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High-Speed Rail —High-Speed Rail —

American StyleAmerican Style

Steve Heminger

Executive Director

Metropolitan Transportation Commission

June 3, 2011

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“You’ve got to accentuate

the positive. Eliminate the negative.

And latch onto the affirmative.

Don’t mess with Mister In-Between”– Bing Crosby, 1944

(lyrics by Johnny Mercer)

1. Connectivity Is Key

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2. Deliver Early Co-Benefits

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3. Environmental Review(s) Run Amok

4. A Need for Constructive Criticism

Recent LAO Report recommends transferring HSR development to Caltrans.

But the LAO itself has found major shortcomings at Caltrans in the areas of project delivery, budgeting and hiring:

“Caltrans has a less than perfect record in delivering projects on time and on budget.”

(2007-08 Budget Analysis, p. A- 44)

Given its size and complexity, California’s HSR system must be developed by an entity whose sole purpose is successful delivery of that project.

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5. Reward Self-Help

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6. High-Speed Rail is Not the Interstate System Redux

High-speed rail is about connecting large metropolitan areas

The critical decision is focusing on the proper city pairs

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7. High-Speed Rail Is Not Stimulus

OBLIGATION AND OUTLAY OF MAJOR TRANSPORTION STIMULUS FUNDING(Millions of Dollars, As of Close of Business on Friday, March 4, 2011)

Agency Bureau AccountTotal

Provided ObligatedOblig. % of Total Outlays

Outlay % Of Total

DOT FHWA Federal-Aid Highways 27,500 26,847 97.6% 18,596 67.6%

DOT FTA Transit – Capital Formula

6,900 7,314 106.0% 4,166 60.4%

Highways + Transit Formula

34,400 34,161 99.3% 22,762 66.2%

DOT FTA Transit – Rail Modernization

750 748 99.7% 436 58.2%

DOT FTA Transit – New Starts 750 748 99.7% 743 99.0%

DOT FRA High-Speed/Intercity Rail 8,000 4,908 61.4% 83 1%

DOT FRA Grants to Amtrak 1,300 1,302 100.2% 1,181 90.9%

SOURCE: Transportation Weekly

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8. There’s No Such Thing as a Democratic or a Republican Road…

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9. So Why Do It?

Alternative to congested air travel Clean electric transportation $7 per gallon of gasoline

“Facing Up to End of 'Easy Oil'” (Wall Street Journal, May 24, 2011)

Are all of major economic competitors crazy?

“The question is, are there any special circumstances that suggest all these other countries are wrong and we are right?”

To prove we still can

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“ The Commission envisions an

intercity passenger rail network

that provides competitive, reliable,

and frequent passenger service,

comparable to world-class systems

in other countries. This network

would primarily connect regions

and population centers within

500 miles of each other.”

10. Keep Our Eye on the Prize

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Metropolitan Transportation Commission

www.mtc.ca.govwww.mtc.ca.gov