Finally! American High-Speed Rail
America’s infrastructure is slated to receive a needed boost from improved public transportation. The installment loans it received from the omnibus economic stimulus package mean that credit repair for the nation may not be far away. That is, if the Obama high speed rail plan goes into effect as planned. It could be just what American commerce and tourism needs.
You don’t have siderodromophobia, do you?
Brian Knowlton reports for the New York Times that President Obama has highlighted his plan to develop high-speed passenger rail lines in at least 10 regions of the country. He is confident in the future of the mode of transportation, despite the fact that rail efforts in America pale in comparison with the rest of the world, particularly in Europe and Asia.
Unstopping commerce
The need is clear. Highways and airports cannot accommodate the level of transportation America needs to grow. Obama considers rail
… a smart transportation system equal to the needs of the 21st century, a system that reduces travel times and increases mobility, a system that reduces congestion and boosts productivity, a system that reduces destructive emissions and creates jobs.
The recent stimulus package sets aside $8 billion for high-speed rail projects. This money is to be spent over two years, then an extra $1 billion per year will be budgeted to such projects over the following five years. The money has yet to be allocated to specific projects, but the president has said that the process of awarding funds to “ready” projects will occur by the close of summer 2009.
Getting connected
Ten areas of America where high-speed rail is likely to be developed are as follows:
- Northern New England
- East-west through New York State
- East-west through Pennsylvania
- Connecting the District of Columbia to Florida
- D.C. to the Gulf Coast
- Eastern Texas to western Alabama
- Central and southern Florida
- Texas to Oklahoma
- San Francisco to Los Angeles in two-and-one-half hours
- Pacific Northwest
A strong first step
“Imagine whisking through towns at speeds over 100 miles an hour, walking only a few steps to public transportation, and ending up just blocks from your destination,” President Obama said. “It is happening right now, it’s been happening for decades. The problem is, it’s been happening elsewhere, not here.”
Extensive expansion of America’s high-speed rail system will be a key part of the most dramatic changes made to America’s infrastructure since President Eisenhower started the Interstate Highway system in the 1950s. This won’t immediately equal the systems that exist in Europe and Asia, but it will be a strong first step.
“This plan is realistic,” Obama said. Rail spending will provide jobs that “can’t be outsourced,” help reduce air pollution and make America more competitive for both businesses and tourists.
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I know a lot of people are probably non plussed by a public works project, or something on that order, but this is a project that is worthwhile. One, it’s better for the environment. Two, it doesn’t enrich the oil companies or car or insurance industries and makes things better for the public. Three, we need to get with the times. Europe has had high speed rail for over a decade. If it takes the same amount of time to go from LA to San Francisco than it does to go from Paris to Brussles, there’s a problem.
It’s definitely a brilliant idea. It’s going to be done eventually – why not now? Of course it’s going to be a pricey project, but once it’s put in place it will leave a solid, positive impact on our economy. We’re going to have to spend some money to make money. This proposal on high speed rail is nothing new. Like President Obama mentioned in his speech, countries outside of the U.S. are already reaping benefits from this idea. We need to get in gear and build a strong foundation for our economic future. There are many things we could be doing right now that will bring us closer to that goal. It’s just a matter of having the courage to step out of our comfort zones and accept new dreams and propositions.