Florida Loses $2.4 Billion For High-Speed Trains

[Political Junky]

 

[Big Fitz]

Plus, private industry cannot use eminent domain to acquire the land needed for rail routes.

Oh, and good job explaining why rail is dead save for freight.

I agree. I want more rail for freight purposes. I want to see a drastic reduction in 18 wheelers across the country. They are a huge use of oil.

I could see a HS train from Boston-NY-DC-Sanford, FL, - just upgrade the existing Amtrak Auto Train to high speed.

The Auto-Train was a great idea that died because it's practical costs were too great.

 

[Big Fitz]

Yep. And a good portion of the citizens here don't want it because it only covers a small portion of the State, will create a few temporary jobs, and then the Taxpayers will get stuck with it.

It's a bad deal like everything else coming out of the Disctrict of Criminals these days.

Saying that highspeed trains never worked is an outright fucking lie, have any of you two dickheads been to Europe? I can get on a train right here where I live in Germany and be in Paris in two hours, same with Rome. When you say the word NEVER you're making an absolute statement which require facts to support it, now prove that high speed trains have NEVER worked.

What do those train rides cost?

About as much as a flight.

 

[hortysir]

Ticket prices for our HS train were hinted at $25 each way

Even at only 17mpg x 3.50/gal, I could go there and back on 10 gallons = $35

 

[driveby]

It's too costly of a project for private industry. Period. Name an industry other then oil who can afford to invest billions in a project.

Plus, private industry cannot use eminent domain to acquire the land needed for rail routes.

Hopefully, this will be the last time I need to explain this to you. But I'm not all that hopeful.

If the return on investment is there, private investors would do it, period. And look, a libby that likes eminent domain, shocker!

There is nothing to like or dislike about eminent domain. It's a tool used by government, and approved by society, to advance the infrastructure needs of our country.

Right on, Comrade...

 

[Political Junky]

If the return on investment is there, private investors would do it, period. And look, a libby that likes eminent domain, shocker!

There is nothing to like or dislike about eminent domain. It's a tool used by government, and approved by society, to advance the infrastructure needs of our country.

Right on, Comrade...

No doubt, you'd have been against our rail expansion in the 19th century and interstate highway systems, as well. Both used eminent domain.

 

[Big Fitz]

High speed rail is an economic loser. It has never worked, outside of one or two well traveled corridors. The guv was right. An expensive boondoggle that would have cost taxpayer money for no benefit.

Yep. And a good portion of the citizens here don't want it because it only covers a small portion of the State, will create a few temporary jobs, and then the Taxpayers will get stuck with it.

It's a bad deal like everything else coming out of the Disctrict of Criminals these days.

Saying that highspeed trains never worked is an outright fucking lie, have any of you two dickheads been to Europe? I can get on a train right here where I live in Germany and be in Paris in two hours, same with Rome. When you say the word NEVER you're making an absolute statement which require facts to support it, now prove that high speed trains have NEVER worked.

The distance between Paris and Rome is how far? The population density is how great along that route? What is the ACTUAL price without subsidization of the ticket? What is the ridership for that trip?

All these things are factors on whether or not the endeavor is possible because it's profitable enough to stay in business.

Rail started dying worldwide with the invention and mass production of the car. It was still good for long distance travel till the creation of commercial air travel. This trend will continue.

The only areas of real growth in rail is in Intermodal freight transportation with RO/RO technology (that's Roll On/Roll Off) where containers can go from truck to train to ship and new integrated freight hubs.

Florida was very wise to pass on this boondoggle.

 

[Synthaholic]

I've waited years and I just got dsl in my area....in 2011 for goodness sakes, ....nothing was available to us via land....no dsl and no cable broadband, until this year with the weak dsl service...and I would not have it at all, if it weren't for the gvt subsidizing the telecommunication company for it....we had broadband in 1997 in my area in massachusetts....

sure, they got the money, but they don't always invest it in we the people...

And the reason you didn't get it was because it is run by private industry! They made a decision that it wasn't going to make them enough money to justify the expense of getting you high speed internet. This is how the Rightwingers want everything to run.

I think it's better and cheaper for government to handle big infrastructure projects, in the public good. Look at how much internet business and commerce was not done by all the people who are still stuck on dial-up. Amazon.com can't make Verizon or Comcast lay new transmission cable.

There are also a host of ways that local governments have shifted operations to the internet to slim down and save taxpayer money. But you can't utilize that efficiency if most of your citizenry can't effectively access your web content.

They talked, a few years ago, about offering internet service through the electrical grid, run by city utilities. It would have given everyone who had city electric high speed internet, and it would have been cheap. The plan was squashed by Comcast and Embarq lobbyists and money.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTn7d4KJqx8&playnext=1&list=PL2B0DB773E2F77CDD

Why do people think pretty pictures are a good argument against facts?

Guess what, I have pretty pictures that trump your pretty pictures.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I've waited years and I just got dsl in my area....in 2011 for goodness sakes, ....nothing was available to us via land....no dsl and no cable broadband, until this year with the weak dsl service...and I would not have it at all, if it weren't for the gvt subsidizing the telecommunication company for it....we had broadband in 1997 in my area in massachusetts....

sure, they got the money, but they don't always invest it in we the people...

And the reason you didn't get it was because it is run by private industry! They made a decision that it wasn't going to make them enough money to justify the expense of getting you high speed internet. This is how the Rightwingers want everything to run.

I think it's better and cheaper for government to handle big infrastructure projects, in the public good. Look at how much internet business and commerce was not done by all the people who are still stuck on dial-up. Amazon.com can't make Verizon or Comcast lay new transmission cable.

There are also a host of ways that local governments have shifted operations to the internet to slim down and save taxpayer money. But you can't utilize that efficiency if most of your citizenry can't effectively access your web content.

