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North County Transit Confounded by Photo of Del Martians
The picture showing where Bing Crosby first established direct train service to the races the second year of racing at Del Mar in 1938 emphasizes the importance of the FOCUS on making it possible for race fans to take the train from all of of LA, Orange and San Diego Counties directly to the fairgrounds-racetrack. Those trains ran until 1965 when we all thought being “freeway close” was good enough. The LOCUS for a new site has always been north of the river, at the rear of the track, behind the stretch run turn – and we are proposing that the “successful bidder” for the very lucrative State contract to run the races there pay the $4 million it would take to put that first phase permanent stop in at that site, and for SANDAG to begin the design and environmental permitting for that NOW. The FOCUS is getting the workers, the fans and the post-race party goers off I-5 and allowing them to take the train to that north-of-river stop from which they can easily walk into the races and other events, and easily find their way back to that stop for a safe ride home. The only logical LOCUS for re-establishing this train stop has always been north of the river at the rear of the track. Don’t let anyone confuse you on that point.— October 21, 2010 11:32 a.m.
North County Transit Meets with Del Mar Denizens over Temporary Train Stop
What Horse-owning Councilman Hilliard failed to say, apparently, is that if he can’t convince the neighbors in his own city to put up with the inconvenience of this silly “neighborhood stop” in their back yard, then his friends at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club who likely stand to be the “winners” of the basically non-advertised VERY lucrative contract to run the racing at Del Mar, just might have to put up the $4 million to build the long needed “Permanent” stop north of the river – or run the risk of losing out on many added weeks of racing “slated” to come to Del Mar. And for Tucker to say that you can’t build the permanent stop north of the river behind the Stretch Run Turn – and behind the current Scream Zone tent, on the existing track and use it for the races and perhaps the fair, is equally disingenuous. Downtown Carlsbad and Downtown Encinitas Stations both have just one track…and the train would be stopped there for only three minutes, as is Amtrak’s policy and practice. And since both Amtrak and the Coaster will both stop there at those times, it is not going to “stopping” any train needing to pass another. And that $80 million finger assumes adding trestles connecting to south of the river rail routes which have yet to be chosen, and each option requires a different trestle configuration….so until the south of river route (choice of three) is chosen, nothing can be built. And it ignores the proposed NCTD $3.5 million project – soon to commence- in refurbishing the existing trestle. They propose to throw money away like a shipload of drunken sailors. The level of misinformation being shoveled out by Hilliard, Tucker and as always the Fair Board and staff is at such a level, it makes the Fairgrounds truly a “scream zone.” Why don’t we just forget about adding any more racing at Del Mar – particularly if the “potential winner” of the new racing contract – which earns them a million per day – is unwilling to put up the $4 million for the needed north-of-the river stop. With even a dodo marketing those races, they would earn that investment back in less than a week! The potential end of October to Christmas race meet can go to Santa Anita or Fairplex in Pomona instead of Del Mar. Better that than clogging up I-5 with traffic during the Thanksgiving to Christmas period. Summer is bad enough.— October 16, 2010 4:56 p.m.
Not All Aboard
There she goes again. Becky Bartling providing totally erroneous information. The petitions to the three Fair Board/RTLC members were hand delivered to Vanessa, the receptionist in Bartling’s office. And as to funding the train stop, the cost of the train stop (a platform and access ramps) is $4 million not $80 million. Of course the way they run things down at the fairgrounds that $4 million dollar project could end up costing $80 million. There is precedence for that. Bartling personally told us in 2007 that the project to close the roof over the Horse Arena would cost $4 million. It ended up costing over $15 mil. AND was managed so poorly the “roof closing” most would contend did not need closing in the first place - was built so it now blocks the view of the Stewards (the referees) and fans of the start of some races….and nasty things the Stewards should watch for can take place in the starting gates. We call that “Arena Roof-Gate.” As to the need new trestles claim before they can build the stop, that is a giant lie. FIRST, the NCTD is about to spend over $3 million to “strengthen the existing trestle” making it last at least another 20 years if needed, and SECOND there are three competing alignments for where the tracks will go south of the river. Each route requires any new trestles to be built at a different angle and elevation….so even if they had unlimited money they still could not build new trestles as, as Sarah Palin would say: “they would be building a bridge to I don’t know where.” Last, the Race Track Leasing Commission put a provision in the RFP for the VERY lucrative contract to run the races at Del Mar requiring the “involvement” of the new selected race operator to fund the “Permanent” train stop. Bartling’s staff and their “attorney” watered down the language passed by the RTLC and they buried the weakened words in the middle of a paragraph on the next to the last page of the RFP but funding the “Permanent” stop is in there….so they now have cooked up a “Temporary” stop to get their buddies at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (the only bidder for this very slightly advertised State contract – that’s called Under the Radar) - they think calling the stop buried deep in the neighborhoods south of the river “temporary” will get the DMTC off the funding hook. Worst yet, the city staff in Del Mar and the spouse of one of the key "temp stop" proponents tell us they will declare it the “Permanent” one once it is in. That is being more than just being misleading. Such behavior is reprehensible. Bartling and her boss Tim Fennell, both state employees, deserve in our judgment to be FIRED. Helen and Richard Eckfield Savvy Seniors, Frugal and Action. Want to know more: Go to our postings at Voice Of San Diego http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/peoplespost/savvys…— August 30, 2010 3:21 p.m.