High-Speed Rail Talk Coming to Lake Forest
A council member asks his colleagues to support an Orange County legislator's plan to stop the state's rail project.
Photos
A Lake Forest councilman wants to stop the state's high-speed rail project and has asked for the support of his colleagues.
Mayor Pro Tem Scott Voigts requested that the council discuss supporting AB 1455, a recently-proposed bill that would halt debt funding for the rail proposal.
Voters in 2008 approved Proposition 1A to use bond money to build a high-speed railway that would connect Northern and Southern California.
Voigts said that a call from Assemblywoman Diane Harkey (R-Dana Point)—the Orange County legislator who in January introduced AB 1455—prompted him to ask the council to support her efforts.
On Tuesday, the Lake Forest City Council agreed to discuss taking a stance on the bill at a meeting in the near future.
Harkey has been a vocal opponent of building high-speed rail, arguing that the bankrupt state can ill afford to spend billions on the project.
Harkey represents the 73rd Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the communities of Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Oceanside, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.
A coauthor on AB 1455 is Assemblyman Don Wagner, who represents the 70th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Aliso Viejo, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Newport Beach and Tustin.
Voigts is a member of Wagner's staff.
M
6:23 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Sorry I'm confused... Harkey doesn't represent lake forest but she wants the councils support for the rail?? Where is this proposed rail going to be built?
Sarah de Crescenzo
10:18 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Hi M, I've attached a photo of the proposed rail route so you can see where it would be built. And yes, Harkey doesn't directly represent Lake Forest, but one of her bill's coauthors—Assemblyman Don Wagner—does. And Mayor Pro Tem Voigts, who brought this to the council's attention, works for Wagner.
Terry Ake
8:41 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The cost of the High Speed Rail System, should tell the whole, very expensive and getting more expensive day by day, at the present rate the system will cost at least 4 times the final estimate that is given, history tells us that estimates are always low no matter how expensive the final estimate was. We cannot afford to do this, think about this when you bounce across a pothole or other degradation in our roadways.
c
8:55 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The way forward is not by keep delaying and delaying, have any of our representatives notice the price of gas. Everyday we don't move forward with projects like this the more expensive they get not only in the actual cost of the work, but in the lost of benefits to the public.
june anderson
9:38 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
it is incredible to me that one cannot take a train, just a regular train, directly from Los Angeles to San Fran. Maybe we should fix that first, with a fast regular train, before we try to install a bullet train?
KC
11:51 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
What I find incredible is that you really can't take public transit anywhere in a reasonable amount of time.
Kel8856
2:34 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
As great as this would be, we cannot afford it. We cannot properly protect our kids, pets, elderly, etc. - so we cannot afford this.
To clarify to M, Harkey is looking for support for her bill that is against building the rail.
Sarah de Crescenzo
2:38 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Hi Kelly! Thanks for clarifying for M—I didn't catch that the commenter was confused about the intent of Harkey's bill.
PK
1:22 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Not sure exactly why we need a high speed rail to Northern California anyway. Who says we need this? I'm going to take a wild guess and say the Labor Unions and The Construction Industry.
Nima
9:10 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
I would use it.
DM
3:32 am on Saturday, February 25, 2012
So I see it goes from LA to SFO. Will this new system be faster or cheaper than flying? Neither, tax payer pays for it and the "common" person won't afford it. Hmmm...