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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal If New England wants a high speed rail network, then let New England pay for it, so on and so on. Most of the South, Midwest and Intermountain West is totaly dependent on highways for economic survival, and what you are proposing (a two year moratorium on highway funding) would do more to destroy the U.S. economy than if Osama Bin Laden was elected president. Highways are paid for by user fees in the form of fuel taxes and truckers fees. Airports are paid for via ticket taxes, as well as some of the highway trust fund. Highway users pay for highways, airline users pay for airports, it is only fair that railroad users pay for new infrastructure. [/quote] Not according to the Congressional Budget Office and DOT. Highway taxes cover 60% of the costs of highways. And they pay zippo for law enforcement, court costs, the $35 billion a year the people pay for highway crashes, pollution, et. al. Dittos for airports. So-called "user fees" don't foot the bill either - paying only 45%, though that's what people are led to believe. Rail tickets do pay a substantial portion of Amtrak's costs, accounting from 60-80%, according to the figures I can recall. To add insult ot injury, the feds taxes passenger train travelers during the 60s to build airports and highways. Therefore, I see no problem adding a penny or two to the gas tax - and to airline tickets - to help bulid the rail infrastructure and improve passenger service, since rail travelers were forced to pay for highways and airlines. Regarding New England having to build its own high-speed system. That's not the way this country bulids transportation systems. High-speed rail is indeed something the feds should very appropriately get involved in, built and maintain, since it did so with high-speed highways and airways. For Interstate highways, airports and almost any new freeway, the feds pay about 80% of the costs. Rail should not be exempt from this. These links, for those interested, provide an overview of how much $$ the feds invest in the competitors to rail- passenger AND freight., http://www.trainweb.org/moksrail/advocacy/resources/subsidies/transport.htm http://www.trainweb.org/moksrail/advocacy/resources/essays/subsidies.htm I don't mean to nit-pick but these myths and misperceptions about Amtrak need to come to a halt.
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