Republicans waste no time in killing passenger rail

[memphis]

Worth pointing out that high speed rail has been successful here the US. The Acela line in the NE corridor is the only part of Amtrak that makes money. What part of the road system makes money?

[memphis]

Scott has promised to kill that boondoggle here as well.

How can you call passenger rail a boondoggle? Look at how much money we spend on roads, and look at at how successful rail is in other countries.

Because here in the US it's been a huge money pit where it's been tried. I actually don't oppose public transport but right now is not the time for it, financially, and it hasn't been proven.

Roads are a huge money pit that's been tried. Here in California, we're spending $6 billion to replace half of a bridge. The Big Dig was $20 billion. Rail has been proven in other countries.

The biggest stumbling block in front of rail is the necessity of changing the American perspective on transportation. Having a car is considered a rite of passage, and people consider public transportation, in alot of areas, as some sort of sub-standard handout, instead of just an essential service. If we're going to beef up public transportation, we need to get Americans to actually believe in it and out of the, really, greedy desire for universal car ownership.

Sort of a similar thought with homes and apartment ownership, actually.

That may be partially true, however I think a lot of people hold my view. Public transportation can be very unreliable at times and inefficient. Have you ever rode Amtrak? What a nightmare.

I've "rode" Amtrak several times. It was roomy and comfortable with none of the hassles of the airlines. It was also very slow, which is the whole reason we need high speed rail.

[memphis]

I've "rode" Amtrak several times. It was roomy and comfortable with none of the hassles of the airlines. It was also very slow, which is the whole reason we need high speed rail.

Oh? You paid 600 dollars for a single round trip ticket in your own room?

Memphis to New Orleans and back is the only route I've taken. I've done it several times. It's about $50 each way, which I think is a bargain for a 400 mile trip. It's only slightly more than Greyhound (which I've also done and isn't really that bad). On the train you get enough legroom for even a tall man to fully extend his feet all the way forward. You're free to walk around as you like. There is an all window car so that you can look out. There's also a car with a bar that features food as well, though I'm too cheap to ever buy it. They're on time more often than the airlines and the stations are a million times easier to deal with than an airport. Their problem is that they're working on 100+ year old infrastructure. It's easier to drive because you can make your own schedule. Make the trains faster than cars can safely go and it's wnning model.

[memphis]

I've "rode" Amtrak several times. It was roomy and comfortable with none of the hassles of the airlines. It was also very slow, which is the whole reason we need high speed rail.

Oh? You paid 600 dollars for a single round trip ticket in your own room?

Memphis to New Orleans and back is the only route I've taken. I've done it several times. It's about $50 each way, which I think is a bargain for a 400 mile trip. It's only slightly more than Greyhound (which I've also done and isn't really that bad). On the train you get enough legroom for even a tall man to fully extend his feet all the way forward. You're free to walk around as you like. There is an all window car so that you can look out. There's also a car with a bar that features food as well, though I'm too cheap to ever buy it. They're on time more often than the airlines and the stations are a million times easier to deal with than an airport. Their problem is that they're working on 100+ year old infrastructure. It's easier to drive because you can make your own schedule. Make the trains faster than cars can safely go and it's wnning model.

This is why privatization would work. What motivation would the government have to make the train ride more comfortable, faster and enjoyable for the consumer? They're about shipping people from point a to point b. Private companies who ran trains on standardized track systems would have an interest in pleasing the consumer to lure them in.

Shall we privatize the roads as well? Privatization hasn't done much to make flying comfortable or enjoyable. As amazing as it is to soar at hundreds of miles an hour 30,000 feet off the ground, the airlines have made it the most miserable experience not involving the medical industry.

[memphis]

And the reason why you and I can have the privilege of complaining about the airlines is because of the deregulation of air travel.  Back in the uberregulated days, a flight might have been 500 or 600 dollars inflation-adjusted, and it was only for the very rich.  My father never flew on an airplane until he was 27 years old, and he grew up solidly upper-middle class.  Now the middle class can afford to fly with some degree of regularity.

Flown lately? I haven't because of the cost. Flights are back in that range with a fee for every conceivable thing. Flying was pricey back then because it was a new industry. A television cost $500 in 1960 ( in 1960 dollars!) Lots of comfortable people couldn't afford air-conditioning back then either. It wasn't because of some imagined government bogeyman.

[memphis]

Unfortunately, the loss of rail in Wisconsin also means nothing can move forward in Minnesota since the point was to connect to Chicago via Madison and Milwaukee.

I guess we could just bypass Wisconsin and work something out with Iowa.  I think even Republicans in Iowa would be on board for a high speed train from MSP via Rochester into Illinois, where there is a real push for rail development.

Oberstar's loss in the 8th will likely can the MSP/Duluth rail corridor... but even I wouldn't call that corridor a 1st phase project.

With the GOP in control of the legislature here for the first time since legislative elections have been partisan.. you can bet they won't fund road and bridge repairs, let alone rail.  They'll continue to come up with "innovative" ways to fund piecemeal maintenance projects by asking contractors to front the money or repairing one lane at a time over several years or simply de-paving roads and returning them to unmaintained gravel/dirt.

And this will all drive business growth somehow.

No.. it will drive profit growth while driving overall business shrinkage and declining quality of life.  But then, Republicans haven't cared about silly concepts like quality of life for at least 15 years now.

AWESOME! More of this for Minnesota

[memphis]

FWIW, the public transit subway systems in NYC and Washington are both great.

Both great but so different Washington's is new and clean. New York's will get you anywhere you want, whenever you want.