The Antelope Valley Times

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Palmdale mayor to speak at US high speed rail conference

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Jim LedfordPALMDALE – Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford will be a featured speaker at the US High Speed Rail Association’s (USHSR) West Coast Rail Conference, coming to Los Angeles December 2 through 4.

Ledford will speak at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, on the topic of “California & Southwest High Speed Rail Project Update.” He will discuss the state’s high speed rail system, construction schedule, and the many benefits it will deliver to the people of California and surrounding states. Joining Ledford on this topic will be Don Sepulveda of the LA MTA and Alex Metcalf of Transportation, Economic and Management Systems.

The conference will bring together leading authorities on high speed rail to discuss California’s statewide rail modernization, the vision of high speed rail in America, the positive economic impacts of high speed rail, transit orientated development and station architecture, private investment and financing high speed rail and the California High Speed Rail project.

Other headline topics will include, “Bringing High Speed Rail to America,” “A New Vision for Transportation in America,” “High Speed Rail Around the World,” and “Private Investment and Financing High Speed Rail.”

“It is an honor to be a part of this forward-thinking conference that has a comprehensive transportation vision for the future both here in California and across the nation,” Ledford said. “The California High Speed Rail project, and this new national electric transportation project, will help revive our economy and manufacturing sector by creating millions of new jobs. It will also be a catalyst for the next real estate boom, while significantly reducing our dependence on oil, shrinking our national carbon footprint, reducing congestion, and creating efficient mobility that’s safe and affordable for its passengers.”

For more information on the conference, visit www.ushsr.com/events/losangeles2014.html

About the US High Speed Rail Association

USHSR is the only organization in America focusing entirely on advancing a state-of-the-art national high speed rail network across the country. It is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(6) trade association chartered to organize and mobilize the industry with a shared vision for a 21st century, 17,000 mile national high speed rail system built in phases for completion by 2030. The USHSR vision includes a national HSR Express system connecting cities and states into an integrated system, laid out in phases with an aggressive schedule for full system build out. The plan calls for a support network of 110 mph trains connecting smaller cities and towns together with the high speed system.

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Filed Under: Business, Palmdale

10 comments for "Palmdale mayor to speak at US high speed rail conference"

  1. There was a High Speed Rail meeting the other day to hear public comments about the alternate routes through the mountains to Burbank or other routes.

    Some incredibly silly woman spoke up to complain, “I don’t want to go to Burbank, I want to go to Chatsworth” she said in an agitated tone.

    Well, silly woman, the route will not drop you off in Chatsworth no matter where the final route is decided upon. I hope someone explained that to you if you could even hear it in your agitated condition that might prevent you from hearing anything.

    Y’know because Chatsworth, the porn capital, has an airport and is on the route towards Los Angeles. I’m sure everyone wants a ‘personal’ route to drop them off in Westlake Village, North Hollywood, Tarzana, Simi Valley and every other destination to serve them personally.

    I’m sure the HSR Authority took her comment seriously. LOL I bet she would be hollering the loudest if she did live in Chatsworth and the tracks went right by her house. You know the type.

    The most surprising thing is that Santa Clarita hasn’t lobbied hard for a station there. I’m sure there are a lot of commuters who could use it. Maybe the entire city will become a gated community someday. Who knows?

  2. Way to go! Notice no one invites Raymond Perris to speak anywhere, but then again that does not stop him from putting his foot in his mouth, does it?

    • Actually, that is not true. Perris goes to a lot of conferences on global warming. He takes either his fossil fuel powered private jet or a fossil fueled airplane, stays in a fossil fuel powered hotel, speaks with fossil fuel powered equipment, and tries to scare the audience with his message of doom and gloom. Sometimes he shows a picture of a meteor striking the earth. Then he ends with pictures of children. He is not a scientist or a climatologist yet thinks he is some sort of expert on the subject. Google him and Bend, Oregon and take a look at the comments from the people of Bend. Hysterical.

      Sorry to correct you Dan C. But you were right about one thing. He does put his foot in his mouth a lot. At these conferences, at city meetings, in interviews, et. al.

  3. Mr. Mayor what happened to the Antelope Valley Airport that was announced 40 years ago and sure thing to bring thousands of jobs here? Looks to me like another farse to fleece investors.

    • Kinda hard to compete with LAX ONT BUR LBC and OC when you have limited infrastructure and for 38 of those 40 years the airport was owned by LAWA.