tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post1948192536210617248..comments2024-01-12T00:32:20.149-08:00Comments on The Overhead Wire: High Speed Rail, For THIS GenerationPantograph Trolleypolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17833159138533550544noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-85316819271724957172012-01-10T19:25:33.780-08:002012-01-10T19:25:33.780-08:00Interesting speech from LBJ. It shows some of the...Interesting speech from LBJ. It shows some of the problems we've been having in the US.<br /><br />The "non-rail" high-speed ground transportation schemes were duds. The gas turbines were duds.<br /><br />The high-speed electric trains worked just fine. As could have been predicted by Japan, who'd already built the Shinkansen. But no, the US had to spend money trying to do something DIFFERENT. (To be fair, France wasted money on silly schemes at the same time. But they got over it.)<br /><br />At least in '65 SOME of the money went for the obviously-correct thing, fast trains from Washington to NY, not that it came quick enough to save Penn Central from bankruptcy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-67809823842431236362012-01-08T15:46:40.733-08:002012-01-08T15:46:40.733-08:00...don't hold your breath...
http://www.pres......don't hold your breath... <br /><br />http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=27281Adirondacker12800https://www.blogger.com/profile/17108712932656586797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-18263503317853996132012-01-08T10:13:59.404-08:002012-01-08T10:13:59.404-08:00Martin, he'll need 220 mph service to get ther...Martin, he'll need 220 mph service to get there in a reasonable amount of time.<br /><br />And it'll be cheaper than flying. Ever priced tickets to Bakersfield? Yeesh...<br /><br />And if you don't want people in Maine to pay taxes for a train between SF and LA, Maine should secede from the Union. As long as it's in the Union, yes, people in Maine should pay taxes for rail lines in California, just as people in California pay taxes for rail lines in Maine.<br /><br />I guess I could sum this up as "Get a clue".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-76769683075875254192012-01-07T21:39:13.729-08:002012-01-07T21:39:13.729-08:00Martin that's kind of silly. California is a d...Martin that's kind of silly. California is a donor state such that they don't get back as much transportation money as they give to the feds. The real question is whether we in California should pay for the rural states who refuse to urbanize. <br /><br />Also do you believe that plane tickets will be cheaper to Bakersfield? I'm banking on the fact that it will be cheaper than the current $500 ticket and will be comparable to a car trip which wastes about 8 hours of my time. <br /><br />I'm fine with an expenditure of $100B. Are you ok with expanding more runways into the bay with Oakland and SF? Are you ok with greater GHG emissions from airplanes making that trip? Are you ok with paying to expand I-5? All of these things will cost more than $100B. This is the choice we have. Not building HSR is not a zero sum game.Pantograph Trolleypolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17833159138533550544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-16652609836580369402012-01-07T16:54:02.553-08:002012-01-07T16:54:02.553-08:00Would you settle for regular Amtrak going 110 mph...Would you settle for regular Amtrak going 110 mph to get you there, or do you require the 220 mph version?<br /><br />You do know that these will be the most expensive rail tickets available, right? Like in every other HSR country.<br /><br />Perhaps you can afford such tickets. Most of us can't.<br />In Europe I take regular express trains, not the TGV, for example.<br /><br />And, I gather that you are OK with the expenditure of well over $100 billion by the time this project actually operates between our two population centers. Those are mostly borrowed money to be replaced by our taxes.<br /><br />Should people in Maine be making tax payments so we can have a train between SF and LA?Martin Engelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10945359524195169103noreply@blogger.com