Houston residents asked to give input on Texas' $12 billion bullet train (2015, bankrupt)

[nana053]

Originally Posted by Double L

Highways get used and transport a whole lot more people for a whole lot less money.

Untrue!

https://alankandel.scienceblog.com/2...night-and-day/

Realistically, as well, highway capacity like that mentioned above would typically be handled by four and not two lanes of roadway which doubles construction costs. So, for 20 miles, we’re looking at a construction cost of $2 billion instead of $1 billion.

So, weighing all factors, dollar for dollar, railways go so much farther in terms of handling capacity than do highways, all things being equal.

But the real beauty of this whole conversation is that with the railway versus the highway, the difference in regard to energy/emissions-savings is like night and day. Historically, in this regard, railways have come out on top.

[oceangaia]

What a biased and misleading pile of propaganda. First, although the author conceded statistically that two lanes handled the equivalent load, they arbitrarily declared it would be 4 lanes so as to double the cost. Second, operating costs, which is one of the biggest downfalls of rail, is completely omitted.

[Mr. Krinkle]

Originally Posted by oceangaia

What a biased and misleading pile of propaganda. First, although the author conceded statistically that two lanes handled the equivalent load, they arbitrarily declared it would be 4 lanes so as to double the cost. Second, operating costs, which is one of the biggest downfalls of rail, is completely omitted.

Have you ever seen Houston just expand a freeway by 2 lanes? The I-10 expansion cost was 2.2 billion and 1.27 billion to expand 290.
Price tag to widen I-10 rises to $2.2 billion
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-t...on-1504907.php

And there is this upcoming project in the works.
Houston's $7 billion highway project would widen I-45 and revamp city freeway network
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news...en-8323573.php

Those freeways don't maintain themselves either. It is true however that rail is mostly unprofitable. But hey, neither are freeways and let's go ahead and widen them again in 20 years.

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by Mr. Krinkle

Have you ever seen Houston just expand a freeway by 2 lanes? The I-10 expansion cost was 2.2 billion and 1.27 billion to expand 290.
Price tag to widen I-10 rises to $2.2 billion
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-t...on-1504907.php.

Per your article, it expanded from 11 to 18 lanes, not 2. And rebuilt and improved the previous lanes.

[Mr. Krinkle]

exaclty, it never is just a 2 lane job

[fnh]

Time to pull this out again: https://imgur.com/gallery/sCvRIEd

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by oceangaia

What a biased and misleading pile of propaganda. First, although the author conceded statistically that two lanes handled the equivalent load, they arbitrarily declared it would be 4 lanes so as to double the cost. Second, operating costs, which is one of the biggest downfalls of rail, is completely omitted.

Are rail operating costs that much worse than airlines? Granted, being equally as bad as airlines is also not a good thing. But, I had never heard that rail had exceptionally poor operating costs.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by Double L

Highways get used and transport a whole lot more people for a whole lot less money.

Sure,
because 200ft of ROW is cheaper than 30ft or ROW

This is the thinking that makes people be against rail.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by fnh

Time to pull this out again: https://imgur.com/gallery/sCvRIEd

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Are rail operating costs that much worse than airlines? Granted, being equally as bad as airlines is also not a good thing. But, I had never heard that rail had exceptionally poor operating costs.

Big fat difference is that user fare revenues cover all the airlines' operating costs whereas fares typically cover an average 15%-50% of rail operating costs. If you had to pay a fare sufficient to cover costs, you might be more aware of how expensive rail is.