High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (USA)

[M II A II R II K]

While high speed rail languishes in the US, it booms in China and beyond


Mar 23rd 2010

by Bob Morris



Read More: http://caivn.org/article/2010/03/23/...ina-and-beyond

In 2008, California voters approved a $9.4 billion proposition to build a High Speed Rail [HSR] network in California. The trains will reach speeds over 200 mph. Construction may start as soon as 2011 and will take years to complete.

This could be a real boon to commuters who live along the HSR line. Imagine if you lived in Palmdale and worked in downtown Los Angeles. The trip would take 27 minutes rather than a grueling 90 minutes (or more) by car. Would HSR lead to sprawl growing up beside it, and people leaving the city and living on the outskirts? The California High Speed Blog argues if development is done intelligently, then sprawl is avoided, citing Portland as a successful example of how to do it.* The key thing is to encourage urban density, enact anti-sprawl regulations, make it easy to get to the outlying HSR stations, and make the stations attractive with plenty of available parking in garages.

Sounds like a great idea, right? Well, as you might expect, some of those who live leave near the proposed lines are doing everything they can to block it, especially a few communities of the super-wealthy in the Palo Alto area. Put it underground or re-route it, they say. We don’t want to see, hear, or feel the vibrations from it, even if this kills the project by making it too expensive. While they may have legitimate concerns, it’s clear that a well-funded few can block most anything from happening by tying it up in endless court battles.

Meanwhile, in a gigantic visionary project, China plans to expand their high speed rail to Europe. They already have the best, most extensive HSR in the world. Now they want to build multiple lines through numerous countries connecting it to Europe, in what will no doubt be the biggest infrastructure project in history. Apparently they think it can be done. Imagine what it could accomplish once completed. It would be a giant grid linking Asia to Europe.