This will likely be the make or break year for California's bullet train proposal. Mehdi Morshed, executive director of the High- Speed Rail Authority, was quoted in the Jan. 7 Sacramento Bee ("Bullet Train Left at Station in Governor's Strategic Plan") that the project will die with the minimal funding envisioned in Governor Schwarzenegger's strategic growth plan. This would result in killing off the project by attrition. By this approach (what I dub a perpetratorless crime) the Governor's beancounters behind this plot hope to avoid acknowledging what is happening and riling proponents. In my estimation only an expression of support by the public will save the project from a stealthy death. I judge in our lifetime we will have a high speed train system if proponents rally to support Senator Perata's proposal of a $1 billion allocation to purchase right-of-way and upgrade existing inter-city rail service. And the Governor is the key, if he sees that the project is popular and wanted it will be spared a slow death. Messages to the Governor can be sent via the form at [http://www.govmail.ca.gov/] or call (916) 445- 2841.

MARTA General Manager report (item #10, 1/17 MARTA Board meeting) noted while 18,000 Crestline fixed route service free ride tickets were distributed to area residents only 42 were redeemed. Ouch!

At the Jan. 25 MTA Citizens' Advisory Council meeting Richard Hunt revealed North American Bus Industries lost $35,000 each on MTA's order of 100 45-foot Compobuses. This is $3.5 million. No wonder NABI's recent acquisition by an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management LP, a New York-based hedge fund, is widely seen as a precursor to liquidation. Where does that leave MTA, which has depended on NABI for new buses during the past decade?

The Access Services, Inc. Board at the Dec. 12, 2005 meeting voted to terminate its contract with Transit Calls, Inc. for customer service functions. "Issues have arisen with respect to performance under this contract that the contractor has declined to resolve or to meet with staff to further discuss." Oddly the Jan. 6 board box notes that the agency after bringing the Customer Service function in-house hired all the former employees of Transit Calls, Inc. Huh?

In the Jan. Metro Investment Report L.A. Airport Commission Chair Alan Rothenberg notes in passing a part of the recent LAX settlement is Los Angeles will try to reactive the Regional Airport Authority. Ironically it was non-participation by L.A. which led to the Authority to become dormant a few years ago.

In the same issue of MIR the half visionary/ half puzzling paradox of L.A. City Councilmember Bernard Parks is on display. In an interview he acknowledges the need to densify along major transportation corridors like the future Expo line. But regarding stations he asserts "park and rides are absolutely essential so that we can allow people who live in the immediate communities to drive a block or two, park, and get on the rail system." A block or two? How about walking or biking or even riding a bus? In fact Parks asserts, "On the Gold Line and Blue Line they thought people would access the lines only from the public transit system when in fact many people will access it if they can park and then ride those lines."

The Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency Technical Advisory Committee agenda packet for its Jan. 24 meeting includes a comparison of boarding activity at the top 20 intercity passenger rail stations in the Amtrak West region in FY 2005 v. FY 2000. Boardings are up at Pacific Surfliner stations, including a 40% increase at Los Angeles, 50% increase at Fullerton and a 29% increase at San Diego. Boardings at Anaheim have more than doubled. And Irvine, currently the 7th busiest station in the west region, wasn't even in the top 20 five years ago. The list (agenda item #7A) can be viewed at [http://www.sandag.org/uploads/meetingid/meetingid_1209_4939.pdf].

I'll conclude by noting the Board of the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District in closed session at the Jan. 17 meeting voted pay a $10,000 fine plus $320 filing fee for failure to adhere to all permit conditions at the Calle Real site. This after the DA's office threatened civil enforcement action. Did any heads roll over this expensive screw-up?