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iBoaterer[_3_]

In article ,
says...

"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
...

On 9/2/13 8:46 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:

"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.

We can't do it because we can't do it because we can't do it. I get
it.
We can't do anything anymore, and that's another example of why
conservatism is killing America, because we can't have nice trains, we
can't keep our interstates in good shape, we can't repair our bridges,
whatever, we can't do it because...we can't do it.

When we take the train to Jax, it usually works out to be a 13 hour
train trip. We leave in the evening and arrive the next morining,
after
a good night's sleep aboard the train. No long waits to clear security
at the origin, no long wait for luggage at the termination.
Compartment
includes private toilet, two bunk beds and two pretty decent meals.
Takes about the same time as driving, if I felt like driving without
an
overnight stop, which I don't like doing. Would take much less time if
trackage and equipment were a lot better, but the trackage south of DC
is mostly CSX, and it doesn't give a **** about high speed passenger
rail.

No worries about all the crap that accompanies airline travel.

About $700 round trip for two adults. Much more comfy than even first
class on a plane. Takes longer, sure, but it's overnight and you have
to
sleep. Oh, and two first class airline tickets would be about $1000.

But we can't improve passenger rail transportation because this is
America and we can't things like that anymore. I get it.

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

Part of the cost of your travel to Jax is subsidized by taxpayers
although Amtrak has done better this year, requiring only $1.3 billion
in federal subsidizes compared to $1.4 billion in 2012.

Air travel is subsidized as well.

Sure, anything is possible if you throw enough money at it but the
demand needs to warrant the investment.

Just look at air travel as an example.

Why is it that liberals think there's simply no limit to what
taxpayers should be willing to spend to benefit a few?

Are only "liberals" willing to subsidize air travel?

iBoaterer[_3_]

In article ,
says...

On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 21:41:57 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

When we take the train to Jax, it usually works out to be a 13 hour
train trip. We leave in the evening and arrive the next morining, after
a good night's sleep aboard the train. No long waits to clear security
at the origin, no long wait for luggage at the termination. Compartment
includes private toilet, two bunk beds and two pretty decent meals.
Takes about the same time as driving, if I felt like driving without an
overnight stop, which I don't like doing. Would take much less time if
trackage and equipment were a lot better, but the trackage south of DC
is mostly CSX, and it doesn't give a **** about high speed passenger rail.

No worries about all the crap that accompanies airline travel.

That "crap" is coming TSA is already eyeing trains as the next place
to expand their empire. All it would take is one "terrorist gesture"
to lock the train stations down as tight as an airport.

About $700 round trip for two adults. Much more comfy than even first
class on a plane. Takes longer, sure, but it's overnight and you have to
sleep. Oh, and two first class airline tickets would be about $1000.

But we can't improve passenger rail transportation because this is
America and we can't things like that anymore. I get it.

It is something most people do not want.
It is simple, just put it to a vote.
In Florida High Speed Rail went down about two to one in the 2004
vote.

Kill the bullet train

Yes 4,519,423 63.72%
No 2,573,280 36.28%

Bunch of old retirees that are afraid of change!

iBoaterer[_3_]

In article ,
says...

On 9/2/2013 7:03 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 2 Sep 2013 13:49:37 -0400, iBoaterer wrote:

Here in Florida they wanted to build a high speed train between Tampa
and Orlando. They problem is, they would really need to have a lot of
stops near both ends to make it attractive ... as a commuter train.
That is not conducive to "high speed".

You end up with the same problem I brought up before. You need a car
to get around Tampa and Orlando. Tourists are unlikely to travel in
between by train anyway. If they have a rental car, you are only
talking about a 1 - 1.5 hour drive. They would be at the other end,
checked into their hotel before you got through the train station on
both ends, if they "beamed" you to Tampa.

I agree wholeheartedly, our infrastructure sucks. Trouble is it sucks
because people like you are afraid of change and innovation.

A train offers absolutely NOTHING to "people" like me.
That is the problem.
I am not sure where I would take a train to

Same here, I hate cities....

You are unemployed and have no reason to go to one. So you think that
everyone should be unemployed so that they don't have to go to a city to
work?

iBoaterer[_3_]

In article ,
says...

