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Californians are voting on a $10 Billion dollar bond this Nov 4 that would jump start construction of a high speed rail network between Northern and Southern CA via the Central Valley and High Desert regions. I am hoping this passes b/c CA will need this in the future with all the population growth. They've been planning this for well over a decade now and we were supposed to have voted on this twice already but it kept being pushed back, but it was finally put on the ballot this year, not exactly the best economic time to do it though.
I know there are other potential high speed rail corridors around the country. So I am just wondering from people that live in these other corridors, how far is the govt along with planning a high speed rail system? Is it coming along and do you think you might see it built anytime in the near future? Is it just a pipe dream for your region right now? Just really curious to see how far along other regions are in doing this.
Below is a map of different corridors the DOT has indentified, anyone from these corridors know of how far along these plans are?:
The Midwest has a very extensive program underway. It's all centered around Chicago since it's already the hub, and spreading out to the 10 major cities within 400 miles of Chicago.
It would take a major change in government in DC (as well as money) to do any of these. One that was left off of the US map is one that was talked about for years, that would connect the Atlanta airport to the Chattanooga, TN airport. They even got pretty serious with the talk anyway, for a while. To my knowledge, the Chattanooga Mayor is still trying to get steam up for it, but Atlanta's government has adopted a, "Oh - THAT?" mentality. Quite honestly, if most Atlantans saw the map the OP posted and saw how that proposal would connect Atlanta to New Orleans, I think the plan would fizzle in a second locally, anyway. Let's just say that Post-Katrina, Atlanta's relationship with anything New Orleans is at best "cool" - to suggest linking the two cities with high speed rail would cause a near riot with some.
I think high speed rail between Kansas City and St. Louis would be great. The traffic on I-70 between those towns makes you feel like you never leave the city, and there's as many 18-wheelers through there as there are cars. If I had a extra couple of hours, I'd just take the scenic route to avoid all that mess.
We here in Scranton have been promised a commuter rail line linking us to Hoboken, NJ (with a transfer via the PATH into Manhattan) for decades now. Even as thousands of more commuters are moving here into NEPA from North Jersey/NYC, congesting our freeways, there is still NO visible progress on this commuter rail link between the Electric City and the Big Apple. The funding for this project probably got shipped over to Iraq or in a bail out package for a company like AIG.
Is there any currently built high speed rail in the US? I really hope the California bill passes, although it sucks that Sacramento isn't in the first phase.
Fill the potholes in the damn freeways; make fwys in Podunk unlimited speeds, like in Germany; and tighten driver's licenses to award them to those who can prove ability to drive safely on fwys and stay out of left lane except when passing....
Few who actually pay taxes really drive btwn LA and SF or NYC and Bos/Wash or Chic to Detroit or Dall to Hou, etc....these are business routes that most taxpayers fly anyway....
And for pleasure trips, most taxpayers w/2-3 kids live in affluent suburbs of these vast urban regions and are traveling to suburbs of other urban regions to visit relatives/friends and prefer safety/comfort/privacy/convenience of own car, not some mass transit nonsense....
After all, a car is a poor man's version of a private plane....if affordable, most would rather have their own G550 fly them between SiliconValley and Malibu, not VirginAmerica or some other commercial airline, let alone a 3rdWorld train....
I am really not getting my hopes up for the California HSR bill getting passed. I think too many people think it would be a huge waste of money. Sure the state is into a deficit but seriously, people should wake up to the vital impacts of this HSR.
1. HSR would link all of California's major cities, bringing more economic impact into the entire state.
2. The trains run on electricity, great for the environment.
3. Separated grade and the fact that HS trains would be the only thing running on the tracks means it is 99% impossible for an accident to occur.
4. Areas around major stops would see tremendous growth which will add more density instead of sprawl, which would add more jobs.
5. It will create up to 3,000 permanent jobs and considering it would take around 20 years to build, some very long term jobs as well.
6. State and local governments would be paying 19.5 billion dollars in State Bonds, while federal bonds would be paying around 40 billion dollars.
7. It would take hundreds if not thousands of cars off the road, therefore improving traffic conditions and reducing smog in heavily populated areas.
8. If it was not passed, money would go to highway expansions, which would just put more cars on the road and increase pollution.
All in all, there are so many positive impacts that far outweigh the negative one's. Sure the state is broke and this would be spending a lot of money, but think about the tremendous opportunities it would do for our economy in five, ten, and twenty years time. California will be a far different (and better) place.
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