High speed rail maybe a reality in the near future? In the U.S.? Say it ain't so! (Harry Reid, enemy)
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Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluefly
^^
It is quite funny how people complain about eminent domain for rail but are perfectly fine to destroy cities in the name of progress for highways. I grew up near Detroit and wonderful neighborhoods were destroyed so interstates could split the city and usher all the wealth out to the suburbs.
It's fine to oppose government proposals, but it's just odd how hypocritical people tend to be in supporting massive government highway projects but not rail.
Those people are content in riding their vehicles never giving a second thought as to the property owners who lost their homes to expand the highways they use everyday! Hypocrits indeed!
Oh yea another heavily subsidised government boondoggle!!
Lets hope it's so successful that it hurts the airlines enough that they need even more subsidies.
Can you say circle jerk?
Airlines are in trouble, economy is bad and people can't fly.
We need jobs, build rail, that will create jobs, could even save Detroit if we build the trains their.
Rail can't get you everywhere but it is cheap, many people will ride.
Finally try and catch up to what every other industrialized nation in the world has.
Can you comprehend?
One must speak to republicans as if they're children or foreigners.
Keep it very basic.
Heavily subsidized government boondoggle, like the military?
Those people are content in riding their vehicles never giving a second thought as to the property owners who lost their homes to expand the highways they use everyday! Hypocrits indeed!
Yeah - there's this myth that has inflicted our country that the automobile lifestyle somehow represents the free market and any lifestyle with zoning or transit is "socialism".
In reality, it took MASSIVE government planning, undermining of existing infrastructure, and investment to build suburbia. It couldn't have happened without government, in fact.
Just think of all the sewage, roads, electricity, water, and other infrastructure that has to be built by tax dollars to support subdivisions out in the exurban fringe. It's a huge public works project!
1. If you look at that map, this isn't building a cross-country rail system. It's intelligently focusing on regions - Florida, Southeast, Gulf Coast, Northeast, Great Lakes, Northwest, Southwest. So, this plan would not try to compete with airplanes. In fact, the reason rail is so successful in the Northeast is because it is more efficient and faster to travel rail than regional commuter planes - city center to city center, no security, no hour waiting. I thought it was obvious that economic development would be included with culture and recreation when I made that statement. Just look at DC and the massive development around subway stops.
Not to mention the Northeast has a high ratio of population to land-mass in the U.S. There would be more emphasis along the Atlantic Seaboard.
I think that's partly the reason why there's a regional plans for high-speed rail due to our low population to land-mass through-out the country.
I'll take anything when it comes to high-speed rail.
Not to mention the Northeast has a high ratio of population to land-mass in the U.S. There would be more emphasis along the Atlantic Seaboard.
I think that's partly the reason why there's a regional plans for high-speed rail due to our low population to land-mass through-out the country.
I'll take anything when it comes to high-speed rail.
The map is more a picture of "corridors" than it is regions, but I'm nitpicking. Rail makes sense in densely populated corridors like the Northeast Corridor, but we have many other corridors. We need lots of high speed rail, and not just for passengers. It would great to get truckloads of fresh produce sent by rail, overnight from FL to NYC. No reason it can't be done, just take willpower, muscle and money.
Interesting different view on the subject, and kind of supports the view that a legitimate business case needs to be made before making this kind of financial commitment:
Bullet trains would make commuting to and from places like Fresno, Modesto and Bakersfield easier. But wouldn't that merely encourage the sort of sprawl that we are supposed to be discouraging?
California certainly needs to upgrade its long-neglected, deteriorating highway system and probably expand commuter transit service. But bullet trains may be a romantic solution in search of a problem.
Dan Walters: Does California really need a bullet train? - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/823367.html - broken link)
I'm looking forward to it. The transportation network is a strategic asset. The transportation infrastructure should be diversified and multi-modal so that there is not an over-reliance on the personal automobile and aircraft. 9/11 led to the momentary shut down of all air traffic and as the car is not a practical alternative for distances over several hundred miles (unless you're on vacation) the nation was 'immobile' for a day or two. Adding high speed trains adds another 'leg' to the nation's mobility options. If Europe and Japan can do it, we can, too.
I'd like to see the fares that would need to be charged to make it operationally self sufficient.
I think it would be fair if the cost of a trip on a high speed train was similar to a trip on a plane over the same distance.
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