Why US is behind in HSR development and what's next

[John WR]

henry6

And the American people have become accustomed to the idea that they don't have to pay full price for anything...so we shall walk slowly to the next station.

No doubt, Henry, just about everyone wants something for nothing.  But a few people actually get something for nothing.  I found some of the comments to Fred's article had real insight.  Particularly, how the trucking companies have never really paid their share of costs for their business and how that continuing subsidy enables them to stay in business and compete with trains as well as they do.  

But someone has to pay for our highway systems.  And you and I know who does.  

John

[henry6]

Not only pretty general...but also with nothing new and not acknowledging and emphasizing the differences between the US an elsewhere when it comes to rail services.  Dealing with people is expensive...you need more labor, more safety, more comfort, more speed, just a whole bunch more of everything.  So our business blueprint of investor economics does not like passenger trains, or at least makes it easier to ignore passenger services in favor of freight...and that's the route that has been taken.  But also, Europe, for instance, being more compact, makes moving freight more expensive on rail and passengers get the benefit; and the governments own and operate the railroads similar to far Eastern states like China and Japan.  And those countries in the East are so densely populated, rail is the cheapest and easiest answer.  We will waste more time and spend more money deciding who should pay for something and what it should be because everyone is afraid of losing money.  And the American people have become accustomed to the idea that they don't have to pay full price for anything...so we shall walk slowly to the next station.

.  

[John WR]

I find the whole paper pretty general.  To sum it up, it say we are not moving toward HSR right now because there is no consensus that we should.  Or, in plain English, because as a country we don't particularly want to. 

Recently Fred Frailey wrote about a proposal to build a rail line between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.  The whole discussion revolves around who should pay for it.  Should it be privately funded or should the US Government lend money for construction.  As long as we are having that kind of debate we will never build any high speed rail.  

[schlimm]

Very interesting!  The HSR trust fund concept is essential for HSR infrastructure.

[vsmith]

"...A 2012 poll conducted for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) highlighted overwhelming interest in using HSR among Americans aged 18-24. In their numbers, residential location, and attitudes toward travel, Americans have thus become less different from the Asians and Europeans who make considerable use of HSR on a regular basis...."

HST eventually WILL happen here, but unfortunately its going to have to wait until this under 30 generation is old enough and influential to effect the political landscape and demand the necessary changes to our infrastructure priorities.

It also wont happen until all of those currently under the massive lobbiest influence of the road and airline interests kick off or are voted out by this newer generation.  By that time however I fear Mexico will have a better rail intercity HST system than the US. 

We have only ourselves to blame for this, as long as corporate greed and hubris run amok in DC we can expect nothing and we will continue to slip further behind the rest of the world and be less and less of a technological world leader. 

[oltmannd]

http://www.du.edu/transportation/FINAL_ITI-NCIT_HSR_white_paper_8halfx11--website.pdf

..an interesting read.