Obama Lays Out Plans for High-Speed Train Travel

[ericlp]

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=7351798&page=1

Holly shit. Ya know I was pretty close to agreeing with this guy... But damn. Don't we need to fix the economy and do some other stuff before going off on a spending spree of tax payers money for a new train set?

Sheeesh.... Am I the only one that thinks the money could be better spent? Oh well... What's next I wonder?

There's no reason why the future of travel should lie somewhere else, beyond our borders," President Obama said today in laying out the new transportation plans. "Building a new system of high-speed rail in America will be faster, cheaper and easier than building more freeways or adding to an already over-burdened aviation system, and everybody stands to benefit."

I guess I'm not "all aboard" with this plan. Ought to be an interesting 4 years.

 

[Genx87]

Hahahahahaha sadly since Amtrak is govt owned they will spill billions into this not worrying about competing with Southwest. Afterall Biden said Amtrak is a national treasure lmao.

 

[spidey07]

Simpson's did it.

Monorail! Monorail! Monorail!
:music:
Lyle Lanley: Well, sir, there's nothing on earth
Like a genuine,
Bona fide,
Electrified,
Six-car
Monorail!
What'd I say?
Ned Flanders: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: What's it called?
Patty+Selma: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: That's right! Monorail!
[crowd chants `Monorail' softly and rhythmically]
Miss Hoover: I hear those things are awfully loud...
Lyle Lanley: It glides as softly as a cloud.
Apu: Is there a chance the track could bend?
Lyle Lanley: Not on your life, my Hindu friend.
Barney: What about us brain-dead slobs?
Lyle Lanley: You'll be given cushy jobs.
Abe: Were you sent here by the devil?
Lyle Lanley: No, good sir, I'm on the level.
Wiggum: The ring came off my pudding can.
Lyle Lanley: Take my pen knife, my good man.
I swear it's Springfield's only choice...
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
All: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: What's it called?
All: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: Once again...
All: Monorail!
Marge: But Main Street's still all cracked and broken...
Bart: Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!
All: Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
[big finish]
Monorail!
Homer: Mono... D'oh!
:music:

 

[soccerballtux]

Europe benefits from their train system because their road system sucks. Most of those cities, nay the whole continent was colonized and cities built before the advent of the car.

We chose to spend the money on a road system, which our entire country benefits from. We don't need to spend more on infrastructure. You won't realize increased GDP through things like a new rail structure. Our road system is already great.

 

[jpeyton]

Awesome! :thumbsup:

The US has a lot of catching up to do regarding mass rail transit; we're way behind Asia and Europe.

 

[sandorski]

:thumbsup:

About time.

 

[her209]

Can't wait until its implemented here in California.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: her209
Can't wait until its implemented here in California.

And how much are you willing to pay for it to be built per citizen? 50,000 dollars? 250,000?

 

[Schadenfroh]

As long as they cut other services to pay for it, I do not see anything wrong with it for relatively short (ie before it becomes practical to fly) city to city jumps (say between the cities of the northeast). But, I would prefer Amtrak privatized.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Can't wait until its implemented here in California.

And how much are you willing to pay for it to be built per citizen? 50,000 dollars? 250,000?

Bu bu but he will be able to travel a whole 200 miles per hour and the trip only costs him 50 bucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Can't wait until its implemented here in California.

And how much are you willing to pay for it to be built per citizen? 50,000 dollars? 250,000?

Is that the per capita cost for people currently alive, or costs over the lifetime of the system?

How much will that reduce congestion on roads? Reduce consumption of fuel? Reduce pollution?

Mass transit is a great infrastructure investment.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Can't wait until its implemented here in California.

And how much are you willing to pay for it to be built per citizen? 50,000 dollars? 250,000?

Well the article states that its going to cost California $45,000 million. There are about 30 million people in California. So its going to cost about $1,500 per person.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Few people do a daily commute between cities.

All this is doing is competing against the airline industry.

Laying track to support the new trains along existing right of ways will create work.
Then a 5 yr development project to improve what already exists in Europe and Asia.
And another 5 years to impliment.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Can't wait until its implemented here in California.

And how much are you willing to pay for it to be built per citizen? 50,000 dollars? 250,000?

Well the article states that its going to cost California $45,000 million. There are about 30 million people in California. So its going to cost about $1,500 per person.

What a deal.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
Few people do a daily commute between cities.

All this is doing is competing against the airline industry.

Laying track to support the new trains along existing right of ways will create work.
Then a 5 yr development project to improve what already exists in Europe and Asia.
And another 5 years to impliment.

It has to happen sometime.

