Question:
How's this for an addition to Obama's infrastructure improvement plan?
Joanie
2008-12-07 04:33:24 UTC
It's clear that he will try to implement somethings that look like he's doing something positive to compensate for his inability to meet all his promises to end the war and unite the people or even to provide jobs (not the job of the government) while improving the economy (stopping fraud and creating incentive for business, like lower taxes are good things that he won't pay attention to). So here is a thought that perhaps Dem's and Rep's (that act more like Dem's) a like can agree upon. "Improved mass transportation!" There is a trend toward saving gas and the world (very large marketing and political ploy) So let's play along and make things really good for everyone involved. Wouldn't you be more apt to ride the rails if they were consistent, clean, convenient, quick, on time and more frequent? I know if I were driving into large metropolitan area's I'd want to be able to spend less time in traffic and you know we've been told we need reduce carbon emissions (propaganda). I would also like that my kids could get here from their by some means less expensive then the amount they have to pay for dependable vehicles and the insurance for said vehicles. So lets all get in favor of a new administrations attempt at helping the economy as well as helping the environment (Which BTW cleans it self constantly with out us, with less cars on the road, we might have manufacture bankruptcies but we will breath easier and sleep without a guilty conscious which is really all we have because modern industrial nations clean the environment more then 3rd world countries some claim we are polluting). I can imagine lots of mono rail systems moving at high speeds down the median strips of highways throughout or great country, very much like the Eisenhower administration envisioned those highways themselves.
Five answers:
Sarah
2008-12-08 00:01:25 UTC
Joanie I agree with you. We live in America and do not have an underground rail system. Europe has a great underground rail system. Just think of the number of people that could be employed for it would take many to work on this project also the steel industry, concrete industry, builders, electricians, lather workers, many bulldozers and dirt movers and the list goes on and on. It would sure save our gas for better usage than driving cars.



I am against bailing out the auto industry after I heard that the CEO and other top people made a yearly salary of millions of dollars. They took the money and have lived high on the hog now it is pay back time or should be. Why should we be responsible for their mistakes and giving themselves much more than top of the line salaries.



I think the American people deserve a better transportation system and a quicker one. I enjoyed riding the tram all over Europe. It even goes under the ocean into Wales and Ireland.

If Europe can master a feat like that surely we can just build an under ground rail system. We have to many people that say it can't be done just like the skeptics that said an airplane would not be useful or even get off the ground or the railroad would take to long to build. But they build a railroad system one rail after another until it spread all of the USA and the airplane did get off the ground and has been very useful in more ways than a quicker way to take a vacation. So I say yes we need to start with one bulldoser of dirt after another. We are behind the times it is time for us to catch up.
2008-12-07 04:56:15 UTC
It's already in there and it will make things worse.

In the world's very most congested areas, rail systems make sense. Everywhere else they are horribly inefficient with the "per passenger" trip from suburb to city center actually costing many times any collectible fare.

At best, $10 per person per trip might get it done, usually far more. Even bus lines run close to $10 per person/trip, again on average. Congested areas running packed buses do better.

So the MT charges a couple buck per ride and the rest is made up by non-riding taxpayers. Alabama fishermen pay at government gunpoint for my ride into Pittsburgh.

Roads are subsidized as well, but not as badly. They are WAY more cost effective. To handle a given volume of person/trips per year, a highway is cheaper to build than a rail line and costs less to "run" as well when you combine energy and other expenses for maintenance and actual fuel for "using" the road or line.

In some places it makes sense given the population / work distribution, the topography, etc. In many (most?) places, not so much.
BekindtoAnimals22
2008-12-07 04:52:59 UTC
Amtrak used to have many more stops than they have at this time. It was not economically feasible for them to continue stopping in so many small towns unfortunately. Now that the price of gasoline is predicted to go down to $1 per gallon, I doubt that mass transit will be a priority even though it will surely go back up again at some point in the foreseeable future. That is unfortunate.



At 61, I would happily take some form of mass transit to work. I just got rear ended by a drunk the night before Thanksgiving. They have trimmed our workforce so much, that after 25 years of service, I now have to work 2nd shift when some people are off work sick or on vacation. I really hate driving at night but I am grateful to still have a job at this point.
2008-12-07 04:59:48 UTC
I will NOT ride mass transit or give up my vehicle. Mass transit works only where the population density is enough to support it. Is Fargo or Rapid City ready for mass transit. Why? they don't need it.



But such a loony idea is just what Braq Obama is looking for. Anything that will destroy this nation is what he will support.
ridder
2008-12-07 04:42:41 UTC
The government would never go for it...they don't want to keep bailing out the auto makers, it would also increase unemployment, and increase local governments budgets to maintain the rails.Most local budgets are at a zero increase right now so....no I don't think this will work.


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