"BAR" wrote in message
. ..


I just went to the WAMATA.com web site and plugged in my home address
and my work address to
see what it would take to get from home to work. It will take 1 hour
and 7 minutes and I get
to ride a bus to the Metro station, take a train a couple of stops and
then take another bus
ride. It would take me 1 hour and 7 minutes and cost me $3.20. If I
drive it takes 25 minutes
and about 1/4 of a gallon of gas. Even figuring in insurance and
maintenance I would pay
about $2 at the most and I would get to work in less than 1/2 the
time.

-----------------------------

Just for kicks, I went to the Amtrak website and priced the
*cheapest* one-way fare from Boston to Charleston, SC.


Train would leave Boston at 9:30 pm and arrive in Wash DC at about 7
am the next morning.
Then a three hour layover in DC with a connection leaving at 9:55 am.
Arrive in Charleston, SC at 7:15 pm.

Total travel time: 22 hours. Cost: $289.00
I can fly there in 2.5 hours for less than that.
I can drive it in about 15-16 hours and not need to rent a car when I
got there.

A high-speed train would have to be non-stop and average almost 400
mph to be competitive with the airlines, time-wise.