Passenger Trains > Texas Central Railroad wins eminent domain issue

Houston to Dallas bullet-train project scores big court win | High Speed Rail Alliance (hsrail.org)

But will it move forward?

There is some very interesting reading here.  The highlighted content has a number of related articles about how various massive road projects have not only failed to ease congestion but have increased same due to induced demand.  The Katy Freeway in Houston has to be the poster child for this phenomenon.   But then again, it's only 26 lanes, I'm sure just a few more should solve the problem.

Latebeans Wrote:
  But then again, it's only 26
> lanes, I'm sure just a few more should solve the
> problem.

Seriously?  26 lanes?

Yes 26 - everything is bigger in Texas

If I need to land a plane in an emergency in Houston, I know where I'll be heading. 

Latebeans Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There is some very interesting reading here.  The
> highlighted content has a number of related
> articles about how various massive road projects
> have not only failed to ease congestion but have
> increased same due to induced demand.  The Katy
> Freeway in Houston has to be the poster child for
> this phenomenon.   But then again, it's only 26
> lanes, I'm sure just a few more should solve the
> problem.


How will a high speed intercity train fix urban congestion?

DevalDragon Wrote:

>
> How will a high speed intercity train fix urban
> congestion?

By removing some car traffic off the highways. 

aehouse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DevalDragon Wrote:
>
> >
> > How will a high speed intercity train fix urban
> > congestion?
>
> By removing some car traffic off the highways. 


High speed intercity rail will not reduce the number of cars on IH-45 during rush hour.

Perhaps you never heard of the Northeast Corridor. Imagine what traffic congestion
would be like on I-95 without the NEC.  Hey, DevilDragon, do you really mean the comments
you write, or do you simply like to annoy people with your anti-rail hatred?

CPMorris Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Perhaps you never heard of the Northeast Corridor.
> Imagine what traffic congestion
> would be like on I-95 without the NEC.  Hey,
> DevilDragon, do you really mean the comments
> you write, or do you simply like to annoy people
> with your anti-rail hatred?

I'm not anti-rail. But it's obvious you never lived in Texas or studied traffic there for years like I have.

Traffic in Texas is nothing like the Northeast Corridor.

 

I have to agree with Deval Dragon, a high speed rail line is not going to "fix" urban congestion.  Decades of endless highway expansion has not fixed it either.  There is no Magic bullet or overnight panacea. Maybe we could at least start looking at options other than pouring concrete.  For about half a century following WWII nearly 100 percent of U.S. transportation resources were focused on moving cars rather than moving people.  We have created a system where it is sometimes nearly impossible to cross the street without getting in your car.  Some years ago we were staying in Scottsdale, AZ.  Across the street from the motel was a shopping center and I wanted something from the store.  The road was eight lanes wide and busy but there was no pedestrian (what is that?) crossing for several hundred feet in either direction.  I took the direct route and had to hang out on a narrow little median for a while before doing the second half.  I was younger then and could still sprint a bit.  Coming back I took the long way round and the next time I needed something and I did what any good American would do, I got in my car and drove about a mile to make the 500 foot trip. Trains and mass transit are just part of the answer.  We need to start designing our environment to give people realistic alternatives to totally car centric development.  Fortunately this is beginning to happen.  Unfortunately the process will not be quick or cheap but what we have been doing is not sustainable.  Maybe we could at least move in the right direction.

most people can NOT get to the orgin of ANY public rail transit trip (light rail, commuter, amtrak) and/or to their destination without depending on a vehicle.

local shopping is also difficult on mass transit. 

seriously, good luck getting MOST people to "give up" the convenience of their vehicles..........

66

 

goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> most people can NOT get to the orgin of ANY public
> rail transit trip (light rail, commuter, amtrak)
> and/or to their destination without depending on a
> vehicle.
>
> local shopping is also difficult on mass
> transit. 
>
> seriously, good luck getting MOST people to "give
> up" the convenience of their vehicles..........
>
> 66
>
>  

Plenty of people that live and work in major cities that would disagree with this.

Posted from iPhone

kevink Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> goneon66 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > most people can NOT get to the orgin of ANY
> public
> > rail transit trip (light rail, commuter,
> amtrak)
> > and/or to their destination without depending on
> a
> > vehicle.
> >
> > local shopping is also difficult on mass
> > transit. 
> >
> > seriously, good luck getting MOST people to
> "give
> > up" the convenience of their vehicles..........
> >
> > 66
> >
> >  
>
> Plenty of people that live and work in major
> cities that would disagree with this.
>
> Posted from iPhone

I'm afraid the number of cities where that is true is limited.  Until there is the political will to support a transportation policy that says "I-xx can handle x-thousand vehicles/hour so what impediments (tolls, Congestion Charges, etc.) do we need to impose to hold demand to that level", rather than continually trying to meet ever-increasing demand, you will never push meaningful numbers of people to public transportation.  It will require pain to get people out of their cars.  Sad but true.

Gordon

goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> most people can NOT get to the orgin of ANY public
> rail transit trip (light rail, commuter, amtrak)
> and/or to their destination without depending on a
> vehicle.
>
> local shopping is also difficult on mass
> transit. 
>
> seriously, good luck getting MOST people to "give
> up" the convenience of their vehicles..........
>
> 66

Driving a few miles to the train station is quite a different matter than driving all the way.