NJ Floats $600m In Bonds To Pay For Portal Bridge Replacement (hotels, maintenance)
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OK, but does this come with a long-term agreement on trackage fees? Normally you don't pay for capital improvements to infrastructure you're just renting.
We're not talking about ROW rights like when Amtrak runs one train a day or every other over a freight track. NJT is the second highest user of the Portal Bridge and indeed the NEC (at least the ROW in NJ and part of PA) behind Amtrak.
Just as with Penn Station and so forth it is the shoving of NJT trains onto the former PRR ROW that has caused a huge strain on system and infrastructure. Thus it is only fair and right that New Jersey/NJT pony up their fair share.
Again not that it would happen, but if Amtrak did kick NJT off NEC and out of Penn Station both the state of NJ and its residents would be royally screwed.
Things would be no different if PRR or Penn-Central were still around and owed things. Either would be looking to NJT/state of NJ to cough up to cover their heavy use of the ROW.
Point is something widely recognized and accepted elsewhere, but still gives many Americans fits; there are simply some things which require government (federal and or local) intervention. Private sector either will not, cannot, or if allowed to have a free hand subject consumers to vast market forces.
that isnt really true.
however, you certainly dont need the federal government to handle transportation.
The obvious solution it to apply classic tRump business practices to this situation, by simply refusing to pay the contractors when payment comes due!
If it has worked for him numerous times in Atlantic City and in other locations where he was involved in building projects, then why not apply it to other types of construction projects?
Flattening dirt, and laying down sod shouldn't cost $3million. And remember that time Zuckerberg donated $100million to Newark for public school reform and Booker made it disappear.
Flattening dirt, and laying down sod shouldn't cost $3million.
I'm not a Civil Engineer, but even I know that building/rebuilding the Portal Bridge involves a lot more than flattening dirt and laying down sod. In case you aren't aware of the... cost-saving... business practices to which I referred, this should prove to be informative:
however, you certainly dont need the federal government to handle transportation.
Most public transportation is by its nature a non for profit service. Passenger fees can not cover the full cost of the actual trip and the cost of infrastructure maintenance. If the fairs were raised to cover these costs, passengers would not be able to afford to use this mode of transportation. Some federal government assistance is always needed. Even when a private bus company is supposedly making money running buses on existing roads it is in reality subsidized by the government. State, federal and local governments pay to maintain and upgrade the roads that are used by the bus company to be profitable.
In case of the railroads, government subsidies are always needed to maintain the infrastructure. In cases of particular expensive components, such as bridges and tunnels, federal support is always required just because these items are prohibitively expensive. This is a common situation in most of the Western countries with normal public transportation system...
Most public transportation is by its nature a non for profit service. Passenger fees can not cover the full cost of the actual trip and the cost of infrastructure maintenance. If the fairs were raised to cover these costs, passengers would not be able to afford to use this mode of transportation. Some federal government assistance is always needed. Even when a private bus company is supposedly making money running buses on existing roads it is in reality subsidized by the government. State, federal and local governments pay to maintain and upgrade the roads that are used by the bus company to be profitable.
In case of the railroads, government subsidies are always needed to maintain the infrastructure. In cases of particular expensive components, such as bridges and tunnels, federal support is always required just because these items are prohibitively expensive. This is a common situation in most of the Western countries with normal public transportation system...
this is a funny concept. because people have become used to the government subsidizing a business, they actually believe that the business couldnt exist without the government.
if people value public transportation, they will pay for its cost.
this is a funny concept. because people have become used to the government subsidizing a business, they actually believe that the business couldnt exist without the government.
if people value public transportation, they will pay for its cost.
They can't afford to pay its cost. You know that.
If the government via the FRA, FTA, FAA, and whatever other agencies is going to set down all these regulations on how these businesses must conduct themselves and ask for proof of compliance, then they should indeed contribute toward what it will cost those businesses to comply.
If the government via the FRA, FTA, FAA, and whatever other agencies is going to set down all these regulations on how these businesses must conduct themselves and ask for proof of compliance, then they should indeed contribute toward what it will cost those businesses to comply.
that is a big part of the problem. the government drives up the cost. if the government removed itself from the equation, then people could afford to pay the cost of their transportation.
this is a funny concept. because people have become used to the government subsidizing a business, they actually believe that the business couldnt exist without the government.
if people value public transportation, they will pay for its cost.
No they will not since the costs will be astronomical. And if they can't afford public transportation, most commuters will try to drive, making yours and everyone else's drive to work even more miserable. I do believe you mentioned before that you drive to work? And public transportation is not a for profit business; it is a service.
But I don't understand why you are rallying so much against government support for public transportation but apparently OK with government support for roads. Don't you think federal government shouldn't help pay for highways as well? Let all roads become for profit toll roads, paid entirely by tolls. I shudder to think what this would look like...
No they will not since the costs will be astronomical. And if they can't afford public transportation, most commuters will try to drive, making yours and everyone else's drive to work even more miserable. I do believe you mentioned before that you drive to work? And public transportation is not a for profit business; it is a service.
But I don't understand why you are rallying so much against government support for public transportation but apparently OK with government support for roads. Don't you think federal government shouldn't help pay for highways as well? Let all roads become for profit toll roads, paid entirely by tolls. I shudder to think what this would look like...
services are still for profit businesses and public transportation should be no different. the costs dont have to be astronomical.
i am not rallying for anything mass transit vs roads. in this discussion i am speaking against federal involvement in transportation.
get rid of the federal government first.
then get rid of the local government.
its funny how driving seems to be a for profit business and tax revenue maker but magically public transit cant possibly be that way. people are so funny how they are trained to believe that once government gets involved in something that it couldnt possibly be done without government.
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