tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973827.post2903834149011422218..comments2024-01-11T07:40:01.736-05:00Comments on The Stopped Clock: "Creating Jobs"Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523334580402022332noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973827.post-34548207692416550392010-02-14T09:07:47.283-05:002010-02-14T09:07:47.283-05:00At least there "is" a Chicago to A2 rout...At least there "is" a Chicago to A2 route . . . the DC to Michigan rail route involved traveling to Chicago and then waiting eight or so hours to catch a different train to A2 or Detroit.<br /><br />Hi-speed rail would work well on the existing "East Coast corridor" - but I wouldn't mind seeing an expansion of rail (traditional or hi-speed) in other areas. We currently subsidize auto and air, why not the more efficient rail?<br /><br />If we improved rail service enough to get people to actually use it, we could probably deal with the "every small town" and quality problems by creating express and local runs . .. <br /><br />CWDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973827.post-86758128706363678752010-02-12T11:13:07.642-05:002010-02-12T11:13:07.642-05:00I have a vision of "high speed rail" in ...I have a vision of "high speed rail" in this country tripping over the same issues that make rail travel so inefficient. In theory, high speed rail should be on new rail lines, but I have a hard time imagining that the rail lines would be built to be independent of the freight network - which will continue to have priority.<br /><br />And then let's consider a current rail trip from Ann Arbor to Chicago. It stops at any number of tiny stations along the way, each of which will want the high speed rail to continue to stop there. So the train may reach a higher peak speed before slowing down, stopping, picking up passengers, and waiting for a freight train to clear.<br /><br />I suspect high speed rail will be most viable on the same point-to-point trips that currently do well for air travel, while picking up and dropping off passengers at more convenient locations than airports (i.e. in or near the city center rather than in a comparatively or literally remote airport).<br /><br />Rail cars also need to return to the concept of comfort. The last time I traveled Amtrak the seating was uncomfortable, surprisingly crowded and... well, let's just say there's a reason that, when polled, about 80% of frequent flyers want to keep a "no cell phones" rule even if cell phones are declared to be 100% safe to use during flight.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523334580402022332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973827.post-48058613634379173932010-02-11T23:47:29.287-05:002010-02-11T23:47:29.287-05:00Concur for the most part - the only kind of job bi...Concur for the most part - the only kind of job bill/public works package that I can see making sense/having any chance at all of passing would be something related to infrastructure (. . . and how many jobs would RR and bridge construction really create . . .).<br /><br />Jobs creation or not, it would be nice to see the US develop a viable rail system, something akin to the one operating in Western Europe.<br /><br />CWDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com