"David A. Bandel" wrote:
> Ian Marchak wrote:
> >
> [snip]
> >
> > Really and truly what it comes down to for me is this:
> >
> > When I have children, I would like for them to be able to go outside and
> > play without a respirator and SPF 600 sun block. We really have to
> > smarten up and stop spewing s#!t into the air at the rate we are...if
> > nobody can breathe the air, a lack of energy really won't matter all
> > that much.
> [snip]
>
> Years ago, I suggested to the Senate Transportation Committee in a
> letter to them (they either didn't read it or cracked up laughing) that
> what we needed was a true, non-nonsense mode of transportation. To wit:
>
> a system of overhead rails where speed would not endanger lives on the
> ground (I envision 60 mph + in the city, up to 500 mph between cities)
>
> individual cars (4-6 place vehicles) that could be privately owned if
> you so desired, or not (why bother except for the socially arrogant)
>
> totally computer controlled for maximum efficiency and safety (and no
> need for humans to interfere and cause accidents)
>
> What would this buy you?
> 1. almost 100% safety -- put your kids in one and they will arrive at
> school (and only at school, no intermediate stops)
> 2. no more pedestrians run over
> 3. you could work (read, watch tv) on the way to home or work
> 4. the speed (up to 500 mph) would preclude use of airplanes except for
> trans-oceanic or trans-continental travel
> 5. access for all
> 6. no more car insurance payments (I paid $300/year full coverage in
> the states and thought I was being abused, here I pay more than double
> that).
> 7. no more excuses for being late (OK, that's a disadvantage), because
> it would always take exactly 12.5 minutes to get to work regardless of
> traffic and route taken (computers would see to that)
> 8. cargo could get shuttled off to holding areas during "rush hour" (I
> hate fighting semis).
>
> We've had the technology to do this for over 10 years. But inertia and
> interests (insurance companies, gas companies -- wouldn't use gas, would
> use solar energy -- etc, would kill it before it could save lives and
> fuel; no, better to guzzle gas and kill a 747 load of people a day in
> the US than improve the transportation system).
>
> Now, I own a Ford Ranger Pickup with crew cab (not the new double
> cabin). I often have it loaded up up with 1200-1500 lbs of fertilizer
> or herbicides, 300 ears of sweet corn or 1500 lbs of dried corn, etc
> (not something I want inside with me). Otherwise, I'd just get a Saturn
> Wagon (had one, loved it). SUVs just seem silly to me. But then, I
> have nothing to prove (already done that, got the T-shirt and the
> left-over explosives).
>
> Ciao,
>
> David A. Bandel
Problem with that is cost. Cities who have subway/elevated mass transit systems, i.e.
Chicago,
Boston, New York et al, inherited them from the end of the 19th century. Today most of
those
cities couldn't afford to build those systems from scratch. The fed would have to do
it and
right now they're too busy giving tax rebates of $300 - $600 so the suckers will have
money to
lose in the stock market.
Here in Florida, the state pushed the concept of a high speed rail link though out the
state.
The first step was to link Miami and Orlando. The state spent 10s of millions of
dollars doing
environmental/transportation/ technology studies. They got to the point where they had
almost
decided on the type of technology to employ, but were stopped dead when they realized
that
there wasn't enough money in the whole state to buy the right-of-way between Miami and
Orlando.
Congress wasn't inclined to offer much help. Too hard to convince Kansas farmers to
help pick
up the tab so that tourists could frolic on Miami beaches in the morning and then
shoot off to
Orlando for an afternoon with Mickey Mouse at Disney World.
Then there's the politics. Discounting the $5 billion renovation of Boston's MTA, the
last
major city in the US to build a subway system was Pittsburgh. Instead of linking the
parts of
the city where most of the potential riders were to be found, they built it to link the
Squirrel Hill part of town (that's where most of the millionaires live) to the
downtown area. I
guess they figured that only millionaires and their maids and other hired help could
afford the
fares they would have to charge to pay off the bond issue. And, let us not forget that
our
current president's daddy is in the oil business and he got the job partly by virtue
of the $1
million contributed directly to his campaign by the energy companies and the $33
million in
soft money from the same source that ended up in his campaign war chest. These folks
would not
be too happy with the idea of mass rail transit. They don't really care if a million
people
chock to death. They're rich enough to afford filters and oxygen enhancing equipment.
The state
of the atmosphere is only of concern to them when the bodies of dead children in the
streets
makes the ride between their 50 acre estates and the country club too bumpy. But, then
that's
politics where the buck is mightier than good public policy.
Lee
>
> --
> Focus on the dream, not the competition.
> -- Nemesis Racing Team motto
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