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Something that tends to get missed here, when looking at history. Fuel is much more expensive, there is a greater eco awareness to reduce pollution, and that fossil fuels will not last forever, let alone for very long.
Dick Spotswood’s May 4 column on the need for a parking garage at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal made sense, with one exception. He wrote that he worked for 10 years on a bus system that “fed” riders to the ferry. By his admission, the feeder system failed, even when trips were free. Yet in this column and on other occasions, Spotswood asserts that the proposed SMART train would be successful as long as the transfer to the ferry is “seamless.”
How can that be? The train will charge a fare, which will make it less desirable than the feeder bus.The train will be confined to tracks and cannot possibly reach as far into the community as did the feeder bus. Many potential riders would need to drive and park at the SMART station, creating two transfer points instead of one.
One can only conclude SMART will bring fewer riders to the ferry than did the failed bus system.
Daniel Sonnet, San Rafael
Dream on! The target market for Novato hotels is San Francisco and Wine Country tourism “overflow,” not Grant Avenue’s “charm.”
You want “charming?” Try Sausalito, Mill Valley or, San Anselmo. You want restaurants? Petaluma, 10 minutes up the road with the same population as Novato, is a national “foodie” tourist destination boasting over 150 eateries, some solidly in the “Five Star” category.
Novato really needs to “get real” about solving its fiscal challenges.
How does “Novato – The “Gateway to the Wine Country” sound?
Consider what “Old Town” and the North Redwood redevelopment area might look like restored and recreated as the southern terminus of an excursion steam train running north through the Sonoma and Mendocino vineyards and, perhaps ultimately, running eco-tourism excursions through the Eel River Canyon.
This would bring in a lot more in “new money” sales tax revenue and increased property taxes than another supermarket or three feeding off the income of Novatans alone.
This is all a fantasy, though. The city council would never allow the train to blow its whistle, and a steam train without a whistle is like a city council that can’t see beyond the city limits.
Bob Cleek
So the State AG filed an appeal on behalf of the CTC for the NCRA. In other words the CTC believes the NCRA is in FULL environmental compliance. Try spinning that one NCJ.
Freight-train fans excited; city replies ‘ho hum
By Tim Omarzu
Managing Editor
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 12:06 PM PDTThe California Court of Appeals is going to review the city of Novato lawsuit that’s holding up repair of freight train tracks in the North Bay. A three-judge panel in San Francisco asked for legal briefs be filed in the First District Court of Appeals.
Supporters of freight trains hailed the news, because the court denies most requests for appeals.
“The last thing you want to do is start popping the champagne before it’s over. But the fact of the matter is, we made our (appeal) request, and two days later, they granted our request,” said Mitch Stogner, executive director of the North Coast Railroad Authority, the target of the city’s lawsuit.
The California Attorney General’s Office filed an appeals court brief in support of the railroad authority. It did so on behalf of the California Transportation Commission.
City manager Dan Keen downplayed the developments, saying, “I would interpret what you heard as optimistic spin. I wouldn’t read anything into it.”
The appeals court will reconsider the injunction that Marin Superior Court Judge James Ritchie gave at the city’s request to stop work on bridge and track repairs on tracks between Lombard and Windsor.
The city argues that the railroad authority hasn’t done adequate environmental review; the railroad authority says the city filed its objection six months after the period for complaints had expired.
The appeals court hasn’t yet set a hearing on the matter; it only asked for legal briefs by mid-May.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 12:06 PM PDT
The issues surrounding the Railroad here in Novato continue to come up in our local media.
I certainly understand this is a controversial issue, but the most important thing to me is that the public is armed with all the factual information.
A recent newspaper article regarding milk prices quoted Supervisor Judy Arnold as having said, “But someone has yet to explain to me the economics of bringing grain from the central Valley to Novato on a rail that runs north and south. I don’t understand where the savings comes from.”
For the benefit of Supervisor Arnold and the public here is the explanation: First, the railroad tracks split in the same place that Highway 101 and Highway 37 do and the tracks head due east.
This is where the grain will be coming from, places such as Nebraska and Iowa.
