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StumbleHarry Reid: ‘No one is stopping’ maglev train proposal
Sen. Harry Reid speaks during a news conference on the construction site of McCarran International Airport’s new terminal Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2009. On Friday, Reid responded to critics questioning his handling of high-speed rail funding.
Friday, March 19, 2010 | 5:50 p.m.
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- $45 million for maglev shifted to airport road project (3-17-2010)
- Backers of maglev train say Chinese bank prepared to fund project (2-3-2010)
- State, feds point fingers as Nevada misses rail funding (1-29-2010)
- Nevada not included on list for high-speed rail projects (1-28-2010)
- Maglev train backers woo contractors with promise of jobs (1-22-2010)
- DesertXpress prepared to build; maglev, monorail extension on hold (1-15-2010)
- Maglev money sparks a Gibbons-Reid quarrel (9-18-2009)
- High-speed rail competition heats up with new funding (9-16-2009)
- Beyond Victorville: Coloradans covet high-speed rail, too (9-14-2009)
Sen. Harry Reid says he isn’t standing in the way of funding for the proposed maglev transportation system between Las Vegas and Southern California and that "no one is stopping" that system from making progress.
Reid issued a press release Friday in response to a column in which critics questioned his handling of funding needs for a high-speed transportation system for Southern Nevada.
The column in the Las Vegas Review-Journal by John L. Smith quoted a critic of the senator’s support for a conventional high-speed rail project by DesertXpress Enterprises after the senator earlier backed a plan by the rival American Magline Group for a magnetic-levitation project.
The maglev proposal would link Las Vegas with Anaheim, Calif., while the DesertXpress proposal would include a line between Las Vegas and Victorville, Calif., with plans to tie it to the voter-approved California high-speed rail system in the future.
The release also followed media reports in which maglev spokesman Mark Fierro criticized Reid’s redirecting of $45 million that had been earmarked for the maglev project to a highway project at McCarran International Airport.
Reid, a long-time maglev supporter, switched his allegiance to the DesertXpress project in June. While Reid characterized the switch as a result of a lack of progress by the maglev developers, critics have said the turnabout occurred because DesertXpress backer Sig Rogich had months earlier organized a group of Republicans in support of Reid’s re-election.
"I have no ill will toward the people behind the maglev project and want it to be clear that no one, including me, is stopping them from moving ahead with their project," Reid’s release said. "During the many years I supported maglev, Congress made more than $50 million available, including a $45 million appropriation in 2008.
"We are now well into 2010 and maglev has failed to come up with the 20 percent match needed to obtain these federal funds, which is why I reprogrammed the $45 million for a transportation project in Southern Nevada that will actually create jobs right away," the release said. "While Nevadans are rightfully impressed with the maglev technology, they, like me, just want to see something get done. DesertXpress is ready to break ground and put Nevadans back to work this year."
The release infuriated American Magline Group President Neil Cummings, who disputed several of the claims made by Reid in the release.
Cummings said his consortium of companies has come up with more than $10 million in matching funds and in-kind services in conformance with federal regulations to pay for the environmental studies and approvals and preliminary engineering costs for the Las Vegas-Primm link.
Cummings backed his ire by releasing correspondence between his company, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Nevada Department of Transportation acknowledging key meetings that have occurred over the past year showing how the company worked toward securing a scope-of-work document giving it the green light to proceed.
Among the highlights of the correspondence:
*A March 25, 2009 letter from Mark Yachmetz, associate administrator for railroad development for the FRA, to NDOT Director Susan Martinovich referencing a Jan. 13, 2009, meeting at which the FRA expressed concern over whether the $45 million could be used on the portion of the route outside Nevada. The letter acknowledged that the American Magline Group had been working on an environmental assessment since 2004. The concern set in motion the need for a revised scope of work focusing solely on the portion of the project from Las Vegas to Primm, which didn’t concern Yachmetz since that portion of the route could eventually serve the proposed airport in Ivanpah Valley.
