[PurpleLove08]

Local News (http://pulaskinews.net/articles/2009/02/27/the_times/local_news/nws15.txt - broken link)

He [Mayor Hays of North Little Rock]said he learned that $8 billion has been set aside for high-speed rail and the state has already done research about such a system between Little Rock and Dallas.

If such a system was in place, would you ride it?

There has even been talk of high speed rail between Little Rock and Memphis...

It made me happy to read this:

Jim McKenzie, executive director of Metroplan, told the group Central Arkansas Transit was in line to get $75.4 million while highways were estimated to get $14.2 million.

[grmasterb]

Seems like a lot of money to connect a small metropolitan area with one of the country's largest. In other words, I question what the demand would be. Even more money would be wasted, IMO, by having a line that connects LR and Memphis. The money would be better spent connecting the major Texas cities with high-speed rail.

[Sneezyone]

I'd use it in a heartbeat. We have family in Dallas and Memphis so we could visit them with our kids with less hassle and more relaxation. I imagine there'd be hoards of young-ish people on any given weekend hungry for a taste of real nightlife too, maybe catching a touring broadway show or concert series. I love being close enough to my mom in WLR that she can watch my kids overnight on occasion. I hate that when she does watch them there's really nowhere interesting for DH and I to go! High speed rail to Dallas (or even memphis for a basketball game) would be awesome. No drinking and driving required. On second thought, whoo-boy would this do a number on the meager attractions in LR now. Who'd stay in town when you could catch a train and be in Memphis in 90 minutes or Dallas in a couple hours? I here IKEA calling...

[linicx]

It kinda sounds like a bridge to nowwhere considering the mountains and hills and trees in Arkansas. Dallas would not be impossible, but how many people in Dallas what to go to Little Rock.. You have to have a pretty hefty ridership to support high rail. What happens after the novelty wears off. If I was this gpvernor of this state I would want to create lot of reasons fro people to visit Arkansas and spend money. The state offers a lot of interesting things but they are scattered, unconncted and not partifularly easy to get to. NW Ark is just one example with five different and interesting venues. .

[Snaple4]

I do not have the statistics but I do know that LR has a large business base. I also know that LR has a busy airport... Business travel, I would wager, is the largest percentage of their customers. So having a High Speed transit from LR to another large area that has frequent business customers visiting is a great idea. So if anyone had some stats from the LR airport then we might be able to say if this is a "bridge to nowhere."

[PurpleLove08]

Originally Posted by Sneezyone

I'd use it in a heartbeat. We have family in Dallas and Memphis so we could visit them with our kids with less hassle and more relaxation. I imagine there'd be hoards of young-ish people on any given weekend hungry for a taste of real nightlife too, maybe catching a touring broadway show or concert series. I love being close enough to my mom in WLR that she can watch my kids overnight on occasion. I hate that when she does watch them there's really nowhere interesting for DH and I to go! High speed rail to Dallas (or even memphis for a basketball game) would be awesome. No drinking and driving required. On second thought, whoo-boy would this do a number on the meager attractions in LR now. Who'd stay in town when you could catch a train and be in Memphis in 90 minutes or Dallas in a couple hours? I here IKEA calling...

I know I'd be one of those "young-ish" people hopping on the train.
Saves me gas money, great for the environment, AND I get there faster...sign me up!!

Originally Posted by linicx

It kinda sounds like a bridge to nowwhere considering the mountains and hills and trees in Arkansas. Dallas would not be impossible, but how many people in Dallas what to go to Little Rock.. You have to have a pretty hefty ridership to support high rail. What happens after the novelty wears off. If I was this gpvernor of this state I would want to create lot of reasons fro people to visit Arkansas and spend money. The state offers a lot of interesting things but they are scattered, unconncted and not partifularly easy to get to. NW Ark is just one example with five different and interesting venues. .

I can see your point about the novelty wearing off.

I would like to see some kind of mass transit from Conway to Little Rock. I know to some people the drive isn't nothing but I can't stand making the drive from NLR to Conway to visit my friends. I love 'em to death but when gas goes up...they may be seeing even less of me.

[jenni-b]

I definitely would. I am so over the drive to Dallas and Southwest doesn't have the $49 roundtrip fares they did back in the day. Plus, flying SUX anymore.