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It's a great point assuming you live somewhere that has highspeed rail.
I’d love one, but my SUV-owning neighbors don’t want it in their backyards.
I'm certain a large portion of the city would have to be demolished to build a high speed rail here.
Not as much of a portion as is needed for a freeway.
We do that for cars all the time. Wouldn't it be a better solution to build something that ACTUALLY fixes traffic instead of adding another 2 lanes to the 15 lane highway? Induced demand is real
I don't know why everyone thinks I'm arguing against this lol I am absolutely for it it's a great idea. All I'm saying is no one in any position of power in my city will ever allow it to happen
Worst part is that was already done* to build the highways (and on traditionally black neighbourhoods to boot).
Yeah, but there's already a freeway here.
For everyone downvoting me, I have nothing against high speed rail. I would love to have that as an option, but my city is literally never going to build one.
Brightline has a solution for their planned LA to Vegas route. 96% of their planned high speed rail is in the I-15 highway median. (Source: https://www.brightlinewest.com/overview/project)
Yes, I know that won't work everywhere and there isn't always a highway median. I'm just pointing this out as one situation in which someone does have a (planned) solution to the problem of a highway already being there.
Also, we expand highways on a regular basis in the United States, and that often means demolishing things next to them. Perhaps there are alternative uses for that space?
Have you heard about this insane invention called
tunnel?
Sure, it's more expensive but you can put miles of rail underground without much issue, besides cost. Safety will be slightly lower, but just from super safe to very safe.
You might be overly focused on the incremental cost of solving a problem correctly without considering the elephant in the room of the millions we pour into our existing roadway systems.
Instead of expanding the next roadway, how about reserving that space for more efficient public transportation solutions, such as rail? Even repurposing existing roadways could still be a better use of space and money. The funding for transportation solutions already exists and is being spent every day.
Basically, with a great rail system, you shouldn’t need all those highway lanes that currently occupy so much space in the city, and the funding currently being used for those roadways ought to be repurposed for more efficient solutions.
Just my two cents. I’m a regular guy and nobody cares what I think about automobiles and rail except random online people. I never would downvote you because it appears your comment is in good faith.
These are all excellent suggestions! The problem is the area I live in is full of both people who would sooner die than give up their giant obnoxious pick-up trucks and politicians who get massive kick backs from the funds that are meant to be used to fix the roads here.
Again, I have nothing against public rail transport, I just know that no one here will ever try to get it made, and if they did there would be all kinds of push back to make sure it never happens.