*An April 8, 2009 letter from Bruce Aguilera, chairman of the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission, to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood referencing an April 1 meeting at which it was acknowledged that work would focus on "the First Forty Miles" of the maglev project – the Las Vegas-Primm link. The letter indicated the funding would help complete the final stage of the environmental impact statement for that area and that work could be completed within 12-18 months.
*A PowerPoint presentation sent to Reid aide Bob Herbert by Cummings in April 2009 apprising the senator of the First Forty Miles strategy and progress made. Cummings said he received a thank-you e-mail acknowledging the document.
*An April 17, 2009 letter from Cummings to Martinovich outlining the American Magline Group’s financial commitment for its required 20 percent funding match for the $45 million in federal funds. "These combined funds will enable the Nevada Department of Transportation to proceed with the proposals previously submitted to NDOT by the commission for use of these funds under the "two-year plan" so as to complete an environmental impact statement for the Las Vegas-Primm segment of the full corridor project and to take all steps necessary to make the project Œbankable’ and raise construction funding to build 'the First Forty Miles' of the full 269-mile corridor," the letter says.
*A May 5,2009 reply from Martinovich to Cummings acknowledging American Magline Group’s matching funds.
*July 27 and 29, 2009 e-mails between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Nevada Department of Transportation acknowledging that the FRA was drafting the scope-of-work document.
*An Aug. 21, 2009 letter from FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo to Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, the senior Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and House Natural Resources Committee, thanking him for his support in working out the agreement to begin work on the maglev project. "We anticipate having the agreement in place very soon and look forward to continued cooperation with NDOT in preparing the environmental impact statement and the necessary supporting safety work for the project," the letter says.
Reid’s release cited what he called "the wildly inaccurate claim that their project will immediately create 90,000 jobs." He also was critical of "maglev’s 30-year record of failure" and that at a minimum, developers should have been able to complete an environmental impact statement in the time they have been working on the project.
Meanwhile, DesertXpress developers continue to await a "record of decision" on that company’s own environmental impact statement so that it can begin construction of its project.
Despite criticism that Reid's lack of support for maglev would result in the loss of jobs, a labor group is happy that that DesertXpress could provide work and came to the senator's defense today.
The Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trade Council issued a release today stating that it has begun the initial negotiating process for a workforce agreement with DesertXpress.
"The DesertXpress high-speed train is estimated to create 20,000 jobs for skilled tradesmen and women and could easily create 700 permanent jobs," said Steve Ross, secretary-treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council in the release.
"This benefits all of the members of the Building Trades Council and is exactly what workers need right now. In essence, high-speed rail will help get Southern Nevada’s economy back on track and we are proud to be a part of that process."
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No different than Reid and Obama buying votes for health care with your money now he is buying support for his own reelection with taxpayer funds.
The only thing that can put an end to the crimes is your votes. November 2010, Reid retirement ballots.
Thanks Harry! I can't wait to take a vacation in Victorville!
Great work Reid! Create more jobs for the unions!
Will everybody please shut up with the stupid Victorville comments already!! Everyone know's that Victorville is close enough to the Inland Empire of LA which would have all the needed connections to Hollywood and downtown. It just doesn't make sense to try to get a hight speed train down through the Cohone pass. Light rail would suffice. Jeez!!!!
Q: When is a liar not a liar?
A: When he is a Senator from NevaDUH.
Now we have matching bookends. How sweet it that?
If the maglev project made any sense at all, it would have been done already !!!
In fact its one of the dumbest ideas I have heard. Why on earth would anyone ride it? You drive from LA to victorville, wait for a train, unload and reload all your luggage onto the train, then arrive in LV and have to either rent a car or use expensive cabs. And all to save about 2.5 hours?
What if you have 4 people in your party. You are EACH going to buy a train ticket?
This is total insanity- kind of like the springs preserve and neonopolis.
There is a simple and much, much less costly solution.
AMTRAK
...bring back the infamous La to Vegas route.
Then subsidize it for two years to bring the ticket costs down to get people to try it.
Save $15-$30 billion in the process.
