A Dispatch Letter to the Editor about Rt. 315 Construction

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A Dispatch Letter to the Editor about Rt. 315 Construction

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Started 2 years ago by Walker
Latest reply from JackieC

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surber17

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aderwent wrote >>

Core_Models wrote >>
If you're under the impression that owning a toll road would somehow be a profitable endeavor for a business, you really should spend a little time with some numbers.

yeah, government numbers. and your point is exactly why there wouldn't be many highways. demand would be low due to tolls (even though people don't even think about how much of their money is taken through taxes for highways), and therefore, fewer highways. people would go with the cheaper means. whether that was biking, driving on city roads, walking or riding a train.

I do see where you're coming from and I do like the idea of everyone just living in a more dense society instead of spreading out and taking over everything. Here is my problem with pure capitalism though .... by the time a need arises, sometimes it is too late and a large group of people are going to have to suffer for a very long time.

Posted 2 years ago #
aderwent

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Core_Models wrote >>
Except for the whole transportation industry, getting goods to market, etc. etc. etc....but hey, why think that far ahead, its only the complete collapse of the economy...

i'm not advocating the destruction of the transportation industry... try to keep up.

lolz. the complete collapse of the economy will come in about a 1-2 year period. hope you're ready for hyperinflation, super unemployment and raging crime.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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aderwent wrote >>

Core_Models wrote >>
If you're under the impression that owning a toll road would somehow be a profitable endeavor for a business, you really should spend a little time with some numbers.

yeah, government numbers. and your point is exactly why there wouldn't be many highways. demand would be low due to tolls (even though people don't even think about how much of their money is taken through taxes for highways), and therefore, fewer highways. people would go with the cheaper means. whether that was biking, driving on city roads, walking or riding a train.

Even if they are cheaper, those options require government control, taxes and subsidies. Which you seem to be against. Care to clarify?

Posted 2 years ago #
aderwent

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surber17 wrote >>

aderwent wrote >>

surber17 wrote >>
@aderwent .... so you don't think transportation should be a government function? Without the government there is no way we would have a road system at all. I really don't see how transportation correlates to socialism.

hmm... i've said nothing except highways (and rail and air travel).

Air, rail, and car .... what other forms of transportation are there? I can't think of many, so I don't think I twisted your words at all.

you said i advocated the privatization of all roads. just saying that's not true. by the way, no hard feelings here, sorry if i sound harsh or whatever :/ just advocating my position of anti-government lol.

Posted 2 years ago #
aderwent

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surber17 wrote >>

aderwent wrote >>

Core_Models wrote >>
If you're under the impression that owning a toll road would somehow be a profitable endeavor for a business, you really should spend a little time with some numbers.

yeah, government numbers. and your point is exactly why there wouldn't be many highways. demand would be low due to tolls (even though people don't even think about how much of their money is taken through taxes for highways), and therefore, fewer highways. people would go with the cheaper means. whether that was biking, driving on city roads, walking or riding a train.

I do see where you're coming from and I do like the idea of everyone just living in a more dense society instead of spreading out and taking over everything. Here is my problem with pure capitalism though .... by the time a need arises, sometimes it is too late and a large group of people are going to have to suffer for a very long time.

thank you for rationality. i have to ask about the "need" part, though.

i'm not anarchist, or even adam smith. i advocate not pure capitalism, but pretty close (government should be allowed to terminate monopolies, run fire, police, roads (not highways), etc).

Posted 2 years ago #
aderwent

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lifeontwowheels wrote >>

aderwent wrote >>

Core_Models wrote >>
If you're under the impression that owning a toll road would somehow be a profitable endeavor for a business, you really should spend a little time with some numbers.

yeah, government numbers. and your point is exactly why there wouldn't be many highways. demand would be low due to tolls (even though people don't even think about how much of their money is taken through taxes for highways), and therefore, fewer highways. people would go with the cheaper means. whether that was biking, driving on city roads, walking or riding a train.

Even if they are cheaper, those options require government control, taxes and subsidies. Which you seem to be against. Care to clarify?

why would they require those? the economy should be run by supply and demand for the most part.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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So how do you operate a city road without taxes or subsidies?

Posted 2 years ago #
aderwent

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lifeontwowheels wrote >>
So how do you operate a city road without taxes or subsidies?

city roads, you can't. i thought you meant private rail, plane, or highway. i don't believe in a taxless government, just a tax less government. most if not all funds for the federal government should come from tariffs (like they did until the late 1800's [civil war, main reason, read further, haha]). cities should tax property, not income, for needy services (roads, again, not highways, police, fire, sewer, etc).

Posted 2 years ago #
surber17

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example - about 2 summers ago, within a 6 - 8 month period my average fill-up went from $24 to around $55. Because of high prices demand dropped and so did the price; but the real issue is the supply stayed the same (well actually just continued to drop). If something were to happen to that supply (either it goes away entirely, or people refuse to sell to America, etc.) we are screwed. People have spread out so much that they have given themselves no option to get to work other than drive there and because of the quick jump in price people may not be able to afford the commute everyday like they use to. Not getting to work ='s people losing their job ='s suffering of a very large group of people for a very long time. And this all could happen very very quickly because of our dependence on oil.

People on here want one thing - options. Right now there are few to none for a lot of people; and the problem with pure capitalism is there won't be any options until it is too late because pure capitalism is reactionary by definition; where what we need right now is a preventative system.

