Honorable Mayor and members of the City Council of Menlo Park:

After Morris Brown's public comments regarding the high speed train at last night's council meeting, permit me the opportunity to express my point of view as well, reinforcing much of what Mr. Brown stated. What we both agree upon is the critical importance of this development to our city, and that if any action is contemplated, sooner is better than later.

Here's where I believe we stand regarding the high-speed train. First of all, you should know that, barring a dramatic, unforeseen and unexpected event, I believe that the bond issue will be on the ballot in November, around 100 days from now, and that the voters of California, in their gullibility, will pass it. You may not agree.

Brief review of what has been happening: Union Pacific, the freight carrier, owns a great deal of the track and the right-of-way running up and down California. Apparently, the High Speed Train brain trust didn't negotiate with UP for rights to use their rail corridors, but simply assumed that they could and would. Their final EIS/EIR says so. Well, UP sent them a letter saying that this was, in fact, not the case and that they would not let HSR use the same rail corridor that they use for freight due to safety liability, such as if a freight train derails and is struck by the HSR.

One would think that's a major set-back but so far very little attention has been paid despite it being in all the papers. Then, one of the committees in the State Senate, the Lowenthal Transportation and Housing Committee issued a damning report on the CHSRA paperwork. No up to date business plan. No accountability. No quality control. No risk management. They actually listed 15 "findings" or shortcomings. It was a very harsh critique.

Furthermore, the Governor had asked that the CHSRA not depend entirely on the State for all the bonds necessary to build the train, but to engage in what is called PPP, public-private partnerships. Well, there was a lot of hot air about that - Oh, yes, we have heard from 50 corporate interest groups, all in the railroad business, looking to invest. . .etc.

Actually, this is almost funny if it wasn't so stupid. The CHSRA issued the statement that it would cost $33 billion to build from SF to LA. They would use the $9 billion from the state bond issue, $7 billion from private investors, and $10 billion from the federal government. Wait a minute, where will the other $7 billion come from? Oh, well, that never came up.

An amendment to the existing on-the-ballot bond issue, AB3034, was written to anticipate the Governor's need for assurance and to put the Lowenthal Committee report concerns to rest. However, many big problems with AB3034, especially in the Senate. To make a long story a little shorter, the legislation was barely read out of the Appropriations Committee but is now in limbo, after having missed its deadline. I don't know what's next.

However, it is the case, with or without this amendment, that the bond issue remains on the ballot. It would take a 2/3 vote of both houses to yank it off. They have until Aug. 11 to do that. I believe that won't happen.

So, the voters will go to the polls not knowing what they are voting for.

They will be told, and shown -- with a massive PR campaign -- a super whizzy blue and yellow train that will be built in California for $10 billion and it's won't cost us anything since it's a bond issue. We will be told that tickets from SF to LA will be $50. That it will go 220mph. That it will take thousands of cars off the road. That it will be cheaper and faster than flying. I believe that these are all lies.

Now, what about Atherton and Menlo Park? The route has been set. If the bond issue passes in November, the HSR will come up the Caltrain corridor. Their plans are, and Rod Diridon one of their godfathers, has confirmed this, that they will build a 15ft. high berm from 5th Ave. in RC, to San Francisquito Creek. They will put the four tracks on top. The cross streets will drop down through that berm with the tracks bridged overhead. The top has to be at least 80 ft. and more like 100 ft. wide for four tracks. You know that a berm is much wider at the bottom than at the top.

In his interview, Mr. Diridon suggested sound-walls on both sides, probably to shut us up. You should also know that there are discussions at Caltrain about closing three of our cross-streets and having only one grade separation at Ravenswood.

But, wait, there's more. Is this inevitable? Can we do anything about this? Do we even want to do anything about this? Mr. Diridon had used the word "override" regarding our possible efforts to oppose this. In other words, he's prepared to run the trains over our bodies if we lay down on the tracks, so to speak. That's hyperbole, of course. But, I am suggesting that they are not interested in what our needs and concerns are.

In Menlo Park we have at least one Councilman who is in favor of all this development with the trains. Several others seem ambivalent. They love the idea of the "green" benefits that are to come from the train. All I am able to do is show them, and anyone who will listen, that the cars that cause all the environmental problems are driven in the cities, not between them. It's the cities that need urban and regional transit, not a luxury train for the well to do between LA and SF. All of which is to say that I don't see our Council taking a stand.

And, I believe that most people don't know or don't care about how monumentally intrusive all these developments will be in Menlo Park. As it happens, I do know that the mayors of Atherton and of Menlo Park do know and do care. But, that won't be enough to stop the train, or make it go away.

What I have discovered over the past several years that I have been crying that the sky is falling is that no one can hear what he or she doesn't want to hear. And, then it's too late.

Martin

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Martin Engel
1621 Stone Pine Lane
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650:323-1670
martinengel@earthlink.net


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