Maglev is simply vaporware it doesn't exist(in this county) its just an idea that people want to make money off of trying to get the public to buy into. Just like the monorail in vegas was an opportunity for some investors to make mucho money off the idea.
What a joke!!! Reid does it again and the only jobs created are union jobs....
The time line of the creation of the group "Republicans in Support of Reid's Re-election" and the switch in Reid backing from Maglev to the DesertXpress has convince me that it is done for the benefit of Reid and Rogich...It is crooked as hell....
"This benefits all of the members of the Building Trades Council and is exactly what workers need right now. In essence, high-speed fail will help get Southern Nevada's economy back on track and we are proud to be a part of that process."
Yep, he said it... "high speed fail".
Nuff said.
environprotector, have you EVER driven from vegas to Victorville, then on to anywhere in LA County? or Anaheim?
The drive from Victorville to LA is a bitch and a half. You are full of it.
boftx :
It just so happens that I used to make the drive twice a week youngster! I can tell you are just a youngster by the way you have no idea how many different choices you have to get from Victorville to LA. The drive down through the Pass, or across to Palmdale then on down the 14 into Santa Clarita are BOTH fast moving (off peak hours) But the whole idea would be to have the High speed train connect with some kind of light rail from Victorville. Takes a little imagination, creativity, and it can be done. However the last two things I just mentioned are far and few between here in the valley of meth heads and the uneducated.. So YOU my friend are as you say "Full of it"
Focus on Reid and Rogich for a minute...Rogich is a top Republican and former assistant to the first President Bush...how can he be supporting Reid, and promising to deliver money and votes for a Democrat...the answer lies in that Reid will support Rogich's DesertXpress...Rogich gets the money again and again, and Reid gets the votes! Rogich is not a true Republican...he is a flag, swaying in the wind.
Either High speed rail or the maglev train is going to cost the taxpayers of Nevada more in taxes than the service will provide in revenue. Like the "alternative" energy projects without public support ( increased taxes) these projects do not work to Nevadas advantage. Both should be scrapped.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DESERT XPRESS IS PRIVATE MONEY. I HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE MAGLEV TRAIN TO OPERATE IN THE HARSH ENVIROMENT OF THE SO.CAL AND SO.NV. DESERTS IS NOT PROVEN AT THIS TIME.
longun45 : say's : " The maglev train is going to cost the taxpayers of Nevada more in taxes than the service will provide in revenue."
How can you say this project is not going to provide revenue ? I see nothing but increased tourism, business diversity, commuters, a connection to the outside world which Las Vegas has always been like a desert island surrounded by hundreds of miserable hot desert miles to civilization. Use your imagination, a high speed train getting people across this miserable desert in an hour and a half without enslaving us to the airlines and their high costs, delays and cuts in service when they are not turning a good enough profit. I say YES to HIGH SPEED TRAIN SERVICE!!
high speed train service is a mirage - smoke and mirrors - bring back amtrak - you all can travel light and use the buses in Vegas or stay downtown where the real action is.
EITHER ONE IS YEARS AWAY
IF EVER AT ALL.
MORE ELECTION SHENANIGANS TO GET A PIC AND A HEADLINE IN THE PAPER.
FREE ADVERTISING FOR THE PODIUM BLABBERS.
THE CAR, OIL, AND TIRE COMPANIES WILL
*NEVER*
LET A NON-AUTO CONVEYANCE SYSTEM HAPPEN, EVER.
WHY?
TOO MUCH AT STAKE. TOO MUCH CAR SALES PROFITS, TOO MUCH OIL PROFITS AND TOO MUCH TIRE PROFITS AT STAKE.
SAME THING HAPPENED IN THE LATE 1940's WITH THE COURT *PROVEN* CONSPIRACY WITH THE GUILTY VERDICT FOR *MONOPOLIZATION OF PARTS* TO RUIN AND REMOVE THE STREETCARS IN THE USA AND REPLACE THEM WITH GASOLINE BUSSES ON RUBBER TIRES.
THIS MAGLEV THING IS JUST MORE HOOPLA. MORE BOGUS PRONOUNCMENTS. MORE OF THE SAME JUNK TO GET YOUR MIND OFF GIVING AWAY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF TAX MONEY TO PEOPLE WHO WILL NEVER PAY IT BACK.....
