WEEKEND URBAN DESIGN READINGS

The stories this weekend that caught my interest are numerous. Here are a few: -

It generally appears that Cities everywhere are going to have to brace for budget hits, this coming year.

Again the California High Speed Rail Authority is speeding toward a dead-end siding solution for the next hundred years. Their politburo minds have been warped by current events in the railroad sector. Some facts were highlighted in the Wall Street Journal this week. Bombardier is suing Amtrak over delays in High Speed Train goes the article heading. Again attorneys on both sides are enjoying their roles of pointing fingers. It appears that the Canadian manufacturer could not deliver the train sets on time, while Amtrak could not deliver the track upgrades on time. Changes in design and lack of communication were rife in the $710M contract.

So here we are again importing historic manufactured goods from a foreign country. Later we will be importing all the parts as well. What’s happened to “BUILT IN AMERICA?”

While new home sales in California fell by 30% in the past quarter we in Bakersfield seem to be doing very well. One wonders how long this will last and who is running the statistics here locally?

Hmmmmm Goleta is a new city in the County of Santa Barbara. One wonders about the aspirations of the City of ARVIN and its wish to annex land to the Grapevine. One must question if Arvin needs to work closely with El Tejon Ranch and it’s future?

San Diego is having one hard time to build their ballpark downtown. A former councilman‘s relentless litigation has helped stall efforts to build a new home for the Padres and jeopardized the project.

BY Graham Kaye-Eddie – Master Urban Designer.

Makabusi Inc. – Bakersfield – California

Email – makabusi@pacbell.net

Panel Rules Amtrak's Financial Viability

WASHINGTON -- Amtrak won't meet a congressional deadline for achieving financial self-sufficiency, a federal oversight panel ruled Friday, a finding that could lead to a restructuring or liquidation of the passenger railroad.

The 6-5 vote by the Amtrak Reform Council doesn't mean the operator will close. Congress will review Amtrak's liquidation plan and a future proposal from the council for a restructured national passenger-rail system. Congress then will make a final decision about the future of Amtrak and rail service.

Congress already is considering Amtrak's future and what role if any the railway will play in developing high-speed trains around the U.S. The Bush administration also is working on a plan for passenger rail, although deliberations have been delayed by the terrorist attacks.

Recently, Amtrak asked Congress for $515 million as part of a total package of $3.1 billion to expand capacity with more trains, tracks and upgraded electrical power. Amtrak says it needs the funds to handle an increase in passengers of about 15% since the terrorist attacks disrupted the nation's commercial-aviation system and caused more people to turn to trains.

Amtrak in recent years has shied from cutting staff in order to save on costs. But in a sign that its growth strategy wasn't producing the needed turnaround, Amtrak said in July it would take major restructuring and cost-cutting actions, cutting management ranks and combining some operations.

The passenger railroad at the time said it planned to offer voluntary severance or early retirement to 2,900 managers, and said it would put its four business units under control of a longtime Amtrak executive.

Congress created Amtrak Reform Council in 1997 to evaluate the railroad's finances, and to make a definitive judgment about its financial viability. Since then, Amtrak has made progress toward weaning itself from federal subsidies, but the council said it won't meet a deadline of Dec. 2, 2002.

1Bombardier Sues Amtrak for $200 Million Over Delays, Costs in High-Speed Train

2Amtrak's Acela Traffic Rises 35% as Airline Disruptions Add Riders (Oct. 12)

3Amtrak Asks U.S. for $515 Million for Improvements, Increased Security (Oct. 3)

4Much-Hyped as Super-Fast Train, Acela Creeps Along Certain Routes (Aug. 2)

5Amtrak Will Trim Management, Combine Operations to Cut Costs (July 30) Once the dominant means of long-distance transportation, U.S. rail service declined in the 20th century as automobiles and air service flourished. By the 1960s, railroads wanted to exit passenger-service obligations so they could concentrate on freight delivery. Congress and President Nixon responded in 1970 by creating the part-public, part-private National Rail Passenger Corp., briefly known as Railpax and now as Amtrak.

At an inaugural service in New York on May 1, 1971, then-Transportation Secretary John Volpe predicted a new era in rail service and said Amtrak would break even financially in about three years. Almost immediately the pressures mounted. Amtrak spokesmen warned the railway would need more money, and lawmakers demanded service to their states. Amtrak fell far short of its promise to become profitable within a few years.

But as Washington focused on crises such as Vietnam and Watergate, Amtrak continued to roll on -- and to lose money. To stem losses, Amtrak in 1995 cut train service by about 12% and laid off about 2,000 workers. Last year, Amtrak President George Warrington rejected more cuts and said the railway operator would pursue new routes and business opportunities such as time-sensitive package delivery.

Amtrak staked its future on European-style high-speed rail. Its first effort, the Acela Express, began service a year ago and reaches a top speed of 150 miles an hour for a short span between Boston and New York.

Thanks in part to revenue from Acela Express, Mr. Warrington said last spring, Amtrak was on track to meet the deadline for self-sufficiency. But by late summer, Amtrak acknowledged Acela Express was falling short of ridership and revenue projections.

