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<p>[quote user="ontheBNSF"]</p> <p>Not to obsess over subsidies but I view that FEDERAL (not local or city governments) government should get out of the transportation business. Because often when the federal government does things it often chooses winners and makes consumers loosers as a result. In my view federal transportation subsidies should just be done away including direct and indirect subsidies on all modes of federally supported transportation. Think about it this way how is a private rail company supposed to compete with the likes of Amtrak or subsidized airlines when they will have much of their costs covered by the government. In my opinion the only thing the government should do is regulate transit industry.</p> <p>Amtrak: Discontinue it, sell routes and equipment to private investors. Long distance trips could be replaced by by long distance luxury land cruises owned by private companies, the Class 1's could operate it as a source of extra revenue and position it not as regular transportation but a luxury service similar to how cruise ships are operated. Short dense corridors could be built up by private companies in a similar fashion to the Private texas High speed rail or the All Aboard Florida service etc. </p> <p>Highways: End federal ownership of them and give ownership of them to local governments or turn them into private toll roads. Make it so they have to cover their cost because for the most part they only cover about 60% of their cost with tolls and gas taxes. Replace the gas taxes with a simple toll system that is proportional to the amount of cost, say a system that charges based on each exit and entrance you go through as a method of determining usage or distance. This applies to all transit modes, but remove the eminent domain power of government agencies which can effectively steal property for the purpose of transit project.</p> <p>Air Subsidies: End subsidy direct or indirect. The most obvious thing is to get rid of essential air service. Privatize federally owned commercial airports and make air traffic control, security and other parts of the airport privately owned. A private institution could provide its own security or air traffic control.</p> <p>Now ending the the partial private and public business model with a local and private business model would disrupt service for many people so a buffer period where property is sold off as to enable a smooth transition from the federally supported model to a consumer model. Ending such subsides would improve efficiency among all modes of transit, reduce cost to taxpayers, end corruption which almost always plagues government works projects, and present everything at its real cost. Presenting things at their real cost would enable the market to decide what mode of transit they want in a certain area and would enable transit to be used where it is best used. In the case of cities local roads and city rail systems are essential so those should remain in the hands of cities, but of course that is a local issue. [/quote]</p> <p>Amen! At last, a fellow traveler. </p>
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