Read it for yourself here, borrowed from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Ameri...
The plan was to bring the maglev to Anaheim. The other steel wheeled plan (desert Express)ended at Victorville.
I agree with environprotector comments.
There is a chance the maglev will be built, paid for, and owned by the Chinese. Some how they seem to see the potential.
There was a time when America had the fastest trains, manufactured most everything, built record breaking projects, and faced challenges that many said it couldn't be done - but we did it.
What would this area look like if we didn't take on difficult projects? No Hover Dam, it would cost too much and was never done before. No highways, we don't need em if you have cheaper to maintain dirt roads. We don't need McCarran when we had North Las Vegas Air port.
OMG!!!! I actually agree with environprotector. Usually he/she is full of it but not on this issue.
Given the threatening, violent, volatile and venomous vitriol that is being vented against our Senator, the Hate-Harry Teabag rally in Searchlight should be canceled in the name of public safety. We had the Teabag attack on the Pentagon and the Austin IRS, and the fiends of the talk radio mob are making extremist threats up and down the airwaves of Vegas Radio.
They need to go back afew steps first and fix the Tram in Las Vegas.What if the Madlev Train is like the tram in Las Vegas and goes bust.Here we go again throwing our money away,when will it stop?
Read about Maglev on line. After nearly 40 years of trying,there doesn't appear to be any track in the world longer than 20 miles, with most less than ten miles. The one supporters always point to in China is not being extended beyond 18 miles because of radiation concerns by residents and massive costs which made expansion unfeasible. Instead, the Chinese opted for high speed steel wheel trains like those in Europe. The first Maglev in England shut down years ago because of safety and runnaway cost. Japan, same issues of cost and short haul. Cost to build one mile in US estimated to be around $200 million and after nearly 30 years of talking and spending taxpayer's money, the guys pushing the LV to Disneyland train want to spend billions and five years to get to Primm -- all at taxpayers expense. At least Victorville is a little further and will be private money,if they really can raise it. Kind of stange that nobody in California is pushing this thing since 75% of it (and the jobs) will be built there, if it is ever built. And good luck with earthquake and environemental studies in California. If this thing is so great, let's keep the government out of it and let good old capitalism and private enterprise build it and make all the profits. So, all you good Republicans just buy some stock in this company and thank Harry for keeping the government out of the way. No socialized railroads for us. Once someone actually proves it can work going nearly 300 miles up and down mountains and pay for itself, then maybe it makes sense. Let's just not do it at taxpayers expense.
I doubt anyone will see this train ever run. The vast majority of people reading this now will be long dead and stinkin'before it ever gets built..
Well Titus, Berkley and Reid are gone. When over 65% of Americans say no to THIS health care reform and they and others do not listen then they are out. It is not their decision whether to say yes or no it is our decision and we decided no. They by law, should take OUR decision and vote the way WE the people want it done. It doesn't matter if you are a Dem or Rep if you do not listen to WE THE PEOPLE, then you will be voted out. And for all of you that say we don't want health care reform, then you also have not been listening to WE THE PEOPLE, WE DO WANT health care reform just not what they are thrusting down our throats!! We are setting up OUR country for failure. Once that bill is past the rich will never pay for this, we the people will by paying higher prices for the big companies products. If it will cost Caterpillar. $100 M more for employee's insurance then they will raise the price of their machines which in turn will raise the prices of the companies who buy the machines. So now for instance that house built by the machines has risen in price. Or the farmer who plants his crops, all companies will be raising their prices and then we the tax payers will be paying for the big or small companies insurance not them. And the government will hire 16,500 new IRS agents to monitor us to make sure we buy insurance that is acceptable to the government. How are they going to monitor us? Bank accounts, credit reports, what? . Next is amenesty for the illegals per Obama. Thats just great. Think about it people!
Calm down the Democrats are way smarter than you are
Just sit down and shut up
Trust that the people who brought us a record deficit can give us magically delicious healthcare.
