Omaha Forums

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/04/13/ ... l?hpt=Sbin

Are proposed multibillion dollar high-speed railway projects in the United States a smart move or a huge waste of taxpayer dollars?

CNN.com users are challenging politicians, policymakers and each other about whether the Obama administration's push to build high-speed rail lines in the Midwest, West Coast and elsewhere is on the right track.

Many users want proof that high-speed rail can be a profitable, efficient job generator to help raise the sagging U.S. economy when compared with other types of transportation.

Experts -- including the two most powerful congressional lawmakers on rail issues, think-tank specialists and policymakers at the Department of Transportation -- have directly responded to CNN.com user comments.

Interesting (and long) read.

I read this yesterday.  Good stuff.

almighty_tuna wrote:I read this yesterday.

Are you the reason China banned time travel?

Sarah Connor is dead.  You can thank me later.

I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.

Worth reading. Thanks for posting E.

IMO - let's get the North East Corridor (Boston to Washington) up to 150+ MPH. The train is already time and price competitive New York to Washington and Boston to New York. If we could get Boston to Washington under 5-hours?

I haven't had a chance to read this yet, but I certainly will.

My transportation class this semester is writing a 500-page white paper on high speed rail that will be submitted to policy-makers to aid in their decision-making processes.

I can certainly update people on our findings if anyone is interested after the semester.

No offense man, but you expect them to read it? Half of them don't even read the laws they're voting on!

But I would definitely be interested in hearing about it.

We've already got a handful of eager readers lined up with the Transportation Research Board (transportation research advisers to the President and Congress) and Federal DOT.

Ah ok people who actually do research and not anyone from the legislature ok well good luck to you.

This is pretty awesome: tongue-in-cheek and funny, but drives home the message.

"How to sell high speed rail - Mad Men style"

http://www.good.is/post/how-to-sell-hig ... men-style/

Saw this on the Internet today. Sounds like it is in the very early stages at best, but I thought some of you might find it interesting. Sounds like something to watch for here in the month of February.

"Japan, which has a consistent trade surplus with the U.S., is putting the finishing touches on a package that it claims will create 700,000 jobs in the U.S. and help create a $450-billion market, Reuters reported, citing government sources familiar with the plans.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Trump are expected to meet on Feb. 10. Major Japanese newspapers cited a draft of the proposal that calls for cooperation on building high-speed trains in the U.S. northeast, Texas and California. The two sides would also jointly develop artificial intelligence, robotics, space and Internet technology.

The Japanese may use money from its foreign exchange reserves to fund the package, Reuters reported."

guy4omaha wrote:Saw this on the Internet today. Sounds like it is in the very early stages at best, but I thought some of you might find it interesting. Sounds like something to watch for here in the month of February.

"Japan, which has a consistent trade surplus with the U.S., is putting the finishing touches on a package that it claims will create 700,000 jobs in the U.S. and help create a $450-billion market, Reuters reported, citing government sources familiar with the plans.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Trump are expected to meet on Feb. 10. Major Japanese newspapers cited a draft of the proposal that calls for cooperation on building high-speed trains in the U.S. northeast, Texas and California. The two sides would also jointly develop artificial intelligence, robotics, space and Internet technology.

The Japanese may use money from its foreign exchange reserves to fund the package, Reuters reported."

High speed trains from one end of the Dallas-FW metro to the airports and to the other end may well be profitable. Seattle to Portland? Don't know.

The Texas high speed rail line I've heard about is between Houston and Dallas/FW, which according to the company doing it has 50,000 daily commuters. http://www.texascentral.com/project/

The Northeast of course has the highest volume, highest speed, most profitable rail system in the US. So any improvements there only make sense.

Dundeemaha wrote:The Texas high speed rail line I've heard about is between Houston and Dallas/FW, which according to the company doing it has 50,000 daily commuters. http://www.texascentral.com/project/

The Northeast of course has the highest volume, highest speed, most profitable rail system in the US. So any improvements there only make sense.

A Houston - Dallas/FW route would make a lot more sense for a high-speed rail line than a shorter route within the Dallas Metro to DFW. It probably wouldn't be able to utilize "high speed" (200 mph), even within a large Metro like Dallas/FW.

I'd like to see a Chicago-Denver route through Omaha.

GetUrban wrote:

Dundeemaha wrote:The Texas high speed rail line I've heard about is between Houston and Dallas/FW, which according to the company doing it has 50,000 daily commuters. http://www.texascentral.com/project/

The Northeast of course has the highest volume, highest speed, most profitable rail system in the US. So any improvements there only make sense.

A Houston - Dallas/FW route would make a lot more sense for a high-speed rail line than a shorter route within the Dallas Metro to DFW. It probably wouldn't be able to utilize "high speed" (200 mph), even within a large Metro like Dallas/FW.

I'd like to see a Chicago-Denver route through Omaha.

Wasn't this idea being thrown around at one point but Omaha opted out imediatlely or am I thinking do something else?

buildomaha wrote:

GetUrban wrote:

Dundeemaha wrote:The Texas high speed rail line I've heard about is between Houston and Dallas/FW, which according to the company doing it has 50,000 daily commuters. http://www.texascentral.com/project/

The Northeast of course has the highest volume, highest speed, most profitable rail system in the US. So any improvements there only make sense.

A Houston - Dallas/FW route would make a lot more sense for a high-speed rail line than a shorter route within the Dallas Metro to DFW. It probably wouldn't be able to utilize "high speed" (200 mph), even within a large Metro like Dallas/FW.

I'd like to see a Chicago-Denver route through Omaha.

Wasn't this idea being thrown around at one point but Omaha opted out imediatlely or am I thinking do something else?

Back before Obama had grey hair he outlined a plan for a nation wide rail network with higher speeds but Omaha never played a major role in it.



Nebraska was one of the earliest states to say it would provide nothing toward the project though if I remember correctly.