Reply #12: I'm not sure the author is non-biased [View All]

[seabeckind]

Edward Glaeser seems to offer a suggestion of balance but he has a few articles espousing small government. This may or may not be true. So I'm not sure of his motives in opposing high speed rail. He certainly only presents one side of the numbers.

The fact is that cars cost us a tremendous amount of resources, in the production, the roads, the loss of usable space for other purposes, not to mention the inherent tendency toward so much loss to our society. Eg, how much is 90 minutes sitting on I5 in Seattle worth to you? Would you kill to get to the next exit?

A high speed rail link followed by a regional link followed by an ease to obtain local personal transport would be ideal. Anybody who says they like to drive hasn't traveled the northern route from Billings MT to Madison WI. Hel, I'll bet they've never driven across South Dakota. Any trip I've taken, after the first hour I'm so bored I could eat the steering wheel. That and trying to find a clean looking john -- or a motel after 10 hours.

And a plane for an alternative? Lord, I wouldn't wish flebitis on anyone.

So you guys can love your car -- give me the Eurostar anyday. My hotel in Paris, RER(?) to Gare du Nord, then London downtown -- 4 hours. In comfort. Then 4 more hours trying to find a road out of London. Passed Victoria Station so many times I was on a first name basis with the pigeons.