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High Speed Rail Development in the US

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Started 2 years ago by Walker
Latest reply from tree_sketcher

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Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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With plenty of chatter about Ohio's 3C Corridor's expected $400M funding today

(here: http://www.columbusunderground.com/3c-corridor-should-receive-federal-funds-tomorrow)

I figured it might be worth talking about the other 12 rail corridors that are getting funded. Here's what I've heard so far:

1 - $2.25B for SanFrancisco-LosAngeles Corridor

2 - $1.1B for Chicago-StLouis Corridor

3 - $1.25B for Tampa-Orlando Corridor

4 - $244M for Chicago-Detroit Corridor

5 - $810M for Madison-Milwaukee Corridor

6 - $590M for Portland-Seattle Corridor

7 - $520M for Raleigh-Charlotte Corridor

Some of these are for new service, some are for upgrades to existing systems.

Anyone else hear anything different?

Anyone excited about any of these in particular?

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Which ones are high speed?
I read that the one in Ohio is going to have an average speed of 40mph (factoring in stops)

But you have to start somewhere.

Tampa Orlando is a boondoggle. There just isn't that much traffic between the two spots and it isn't that far. I'm seeing it as an extension of Disney World Monorail service to the Tampa beaches.

2,4 and 5 really are one project. They are improving the lines that already exist.

LA to Frisco is the coolest one. That one will be the US's first high speed and used as a prototype for the rest of the US. So it really benefits everyone. I can see the results of that one used for the next step for Ohio.

The idea that we will see train service in 6 months is fanciful though.

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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hmmm.

I just added up the ones that benefit Chicago.
$2.154B

I guess that is not surprising consider who he is beholding to.

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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I think the average speed of the 3C varies depending upon your total trip distance. I think most of the low number comes from a trip from Cincinnati to Cleveland, which I'm guessing most people won't be taking. Columbus to Dayton for example probably won't contain any stops in between, so the average speed is going to be higher.

Where did you see anyone claiming train service in 6 months? Are you talking about Ohio or one of the other corridors?

Posted 2 years ago #
agtw31
columbus
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wow,110 mph in NC's route

they have done some nice restoration work on their train stations down there.

Posted 2 years ago #
rus

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Tenzo wrote >>
hmmm.
I just added up the ones that benefit Chicago.
$2.154B
I guess that is not surprising consider who he is beholding to.

Shocking, I know.

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Walker wrote >>

Where did you see anyone claiming train service in 6 months?

Wooops, my bad.
I keep forgetting we are in 2010 already.
(mainly because I've been doing Decmber accounting adjustments for the last two weeks)

Officials have said the trains could be up and running by the middle of next year.

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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rus wrote >>

Tenzo wrote >>
hmmm.
I just added up the ones that benefit Chicago.
$2.154B
I guess that is not surprising consider who he is beholding to.

Shocking, I know.

Yeah. Absolutely nothing to do with Chicago being the 3rd largest metro area in the country.

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Walker wrote >>

rus wrote >>

Tenzo wrote >>
hmmm.
I just added up the ones that benefit Chicago.
$2.154B
I guess that is not surprising consider who he is beholding to.

Shocking, I know.

Yeah. Absolutely nothing to do with Chicago being the 3rd largest metro area in the country.

[/troll]
Actually it does make sense.
Chicago is more than the third largest.
It's the number 1 transportation hub in the united states. So improving that area has a benefit to everyone.
Not improving that area would be more shocking.

Posted 2 years ago #
rus

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Walker wrote >>

rus wrote >>

Tenzo wrote >>
hmmm.
I just added up the ones that benefit Chicago.
$2.154B
I guess that is not surprising consider who he is beholding to.

Shocking, I know.

Yeah. Absolutely nothing to do with Chicago being the 3rd largest metro area in the country.

Sorry, what was that? Can't hear you through the cynicism over here.