The deficit is NOT Obama's OR Bush's it is the Democratic Congress' deficit. We are in deep Sh....
left one line off
Victorville is like Disneyland and Anaheim it is just a short car drive away from Anaheim....
After all who wants to drive when we can ride a train and then take a bus to get to The Beach Cities....oh boy how exciting!
Thanks Harry!
To put Nevada people to work? Then the bill should MANDATE that only workers - who are unemployed RIGHT NOW, can be hired to work the project. Harry, if you are serious about putting people to work, then don't let these companies bring in workers from other countries (you know that will happen) and MAKE THEM HIRE US !! There are more than enough workers right here in Clark County that need work. AND OPEN IT TO ALL, NOT JUST UNION MEMBERS (You know the unions will be greasing the palms)
Maglev vs. Desert Express? Arguments for and against each one are passionately offered here.
C'mon, let's be realistic... neither of these trains will ever be completed.
Cost to build maglev $45 million per mile.
Due to the lack of physical contact between the track and the vehicle, maglev trains experience no rolling resistance, leaving only air resistance improving power efficiency.
Major source of noise of a maglev train comes from displaced air, maglev trains produce less noise than a conventional train at equivalent speeds.
It is possible to define a lift-to-drag ratio. For maglev systems these ratios can exceed that of aircraft (for example Inductrack can approach 200:1 at high speed, far higher than any aircraft). This can make maglev more efficient per mile.
No physical contact with track when running. Meaning no track or wheel wear and reduced maintenance costs
For all those with the dumb "socialized railroad" comments try looking up "the first transcontinental railroad". Or "Pacific Railroad Acts" signed into law by the first republican president, Abraham Lincoln.
The first transcontinental railroad is considered one of the greatest American technological feats of the 19th century.
Why did we need to waist money on a socialized railroad project that had never been accomplished before, when we had plenty of wagon trails?
The problem said with the Amtrak train to LA (Desert Wind) was it took 7-8 hours due to the track route.
Does anyone still listen to this liar anymore??
It looks quite apparent that the DesertXpress is NOT breaking ground in March, as promised. And even if it connects to the CHSR system in Palmdale (which hasn't been official), a commute from Vegas to Ontario airport and/or Anaheim using the DX would still be WELL over an hour longer than a trip using the Maglev.
And the "maglev isn't compatible with steel-wheel technology" argument is futile, because people from the CHSR system can simply transfer to it. At Ontario, people on the main line (from San Diego to San Francisco) can transfer to the Maglev; OR, people on the Irvine Branch of the CHSR can transfer in Anaheim at the future ARTIC station.
Besides, the only thing supporting this "single seat" ride is the idea of a National HSR system, which simply won't happen, because after a certain distance, the airplane takes over.
CONNECTING TO ANAHEIM: The DesertXpress WILL connect to Anaheim by connecting to the California High Speed Rail system. The first phase will extend 200 miles to Victorville to attract some of the 11 million people who drive passed Victorville every year on their way to Las Vegas. At Victorville, they will have a choice to hop on the train for an 80 minute ride to Las Vegas or risk the at best 3-hour drive or at-worst more if there is an accident. An extension to Palmdale will connect Las Vegas into the entire state of California - with the same steel wheel technology CA is planning to use. Maglev could never connect since it is a different technology. And you asked about parking -- the more apt question is where would people park in Anaheim where there is no room to build the parking spaces necessary for the thousands of cars that would be needed. There is plenty of room in Victorville.
STEEL WHEEL IS THE BEST TECHNOLOGY: Saying that steel wheel high speed rail is old technology is like saying a Ferrari is old technology because the car was first built at the turn of the century. The fact is that the Maglev technology is old, having first been introduced 40 years ago. And it has not improved since then. The system that's running in China is essentially the same as that 40 year old technology. High speed rail, on the other hand has evolved through decades of commercial applications and customer input that has improved ride quality, efficiency, and yes - speed. The steel wheel speed record of 332 MPH is only 3 MPH slower than the Maglev record of 335 MPH.