November 9, 2001 The Wall Street Journal Major Business News

Developer gets way with land

Last month Castle & Cooke California mapped homes and streets on hundreds of dusty acres along the east side of Allen Road north of the Kern River. The developer's tract maps are in direct conflict with the city of Bakersfield's plans to put water recharge ponds and freeway interchanges on the company's land east of Allen Road. The Bakersfield Planning Commission approved the Castle & Cooke maps. It had no choice in the matter.

Oh well here we go again! The rest of America is temporarily following "United We Stand." Our largest long term developer is just twisting the tourniquet to squeeze more green out of this community for it's self interest. There is no honor in this strategy even for their own future development accessibiity to a freeway which they have crammed dow the cities throat. This is too bad for all concerned. Maybe now the City might get stiffer necks toward developing Castle and Cooke's agricultural land.

Why Trade Center Towers Stood, Then Fell

Engineers think they are closing in on the specific structural failures that set off the deadly sequence of events inside the burning, partly smashed buildings.

Airport Decentralization: An Emerging and Necessary Trend

Part One: Fair Share

An excellent article as to why we need a new technology such as Magplane or Maglev to serve our airports and our communities.

States where tax revenues have declined the most

Between July and September, state treasuries experienced the worst quarterly decline in revenues in at least a decade, according to preliminary data compiled by the Rockefeller Institute of Government at the State University of New York-Albany. On average, tax receipts fell 3.4 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period a year ago, the institute said. Of 42 states for which it had figures, only 15 reported higher revenues. States where revenues declined the most, and the percentage in each:

1. Oregon 17.6%

2. Vermont 13.6%

3. New York 9.5%

4. California 9.3%

5. North Dakota 8.2%

6. Massachusetts 7.3%

7. Georgia 6.6%

8. Alaska 6.3%

9. Maine 6.0%

(tie) Minnesota 6.0%

- Associated Press Business & Finance

A sportswriter with some novel ideas

When he got tired of covering tennis stars, Frank Deford started writing novels A- and he's up to number 7. By Gregory M. LambK /a>

San Jose as the city most ready

This California city is touted as the national leader in planning for emergencies. By Mark Sappenfield

Maglev America is way behind Germany

Germany's Schroeder lauds China, eyes mega-deals.

What is the position of president George W Bush on this future industry?

Hong Kong considering Transrapid project

Germans are moving far more rapidly than Americans to offer maglev technology

Baltimore-Washington Maglev project

Industry Roundtable Meetings Oct 24-25

A total of 150 persons attended the two-day session that was greeted on Wednesday afternoon by a panel of dignitaries under the Master of Ceremonies Don Hutchinson, President of the Greater Baltimore Committee. Pledges of support and commitment were made by Alan Fleishman, Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend who was unable to attend because of her duties representing the Governor on the Maryland Board of Public Works that was meeting that afternoon. The Honorable John Porcari, Secretary Maryland Department of Transportation, expressed his support for the Maglev project, stating that the State of Maryland is fully committed to the project, now it is up to the Congress to make a selection and funding commitment. Mr. Alfred Foxx recently appointed Director of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation gave welcoming remarks on behalf of the Honorable Martin O'Malley, Mayor.

The balance of Wednesday afternoon was devoted to a broad overview of the project with Phyllis Wilkins, Director of Maglev Maryland, acting as Master of Ceremonies. Suhair Alkhatib of the Maryland Transit Administration made an introductory presentation of the project and showed a Transrapid video, "Technology and System". Other presentations were made on a number of issues such as technology, civil construction elements, plan of finance, procurement and project schedule by members of the consulting joint venture, including Manfred Wackers of Transrapid International, Brenda Bohlke of Parsons Brinckerhoff, Larry Shubnell of Legg Mason, Geoff Yarema of Nossaman, Guthner, Knox & Elliot, and Jack Kinstlinger of KCI Technologies.

A reception of Wednesday night at the Hyatt Regency gave the attendees an opportunity to network and discuss the project among each other with welcoming remarks by Congressman Robert Erlich and Congressman Elijah Cummings.

A number of breakout sessions occurred on Thursday, October 25th, looking at such issues as procurement of the prime contractor, civil works design and construction, operating systems and technology transfer, passenger services, train operation and station area real estate development. The session ended at 5:30 p.m. with a wrap-up by Suhair Alkhatib of the Maryland Transit Administration.

Among those represented were contractors and builders, concrete and steel suppliers, electric power companies, manufacturers of electric components, engineering companies, real estate developers, finance companies, operating service providers and technology providers.

The purpose of the workshop was to introduce the project to potential future contractors and other vendors; to encourage these firms to begin to form teams or partnerships that will ultimately bid on the project when it goes to contract, and to otherwise engage these firms so that they might advise and consult with the Transit Administration in connection with the preparation of the bidding documents.

Today in History

On this day in 1904, the first airplane flight lasting more than 5 minutes

Breakaway pollution district?

One wonders if Kern County's representative is forwarding our real clean air interests