On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 14:05:11 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

Most of our airports are obsolete and our interstate highway system is
crumbling, along with our power grid.

So spend a few billion fixing the airports and interstates, not a
trillion on trains nobody will ride.

Who told you that no one will ride high speed trains in all of the major
corridors?

BTW I am not sure which airports are obsolete. Ours is brand new and
Florida takes pretty good care of their roads. Maybe that is because
they don't siphon highway tax money off for ill thought out mass
transit schemes.

Funny, highly government airports are okay with you, as are tax dollars
to expand roads to them, but subsidized high speed rail is bad.....

iBoaterer[_3_]

In article ,
says...

On Mon, 2 Sep 2013 14:24:12 -0400, iBoaterer wrote:

In article ,
says...

Do you think a train station is any quicker? Wait until you have a 2
hour TSA check point delay there too.

Yes, have you ever travelled via high speed rail in Europe? It's very
efficient.

This is not Europe

The only reason train stations seem quick these days is there are not
that many people boarding and security is virtually non-existant.

See above.

Still not europe

I know! Unlike Europe, a lot of people in the U.S. are afraid of change
and innovation for some reason.

Most train passengers are commuters, no luggage and relatively few
kids.

Horse****!

Most rail passengers are on commuter trains (by number). That is how
places like Penn Station can rack up those huge numbers.
Do you really need me to get the intracity Amtrac stats?

And Amtrak would have WHAT to do with with statistics involving high
speed rail between major cities? Again, take a look at Europe.

F.O.A.D.

On 9/3/13 7:39 AM, iBoaterer wrote:
In article ,
says...

"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
...

On 9/2/13 8:46 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:

"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.

We can't do it because we can't do it because we can't do it. I get
it.
We can't do anything anymore, and that's another example of why
conservatism is killing America, because we can't have nice trains, we
can't keep our interstates in good shape, we can't repair our bridges,
whatever, we can't do it because...we can't do it.

When we take the train to Jax, it usually works out to be a 13 hour
train trip. We leave in the evening and arrive the next morining,
after
a good night's sleep aboard the train. No long waits to clear security
at the origin, no long wait for luggage at the termination.
Compartment
includes private toilet, two bunk beds and two pretty decent meals.
Takes about the same time as driving, if I felt like driving without
an
overnight stop, which I don't like doing. Would take much less time if
trackage and equipment were a lot better, but the trackage south of DC
is mostly CSX, and it doesn't give a **** about high speed passenger
rail.

No worries about all the crap that accompanies airline travel.

About $700 round trip for two adults. Much more comfy than even first
class on a plane. Takes longer, sure, but it's overnight and you have
to
sleep. Oh, and two first class airline tickets would be about $1000.

But we can't improve passenger rail transportation because this is
America and we can't things like that anymore. I get it.

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

Part of the cost of your travel to Jax is subsidized by taxpayers
although Amtrak has done better this year, requiring only $1.3 billion
in federal subsidizes compared to $1.4 billion in 2012.

Air travel is subsidized as well.

Sure, anything is possible if you throw enough money at it but the
demand needs to warrant the investment.

Just look at air travel as an example.

Why is it that liberals think there's simply no limit to what
taxpayers should be willing to spend to benefit a few?

Are only "liberals" willing to subsidize air travel?

Uh, highway travel is "subsidized," too. And when you ride your bicycle
on city streets, the cost of those streets, why it is subsidized, too.

Specious argument.

I posit that train travel of all sorts would be more popular if there
were more of it, if it were faster, and if the equipment were better.

And, as far as subsidies go, it is amazing what this country could
accomplish in rebuilding itself if the military budget were cut in half
and half of what is cut were dedicated to infrastructure improvement.

Hank©[_3_]

On 9/2/2013 11:24 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 14:42:08 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

I'll betcha if a national poll was taken the majority of people would
prefer spending money on fixing roads and airports in lieu of building a
rail system network and trains capable of travelling 200+ mph.

The power grid isn't as big of a problem as you may think. Demand has
basically flat lined in the past several years and has actually dropped
in some. Smart grids and energy efficient devices have helped.

