A giant sucking sound coming from the Peninsula:
“This is a really big deal – we’re resolving a lot of regional conflicts,” said Adam Alberti, spokesman for the Transbay Joint Powers Authority.
True, but the plan also locks up much of the region’s federal mass transit spending for years to come – virtually shutting out any other grandiose schemes, like extending BART into Livermore.
First the CHSRA changes the route from Altamont to Pacheco. Then the phantom Altamont “overlay” is dangled out there, before being yanked from the Plan. And now BART-Livermore.
Canceling BART to Livermore isn’t exactly punking the East Bay. More like “canceling an enormous boondoggle that makes BART to San Jose look good.” Only reason to ever send BART that way is if they want to interface with HSR-Altamont, and if they have the money for the BART extension, they might as well spend it directly on HSR, to bring it to (worse) Pleasanton or (better) RWC and SF.
Alon: I agree about the cost-effectiveness. The politics is sure amusing, though.