Comments on: Issakson Wants High-Speed Rail From ATL to DC

By: Rick

Rick — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:22:40 +0000

Some would say it was the auto lobby the hijacked the transport discussions way back when that led to the Interstate Highway System.
I’m sure there are many people that would choose rail if it traveled at 200+ miles per hour (as it many developed countries) and went from city center to city center (or wherever the business centers are) Acela in the Northeast goes from downtown Boston (financial hub) to Back Bay (business hub) to the 128 connector (tech hub) to downtown Providence (business and govt hub) to New Haven (university hub) to Penn Station (speaks for itself hub). The cost of trains is coming down. People have an impression that heavy rail is MARTA. MARTA is too heavy. I don’t understand why they continue with those trains but hey…at least its a start. Its a foundation to build from if enough educated people continue to move here and start making some needed changes to this transport mess. The one problem I could obviously see is dealing with land use laws which is probably what is holding up some progress.
I’ve heard about the smart lanes technology that you speak of above. I think I recall they were testing it somewhere in the Miami area recently. Another valid option…. however with projected population growth in the Atlanta area expected to top 7+ million over the next couple of decades, the rate things are going no one is going to be able to move anywhere in thier cars. Afternoon rush hour on the connectors is already from 3:00pm to 7:00pm and continues to expand. I hear nightmare stories of people that can’t get out of their driveways or housing developments anymore because the traffic is so bad. I think rail is a sustainable option and there are other regional business cities that it could connect to. Most would avoid flying or driving to Charlotte or Memphis or places like that if there were options to get there in a couple of hours.

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:03:10 +0000

Citizen, while I agree that the flexibility of the car had a lot to do with its chosen high-status by the market economy, its not really a conspiracy theory to state that the WPA ripped up most of the city trolley lines back in the 30s. Or that mass transit is severely underfunded in the U.S. Or that the automobile is the most inefficient form of transportation in urban areas. Or that our promotion of democracy in places like China and India has made energy much more expensive. Or that parking lots have wiped out many of urban parks and historic buildings.

What we must continue to evaluate is whether all that flexibility has been worth it.

By: Citizen of Decatur

Citizen of Decatur — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:11:58 +0000

To Rick & Steve- your relatives live all over the place because of the mobility of the car over the last 60-70 years- and the choice of a liberal market economy to favor it. If rail were a more efficient way to move people around this country, it also would still be favored. It works for people where distances aren’t too long, and population densities are larger.(No conspiracy theories please)
Nothing is as flexible as in automobile for travel. I do not favor another government effort to re-invent a wheel that went off the tracks a long time ago. Let’s work on making cars technology viable for another 100 years. How about a next step technology for cars with “smart lanes” that program speeds & “auto drive” over long distances(For Grandma). Embedding an existing roadway with that technology seems easier than laying heavy rail suitable for high speeds. Any way, we won’t solve anything here–but it is fun to fence.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:20:18 +0000

I doubt if the grandparents would much like seeing the grandchildren on videoconference. Rail represents another transportation alternative that we should be able to choose, and besides, in our suddenly energy-conscious world, it is the most efficient way to move people.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:52:04 +0000

Its the nature of commerce in a liberal market economy. There will always be a need to interact and do business with other citizens on a local, regional, national, and international basis…or even just visit family. I have family all over this country. Sure, its great to stay home, but its also important to get out of our environments periodically to gain broader perspectives on our world. The more options to readily move around, the better for all of us.