Obama Loves His High-speed Rail
David O. Williams, Colorado Confidential
If you're a fan of high-speed rail, which in this country pretty much limits you to the Northeast corridor between New York and Washington, then you'll want to listen up to the latest from Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama.
Traffic gridlock along Interstate 70 in Colorado's mountains, exacerbated by heavy snow this past winter and spring (including 18 inches Thursday and Friday), has rekindled the concept of mountain mass transit in the form of some kind of high- or even lower-speed train between Denver and Grand Junction. Drivers tired of a two-hour trips between most major mountain resorts and the Denver metro area turning into six-hour odysseys due to frequent semi-tractor trailer jackknifes and ensuring pass closures (Vail Pass shut down more than 20 times this winter), may find themselves boarding the Obama Express.
According to Time's "The Page - Politics up to the Minute" blog by Mark Halperin, Barack and Michelle Obama, campaigning ahead of the Indiana primary, visited the suburban Indianapolis home of Mike and Cheryl Fischer in Beech Grove. Mike Fischer, an Amtrak machinist, is facing a lay-off or possible move to another city to keep his job.
The blog reported Obama enthusiastically launched into the following endorsement of high-speed rail. "The irony is with the gas prices what they are, we should be expanding rail service. One of the things I have been talking about for awhile is high-speed rail connecting all of these Midwest cities - Indianapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Louis," Obama said.
"They are not that far away from each other. Because of how big of a hassle airlines are now. There are a lot of people if they had the choice, it takes you just about as much time if you had high-speed rail to go the airport, park, take your shoes off."
The Page reported Obama kept talking up Amtrak: "This is something that we should be talking about a lot more," Obama said.
http://www.masstransitmag.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=6117&pageNum=1 (http://www.masstransitmag.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=6117&pageNum=1)for the rest of the article.
QuoteOne of the things I have been talking about for awhile is high-speed rail connecting all of these Midwest cities - Indianapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Louis," Obama said
Obama didn't invent this all by himself... He had help:QuoteThe Midwest High Speed Rail Association envisions an ambitious program to complete these plans within a decade.
Fast trains, intercity buses, and local transit would form an integrated network carrying business travelers, students, families, and tourists to many destinations now accessible only by car.
Redeveloped railroad stations would become the center of vibrant communities positioned to compete in the global marketplace.
Illinois residents would enjoy reduced transportation costs, downstate cities would have more development options, and residents statewide would have expanded employment opportunities.
Our proposal in a nutshell:
Extend commuter service beyond six Northeast Illinois counties
Create direct access to O'Hare and other major airports
Build links to a Midwest-wide network
Early morning arrivals in major cities
Late evening departures
Departures throughout the day, every two hours or less on core routes
Dependable schedules
The Illinois General Assembly implemented the first stage of the Fast Track Initiative last year by doubling service on Downstate routes effective October 30, 2006. This expansion has led to an explosion in ridership.
I'm all for high-speed rail. But even a bigger supporter of RAIL - as is - NETWORKED. It makes more sense then dumping the National Defense Budget into trendy fast trains decorated in "Hello Kitty" themes. Trains that will REALLY help friends in the "Land of Lincoln" but not do a damn thing for JACKSONVILLE. Here we sit with a so-called National Passenger train "Network" but one can't get from Jacksonville to Atlanta; Charleston to Charlotte; Norfolk to Knoxville; Memphis to Birmingham; Nashville to Montgomery; Meridian to Shreveport; Dallas to New Orleans; Tulsa to ANYWHERE; Portland to Salt Lake City; Las Vegas to Los Angeles... WELL... You get the point. IF OBAMA IS SERIOUS, he should endorse the National Association of Rail Passengers "Grid and Gateway Plan":(http://www.narprail.org/cms/images/uploads/Southeast_ZoomIn.jpg)
QuoteGRID AND GATEWAY PLAN
A parity in route miles
There are currently 22,000 route miles of rail lines (one land mile = one route mile, regardless of how many tracks are on that mile of land)
NARP’s proposal will bring the number of route miles to 45,000 â€" roughly the same size as the current interstate highway system.
The interstate highway system has grown from its initial 41,000 miles to 47,000 miles in 2004.
An increase in communities served
Today, many big metro areas have little or no Amtrak service.
NARP’s proposal would have meaningful service in all major metropolitan areas and a majority of the smaller ones.
Providing a transportation choice people demand
In 2006, a Harris poll indicated that 79% of adults would like to see an increasing proportion of traffic going by intercity or commuter rail.
According to a 2005 study by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, people living in communities with few transportation options devote the greatest share of their family budget to transportation costs.
Even THIS plan fails the South. We are the whipping boy of the National System and the fastest growth area in the USA. From Phoenix to Perdido, we get screwed. We STILL can't get to Montgomery, or Columbus, or Albany... But you can bet the bank you'll be able to get to Springfield, Quincy and Jacksonville...ILLINOIS.
This isn't political with me, because I have given it up on either guy. Frankly it's a case of Alzheimer's and dementia -vs- ignorant, or deluded. (Wow, I bet I've Pissed off EVERYONE!)
If it comes down to Trains, in the smambles of our terror bombed civic remains, then Obama is your choice. If it comes down to walking to work - and starvation along an empty stretch of new Interstate Highway, then it's got to be McCain. Wow, some choice boyz. Ocklawaha