Forget High-Speed Rail: Elon Musk Wants to Build Something Far More Awesome

[viper37]

Those people will never travel between two major cities on any seaboard.

they don't need to.  they elect people who will travel in their stead and block any kind of improvement that does not directly benefit them.

AFAIK Flyover, Missouri isn't a heavy decision-maker regarding California's infrastructure.

These infrastructures more often than not require Federal fundings.

[The Brain]

Those people will never travel between two major cities on any seaboard.

they don't need to.  they elect people who will travel in their stead and block any kind of improvement that does not directly benefit them.

AFAIK Flyover, Missouri isn't a heavy decision-maker regarding California's infrastructure.

These infrastructures more often than not require Federal fundings.

I didn't say it wasn't a decision maker. Though if California (4 times the size of Sweden) can't build rail without help from Daddy then maybe it's for the best if they don't.

[Tonitrus]

I'd agree with that, the Feds should only really be dipping into transportation infrastructure when there is a federal interest (crossing state lines, etc.).

However, unlike Sweden, a factor that US states (and Sweden doesn't) have to take into their calculus is that the reason they would ask Daddy for money is that Daddy is taking a fair chunk of the income of the state's residents in Federal taxes...which theoretically (assuming one doesn't want to tax citizens too much) reduces the reasonable tax exposure that the state government can inflict for transportation projects.

[The Brain]

I'd agree with that, the Feds should only really be dipping into transportation infrastructure when there is a federal interest (crossing state lines, etc.).

However, unlike Sweden, a factor that US states (and Sweden doesn't) have to take into their calculus is that the reason they would ask Daddy for money is that Daddy is taking a fair chunk of the income of the state's residents in Federal taxes...which theoretically (assuming one doesn't want to tax citizens too much) reduces the reasonable tax exposure that the state government can inflict for transportation projects.

It's a factor if intrastate rail is a Federal responsibility, sure.

[Duque de Bragança]

You might be right, I'm not sure. The big issue with rail in the UK - as Tyr says - is that it's running out of capacity on a lot of key lines. Unfortunately the emphasis of the "pitch" for expanding the network was that it's "high-speed", when it should have been "high capacity".

You do realize than building high-speed lines frees up a lot capacity by removing a lot of traffic from the classic railway line, don't you? It may not be the case when just upgrading or renewing classic lines.

[garbon]

I think he meant they should have been pushing the then higher capacity of the network rather than the speed itself which led to complaints like do they need to get there 20 minutes faster.

So basically I think you both are agreed.

[Sheilbh]

I think he meant they should have been pushing the then higher capacity of the network rather than the speed itself which led to complaints like do they need to get there 20 minutes faster.

So basically I think you both are agreed.

Exactly.

[Duque de Bragança]

Alles klar.