Althouse: "The Ohio and Wisconsin projects aren't even worthy of being called high-speed rail, as Wisconsin's average speed was projected to be just 59 mph..."

December 11, 2010

"The Ohio and Wisconsin projects aren't even worthy of being called high-speed rail, as Wisconsin's average speed was projected to be just 59 mph..."

"... and Ohio's an even more lethargic 38.5 mph. ... New transportation technologies are successful when they are faster, more convenient, and less expensive than the technologies they replace. High-speed rail is slower than flying, less convenient than driving, and at least five times more expensive than either one. It is only feasible with heavy taxpayer subsidies and even then it will only serve a tiny portion of the nation's population."

Randal O'Toole at Cato.

More opinion collected here.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...: "Slow Expensive Union Hack Jobs Rail" just doesn't have quite the same zing does it?; 12/11/10, 8:44 AM
Anonymous said...: "... it will only serve a tiny portion of the nation's population."

That being the corrupt members of the Association of Municipal, State and County Employees Union to whom these jobs have been promised by Barack Obama in return for their continued thuggery on his personal behalf.; 12/11/10, 8:46 AM
Fen said...: if you think its bad now, wait till Janet Napolitano installs scanners at train station.; 12/11/10, 8:47 AM
traditionalguy said...: These Grants are political bribery veiled as improvements in the imagination of fools. The money goes into Dem supporting architects, planners, R/O/W acquistion jobs and rail car contractors, plus Bond attorney rip offs. what the Taxpayer is left with is a white elephant that costs like another entitlement, since ridership would have to be $200 per person per short trip at a reduced speed unless Wisconsin pays the rest...forever. I say sell it on E-Bay.; 12/11/10, 8:49 AM
rhhardin said...: Columbus to Cleveland by bicycle takes ten hours, the same as flying.; 12/11/10, 8:50 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Althouse bets the parlay and tries to make Garage's & Alpha's heads explode.; 12/11/10, 8:51 AM
Anonymous said...: and Ohio's an even more lethargic 38.5 mph

But it is innovative!

China has high speed rail!
Ohio should too!!!!!; 12/11/10, 8:52 AM
Anonymous said...: and Ohio's an even more lethargic 38.5 mph

But it only cost .12 cents a year!

How can you oppose this!?1111??l!!/?!; 12/11/10, 8:53 AM
Anonymous said...: Ann, you have no interest in examining your own boondoogle, set-asides and quotas for women.

Until you want to discuss your own favored plans for distributing other people's jobs and money to your favored constituency, perhaps you should shut the fuck up.

In know... it's just a matter of simple justice and fairness for women to receive their set-asides and quotas.; 12/11/10, 9:04 AM
Anonymous said...: What we need in this country is some fucking high-speed airports.

It takes 3 hours and 59 minutes to drive from Boston to New York and when I get there, I don't have to hail a cab or rent a vehicle or report my luggage stolen by New York's finest.

On the other hand, it takes 3 hours and 44 minutes to fly from Boston to New York (including the two hours required to be at the airport early so that the government can feel my daughter's 10-year-old vagina to see whether or not she is hiding Osama bin Laden in her Underroos, and the half-hour to retrieve her luggage - but not including the mental health counseling she'll need following her molestation by the Democrat Party).

Cost To Drive to New York: $48.00 worth of gas (at 25 miles per gallon).

Cost To Fly Rape Air? $601.40 round trip (Delta), not including the rental car required when I get there.

Thanks.

I'll drive.; 12/11/10, 9:07 AM
Anonymous said...: "... if you think its bad now, wait till Janet Napolitano installs scanners at train station."

These are not "scanners."

They do not scan for anything. They do not detect explosive residues. Nor do they "sniff" you to see if you've been handling explosives.

These devices merely take pictures underneath clothing so that the TSA can see your naked body without the hassle of requiring you to take off all of your clothing.

These photos do not even penetrate the skin and so cannot detect bombs placed inside a rectum or for example, inside the vagina of a radical Muslim terrorist wearing a burqa.

These are government-authorized child-porn photo booths built by donors to the Barack Obama campaign.

The only reason they are in our airports is that the manufacturer donates money to Democrat political candidates.; 12/11/10, 9:22 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: Sure, the choo-choo won't get you to Milwaukee any faster than a good old Greyhound bus.

But you'll feel so sophisticated and European as you chug through Wisconsin at 59 mph! Totally worth a billion dollars for that alone.; 12/11/10, 9:22 AM
Tom Kelly said...: Where are the auto-pilots for our cars?

I drove 600 miles yesterday between 2 places that barely support regular air service, let alone any prospects for high speed rail.

We have existing technology that would allow this to be a pleasant sit back and watch a triple feature trip.

Military grade GPS can keep the car within about 6 inches of the lane center.

On board collision avoidance radar could slow the car and turn off my movie/sound alarm when we get too close to another vehicle or crossing animal/illegal alien (this was in south Texas).

A rotating white beacon on the roof of the car could alert other vehicles that my vehicle is on auto pilot.

Speed and acceleration would be precisely controlled for maximum safety, adherence to the law, and best gas mileage.

I want auto drive! Not ridiculous high speed rail.; 12/11/10, 9:35 AM
Charlie said...: Don't tell Tom Friedman!; 12/11/10, 9:39 AM
Toad Trend said...: High-speed rail...you mean like when the 'Won' calls certain Americans 'enemies'? 'Hostage-takers'?; 12/11/10, 9:58 AM
kent said...: "... but... but... trains! Whizzy! Future! Europe! VRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM -- !!!"

