Will the Sturm and Drang in Washington over how to slash the federal budget overshadow the fact that oil is now hovering near $111 a barrel (the more reliable Brent Index in the U.K. is $129). A serious discussion about what happens when we can”™t afford to drive our cars should be taking place.
Yet the only transit proposal currently on the table comes from the White House, which has been pushing for the development of high-speed rails throughout the nation.
State-of-the-art rail projects are a rapidly growing market in the emerging economies around the world. Yet only a few states have grabbed the federal money and several have turned it down. Of course, high-speed rail is not a solution for your daily commute but it could replace the energy intensive and polluting short-haul plane trips while linking up economic centers.
Furthermore, large rail projects tend to spawn complementary systems. This is where the real transit expansion is occurring ”“ trams, streetcars, bus rapid transit, or BRT.
Funding is skewed
Building a comprehensive rail network should have been on the table 30 years ago when the U.S. oil reserves reached their peak in output and we could only get gas if our license plate had the right number on it ”“ odd or even. That was the first of several wake-up calls that have been subsequently ignored.
To be sure, at a time when fiscal stress can be found at all levels of society, high-speed rail does seem like a gargantuan pipe dream. Congress”™s perpetual cry that there is no money, however, depends on who”™s asking. Libya”™s turbulence ”“ near oil reserves ”“ is stirring up interest on the part of some groups in taking on another military adventure. Where does that money come from?
We could be collecting money from an enhanced gas tax, not raised in many years, in order to advance our truly feeble rail system, but no, the word tax immediately shuts down the discussion.
All transportation funding is heavily skewed toward road expansion and maintenance and the need to make air travelers more comfortable. Rail expansion and maintenance gets a barely visible slice of the pie. On top of that indignity rail lines are taxed by local municipalities through which they pass, causing thousands of miles of track to just be removed to avoid the tax.
Train of thought
Policymakers should know that rail systems are never self-supporting any more than roads are supported by those who drive on them. This is a global fact, not unique to the U.S. Even so, a faction in the Congress has called rail projects “wasteful spending” and claimed that the public “hates long train rides.”
What planet have these guys been living on?
The public loves trains. What they don”™t love is the fact that they are not supported properly. Passenger trains frequently have to sit on a siding for hours at a time in order for freight trains to pass, therefore making any timetable a farce.
As one who has crossed the continent on a train three times, (one on Canada”™s VIA Rail, a much better system) I can attest that in spite of the challenges that train travel inflicts on its passengers Amtrak is well used by the public. The Albany/Chicago run is regularly sold out and ridership on Amtrak across the country has been growing for several years. Yet Congress is calling for canceling all rail construction as a part of a broader plan for reducing the deficit.
It is really difficult to imagine how this fiscal position is rationalized. Oscar Wilde said ”“ “A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
Let”™s be realistic. The more practical solution to mobility should be to first upgrade the rail network we have. Maybe the Northeast Corridor Acela can finally get up to speed.
Must we wait until it takes $200 to fill your gas tank to look for alternatives to the car? Will we continue to strangle the pitiful rail network we”™ve got? The need to develop a massive rail network, comparable to Eisenhower”™s push for a national highway network, does not go away because our priorities are misplaced. At the moment our entire transportation system is headed for third-world status.
Surviving the Future explores a wide range of subjects to assist businesses in adapting to a new energy age. Maureen Morgan, a transit advocate, is on the board of Federated Conservationists of Westchester. Reach her at maureenmorgan10@verizon.net.
I heartily endorse Maureen Morgan’s comments in favor of expanded and improved rail services.
I take slight issue on the subject of VIA rail being better than Amtrak in all respects. The Transcontinental service is very limited, runs only 3 times a week over one route. It is mainly intended for high end foreign tourist travel. It’s better accomodations for 1st class passengers are unquestionably superior to anything Amtrak offers. However coach travel is another matter, the seats are packed closely together, and the fares are quite high. Coach passengers are only allowed to dine from a snack bar. As a result very few non first class travellers use the transcontinental train in Canada.