Comments on: Congressional Conference Report Secures $1 Billion Annually for HSR http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/04/28/congressional-conference-report-secures-1-billion-annually-for-hsr/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:43:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Woody http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/04/28/congressional-conference-report-secures-1-billion-annually-for-hsr/#comment-1111 Woody Fri, 01 May 2009 20:41:25 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=2086#comment-1111 JP -- It's not reasoning to spend $350 billion on highways and so little on rail. It is business as usual. JP –
It’s not reasoning to spend $350 billion on highways and so little on rail. It is business as usual.

]]> By: JP Perry http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/04/28/congressional-conference-report-secures-1-billion-annually-for-hsr/#comment-1110 JP Perry Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:49:46 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=2086#comment-1110 Wow. $350B for highways. What a misallocation of funding! What is the reasoning for spending so much more on roads than rail? Wow. $350B for highways. What a misallocation of funding! What is the reasoning for spending so much more on roads than rail?

]]> By: MadPark http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/04/28/congressional-conference-report-secures-1-billion-annually-for-hsr/#comment-1109 MadPark Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:22:50 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=2086#comment-1109 Wouldn’t it be nice, even just for this budget cycle, to have those billions reversed: US$350B for non automobile transport support, and “only” US$85B for highways? Why, we could seed a couple of trust funds, one for urban transport and one for inter-city rail, plus buy a thousand new cars for Amtrak, plus support countless urban areas in getting their 50-years-late transit modernization programs underway. Just in this one budget cycle we could do all that, had we the political will and the leadership in the White House and the Congress. Wouldn’t it be nice, even just for this budget cycle, to have those billions reversed: US$350B for non automobile transport support, and “only” US$85B for highways? Why, we could seed a couple of trust funds, one for urban transport and one for inter-city rail, plus buy a thousand new cars for Amtrak, plus support countless urban areas in getting their 50-years-late transit modernization programs underway. Just in this one budget cycle we could do all that, had we the political will and the leadership in the White House and the Congress.

]]> By: BruceMcF http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/04/28/congressional-conference-report-secures-1-billion-annually-for-hsr/#comment-1103 BruceMcF Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:11:41 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=2086#comment-1103 When you write "true high speed rail", a better expression is "Express high speed rail". That allows you to express what you mean with precision, with lapsing into the backstabbing between one mode and another that plagues public transport advocacy in the United States after over half a century of extreme under-funding. When you write “true high speed rail”, a better expression is “Express high speed rail”.

That allows you to express what you mean with precision, with lapsing into the backstabbing between one mode and another that plagues public transport advocacy in the United States after over half a century of extreme under-funding.

]]> By: Yonah Freemark http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/04/28/congressional-conference-report-secures-1-billion-annually-for-hsr/#comment-1107 Yonah Freemark Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:01:18 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=2086#comment-1107 JP Perry - Something on the order of this: $5 billion - HSR $10 billion - Amtrak $85 billion - transit $350 billion - highways $30 billion - other stuff But the important point is that these numbers have not yet been worked out yet. The budget resolution is a very vague outline of how funding should be spent - the reauthorization of the transportation bill (this summer) is where the action on spending will go. JP Perry -
Something on the order of this:
$5 billion – HSR
$10 billion – Amtrak
$85 billion – transit
$350 billion – highways
$30 billion – other stuff

But the important point is that these numbers have not yet been worked out yet. The budget resolution is a very vague outline of how funding should be spent – the reauthorization of the transportation bill (this summer) is where the action on spending will go.

]]> By: JP Perry http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/04/28/congressional-conference-report-secures-1-billion-annually-for-hsr/#comment-1108 JP Perry Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:51:35 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=2086#comment-1108 Where does the remaining $480B go? Where does the remaining $480B go?

]]> By: Adam http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/04/28/congressional-conference-report-secures-1-billion-annually-for-hsr/#comment-1104 Adam Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:43:24 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=2086#comment-1104 If we have the technology and it requires no subsidy why hasn't the private market built it? Maybe because it actually requires public investment to have a well functioning high speed passenger rail network just like in every other industrialized country that has built one? If we have the technology and it requires no subsidy why hasn’t the private market built it? Maybe because it actually requires public investment to have a well functioning high speed passenger rail network just like in every other industrialized country that has built one?

]]> By: jackson http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/04/28/congressional-conference-report-secures-1-billion-annually-for-hsr/#comment-1106 jackson Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:43:55 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=2086#comment-1106 these proposals are absolutely ludicrous. We have the technology to build much faster, way more efficient high speed trains using 21st century technology that would require no subsidy. check this: fastransitinc.com Instead, we get a tiny dribble of 1 billion a year, not enough to build a single line, using antiquated technology which will not fundamentally shift people's traveling habits. And that 1 billion is going to go nowhere once all this printed money comes into circulation, inflating the costs of the construction and operation of rail. these proposals are absolutely ludicrous. We have the technology to build much faster, way more efficient high speed trains using 21st century technology that would require no subsidy.
check this: fastransitinc.com
Instead, we get a tiny dribble of 1 billion a year, not enough to build a single line, using antiquated technology which will not fundamentally shift people’s traveling habits.

And that 1 billion is going to go nowhere once all this printed money comes into circulation, inflating the costs of the construction and operation of rail.

]]> By: Adam http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/04/28/congressional-conference-report-secures-1-billion-annually-for-hsr/#comment-1105 Adam Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:42:46 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=2086#comment-1105 Are there any proposals for the next reauthorization bill that represent a good goal for the level of funding for transit? In other words, is there a proposal out there that gives a number that we should be lobbying for? Are there any proposals for the next reauthorization bill that represent a good goal for the level of funding for transit? In other words, is there a proposal out there that gives a number that we should be lobbying for?

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