Post by ivymike55 on Aug 9, 2014 18:52:10 GMT -7
City Council has approved a 4.8 mile Trolley Car nostalgic fantasy. On July 1st the Transportation Policy Board of El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization voted to approve the acceptance of $97 million in DOT funds to build the trolley system. The El Paso City Council on Tuesday approved the 4.8 mile route for the construction of a trolley system from Downtown to the area near the Glory Road Transfer Center.
The action comes after city council last month decided to spend $1.25 million to perform a preliminary study for the construction of a street car system. Now just who will be running this goat fornication? The Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority that who. Now who is running that fine organization...drum roll please... Raymond L. Telles.
The two-line route will run along Oregon and Stanton streets from Franklin Avenue to Glory Road with a Downtown loop route on Father Rahm Avenue, Santa Fe Street, Franklin Avenue and Kansas Street.
The complete system, including the repairing the 6 existing trolley cars that have been growing rust for the past 40 years in the El Paso desert, is "expected" to cost between $20 million and $25 million per mile, project manager Rick Nannenga said. It is "expected" to cost $4.6 million to operate PER YEAR. Now ask the question how much a bus line would cost to operate covering the same area? Try 50% less and it would carry more passengers in less time.
Compare this to a similar Portland, Oregon 4.8 mile downtown project that was completed in 2001. Shall I repeat that, 2001. That project cost $104 million THEN and now has a $5.5 million per year operating cost. Now what has happened since they built this thing? They have had to divert so much street repair money to keep the thing running because it's been so deep in red ink that Portland has some of the worst roads in the country...even worse than Oklahoma. Sorry couldn't resist.
Did I mention that every 30 years the entire rail system has to be dug up and replaced? That's by federal regulations folks. Now how much do you think those 6 ancient trolley cars are going to cost to maintain? If you think less than a bus think again. Large capacity electric motors cost 4 times what a diesel motor costs. " Oh but there will be a smaller green footprint." some may say. Do I REALLY need to remind anyone where we get our electricity from? Palo Verde? LMAO!!!! Dead dinosaurs is where we get the vast majority of our electricity.
Again the City Council did an end run around the El Paso voter. But then those elitist buffoons of the El Paso City Council sitting on high in their Star Chamber don't trust the El Paso voter "to do the right thing". Why do you think when they allow something to go to a public vote they rig the ballots so the voter actually ahs to read and understand that they have us answer "no" when they want something passed and "yes" when they don't want something passed? Just add this one to the ever growing list of "build it and they will come" fiascos approved by our illustrious El Paso City Council. We'll see in a couple of years when this thing runs in ink as red as someone's face from carbon monoxide poisoning that they will be forced cut to keep their nostalgic fantasy going when it runs 65 million in the red like EPCH and losing money like a bad poker player in the case of UMC and sports park, etc.., etc..
We need to send our politicians a real message that we aren't going to take it anymore. But then they know we won't do the right thing.
The action comes after city council last month decided to spend $1.25 million to perform a preliminary study for the construction of a street car system. Now just who will be running this goat fornication? The Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority that who. Now who is running that fine organization...drum roll please... Raymond L. Telles.
The two-line route will run along Oregon and Stanton streets from Franklin Avenue to Glory Road with a Downtown loop route on Father Rahm Avenue, Santa Fe Street, Franklin Avenue and Kansas Street.
The complete system, including the repairing the 6 existing trolley cars that have been growing rust for the past 40 years in the El Paso desert, is "expected" to cost between $20 million and $25 million per mile, project manager Rick Nannenga said. It is "expected" to cost $4.6 million to operate PER YEAR. Now ask the question how much a bus line would cost to operate covering the same area? Try 50% less and it would carry more passengers in less time.
Compare this to a similar Portland, Oregon 4.8 mile downtown project that was completed in 2001. Shall I repeat that, 2001. That project cost $104 million THEN and now has a $5.5 million per year operating cost. Now what has happened since they built this thing? They have had to divert so much street repair money to keep the thing running because it's been so deep in red ink that Portland has some of the worst roads in the country...even worse than Oklahoma. Sorry couldn't resist.
Did I mention that every 30 years the entire rail system has to be dug up and replaced? That's by federal regulations folks. Now how much do you think those 6 ancient trolley cars are going to cost to maintain? If you think less than a bus think again. Large capacity electric motors cost 4 times what a diesel motor costs. " Oh but there will be a smaller green footprint." some may say. Do I REALLY need to remind anyone where we get our electricity from? Palo Verde? LMAO!!!! Dead dinosaurs is where we get the vast majority of our electricity.
Again the City Council did an end run around the El Paso voter. But then those elitist buffoons of the El Paso City Council sitting on high in their Star Chamber don't trust the El Paso voter "to do the right thing". Why do you think when they allow something to go to a public vote they rig the ballots so the voter actually ahs to read and understand that they have us answer "no" when they want something passed and "yes" when they don't want something passed? Just add this one to the ever growing list of "build it and they will come" fiascos approved by our illustrious El Paso City Council. We'll see in a couple of years when this thing runs in ink as red as someone's face from carbon monoxide poisoning that they will be forced cut to keep their nostalgic fantasy going when it runs 65 million in the red like EPCH and losing money like a bad poker player in the case of UMC and sports park, etc.., etc..
We need to send our politicians a real message that we aren't going to take it anymore. But then they know we won't do the right thing.