Posted 2 years ago #
aderwent

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surber17 wrote >>
example - about 2 summers ago, within a 6 - 8 month period my average fill-up went from $24 to around $55. Because of high prices demand dropped and so did the price; but the real issue is the supply stayed the same (well actually just continued to drop). If something were to happen to that supply (either it goes away entirely, or people refuse to sell to America, etc.) we are screwed. People have spread out so much that they have given themselves no option to get to work other than drive there and because of the quick jump in price people may not be able to afford the commute everyday like they use to. Not getting to work ='s people losing their job ='s suffering of a very large group of people for a very long time. And this all could happen very very quickly because of our dependence on oil.
People on here want one thing - options. Right now there are few to none for a lot of people; and the problem with pure capitalism is there won't be any options until it is too late because pure capitalism is reactionary by definition; where what we need right now is a preventative system.

people wouldn't be dependent on oil if the highway system were never created. sprawl is related absolutely directly to outerbelts and thru way highways. also, supply of oil is manipulated, just for your information. it's not related 100% to demand.

as for "reactionary"; that's what the government is. how long have we been wanting rail? 10, 15 years? yet bureaucratic red tape has prevented it from happening. the private sector would have had the rail built long ago.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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aderwent wrote >>

surber17 wrote >>
example - about 2 summers ago, within a 6 - 8 month period my average fill-up went from $24 to around $55. Because of high prices demand dropped and so did the price; but the real issue is the supply stayed the same (well actually just continued to drop). If something were to happen to that supply (either it goes away entirely, or people refuse to sell to America, etc.) we are screwed. People have spread out so much that they have given themselves no option to get to work other than drive there and because of the quick jump in price people may not be able to afford the commute everyday like they use to. Not getting to work ='s people losing their job ='s suffering of a very large group of people for a very long time. And this all could happen very very quickly because of our dependence on oil.
People on here want one thing - options. Right now there are few to none for a lot of people; and the problem with pure capitalism is there won't be any options until it is too late because pure capitalism is reactionary by definition; where what we need right now is a preventative system.

people wouldn't be dependent on oil if the highway system were never created. sprawl is related absolutely directly to outerbelts and thru way highways. also, supply of oil is manipulated, just for your information. it's not related 100% to demand.
as for "reactionary"; that's what the government is. how long have we been wanting rail? 10, 15 years? yet bureaucratic red tape has prevented it from happening. the private sector would have had the rail built long ago.

On the flip side there is that whole pesky argument about private industry gutting the existing transit infrastructure some years back.

Posted 2 years ago #
byJody
Rural NW Columbus
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jodyNcolumbus wrote >>
There are tracks going right by Downtown Powell...

..This would blend nicely with a link to the zoo/waterpark nearby. I think a combination of bike lending, taxi service and shuttle bus could complete the circuit.

Who could use a train from downtown Columbus to the zoo?
* Families who'd skip the hassle of driving/parking
* Anyone who does not drive: Teens; Seniors;
* Childcare professionals/field trips

Something to think about. Hopefully this is on one of the rail lists somewhere.

(Sorry - this seems off topic for how this thread is evolving. Maybe there is a better place to post 'the zoo train')

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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They run a bus during the season. A good place to start would be to look at the numbers for that route.

A better idea would be a rail line eventually serving Dublin-Downtown and the general NW Columbus area. Linking rail to one specific destination is probably not a good idea for the long term. You could run a shuttle from a Dublin station to the zoo though.

Posted 2 years ago #
foxforcefive
CBus
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My head hurts from reading all 13 pages of this...that's 20 minutes that I'll never get back.

On that note, I would use a light rail system. Heck, I would use COTA if they would run a line around the north-side of 270. For the mundane task of driving to work and back, I hate driving.

My dad lives in Illinois, near St. Louis. He can catch a train not far from his house, and take it all the way downtown to watch a Cards game, visit the Arch, go to work, etc. One night after a game, we saw a drunk guy on the train that had puked and passed out in the doorway, which delayed the train from leaving on time...it was the after-game entertainment.

I have to agree with the majority of sane posts in this thread. I think light-rail would only do good things for the economy and business as a whole, and would probably be paid for with increased tax revenue in a pretty short time. Furthermore, more people on the train = less people on the roads = potentially less traffic = win for the drivers...why are you complaining?

Posted 2 years ago #
misskitty
Columbus
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Why do people say that the highways cost us X amount of dollars and the Light rail will only cost this X amount of dollars ? I mean the highways are not going anywhere the bridges need fixed unless you want to see one crumble at random. So really adding rail is an additional cost itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s more because were not going to get rid of roads. Not that itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a bad thing it just seemed like people assumed that once we have rail we wont have road cost.

Posted 2 years ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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misskitty wrote >>
Why do people say that the highways cost us X amount of dollars and the Light rail will only cost this X amount of dollars ? I mean the highways are not going anywhere the bridges need fixed unless you want to see one crumble at random. So really adding rail is an additional cost itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s more because were not going to get rid of roads. Not that itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a bad thing it just seemed like people assumed that once we have rail we wont have road cost.

road maintenance costs are cost by lane-mile. Fewer lanes added because rail systems take up some capacity = fewer lane-miles = lower maintenance cost.

factor in freight rail and take trucks off the road and you run into serious savings, because trucks produce most of the 'wear and tear'.

Posted 2 years ago #
JackieC
Grandview
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Thought this made several good points, some even mentioned before on here. Hope you enjoy.

"To create jobs, build public transit, not roads."- from Wired.com

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/01/jobs-for-main-street-act/

Posted 2 years ago #