Let Them Eat Tracks

Time to plow through the blog backlog.  Job has been too too busy to allow blogging, and been too too tired to blog when I get home. So here we go.

Yesterday, the OCTA Board, on an 8-3 vote, re-affirmed its fear of letting the people it purports to serve have any say on the CenterLine project for which they are paying hundreds of millions of dollars.  Keep that in mind next time OCTA light rail zombies maintain that polling shows Orange Countians support CenterLine – or, as OCTA now calls it, the CenterLine “starter” line (because there is more light rail insanity to come!).

Jim Silva voted against an advisory vote, which pretty much precludes the Board of Supervisors from voting to schedule such a vote. This is disappointing, since Silva last week raised hopes he might give the voters a say. I’m still scratching my head over how Silva explains his vote yesterday with his comments last week that "It's quite obvious that CenterLine has four flat tires and a dead battery." Too bad. Silva’s a good man. I’ll keep my fingers crossed he’ll change his mind.

Anyone who believes the laughable notion that CenterLine will relieve congestion or come even remotely close to meeting readership projections should read this story from today’s Left Angeles Times, in which the reporter explains why he is abandoning the LA Metro’s Gold Line and returning to his car for the Pasadena to Downtown L.A. commute. That route makes much more sense in terms of light rail than a trolley down Bristol Street, yet Gold Line ridership is only 50% of projections.

Instead of CenterLine, I think OCTA would have as much or more impact on congestion if it contracted with Mr. Scott and the crew of the Enterprise to build a series of transporter beam stations throughout the county – and I say this even though Scotty was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

On a side note, the Register once again buried the CenterLine story in a tiny Page 2 blurb in the Local section, while the Times gave it the coverage it merits on B3.  Story size aside, what I want to know is why these reporters never tell which elected official voted which way? Do they not think it is important for readers to know whether their elected officials think they deserve to a vote on CenterLine?  For the record here’s how they voted:

Unafraid to let the voters have their say on CenterLine:

• OC Supervisor Chris Norby

• Orange Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn Cavecche

• Laguna Niguel Councilmember Cathryn DeYoung

Afraid Voters Will Tell Them They Can’t Have CenterLine for Christmas:

• OCTA Chairman Greg Winterbottom

• OC Supervisor Tom Wilson

• OC Supervisor Chuck Smith

• OC Supervisor Jim Silva

• Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido

• Buena Park Councilman Art Brown

• Cypress Councilman Tim Keenan

• Anaheim Councilwoman Shirley McCracken