Letters: Buyer’s remorse on the bullet train

Re “Bullet train won’t meet target travel time, panel says,” March 28

It is a sad irony that Gov. Jerry Brown, dubbed the “anti-politician” in The Times last week, has been uncharacteristically blinded by politics when it comes to the bullet train.

It is inexplicable that he could support the boondoggle it has become, the zigzagging monster created by politics. If built as originally conceived and promoted to voters, the bullet train would have been a fine addition to a greener transportation system. Now it will be a useless money pit.

The only hope is that reality, the courts and public disgust are finally having an impact in Sacramento and will stop this project in its tracks. Then perhaps entrepreneur Elon Musk can ride to the rescue with a private-sector solution, such as a demonstration project for his “hyperloop” technology.

Curtis Horton

Pasadena

One look at the fish-hook route on the map shows that this project isn’t in the league of bullet trains abroad.

“Bullet train” for this turkey is a misnomer; “ricochet railroad” would be more apt. Hopefully, the pending lawsuits will provide euthanasia.

I voted for the 2008 bond issue to fund it but am now one of the supporters disappointed by all the political compromises made on the route and the inability to meet deadlines for federal funding. Let’s have another vote to redirect the bond money.

Blair Ceniceros

Claremont

Tucked back on Page AA6 is the prediction by William Ibbs, a civil engineering expert, that the bullet train will cost substantially more than the $68-billion estimate.

Does anybody really believe the $68-billion guess? Are the believers the same people who bought the roughly $1-billion early estimate to build the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge?

Gordon Osborne

Woodland Hills

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