Posted 2 years ago #
mstimple

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So how many stops are there going to be? I looked a while ago and saw there were numerous ones (Delaware, Galion, Grafton, Cleveland airport, Cleveland) but on the link to the DOT website there is only one between here and Cleveland. Also, where is the station here going to be? I've heard the convention center. Maybe the parking lot between 3rd and 4th street overpass of 670 and the tracks into downtown?

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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mstimple wrote >>
So how many stops are there going to be? I looked a while ago and saw there were numerous ones (Delaware, Galion, Grafton, Cleveland airport, Cleveland) but on the link to the DOT website there is only one between here and Cleveland. Also, where is the station here going to be? I've heard the convention center. Maybe the parking lot between 3rd and 4th street overpass of 670 and the tracks into downtown?

http://3cisme.ohio.gov/

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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More here:

http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/01/president-obama-delivers-on-american-highspeed-rail.html

Posted 2 years ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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I was skeptical at first but I a excited about it now. :). Boo about Chicago getting bucu bucks though.

Posted 2 years ago #
mstimple

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Yea that's the one I linked to last night, but there is another site somewhere that listed more stops and went into more detail and also talked about station locations here in Columbus. Your going to get a lot of people from small towns between the cities even more pissed off if they find that this train that they will be paying to build won't be stopping anywhere near them. However, if you only have one stop between here and Cleveland, the total travel time will be lower.

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Press Release:

Labor Secretary Solis to Join Governor Strickland for Passenger Rail Announcement Today

Columbus, Ohio Ã¢â‚¬â€œ U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis today will join Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, state and local officials, and passenger rail supporters to announce that Ohio will receive $400 million in federal rail money for OhioÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s 3C passenger rail service.

The event will be held at 1 p.m. today in the Statehouse Atrium.

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Lakee911 wrote >>
Boo about Chicago getting bucu bucks though.

Look at the map (thanks Walker) locate the hub.

Posted 2 years ago #
scornflakes

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Tenzo wrote >>
Which ones are high speed?
Tampa Orlando is a boondoggle. There just isn't that much traffic between the two spots and it isn't that far. I'm seeing it as an extension of Disney World Monorail service to the Tampa beaches.

I don't see that as a "boondoggle" necessarily. It is almost 100 miles from Orlando to Lakeland to Tampa-St. Pete, and those cities make our urban sprawl problems seem quaint by comparison. Traffic in and around Orlando and Tampa is absolutely insane, and they spend unbelievable amounts of money on road repair every year. The last time I was in Orlando, I was stunned to hear actual Orlandoans saying that they would gladly give up their using their cars so much for a commuter rail and connector lines between Orlando-Tampa-Miami. If this leads to easier, cheaper, less damaging transportation for millions of denizens and tourists in central and south Florida (like I hope it leads to here in Ohio), then every last dime is money well-spent. It would free up hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money that goes there yearly to repair infrastructure, and that helps all of us. (And I would imagine that a lot of the extra cost is justified, due to the unique problems of terrain and environmental impact: sandy soil, wetlands, wildlife, etc.)

Tenzo wrote >>
hmmm.
I just added up the ones that benefit Chicago.
$2.154B
I guess that is not surprising consider who he is beholding to.

Or because Chicago is, you know, kind of a huge city in the center of the country. Look, I know there's a pretty big media industry in this country that thrives on cynical speculation, reflexively declaring that almost every government project is a "boondoggle" of 2% favoritism, 1% nepotism, and 97% graft; but, man, that AM radio impulse is a poison that you have got to purge. There's a big difference between being aware, being skeptical, and being cynical.

Posted 2 years ago #
michaelcoyote
!seabus
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Tenzo wrote >>

Lakee911 wrote >>
Boo about Chicago getting bucu bucks though.

Look at the map (thanks Walker) locate the hub.

Yeah, considering Chicagoland is one of the biggest users of rail outside the Coasts, it makes sense to beef up their rail infrastructure.

Posted 2 years ago #