/garage, Alpha, etc.; 12/11/10, 10:20 AM
jimspice said...: I don't care if the train remained parked and carried exactly zero people. The thousands of temp and hundreds of permanent jobs, the tax revenue from the $810M recirculated over and over in the WI economy would have been nice. I hope CA, IL or NY enjoys it.; 12/11/10, 10:27 AM
Birkel said...: Slightly Longer jimspice:

I like other peoples' money. Money grows on trees. Money zooms around -- but only inside the state the federal government deems appropriate. Zero sum games are fun to play!! When the federal government takes money from those with jobs, subtracts a percentage for administration and returns it to those who initially paid, that's known as a win-win-win-win-win. Or something.; 12/11/10, 10:46 AM
kent said...: I don't care if the train remained parked and carried exactly zero people.

You doubtless have a grand future ahead of you in the federal "stimulus" funds disbursement game. Something ACORN-y, perhaps.; 12/11/10, 10:47 AM
David said...: We already have a much more efficient rail system than Europe. That's because we move a high percentage of freight by rail, while the Euros depend on trucks.; 12/11/10, 10:50 AM
David said...: jimspice said...
I don't care if the train remained parked and carried exactly zero people. The thousands of temp and hundreds of permanent jobs, the tax revenue from the $810M recirculated over and over in the WI economy would have been nice. I hope CA, IL or NY enjoys it.

Even better, it would have all been free. $810M of free recirculating money.

Why not build a couple of these in every state? That would solve all our problems.; 12/11/10, 10:55 AM
former law student said...: By this calculation, the average speed of Southwest Airlines' 737s is only 270 mph -- not even counting the time alloted to pass through security.

The case of Ohio differs from Wisconsin, by the way. Ohio is a state you drive through to get somewhere else. Wisconsin is America's Dairyland and America's Little Switzerland: the land of Kaese, Wurst, und Bier.; 12/11/10, 11:03 AM
Robin said...: America's Little Switzerland? Surprising how well they speak English isn't it?; 12/11/10, 11:06 AM
former law student said...: http://www.swisstown.com/festivals.shtml

Pencil the weekend of June 10-12 in your calendar for Polkafest!; 12/11/10, 11:09 AM
Toad Trend said...: High speed rail in Wisconsin?

I prefer high speed snowmobiling between little towns that compete with each other for who has more PBR or Olde Style beer signs...

Some things just need to be left alone.; 12/11/10, 11:40 AM
garage mahal said...: Off to an awesome start Walker. Out 800 million, out 4700 jobs, and have to pay in 70 million. And that's before he's even sworn in. Yikes.; 12/11/10, 1:28 PM
kent said...: "Nevertheless, in a blatant political move, the Obama administration gave the authority a $900 million grant just a week before the election on the condition that most of the money be spent in the district of a Democratic member of Congress who was fighting a close reelection campaign. The representative, Jim Costa, won reelection by a mere 3,000 votes. The rail authority dutifully decided to start building the rail line in the heart of Costa’s district, from the small town of Corcoran — known mainly as the home of Charles Manson and fellow prisoners — to an even smaller spot named Borden — population zero. This plan was quickly dubbed the train to nowhere and generated opposition not just from Republicans but from Costa’s fellow Democrat, Dennis Cardoza, who represents the congressional district just north of Costa’s."

Once again, the libtard approach to fiscal policy, in percect miniature.

Call it "High-Speed Fail."; 12/11/10, 2:14 PM
BJM said...: Hey, at least the OH & WI HSR projects, unlike phase 1 of the CA HSR project, will have trains and power.

"....this section will be completely un-powered and un-supported until more lines are built. No trains, no maintenance facilities, just empty tracks and stations"

This is criminal level stupid.; 12/11/10, 2:16 PM
Anonymous said...: But what about all the free money? I want some of the free money.....; 12/11/10, 4:42 PM
R.L. Hunter said...: I find it amazing that this supposedly "modern" technology can't beat this.; 12/11/10, 6:14 PM
former law student said...: "Nevertheless, in a blatant political move, the Obama administration gave the authority a $900 million grant just a week before the election on the condition that most of the money be spent in the district of a Democratic member of Congress who was fighting a close reelection campaign. The representative, Jim Costa, won reelection by a mere 3,000 votes. The rail authority dutifully decided to start building the rail line in the heart of Costa’s district, from the small town of Corcoran — known mainly as the home of Charles Manson and fellow prisoners — to an even smaller spot named Borden — population zero

I expect more than lies and bullshit from Cato. The line runs in a bipartisan manner through two GOP Congressional Districts and two Democratic Congressional Districts.

The line starts in Borden, part of Republican George Radanovich's 19th Congressional District.

The line's terminus in Corcoran is not in the heart of Costa's 20th Congressional District, but on the border of Republican Devin Nunes' 21st Congressional District. Thus the line runs in a bipartisan manner through two GOP and two Dem districts. (It goes through only a tiny spur of Dem Dennis Cardoza's 19th Congressional District, and that's probably why he's bitching about it.); 12/12/10, 2:02 AM
Original Mike said...: "Don't tell Tom Friedman!"

Friedman? Hell, don't tell FLS. He'll spend the rest of his days sitting on the floor, drooling, repetitively mumbling "92 mph, 92 mph, ...".; 12/12/10, 12:39 PM
Robert R. said...: The ultimate failure of the HSR debate in Wisconsin is somehow the political hacks of the Cato Institute have more weight than people with actual licenses to practice engineering.

Seriously, forget Walker/Barrett, etc. Show me the engineers that debunked the Service Plan. There's a reason that HNTB is one of the leading transportation engineering firms in the country and the Cato Institute isn't.; 12/13/10, 5:41 AM