Comments on: $545M for NC High Speed Rail http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2010/01/28/545m-for-nc-high-speed-rail/ Affecting NC public policy through informed, energetic and progressive conversations. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:02:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: LMB http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2010/01/28/545m-for-nc-high-speed-rail/#comment-93762 LMB Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:16:12 +0000 http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/?p=11230#comment-93762 90 mph isn't "high speed rail", and with comments like the ones below. USA will remain in 19th century transport infrastructure forever. 90 mph isn’t “high speed rail”, and with comments like the ones below. USA will remain in 19th century transport infrastructure forever.

]]> By: Chris Collins http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2010/01/28/545m-for-nc-high-speed-rail/#comment-89747 Chris Collins Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:39:36 +0000 http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/?p=11230#comment-89747 I don't like the corridor proposed. The most direct path from Charlotte to Raleigh is HW49/64. The proposed corridor mimics I85/I40. This already has mature interstate flow. Why make the car and rail routes the same when they are incompatible? There will be too many stops on this corridor. I think having one stop mid way between Charlotte and Raleigh in Asheboro and connecting the Triad (Winston/Greensboro/HP) via Asheboro is the intelligent route. This would be faster for everyone. Using existing rail lines is a waste. This was the "cost savings" for Charlotte's light rail. They ended up tearing up the existing rail and replaced the entire path. They did not reuse anything but had the extra cost of demolition of the old rail. Putting a new rail along HW49/64 could open the possibility for a suspended rail (monorail) to get the train off the ground and reduce the possibility for disaster and need for train crossings. With a suspended track two way transport could be an option (top and suspended below) without taking more real estate and speeds greater than 90mph could be achieved. Asheboro is about 75 miles from Charlotte and Raleigh and 30 miles from the Triad. Could you image a 200mph two way rail connecting all points? That would be <15 min each leg. I would park my car if the train was this fast. This would open daily commuting possibilities across the state and connect the entire piedmont. Later legs could be added to connect Asheville and Wilmington thereby connecting all of NC. I don’t like the corridor proposed. The most direct path from Charlotte to Raleigh is HW49/64. The proposed corridor mimics I85/I40. This already has mature interstate flow. Why make the car and rail routes the same when they are incompatible? There will be too many stops on this corridor. I think having one stop mid way between Charlotte and Raleigh in Asheboro and connecting the Triad (Winston/Greensboro/HP) via Asheboro is the intelligent route. This would be faster for everyone. Using existing rail lines is a waste. This was the “cost savings” for Charlotte’s light rail. They ended up tearing up the existing rail and replaced the entire path. They did not reuse anything but had the extra cost of demolition of the old rail. Putting a new rail along HW49/64 could open the possibility for a suspended rail (monorail) to get the train off the ground and reduce the possibility for disaster and need for train crossings. With a suspended track two way transport could be an option (top and suspended below) without taking more real estate and speeds greater than 90mph could be achieved. Asheboro is about 75 miles from Charlotte and Raleigh and 30 miles from the Triad. Could you image a 200mph two way rail connecting all points? That would be <15 min each leg. I would park my car if the train was this fast. This would open daily commuting possibilities across the state and connect the entire piedmont. Later legs could be added to connect Asheville and Wilmington thereby connecting all of NC.

]]> By: Ty http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2010/01/28/545m-for-nc-high-speed-rail/#comment-88415 Ty Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:09:58 +0000 http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/?p=11230#comment-88415 I for one am ecstatic for NC. I am glad that this state has been so progressive and actually has vision to have taken the lead on this. An article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (1/28/10) stated that this rail corridor through NC positions Charlotte, Raleigh and the state to become very competative and chastises Georgia for being stuck in the "wasteful spending" mentality (http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/north-carolina-invests-wins-286101.html). You have to spend money to stay competitive. It's called an investment in the future. Mobility is a huge part of staying competitive, particularly in such an interconnected global marketplace. If we don't do it, we will pay for it in the future. It's time America joins the 21st century and stop thinking that what worked for us in the 20th will continue working in the future. I'm proud of NC for having the foresight to realize that. I for one am ecstatic for NC. I am glad that this state has been so progressive and actually has vision to have taken the lead on this. An article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (1/28/10) stated that this rail corridor through NC positions Charlotte, Raleigh and the state to become very competative and chastises Georgia for being stuck in the “wasteful spending” mentality (http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/north-carolina-invests-wins-286101.html).

You have to spend money to stay competitive. It’s called an investment in the future. Mobility is a huge part of staying competitive, particularly in such an interconnected global marketplace. If we don’t do it, we will pay for it in the future. It’s time America joins the 21st century and stop thinking that what worked for us in the 20th will continue working in the future. I’m proud of NC for having the foresight to realize that.

]]> By: Commuter http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2010/01/28/545m-for-nc-high-speed-rail/#comment-62880 Commuter Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:25:50 +0000 http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/?p=11230#comment-62880 Rail projects are not like other wasteful government projects. Fares are charged to passengers. Advertisements are allowed on trains and in the stations, which help to pay for and maintain the system. On the map, looks like Raleigh would become a major hub of where rail lines connect. Could Raleigh and other points in NC become a tourist destination or major business hub as a result of high speed rail? Rail projects are not like other wasteful government projects. Fares are charged to passengers. Advertisements are allowed on trains and in the stations, which help to pay for and maintain the system.

On the map, looks like Raleigh would become a major hub of where rail lines connect. Could Raleigh and other points in NC become a tourist destination or major business hub as a result of high speed rail?

]]> By: Dave Johnson http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2010/01/28/545m-for-nc-high-speed-rail/#comment-58448 Dave Johnson Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:53:18 +0000 http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/?p=11230#comment-58448 Great news? Really? If private business saw an opportunity to make money off of this, it would have already been done. Now we are going to waste a bunch of money on a "project" that will likely go over budget. Then the taxpayers have to maintain it. Complete waste of money. Hardly good news for NC tax payers. Great news? Really? If private business saw an opportunity to make money off of this, it would have already been done. Now we are going to waste a bunch of money on a “project” that will likely go over budget. Then the taxpayers have to maintain it. Complete waste of money. Hardly good news for NC tax payers.

]]> By: pino http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2010/01/28/545m-for-nc-high-speed-rail/#comment-58336 pino Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:30:35 +0000 http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/?p=11230#comment-58336 <i>Great news for NC rail today. A 90 mph rail corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte is the vision behind 30 projects worth $525M announced today as part of the Obama administration’s nation-wide $8B ARRA high speed rail initiative. </i> Two questions: 1. What metric do you use to gauge the success of rail? 2. How much money would have to be spent on rail to make even the bluest of Liberals blanch? Great news for NC rail today. A 90 mph rail corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte is the vision behind 30 projects worth $525M announced today as part of the Obama administration’s nation-wide $8B ARRA high speed rail initiative.

Two questions:

1. What metric do you use to gauge the success of rail?
2. How much money would have to be spent on rail to make even the bluest of Liberals blanch?

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