7 ms·
Yup, because > On the horizon are more difficult segments, such as the long underground passage through the Tehachapi and San Gabriel Mountains and the route i
by fernly 9y ago
Yup, because
> On the horizon are more difficult segments, such as the long underground passage through the Tehachapi and San Gabriel Mountains and the route into the urban San Francisco Bay Area.
Especially the latter segment. I live along the assumed route to SF and let me tell ya, there are any number of wealthy NIMBYs who are ready to fight any attempt at building a noisy, unsightly, and potentially dangerous rail line past their houses in any way possible.
- frankharv 9y agoWhat I don't understand is why they don't use eminent domain authority to take these properties. It seems this project is exactly what eminent domain is for. Even though I hate taking peoples property this project is public and benefits all. I do wonder about using bonds that are paying out from the Highway Fund. So if this fails the highway fund still has to pay and that will mean less future money for road maintenance.
- dragonwriter 9y ago> What I don't understand is why they don't use eminent domain authority to take these properties. They will. That's not the issue. The issue is political/legal fights on other bases.
- kelnos 9y agoI believe you can still put up legal challenges against eminent domain actions. Even if the HSR group wins those challenges, it costs time and money to deal with them. There are also opportunities for legal challenges on environmental grounds and other things that can slow things down.
- wahern 9y agoFor eminent domain there's little you can do _legally_, even in California, but politically it can be very costly if you try to bulldoze rich homeowners and business owners properties. The way less well-heeled NIMBYs hold up projects is through environmental review (California's CEQA makes this all too easy) and historic preservation laws.
- dragonwriter 9y ago> For eminent domain there's little you can do _legally_ Directly, sure, but there's plenty of ways of legally challenging the project itself, or politically challenging it, that don't rely directly on legal challenges to.the eminent domain action. But if you can legally challenge aspects of the projects central to the purpose for which they are using eminent domain, it's as good as a fire t challenge.