Not to worry. Nothing much is happening in refurbishing roads,
bridges, dams, infrastructure.

That must be a North East problem. Florida maintains it's roads
..

BTW who was talking about dams?
The environmentalists want all of them blown up anyway

Roads don't freeze in Florida. Northerners haven't figured out how to
build roads to survive the harsh winters they experience.

F.O.A.D.

On 9/3/13 12:20 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 2 Sep 2013 20:07:46 -0400, BAR wrote:

In article , says...

A train offers absolutely NOTHING to "people" like me.
That is the problem.
I am not sure where I would take a train to

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.

My day to day travel is about a tank of gas a month and 90% of it
could be in my golf cart if they would let me use it on the FPL R.O.W.
plus about 100 yards through a scrub park.

So, the world of public transportation should revolve around a retiree's
needs in Dumfoch, Florida?

Hank©[_3_]

On 9/3/2013 12:33 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 21:05:10 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 18:16:12 -0400, wrote:

The problem is a lot of those right of ways have been ceded over to
the power companies for power lines and the Internet. That is where a
good chunk of the national fiber backbone is installed. Nobody wants
you digging roadbeds around that.
The existing ROW is being used for freight. They don't want that on HS
rail.

===

Don't forget about the interstate highway system, especially the air
rights over the medians, or the air rights over the freight lines.

You still run into that "last 20 (or 40) mile" problem in each city
you get close to.
They may not have a suitable interstate going into the city and that
real estate tends to be curb to curb traffic lane.

Elevating a high speed train? That is just funny.
Cost, additional danger in a derailment, more noise.

I do like your sense of humor tho.

All it would take is a train popping off a track and taking out a
whole row of bumper to bumper commuters in cars on that interstate
below to sink rail in this country for years.

I wonder why the monorail concept never took off?

Hank©[_3_]

On 9/3/2013 7:50 AM, F.O.A.D. wrote:
On 9/3/13 7:39 AM, iBoaterer wrote:
In article ,
says...

"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
...

On 9/2/13 8:46 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:

"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.

We can't do it because we can't do it because we can't do it. I get
it.
We can't do anything anymore, and that's another example of why
conservatism is killing America, because we can't have nice trains, we
can't keep our interstates in good shape, we can't repair our bridges,
whatever, we can't do it because...we can't do it.

When we take the train to Jax, it usually works out to be a 13 hour
train trip. We leave in the evening and arrive the next morining,
after
a good night's sleep aboard the train. No long waits to clear security
at the origin, no long wait for luggage at the termination.
Compartment
includes private toilet, two bunk beds and two pretty decent meals.
Takes about the same time as driving, if I felt like driving without
an
overnight stop, which I don't like doing. Would take much less time if
trackage and equipment were a lot better, but the trackage south of DC
is mostly CSX, and it doesn't give a **** about high speed passenger
rail.

No worries about all the crap that accompanies airline travel.

About $700 round trip for two adults. Much more comfy than even first
class on a plane. Takes longer, sure, but it's overnight and you have
to
sleep. Oh, and two first class airline tickets would be about $1000.

But we can't improve passenger rail transportation because this is
America and we can't things like that anymore. I get it.

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

Part of the cost of your travel to Jax is subsidized by taxpayers
although Amtrak has done better this year, requiring only $1.3 billion
in federal subsidizes compared to $1.4 billion in 2012.

Air travel is subsidized as well.

Sure, anything is possible if you throw enough money at it but the
demand needs to warrant the investment.

Just look at air travel as an example.

Why is it that liberals think there's simply no limit to what
taxpayers should be willing to spend to benefit a few?

Are only "liberals" willing to subsidize air travel?

Uh, highway travel is "subsidized," too. And when you ride your bicycle
on city streets, the cost of those streets, why it is subsidized, too.

Specious argument.

I posit that train travel of all sorts would be more popular if there
were more of it, if it were faster, and if the equipment were better.

And, as far as subsidies go, it is amazing what this country could
accomplish in rebuilding itself if the military budget were cut in half
and half of what is cut were dedicated to infrastructure improvement.

You are a joke. Pay your taxes. Then you can talk about spending tax
dollars. DEADBEAT!

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