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First I want to applaud Mr. Obama's comment, reported today in France. He said he is proud of American (so am I) and that he is jealous of European Passenger Trains. (I am envious)
High speed Rail is fine, but like babies we need to crawl before we walk. Right now Amtrak, on the national level, is a mere skeleton trying to survive. All current Amtrak routes need at least two trains a day, running 12 hours apart, and the East end of the Sunset Limited, NewOrleans to Orlando should be restored immediately, and made daily as soon as possible, and soon after that additional service on the whole route, or segments of it, should be started.
Lastly, reinstate the Pioneer, Floridian, North Coast Hiawatha, Desert Wind, and several other routes that were politically abolished, even though ridership was high.
J. H. Sullivan, P.E.
(In Florida, Where you can't go west on Amtrak, except by way of Washington, DC)
Suggested by Jerry Sullivan on 04/05/2009 @ 04:36PM PT
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One of the best ways to support our mutual goal would be to join the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP), the largest (22,000+ members) citizen--based non-profit (501c3) rail advocacy group in the country. NARP helped create Amtrak and has defended it against ceaseless attacks ever since. More recently, NARP has developed a blueprint for expansion of rail passenger service and is busy promoting that vision. For more info on NARP, go to narp@narprail.org
Suggested by J Howard Harding on 03/18/2009 @ 10:05AM PT
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These are great ideas for where to invest, but let me suggest that before the money flows we need to invest *locally* in people, in public opinion, advocacy, and education. Otherwise we aren't going to have the money to invest.
Suggested by Christopher Parker on 03/17/2009 @ 03:43PM PT
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I'm not as knowledgable as all of you but one thing I think is necessary: Eliminate level crossings. I live near one and regularly see 100-car coal trains going north and other mixed-use trains passing through. Each time we must stop and wait, but that's not the problem: the problem is the idiots who think they can beat the gates. I applaud any effort to containerize and move by rail.
Another: Make it easy to commute. Driving to an overfilled lot is not appealing. We need multi-story garages, perhaps with convenience stores and other amenities.
Suggested by jean whiting on 03/17/2009 @ 02:36PM PT
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darn -didn't catch the typos again.TO ADD -get me a secretary so i can propose more ideas and you can understand them. (LOL -or not)
Suggested by DARLENE MATTHEWS on 03/17/2009 @ 01:00PM PT
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DE FUND ALL TOLL ROAD and CARPOOL LANE PROJECTS.watch how new toll road support single care travel in so cal. and carpool lanes mostly give access to business and other already were multi-person travelers. NO + RESULTS. and replace with metro rail and electric carts for rent for inter city travel at ends of the line.give -
TAX BREAKS and car insurance breaks TO BUY/build (quiet) MOTORCYCLES, SCOOTERS AnD ELECTRIC CARTS.
all 4 year university students (not disbaled) should have monthly bus/ METRO passes as part of financial aide package. SPOILED? Give Them away to homeless programs.
ENCOURAGE those MoST Healthy and ABLE TO USE MASS TRANSIT.
Suggested by DARLENE MATTHEWS on 03/17/2009 @ 12:56PM PT
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Electrified rail is the answer, 736 Europeans are unlikely to be wrong. As a designer and futurist, please see the projects described at http://www.greenmillennium.eu/ for the creation of a 100% sustainable future that we must construct while we still have the conventional energy to do so! Any reaction to them is welcome at humansolutions@greenmillennium.eu. Rail in combination with cities that are designed to capture all their own energy, while giving everyone access to fields for the production of their own food, without oil which is coming soon, will challenge you all to do even better, I hope!
The future is renewable, only!
Best regards to the future of our genes!
Kim Gyr, Green Millennium, Empire Michigan
Suggested by Kim Gyr on 01/25/2009 @ 11:03AM PT
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When we invest in using and updating the rail road we need to change from Disel to Electric engines this will reduse the need for oil.
Suggested by Michael Payne on 01/23/2009 @ 03:27PM PT
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We need to learn a lesson from the Great Depression, which is that the Civil Works Administration, which preceded the WPA, was a more effective job and public works program than the WPA. The Obama Administration would do well to look into the history of this organization, because within just a few months of its creation it hired over 4 million people who performed useful work at decent pay. By contrast, the WPA employed far fewer workers, at lower pay. The CWA was discontinued because private business objected to its high wages, thus making hiring workers at poverty wages difficult for them, and the Roosevelt Administration did not have the will to continue it, nor was the grass roots pressure strong enough.
Suggested by June Brumer on 01/23/2009 @ 08:30AM PT
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The comments so far all seem to center on moving people. While this is admirable, rail is so much more efficient at moving freight than trucks are, that enabling freight trains should be the way to begin. There are problems with bottlenecks in the rail system where tracks run through major cities or tunnels or something similar. There are also problems with tracks that need maintenance. These problems and others can be taken care of.
A further advantage of prioritizing freight over passengers is that improving freight transit is more "shovel ready" than passenger transit is.
At the same time, the government should not be the sole source of funding for this since the rail companies are the main beneficiaries. They need to contribute their share as well. Too often (see the way the banks are using their bailout money) corporations use government funding for their own enrichment so that the original goal is missed. There has to be some sort of requirement that everyone do their part.
Suggested by Daniel Miller on 01/19/2009 @ 05:02PM PT
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