New Papers from MTC Lawsuits
09/30/14 Filed in: MTC
TRANSDEF received the
fruits of a Public Records Act request from MTC
today. Legal papers from Bay Area Citizens v. MTC,
including the Index to the nearly 57,000 page
Administrative Record, and the settlement agreements
in two other cases are posted at the bottom of
this
page.
TRAC Ideas Exposed in the Bee
09/29/14 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail |
Transportation
Planning
The Train Riders
Association of California, TRAC, got the opportunity
to put its ideas out in the State Capital’s leading
newspaper, the Sacramento Bee. Hopefully, it will
strike a chord with political leaders. Here’s the
link to the Viewpoint article.
CHSRA Blocked by Mountains
09/27/14 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail
The Bakersfield
Californian broke a striking story today about previously
undisclosed problems getting over the Tehachapis.
The serious problems in finding an acceptable
route could result in a dramatic increase in cost.
They could also force a slowing down of the train,
which could result in the statewide project
becoming infeasible because of not meeting the
required 2 hour 40 trip time from SF to LA.
Read
More...
MTC Opposes Regionalism, Yet Again
In 2013, MTC adopted a
regional plan called Plan Bay
Area, in
response to state requirements under SB 375 to reduce
greenhouse gases (GHGs). Continuing its long history
of putting politics before its mandate of improving
the Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission voted today to adopt an
eviscerated set of
Guidelines for Bay Area counties. Draft
Guidelines had been developed that called for
counties, when developing their Countywide
Transportation Plans, to look to the goals
of Plan
Bay Area. Click on Read More for
TRANSDEF’s comments.
Read More...
Read More...
CHSRA Tries to Ditch CEQA
09/22/14 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail
After losing part of
an appellate
decision,
the California High-Speed Rail Authority filed a
request with the California Supreme Court today,
asking it to depublish the 7/31/14 ruling. That
would mean no other court could consider the
ruling to be precedent, thereby making it easier
to argue that CEQA doesn’t apply to railroad
projects that are under the jurisdiction of the
Federal Surface Transportation Board. All the
papers are posted at the bottom of
this
page.
Wall Street Journal Editorial on HSR Case
09/13/14 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail
In a stunning editorial
entitled California's Democratic Derailment, the Wall
Street Journal calls upon the California Supreme
Court to save democracy by overturning the
appellate
decision that declared the CHSRA’s
violation of Proposition 1A unenforceable:
Read
More...
TRAC Opposes Palmdale Focus
09/04/14 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail |
Transportation
Planning
The TRAC Board of
Directors adopted a Resolution opposing the
California High-Speed Rail Authority’s new-found
interest in the Palmdale to Burbank route. Instead,
the Resolution proposes that the funding available
for HSR be used to create benefits for passengers in
the near-term. Read More...
HSR Opponents Seek Supreme Court Review
09/02/14 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail
Attorneys challenging
the California High-Speed Rail Authority's bond
funding presented a press conference today to explain
the petition they filed
or will be filing
with the California Supreme Court. The petitions
ask the Supreme Court to review the Third District
Court of Appeal decision overturning two trial
rulings that had hamstrung Californiaʼs High-Speed
Rail project. The Appellate Court had ruled that
"The Legislature appropriated the bond proceeds
based on the preliminary funding plan, however
deficient, and there is no present duty to redo
the plan."
The Court also held that no evidence was needed to show that it was “necessary or desirable” to issue bonds, reversing the trial court ruling that had prevented the sale of bonds and effectively erasing that provision from the ballot measure.
Michael Brady, representing John Tos, Aaron Fukuda and Kings County, said "The Authority is now on life support; it has been granted a stay of execution by the Court of Appeal. Today's filing seeks to lift that stay." Stuart Flashman, co-counsel added, "The Court of Appeal ruling overturns long-standing precedents in the interpretation of bond measures. If these decisions stand, voters will lose trust in future bond measures."
The documents and related case materials are all available at the bottom of this page. Read More...
The Court also held that no evidence was needed to show that it was “necessary or desirable” to issue bonds, reversing the trial court ruling that had prevented the sale of bonds and effectively erasing that provision from the ballot measure.
Michael Brady, representing John Tos, Aaron Fukuda and Kings County, said "The Authority is now on life support; it has been granted a stay of execution by the Court of Appeal. Today's filing seeks to lift that stay." Stuart Flashman, co-counsel added, "The Court of Appeal ruling overturns long-standing precedents in the interpretation of bond measures. If these decisions stand, voters will lose trust in future bond measures."
The documents and related case materials are all available at the bottom of this page. Read More...