First, however, note that even while we make the claim that these light rail cars are built here in California, note that Siemens manufactures the axles, the chassis, the HVAC system and wiring harnesses -- the big components -- in Europe. The Sacramento facility does the final assembly. So in a sense, yes, we are building local, but the true manufacturing is done elsewheres. This is a lot like my electric power system -- many of the things used to create local power generation are created elsewheres.
Building a light rail to brownfields, well, this is still good news, good in that the building of transit before the building of strip malls and low density sprawl might prevent the building of strip malls and low density sprawl. Granted, the plan for the Railyards is exactly the sort of development we ought to be building -- a correct mix of retail/residential with low-rise buildings to provide a sufficient density to keep and attract transit, to provide a sufficient number of people day and night to patronize local businesses at all hours. This sort of development thwarts extreme energy use by people just to live. A handful of residents can choose to live without a car and can get by easily, provided a sufficient level of basic services are provided within a 10 minute walk and by short trips on transit.
The low density of Elk Grove is exactly why Elk Grove doesn't yet have light rail. The failure of county leadership to force transit beforehand and the failure of Elk Grovian leadership to build a correct city is exactly why Elk Grove doesn't yet have light rail. When the RT beans are counted they suggest an insufficient volume of ridership to justify the extreme cost of shoehorning in tracks through existing suburban sprawl...yet they can justify the starting of the new Green Line to the yet-to-be-developed Railyards with no initial ridership. This should tell Elk Grove that light rail will never come. Never. That is, not unless gasoline approaches $9 a gallon; er, no, never.
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