Pick any year in the history of our country; I'm sure you'll find someone complaining about government spending.

You can't please 100% of the people 100% of the time.

People complain about Obama budgeting for high-speed rail networks while cutting F-22 Raptor procurement. There are also people who praise the very same thing.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
Few people do a daily commute between cities.

All this is doing is competing against the airline industry.

Laying track to support the new trains along existing right of ways will create work.
Then a 5 yr development project to improve what already exists in Europe and Asia.
And another 5 years to impliment.

Given the number of stops that will be made a better case it that it competes against regional car travel, with the exception of limited stop express service.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Can't wait until its implemented here in California.

And how much are you willing to pay for it to be built per citizen? 50,000 dollars? 250,000?

Is that the per capita cost for people currently alive, or costs over the lifetime of the system?

How much will that reduce congestion on roads? Reduce consumption of fuel? Reduce pollution?

Mass transit is a great infrastructure investment.

Build more airports then. People prefer air travel and have since the 60s. Hence why Amtrak went belly up and is nationalized.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

:thumbsdown:

Want a train in your area - put it in yourself, don't make me pay for it. But no, you people vote them down every time it's tried - now you're just going to foist it on everyone without them having a choice in the matter.

 

[Jack Flash]

Grrr!!!! I hate you Obama for making good on your infrastructure stimulus!

 

[Jack Flash]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Can't wait until its implemented here in California.

And how much are you willing to pay for it to be built per citizen? 50,000 dollars? 250,000?

I didn't want to pay for abstinence education, the war in Iraq and many other projects. it's called 'deal with it' and you get a big dose of that as a citizen of the United States.

 

[RedChief]

But actual cost when it comes to rail systems have been 60-100 % more then projected costs if you look at recent examples in Denver and Seattle.

Additionally, these systems will require government subsidies as long as they operate; cost which are not part of projected costs.

Finally, if the Europe and Japan high-speed rail models are so good then why have they lost market share by 50%?

One last point. High Speed rail wont get people out of there cars as much as getting people off planes. Do we really a bloated overpriced government subsidized system to compete with a cheap, cost effective private system (the airlines)?

 

[Fear No Evil]

This will be an absolute MONEY PIT. Obama is out of control. This is the dumbest idea I have ever heard of in my life. There is absolutely no point to a national rail service in this country.. NONE, ZERO, ZILCH, NADA.. It will cost an absolute fortune, it will take much longer than taking a plane, and it will be a complete waste of taxpayer money.

This is not stimulus, its 100% out of control liberal spending. I bet the cost would turn out to be in the trillions to implement nationwide.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Can't wait until its implemented here in California.

And how much are you willing to pay for it to be built per citizen? 50,000 dollars? 250,000?

Is that the per capita cost for people currently alive, or costs over the lifetime of the system?

How much will that reduce congestion on roads? Reduce consumption of fuel? Reduce pollution?

Mass transit is a great infrastructure investment.

Build more airports then. People prefer air travel and have since the 60s. Hence why Amtrak went belly up and is nationalized.

But a majority of voters voted for Obama, and that majority agrees with Obama's plan for infrastructure spending.

If Obama gets re-elected in 2012, that means a majority of the voters agreed with his decisions in office.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Can't wait until its implemented here in California.

And how much are you willing to pay for it to be built per citizen? 50,000 dollars? 250,000?

Is that the per capita cost for people currently alive, or costs over the lifetime of the system?

How much will that reduce congestion on roads? Reduce consumption of fuel? Reduce pollution?

Mass transit is a great infrastructure investment.

Wrong. Train travel in the US just isn't viable due to our nature and our having an excellent(relatively) road system.

What you people who push "mass transit" should be looking at to reduce "congestion", "fuel", and "pollution" is creating a faster/lighter mass shipping system instead of trying to stuff hundreds of people into a tin can on wheels.
Yes, we already have "heavy" rail for freight, but why not a system of faster hub to hub shipping? Meh...

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil
This will be an absolute MONEY PIT. Obama is out of control. This is the dumbest idea I have ever heard of in my life. There is absolutely no point to a national rail service in this country.. NONE, ZERO, ZILCH, NADA.. It will cost an absolute fortune, it will take much longer than taking a plane, and it will be a complete waste of taxpayer money.

This is not stimulus, its 100% out of control liberal spending. I bet the cost would turn out to be in the trillions to implement nationwide.

They did something similar here in KY - opened up a train line to Chicago because "all the business travelers need it". Well the tickets cost 3 times a plane ride and take 5 times as long. Needless to say it's nothing more than an unused money pit today. It was doomed before it was even started but they did it anyway.