Kerry and Specter introduce bill to borrow $23 billion for high-speed rail projects

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

For the large part, many proposed Olympic sites are within 10 minutes walking from CTA Rail stops. You can't cover every single event with mass transit.

NJ Transit likes to use the 15 minute walk rule on actual sidewalks to determine if a location is 'walkable' to transit.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Oh they'd have to really muck things up to follow Atlanta's example.

...

Good point (having actually seen some events in 1996--one of which was in Athens near U-GA, other in Stone Mountain).

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) supports Sen. John Kerry’s railroad initiative

Q: Tell us about the initiative.

A: I have been very interested in the possibility of a high-speed rail line from Birmingham to Washington [through Atlanta], very similar to the line from Boston to Washington that exists today. It’s … a corridor that has a great deal of congestion on the interstates like I-85, and it’s a great way to travel. … But I know the big deal with rail is being able to get the capital together at the beginning to put in the infrastructure to put in lines like that line. Sen. Kerry’s bill focuses on raising capital. … Given the fact we’ve gone through the difficulties that we have on energy, the price of gasoline, the limited supply of oil, it makes an awful lot of sense looking to the future to make investments in those types of transportation systems that will meet our needs as the 21st century unfolds.

Q: How big is what you’re proposing?

A: I don’t want you to go off on some track that I’ve got some grandiose plan for the world in terms of rail. … Kerry’s introducing legislation that deals with the funding of rail infrastructure, which from my interest, that goes back to the Birmingham to Washington run.

Q: If Kerry came out with this kind of more grandiose, much, much larger system idea, would you be inclined to support it?

A: I support creating the financing mechanism to reinvigorate rail in the United States of America and to focus on the things I’ve repeated myself on. … If that’s a part of the Kerry legislation, yes I can. And it is.

Q: Do you support government funding, tax funding, of both those slower lines and high-speed rail?

A: Well, I think that all transportation ought to be a function based on user fees. Aviation does it with a passenger facility charge, ports do it with the docking fees at the ports, highways do it with motor fuel tax.

Q: Why should government be involved in this at all? If it’s really worth doing, won’t market forces lead private enterprise to make it happen?

A: Sometimes you have to make the investment in the hub if you will, like aviation, or in the spine, like in the line from Boston to New York, to then make the rest of the system viable. And, again, I don’t think general taxpayer subsidies make sense in transportation … it’s a user investment in the system they are using in turn to make an income.

Q: So one of your theories would be that if it were a more comprehensive system that would do more for the customer, that there might be more customers willing?

A: Absolutely.

Q: What can rail do for the individual passenger that other modes can’t do?

A: It can provide convenience. For me, when I go from Washington to New York or Boston, I go on the train and not on the plane because it’s faster and I can get more work done.

Q: The U.S. economy hasn’t been in such bad shape for years. Is it a little strange to be talking such an ambitious project that would cost so much at this moment?

A: The economy’s struggling now in part because of the high cost of fuel, because of the high cost of commodities, and that rolls right back into the whole transportation issue. I mean if you can reduce your dependence on oil, then the demand goes down so the price goes down.

Q: And what kind of chance do you think this all has?

A: This is the very beginning of a long process.

[IAMX 3,055]

If they're serious about upgrading the nation's high speed rail system, $23 billion is a joke.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The metro-rail in LA still hasn't made its way out to East LA yet and they've been building that thing for years

[mawilson 2,133]

All of the worlds most successful cities and countries have a modern and ever expanding high speed rail network or projects in the works. We have a lot of catching up to do.

i can't wait for the 'small government' conservatives to start railing against this.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

For AJ--fiscal conservatism does not imply the "penny-wise, pound-foolish" approach of not investing in infrastructure.

Refer to the following thread

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=163132

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I can't help but notice the gap between Orlando and Jacksonville. Great design!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I can't help but notice the gap between Orlando and Jacksonville. Great design!

Sarcasm?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I can't help but notice the gap between Orlando and Jacksonville. Great design!

Sarcasm?

You noticed. I mean that is ridiculous, isn't it? Connect Tampa, Orlando and Miami and connect Jacksonville to the rest of the eastern US. But do not connect Orlando and Jacksonville, What would the country come to if one could actually get to and from central and south FL via rail. Gotta put a stretch of hitchhiking in there - for added adventure I suppose.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Also, it would be an excellent idea to have a connexion between Pittsburgh (terminus of Keystone Corridor) and Cleveland (terminus of Chicago Hub Network)--as there is considerable road-traffic on OH and PA Turnpikes between these two cities (I drive that stretch thrice yearly, both ways).

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I can't help but notice the gap between Orlando and Jacksonville. Great design!

Sarcasm?

You noticed. I mean that is ridiculous, isn't it? Connect Tampa, Orlando and Miami and connect Jacksonville to the rest of the eastern US. But do not connect Orlando and Jacksonville, What would the country come to if one could actually get to and from central and south FL via rail. Gotta put a stretch of hitchhiking in there - for added adventure I suppose.

Its a kickback to the old pioneer days - when distance was measured in changes of horse

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I suppose that is the drawback of the hub and spoke model. Eventually the end of some spokes will come close to each other and people will ask, why aren't they connected? Remember, the idea here is not to build a national network (we have air travel for long haul travel) but for inter-city regional travel. That said, Orlando-Jax and Pitt-Cleveland are good observations.