They talked, a few years ago, about offering internet service through the electrical grid, run by city utilities. It would have given everyone who had city electric high speed internet, and it would have been cheap. The plan was squashed by Comcast and Embarq lobbyists and money.

Don't you think that Congress giving them money to expand into areas where they could get more votes had anything to do with the delay in getting DSL into predominantly white, rural areas? Or the fact that when a company did invest the money on their own they had to rent out bandwidth to competitors for less that it actually cost them to offer service themselves?

Maybe you should get all the facts before you blame someone for something.

 

[Synthaholic]

Never said people don't prefer to drive. Thats a different story. Yes I prefer to drive as well. But when I went to Cardinals game in St. Louis, I take Metrolink. Why? the traffic heading out is a pain in my ass and I like to be on the train.

When I travel to Chicago. I take the train instead of airplane. I love seeing the countryside. Flying doesn't give you that opportunity to see America. I fly to farther locations. A car can create problems and with gas prices going up, its becoming increasing popular to use Subways and trains because its cheaper.

Preference to drive is different than the cost/benefit analysis of what works best.

You take a HEAVILY subsidized train to Chicago.

Why is it heavily subsidized if trains are so efficient and viable?

Just watch train travel increase as Obama's inaction drives up the price of gas...

Amtrak ridership rising right along with gas prices(March 14, 2011)


By design...

What 'inaction'?

 

[Synthaholic]

Just watch train travel increase as Obama's inaction drives up the price of gas...

Amtrak ridership rising right along with gas prices(March 14, 2011)


By design...

Your point? Train travel is better for the environment and the pocket book. I can believe a tea-bagger is upset their is no government interference on the free market.

Then feel free to ride every train from Amtrak to the Butt Pirate express. His point is don't drive up gas prices on purpose in an attempt to force more people to ride them because the moonbats have decided it's better.

Replace long-haul trucking with long-haul rail and watch your gas price come way down.

All of the tractor trailer rigs in the U.S. use more oil than all the cars do in the U.S.

 

[Synthaholic]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKnWHa8k8VQ

I would rather be a sardine in a can than pack in like that.

That's not a passenger train, it's a commuter train. Tokyo uses a combination of underground subways and overground trains for mass transit.

Totally not what we are discussing.

 

[driveby]

Your point? Train travel is better for the environment and the pocket book. I can believe a tea-bagger is upset their is no government interference on the free market.

Then feel free to ride every train from Amtrak to the Butt Pirate express. His point is don't drive up gas prices on purpose in an attempt to force more people to ride them because the moonbats have decided it's better.

Replace long-haul trucking with long-haul rail and watch your gas price come way down.

All of the tractor trailer rigs in the U.S. use more oil than all the cars do in the U.S.

And i thought Obama's ideas were bad, wow......

 

[Synthaholic]

They are able to wire existing infrastructure; they will never have to create new infrastructure.

Big difference.

Like the existing railways between Orlando and Tampa can't be retro-fitted???

Sure! Sounds like a better plan than acquiring new land.

 

[Synthaholic]

Oh, and good job explaining why rail is dead save for freight.

I agree. I want more rail for freight purposes. I want to see a drastic reduction in 18 wheelers across the country. They are a huge use of oil.

I could see a HS train from Boston-NY-DC-Sanford, FL, - just upgrade the existing Amtrak Auto Train to high speed.

The Auto-Train was a great idea that died because it's practical costs were too great.

It's still running, I believe.

 

[Political Junky]

Yes, it is running.

Amtrak - Routes - Northeast - Auto Train

 

[Synthaholic]

I've waited years and I just got dsl in my area....in 2011 for goodness sakes, ....nothing was available to us via land....no dsl and no cable broadband, until this year with the weak dsl service...and I would not have it at all, if it weren't for the gvt subsidizing the telecommunication company for it....we had broadband in 1997 in my area in massachusetts....

sure, they got the money, but they don't always invest it in we the people...

And the reason you didn't get it was because it is run by private industry! They made a decision that it wasn't going to make them enough money to justify the expense of getting you high speed internet. This is how the Rightwingers want everything to run.

I think it's better and cheaper for government to handle big infrastructure projects, in the public good. Look at how much internet business and commerce was not done by all the people who are still stuck on dial-up. Amazon.com can't make Verizon or Comcast lay new transmission cable.

There are also a host of ways that local governments have shifted operations to the internet to slim down and save taxpayer money. But you can't utilize that efficiency if most of your citizenry can't effectively access your web content.

They talked, a few years ago, about offering internet service through the electrical grid, run by city utilities. It would have given everyone who had city electric high speed internet, and it would have been cheap. The plan was squashed by Comcast and Embarq lobbyists and money.

Don't you think that Congress giving them money to expand into areas where they could get more votes had anything to do with the delay in getting DSL into predominantly white, rural areas? Or the fact that when a company did invest the money on their own they had to rent out bandwidth to competitors for less that it actually cost them to offer service themselves?

Maybe you should get all the facts before you blame someone for something.

Link?

 

[Synthaholic]

Then feel free to ride every train from Amtrak to the Butt Pirate express. His point is don't drive up gas prices on purpose in an attempt to force more people to ride them because the moonbats have decided it's better.

Replace long-haul trucking with long-haul rail and watch your gas price come way down.

All of the tractor trailer rigs in the U.S. use more oil than all the cars do in the U.S.

And i thought Obama's ideas were bad, wow......

Facts are not bad or good.

 

[Synthaholic]

Yes, it is running.

Amtrak - Routes - Northeast - Auto Train

I think it's the best of both worlds. If I could pack my family and my car onto a train in Florida and be in NY seven hours later, driving my own vehicle? That's perfect.