

4 Points from Texas Central Rail Public April Meetings

Texas Central Rail is keeping a up a public meeting schedule. On Saturday April 11, 2015, they held a meeting in Montgomery County. the Highlights:

  • The new route follows a utility easement and will not traverse Montgomery Co.
  • If the project isn’t built and land is taken by eminent domain, the land will be returned to the land owner
  • Roads will not be split
    • “In no place are we going to cut off a county road, an FM road or cut off access to some body’…

3 Reasons to Oppose High Speed Rail

  1. Eminent Domain
  2. Private funding claim is a rouse.
  3. Texas needs to build roads, not rails.

Eminent Domain

Building the high speed rail will grant a private entity, the Texas Central Railway, the power of eminent domain. Private entities with eminent domain are out of vogue in Texas.

Public Funding

Opposition claims that if ridership goals are not met, public funds will be applied to the project.

Big Week for Ride Share with Help from Texas Association of Business. Cab Companies Disagree on 4 Point Disagreement.

Ride Share moved from local issue affecting local ordinances in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston to a statewide solution.

HB 2440 by Repsentative Paddie was heard in House Transportation. Statewide solutions for ride share on the horizon.  Cab companies testified in opposition:

  • Ride share is getting a business advantage; treat all companies the same
  • Crimin…

How long does it take to build a new rail between TX & Mexico? 100 + years

A new rail bridge is opening near Brownsville, which has been trying for 15 years to move the current Matamoros rail track out of downtown Brownsville. The move will improve safety by eliminating 14 car crossings. 

A security checkpoint in Mexico will screen train traffic in both directions until the US security station is moved from its current location.

Mexico paid $80M of the cost and local governemtns in the U.S. $40M.

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Legal Trend: Archeologists Get Involved in Rail Opposition

A nonprofit group of archeologists in Florida are vocalizing opposition to a high speed rail plan because the high speed rail will block their ability to recover artifacts. Other opposition includes:

  • block access to artifacts in known exploration areas
  • constant train noise pollution
  • damage to wildlife
  • slow down emergency response times

Their lawsuit in federal court asks the court to void the bonds backing the high speed rail.  

Trend: Transportation Funding Panels

Recommending a funding solution for transportation works best when the people recommending the solution aren’t elected officials.

Look at Georgia, they had a special committee recommend suggestions and now a new transportation solution is sittin gon the Governor’s Desk. Washington Times

Connecticut follows suit with Governor Malloy appointing a 10 member Council …