# Vision for High Speed Rail in America **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [April 16, 2009, 11:38am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281 "2009-04-16T11:38:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Eazy716](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/eazy716/32/7443_2.png) [@Eazy716](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Eazy716)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/21 "2009-04-16T12:31:19Z")
> [@Avatar](#): > > It seriously blows my mind that anybody would be against modern rapid mass-transit in this country. :spank: It seriously blows my mind that people still insist on pissing away money for something that we don’t need right now. :meh: ---
**Author:** ![Jared](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jared/32/4976_2.png) [@Jared](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jared)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/22 "2009-04-16T12:33:56Z")
hope this comes to light some day… ![http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6I27LgG9bck/SVCMDdXJwyI/AAAAAAAAFno/6lvN-aVqU58/s400/Taiwan-HighSpeedRail-700T-testrun-2006-0624.jpg](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6I27LgG9bck/SVCMDdXJwyI/AAAAAAAAFno/6lvN-aVqU58/s400/Taiwan-HighSpeedRail-700T-testrun-2006-0624.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/avatar/32/5076_2.png) [@Avatar](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Avatar)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/23 "2009-04-16T12:40:56Z")
> [@Eazy716](#): > > It seriously blows my mind that people still insist on pissing away money for something that we don’t need right now. :meh: I disagree that this is an example of “pissing away money”. First, the construction of a project such as this would create a ton of new jobs and economic activity. Permanent jobs will follow as we will need people to obviously staff and maintain the system. It would allow greater accessibility to people to move within and between states as the ability to transport far more people with a train than with an airplane will reduce costs. I feel it would even be feasible for someone to commute from Buffalo or Rochester into the NYC metro area. This activity would open up the corridor leading up from NYC to Albany, Syracuse, Rochester to Buffalo to more development and may make upstate viable again. ---
**Author:** ![Joe](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/joe/32/7219_2.png) [@Joe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Joe)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:42pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/24 "2009-04-16T12:42:38Z")
The stimulus money is already provisioned. You either spend it or lose it. Would you rather spend it on something useful like this, or a million congressmen’s pork barrel projects? ---
**Author:** ![Eazy716](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/eazy716/32/7443_2.png) [@Eazy716](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Eazy716)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/25 "2009-04-16T12:43:09Z")
> [@Avatar](#): > > I disagree that this is an example of “pissing away money”. First, the construction of a project such as this would create a ton of new jobs and economic activity. Permanent jobs will follow as we will need people to obviously staff and maintain the system. It would allow greater accessibility to people to move within and between states as the ability to transport far more people with a train than with an airplane will reduce costs. I feel it would even be feasible for someone to commute from Buffalo or Rochester into the NYC metro area. This activity would open up the corridor leading up from NYC to Albany, Syracuse, Rochester to Buffalo to more development and may make upstate viable again. While I respect your opinion, it doesn’t change my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/26 "2009-04-16T12:44:56Z")
oh, don’t forget guys, this will do a good job at cutting out our dependency on gasoline fuel, as well as save the O-Zone layer. Also, I would be able to get to see my family and friends in NY WAY more ---
**Author:** ![Avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/avatar/32/5076_2.png) [@Avatar](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Avatar)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/27 "2009-04-16T12:48:40Z")
> [@Eazy716](#): > > While I respect your opinion, it doesn’t change my opinion. Well, you’ve given your opinion, but no reasoning. I just don’t understand where you’re coming from. I’d like to. Maybe if you could clarify your stance? ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/28 "2009-04-16T12:50:04Z")
I think his point is that right now we do not NEED anything. It is not an absolute necessity, so we shouldn’t spend money on it. However, that hardly makes it a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![SilverGTP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@SilverGTP](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SilverGTP)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:52pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/29 "2009-04-16T12:52:50Z")
Yeah but this would create jobs and save money in the future… can’t go wrong ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/30 "2009-04-16T12:55:01Z")
definitely cannot go wrong, I love the idea ---
**Author:** ![Avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/avatar/32/5076_2.png) [@Avatar](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Avatar)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/31 "2009-04-16T12:56:15Z")
Progress isn’t always driven by need or necessity. Why maintain what is a dysfunctional unsustainable status quo? Instead we should desire to improve the way we do things and change our society for the better. I haven’t hear anyone saying this is a categorically bad idea, just that it is “not needed”. So many things in our lives came about not out of necessity, but out of the desire to achieve better efficiency or greater utility. ---