Secondly, the economics are very simple: trains are a much more efficient and economical way to transfer freight. A big truck can only bring about 25 tons per load while a train can bring thousands of tons at a time. Not only is this a cheaper way to bring feed here, it will also take a very large number of trucks off the road which will lessen traffic congestion and lower the amount of exhaust that pollutes our air.
The city of Novato prides itself in becoming more environmentally friendly and green; it makes sense to use the railroad to help achieve this.
Third, the economic benefits go well beyond savings for those of us in agriculture. Many goods will be transported by these trains. Jobs will be created in Novato as businesses recognize the value of the efficiencies rail freight will create. The tax base will increase and the city coffers will expand.
For those who would like more detail, and for Supervisor Arnold’s review, please see the letter I sent to the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 10, 2007. Here is the link www.cfbf.com/counties/pdf/railroad.pdf to that letter for anyone who would like to read it.
I believe that both freight and SMART will benefit from each other and work well together. There is no need for anyone to try to drive a wedge in between two organizations—SMART and NCRA—which can work together to achieve the mutual goal, which is the best use of the tracks. Both NCRA’s 1989 enabling legislation and SMART’s 2002 enabling legislation mandate the restoration of both passenger service and freight service on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad line. Assembly Bill 2224 by Joe Nation states, among other things, “The district (SMART) shall work with the NCRA, the (Federal Railroad Administration), and any of its successor agencies to achieve safe, efficient, and compatible operations of both passenger rail and freight service along the rail line in Sonoma and Marin Counties.”
As such, one could interpret Supervisor Arnold’s recent request of the SMART Board to take a public stand against the resumption of freight service as contrary to state law.
If freight and SMART work together, general track maintenance would then be shared by two companies instead of just one having to foot the whole bill.
I think this is a great opportunity for Supervisor Arnold to show her leadership and join the agricultural and business communities in supporting freight service.
Both Novato and Marin will reap the economic benefit.
Dominic Grossi is President of the Marin County Farm Bureau.
I’m up in Portland, Or. On a business trip.
I like looking out the window while flying. I know the route ok, having flown it a few times, and driving it more. It stuck me though, I know the route more from the scars we have placed upon the land more than the land shapes.
It is a bit humorous flying out of Eureka. When they called for people to board the plane, they called MVP, handicapped, and 1st class. After a little pause, they called for rows up to ten, then without pausing eleven to nineteen. I turned to my boss, and said, in other words, everybody. There is only twenty rows in the whole plane, and four seats across. Row twenty was for the flight attendants. I had seat “E”. I want to know where those with “C” seat sit, underneath, on top, with luggage, or in the wheel wells. There isn’t that many places you can fit people.
I’m happy though we each have our own room at the Holiday Inn Express at the Portland International Airport, free WiFi, and my room overlooks some busy freight tracks.
I decided to go visit the Zoo, via the Light Rail. I asked the Hotel shuttle driver, how often the trains run. He seen to avoid it at first, talking about the Light Rail, until I said I liked railroads. He said I was the first person that was happy the room was near the freight tracks. Told him I hadn’t been to the airport here in over ten years, when I went in to MEPS going in to the station. The MEPS was by the Rose Garden stadium, now by the airport.
I got a adult all day, all zone pass for $4.25. Full freedom of movement, no worries, frequent service. I even saw a bicycle hanging up on a hook, when I entered. This is the red line. Partway, the train changed to being a blue line. Didn’t matter, it all goes to Washington park, and thus to the Zoo.
It’s a nice Zoo, nice exhibits, and nice ride on train. I got lots of pictures of the large kitties for my wife. If she could, she would own one. She is the type that most animals like her. Back in Arizona we even got to hand feed a few tigers.
On the way back, I decided to stop at the downtown Mall Station, and eat. I love waterfalls, and their food court had a nice one.
From there I was tired and just wanted to crash. I noticed an old Union Pacific symbol on the bridge cars, and the light rail uses to cross. We were stopped at NE 82nd ave station, police removing a person from a train up at the next station named “Gateway” on the way back to the hotel.
I was a bit disappointed, the few times I realized there was a train, while I was in my room, I didn’t get to the window in time to see the locomotive. I slept through any trains during the night.
I’ll post photos sometime later.
