how do you feel about the cancellation of the high speed rail project? (Columbus: how much, construction)

[wolf64]

I'm new to Ohio so I really don't know much about the issue. The only Ohio politician I know is John Boehner.

How do most people in Ohio feel about the cancellation of the high speed rail project?

I find it rather confusing when apparently the Chinese are investing in high speed rail that will probably create a lot of jobs

BBC News - China's new industrial revolution
Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway construction gets under way

[YaFace]

This is total porkapolis. The thing would have ran an operating deficit of 50 million plus a year, was not high speed (6 hours to get to Cincy from Cleveland?) and wouldn't have provided nearly as many jobs as advertised. Wake me when they want to put actual HSR in Ohio. (100+ miles an hour) otherwise it is pointless.

[ZnGuy]

Americans like their cars. This HSR is just the liberals way of siphening money from the tax payers. Ohio tax payers would be on the hook for huge amount of money.

[Boffo]

I loved the idea of this project, but I will admit that it was poorly planned and way too slow to generate a large ridership. I honestly like the new New York to Chicago route with a stop in Cleveland. I think that would have a lot more ridership and I would personally use it quite often.

[Peregrine]

Go big or don't go at all. If they could make it a 1 hour trip from here to Columbus I am all for it. Otherwise: no one will ride it.

[tom11011]

I'm not opposed to rail, but what was proposed I think would have been a bad deal. It was just too slow, and my feeling is the ridership numbers would be very low requiring the tax payer to subsidize it. I'm with peregrine, go big or don't go at all.

If they could take it back to the drawing board and make it much faster, people would ride it and it would hopefully be profitable, otherwise what is the point?

In my opinion, Ohio (cleveland as well) has too much of a build it and they will come attitude. It should be reversed, let the demand drive the project. Create that demand by focusing on the things that Ohio/Cleveland can provide which nobody else can. Sadly, there is not alot of that but make Cleveland the most business and tax friendly location on the planet. Outside of medical, that's all we can do, we are not a huge tourist destination, the weather is not conducive to outside activities 6 months out of the year. Play to your strengths.

The other thing about the rail was all the data was conjecture, guesses. Nobody came out and said "it will bring in x amount of revenue first year, x amount second year, it will cost this much year one, year two" etc.. It was going to turn into one of these things that was going to be rammed down our throat like Iraq and healthcare reform. There was an expiration date with the federal money and too many people could only see the federal money, not what would surely follow years after with massive losses and tax payer bailouts.

[JR_C]

As one of the people who voted "Bad move. It would have created jobs and reinvigorated economic development" I'm tired of debunking the wrong information posted in some of the responses.

[tom11011]

Originally Posted by JR_C

As one of the people who voted "Bad move. It would have created jobs and reinvigorated economic development" I'm tired of debunking the wrong information posted in some of the responses.

lol, me too.

[Cleveland_Collector]

$400 million in a federal grant for a quick-start program makes it a no brainer. The expected OH subsidy would have been $17 million annually. ODOT spends more than 3 times that amount on road salt during a given winter. The operations costs would have been miniscule.

[blowingdown]

Ohioans have no idea how much they spend on road projects, but the second the state ponders ponying up for rail, the politicians and hate crowd throw a bill in your face. Ohio has been flushing cash down the asphalt toilet for 60 years and has zip to show for it. But in Ohio, that's good policy.