**Author:** ![Joe](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/joe/32/7219_2.png) [@Joe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Joe)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/32 "2009-04-16T12:57:52Z")
My guess is that Eazy is in the “We need to get out of this recession by everyone only spending money on the bare essentials” school, along with Congressional Republicans and Randy Marsh. ---
**Author:** ![Paulo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/paulo/32/7328_2.png) [@Paulo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Paulo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/33 "2009-04-16T13:01:47Z")
> [@Avatar](#): > > Progress isn’t always driven by need or necessity. Why maintain what is a dysfunctional unsustainable status quo? Instead we should desire to improve the way we do things and change our society for the better. I haven’t hear anyone saying this is a categorically bad idea, just that it is “not needed”. So many things in our lives came about not out of necessity, but out of the desire to achieve better efficiency or greater utility. 👏 ---
**Author:** ![Avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/avatar/32/5076_2.png) [@Avatar](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Avatar)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/34 "2009-04-16T13:03:04Z")
> [@Joe](#): > > My guess is that Eazy is in the “We need to get out of this recession by everyone only spending money on the bare essentials” school, along with Congressional Republicans and Randy Marsh. That was a great South Park. “I’d like to return this Margaritaville mixer” ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/35 "2009-04-16T13:20:05Z")
It all depends on how the final product is done. The “high speed” rail they were talking about running between Buffalo and Albany was going to be a three hour trip. That hour you shaved off the trip by car is lost by the time you drive to the train in Buffalo and find alternate transportation once you’re in Albany since you don’t have your car. Real high speed rail, the kind Japan and France have, maybe. Show me a study that proves there is actually a demand for it before we start building though because I don’t want it to be like the Springfield monorail on the Simpsons. Or worse, the public transit systems in pretty much every city except NYC that have to be heavily subsidized by the government because the commuter fees no where near cover the costs of running the system. ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/36 "2009-04-16T13:25:08Z")
Everyone got all excited about the high speed ferry between Rochester and Toronto too, but every company that tries to do it goes bust. People talking about using it, and people actually coughing up the cash to use it are two different things. > **[Has fast ferry idea's time passed? | The Star](https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2008/07/15/has_fast_ferry_ideas_time_passed.html)** > > After two failed efforts to run a fast ferry between Rochester and Toronto, the latest attempt to revive lake crossings appears to be a sinking proposition. ---
**Author:** ![fiend540](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bcef8e/32.png) [@fiend540](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fiend540)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/37 "2009-04-16T13:28:10Z")
While this would create job’s, wouldn’t it take away jobs from the already struggling airline industry? ---
**Author:** ![Eazy716](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/eazy716/32/7443_2.png) [@Eazy716](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Eazy716)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/38 "2009-04-16T13:29:13Z")
IMO, this isn’t exactly a project that our money needs to be spent on right now. There’s a million other things that this country needs, and I personally don’t see this as one of them. I would like to see people have to sign something stating how many times they plan to utilise this, and then be held to it. 20 people on a forum saying it’s such a great idea, and they would use it doesn’t exactly bring the money in. My guess is many won’t use it, and it will be another money pit of an idea. Like JayS mentioned, provide a study that proves otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/39 "2009-04-16T13:38:43Z")
> What we’re talking about is a vision for high-speed rail in America. Imagine boarding a train in the center of a city. No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes. 1. This is the US, where most people don’t live in the center of the city, so they still have to race across town in a car to get to the train. If anything getting to the airport in most cities is easier than going downtown. 2. As soon as the first guy detonates a bomb on a train going 200 mph security will be just as bad as getting on a plane. Buffalo to NYC there might be a market for though, if you used real high speed trains that made the trip fast enough. Jet Blue will fly you there for $89 though, so how much can the train realistically charge? ---
**Author:** ![Joe](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/joe/32/7219_2.png) [@Joe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Joe)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281/40 "2009-04-16T13:40:48Z")
the wait at the airport and the pain in the ass factor of flying really equalize. If they could get you to NYC in 3 hours, it’d be a go I think. [Previous page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281.md?page=1) [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/vision-for-high-speed-rail-in-america/66281.md?page=3)