With SF Bay Peninsula cities in open revolt over plans to build high-speed tracks through downtowns, it is worth comparing to a similar project in Germany:
That image is from Stuttgart, where mass protests have attempted to block construction of a new high-speed rail line through the downtown.
Arguments over the Stuttgart project brings up many issues familiar to Peninsula residents. Proponents say the grade separation would re-join neighborhoods. Detractors say the cost estimates are unrealistic, and the project will be disruptive and unnecessary. One key difference, however: the Stuttgart line would be underground. Which just goes to show that even tunneling may not panacea some Peninsula residents would believe.
Nobody’s routing high-speed track through the Peninsula downtowns. The CAHSR plan is to build medium-speed track, with top speed equal to the speed at which nonstop TGVs pass through downtown Lille.
Stuttgart 21 is a general-purpose boondoggle, which means that Americans would think its cost is reasonable, rather than unrealistically low.
[…] to media reports, the weekly Stuttgart-21 protests played a major role in CDU defeat. German voters are known for careful spending of public […]