Obama administration cuts 90 minutes off Amtrak trip from Chicago to St Louis

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

California is investing $100+ billion dollars for a high speed rail from Frisco to LA. They still have no idea how they will pay for it...but it's needed right? I mean isn't that what it's all about. Screwing the next 5+ generations on an overpriced project.

if it was needed and economically feasible . and the government would get out of the way. Someone would build it.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Not exactly. I'm sure some of the money came from alleged 'stimulus' funds (but you'd have to find where it wasn't funded prior), but Obama has talked about investing 2.5 billion as part of a budget proposal, but a budget hasn't been passed in years now, so it's kind of hard to give Obama any credit here for it.

It still does not mean no credit is due, as evidenced by the flip-flopping attitude of those who now claim that 110 mph is not fast enough, when previously any mention of high-speed rail was decried in feigned outrage.

I agree that for a country the size of America, 111mph is not nearly as fast, but I also agree that we need to start somewhere...

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

if it was needed and economically feasible . and the government would get out of the way. Someone would build it.

[JohnR! 5,495]

California is investing $100+ billion dollars for a high speed rail from Frisco to LA.

Imagine investing on high-speed rail in one of the busiest corridors in the country... Pffff...

Next thing you know they will think of putting a high speed train between DC and Boston! I mean, seriously! :rofl:

[Karee 4,191]

They had a good plan for high speed rail here in Texas about 20 years ago. Southwest AIrlines sent out an army of lobbyists and put a quick end to that. Southwest has 25 or so departures daily from Dallas Love to Houston Hobby alone so I guess you could see their concern.

Why compete on a level playing field, when you can just pay off the state legislature? Probably much cheaper.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

It still does not mean no credit is due, as evidenced by the flip-flopping attitude of those who now claim that 110 mph is not fast enough, when previously any mention of high-speed rail was decried in feigned outrage.

I agree that for a country the size of America, 111mph is not nearly as fast, but I also agree that we need to start somewhere...

That I-35 Corridor would be a perfect start. That whole eminent domain thing gets in the way though.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Obama 2012

[Karee 4,191]

That I-35 Corridor would be a perfect start. That whole eminent domain thing gets in the way though.

Look above. It aint emininent domain.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Imagine investing on high-speed rail in one of the busiest corridors in the country... Pffff...

Next thing you know they will think of putting a high speed train between DC and Boston! I mean, seriously! :rofl:

So where or how does California come up with the $100+ billion to pay for it? And btw how many people need to take a high speed rail from Frisco to LA? California is not the east coast.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

They had a good plan for high speed rail here in Texas about 20 years ago. Southwest AIrlines sent out an army of lobbyists and put a quick end to that. Southwest has 25 or so departures daily from Dallas Love to Houston Hobby alone so I guess you could see their concern.

Why compete on a level playing field, when you can just pay off the state legislature? Probably much cheaper.

Yeah, but the Wright Amendment had ALOT to do with that.

Southwest Airlines had already been castrated due to having Love Field as their home base. Braniff International Airlines wasn't about to let them compete and so enter the Federal government to intervene on their behalf.

Things might have told a different story for Southwest had they not been sucker punched by Braniff and others at DFW Airport. I don't blame Braniff for not wanting the competition. After all, Love Field should have never been operational as a major airport with DFW there. It was a joint venture between Fort Worth and Dallas and Fort Worth was part of those against Southwest Airlines and Love Field as they felt they were being hit hard by it as well.

[JohnR! 5,495]

how many people need to take a high speed rail from Frisco to LA?

There is a market for 7,500+ persons per day. The high-speed rail will compete directly with the airlines.

That I-35 Corridor would be a perfect start. That whole eminent domain thing gets in the way though.

Well, at this point, anywhere would be a perfect start. We need to start somewhere....

[Obama 2012 1,714]

There is a market for 7,500+ persons per day. The high-speed rail will compete directly with the airlines.

The motto of a new HSR system could be (for now anyway) "Don't Get Molested, Feel Rested"

Should be enough of a motto to sell to people over having to deal with the TSA!

[JohnR! 5,495]

The motto of a new HSR system could be (for now anyway) "Don't Get Molested, Feel Rested"

Should be enough of a motto to sell to people over having to deal with the TSA!

:rofl:

[Karee 4,191]

Yeah, but the Wright Amendment had ALOT to do with that.

Southwest Airlines had already been castrated due to having Love Field as their home base. Braniff International Airlines wasn't about to let them compete and so enter the Federal government to intervene on their behalf.

Things might have told a different story for Southwest had they not been sucker punched by Braniff and others at DFW Airport. I don't blame Braniff for not wanting the competition. After all, Love Field should have never been operational as a major airport with DFW there. It was a joint venture between Fort Worth and Dallas and Fort Worth was part of those against Southwest Airlines and Love Field as they felt they were being hit hard by it as well.

I don't see the problem with that. Chicago has Midway, Houston has Hobby, Washington has Reagan, L.A. has Orange county, Burbank, Long Beach, Ontario etc.

Anyway, I don't really see the correlation between the Wright Amendment and high speed rail in Texas since the Wright Amendment restricted interstate flights out of Texas, not intrastate flights.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

There is a market for 7,500+ persons per day. The high-speed rail will compete directly with the airlines.

Well, at this point, anywhere would be a perfect start. We need to start somewhere....

California is $16 billion in the hole as it stands. California already has the worst credit rating of all the states so that right there shows that any loans taken out for that rail is going to have a high interest rate. Throw in the fact that Moonbeam Brown had to steal federal money meant for California housing to plug the gaps for his budget and it's pretty obvious that rail is going to screw future generations of Californians for decades to come.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[JohnR! 5,495]

California is $16 billion in the hole as it stands...

It does not preclude the fact the state still needs infrastructure.