Ohio Election is close,Does that mean that Democrats need to put in more money in infrastructure to

[Anonymous]

buy more votes....Think of how many union jobs would be created from a high speed rail project or new light rail projects in Cleveland,Columbus and Cincy. That would mean more voters. The Feds need to pay more attention to us and stop spending all the transit money in New York and other Big Metropoliton areas.

[Junctionfan]

I don't know. It's still to close to see who will win. Let's see what happens by 2:00pm EST.

[vsmith]

Dont you mean Republicans?

Afterall they have been in charge for the last 4 years and therefore responsible for the Federal Dollars going to various projects around the country.

When it comes to transit dollars , dont the local states have to MATCH funding either completely or partially? We are beginning construction out here extending the light rail system but we have to match federal funding with state and county funding to build the thing. Same with the proposed High Speed Rail system that keeps getting touted but no shovels of dirt have yet moved.

[Anonymous]

The Problem here in Ohio is that we can can get Fed money to build transit projects but it costs a lots of money to run a Subway or NJ style Commuter rail systema and we dont have the tax base to support it. Fed Money does not cover day to day expences

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Clevelandrocks

The Problem here in Ohio is that we can can get Fed money to build transit projects but it costs a lots of money to run a Subway or NJ style Commuter rail systema and we dont have the tax base to support it. Fed Money does not cover day to day expences

Unfortunatly that leaves 3 choices, raise taxes, buy buses instead, or drive.

Down here in Orange County the brilliant residents voted down a light rail system twice because they would rather pay to drive the high price private toll roads built down there or stew on the freeways than pay to build a light rail system. In LA we are expanding our system. The Gold Line east thru Pasadena to Claremont, the Red Line east from Downtown to EastLA, and another west out to Santa Monica. Rail systems are less expensive than freeways. Combine that with the massive number of residential loft apartment conversions going on downtown and around the city and the future of light rail looks pretty good for LA.

[miniwyo]

About an hour ago Kerry has conceded the election to Bush. The republicans take it again.

[Mookie]

The buy more votes statement makes me think the mouse population is expanding.

Mook

[Anonymous]

Thankfully the people of Denver approved the "Fasttracks" bill which will greatly expand on their fledgling light rail system. If I remember correctly the light rail will now be extended out to Denver International, and will start to branch out to the surrounding communities, including Boulder, which is very exciting!

[arbfbe]

Well, if you could just get Bu***o release all the trust fund money collected in the gasoline taxes there could be lots of infrastructure projects going on throughout the country. The money is earmarked, it is available it is being held up.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by corailfan

Thankfully the people of Denver approved the "Fasttracks" bill which will greatly expand on their fledgling light rail system. If I remember correctly the light rail will now be extended out to Denver International, and will start to branch out to the surrounding communities, including Boulder, which is very exciting!

I heard on radio the other night, here in Kansas City area, the Colorado governor on a Denver callin show ripping that rail expansion plan.

"It will cost too much. No one wants to ride on a 40-mph diesel tran, etc."

From everthing I have heard, and personally experienced, traffic is bad in Denve and Boulder. What was this governor thinking? For his constituents or for his big-money backers that want more $$ thrown at highways and airports?

I was hoping voters would have more sense and over rule that right wing blowhard.

Now, if Florida voters could do that to Gov. Bush who seems to have a personal vendetta against high-speed rail.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ohlemeier


I heard on radio the other night, here in Kansas City area, the Colorado governor on a Denver callin show ripping that rail expansion plan.

"It will cost too much. No one wants to ride on a 40-mph diesel tran, etc."

I didn't hear that interview, but that kind of surprises me. From everything that I heard most of the Denver politicians were in favor of it. I know that the mayor was one of the major backers for it. And I didn't think that it was going to be a diesel train, everything that is existing in the light rail system right now is electric. I guess that it is possible that the Boulder-Denver leg might be diesel, but I know that I would still ride it!

What really needs to be approved is a passenger rail system all along the Front Range here. A train that would go from say Pueblo to Fort Collins would really help all of the traffic that is always on I-25. I think that would just be too much infrastructure to be realistic unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Actually, I think there is a move to start passenger rail service along the front range.

At a NARP meeting I attended this year in Fort Worth, a speaker discussed the Prairie to Port concept or something, where a high-speed Interstate highway primarily for truckers??? was to be built between Denver and Dallas.

The route was to be to the East of Denver, CS and Pueblo, to free up I-25.

Rail backers say there are plans - or discussions - to add a double-track rail line along the highway. That would free up the joint line.

I don't know the progress of this proposal, but it sounds like a good idea to me.

Interesting, the Denver Post, during the Amtrak funding debate, opined that the Calif. Zephyr should be shut - down (no one rides that train anyway, the Post fibbed) and the money that funds that train should be shifted "to a more useful" route, DEN-Pueblo.

That's the kind of misguided thinking a lot of railroaders and so-called "railfans" hold - no one rides the slow LDs. Only the short trains. Right. Tell us another one.

NARP responded - I don't believe the hallowed Post ran its response - by saying it too would like additional service but the $ billions needed to upgrade the Joint Line pale compared to the not even $100 million required to fund one LD train like the great Calif. Zephyr.