Compromise Gives 17.9 billion for Rail and Transit

[liskddksil]

Highlights of Compromise Economic Stimulus Plan

INFRASTRUCTURE

_ $46 billion for transportation projects, including $27 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair; $8.4 billion for mass transit; $8 billion for construction of high-speed railways and $1.3 billion for Amtrak; $4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers; $4 billion for public housing improvements; $6.4 billion for clean and drinking water projects; $7 billion to bring broadband Internet service to underserved areas.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/11/AR2009021103678_pf.html

This is great news!

[MercutioATC]

1. Is there a reason we're still funding Amtrak?

Lousy service, often more expensive than flying....and it hasn't made a profit. Ever.

...and how does throwing money at a non-profitable venture create a stimulus?

[cliffordu]

2. I'm on the west coast and travel AMTRAK whenever I go out of town.

I love it, would like to see service tripled.

When was the last time you used AMTRAK??

(not goading you, just a different experience, I think...)

[ComtesseDeSpair]

3. Everyone I know who uses Amtrak...

Loves it and say that they would travel by train all the time if they could.

[liskddksil]

4. We subsidize every form of transportation including roads and planes

Amtrak, has been underfunded by Republicans at every chance, and for the most part has had to share freight lines causing massive delays. However, rail transportation, especially high speed rail, is energy and environmentally friendly, and reduces traffic congestion on the roads. It is particularly worthy of funding, to improve infrastructure and equipment, which will create jobs.

[stillcool]

5. amtrack is great in these parts..

where do you live?

[MercutioATC]

9. I have heard that service is better on the east coast.

I'm in the midwest and Amtrak is a white elephant here.

[liberalpragmatist]

11. The insistence that a public rail system be profitable is what kills American rail

No other country insists that its rail system make a profit. It's a service, like the roads. It gets people from place to place and it ultimately contributes to the economy by making it easier to move goods and people throughout the country.

Amtrak funding needs to be greatly increased - the insistence that it be made profitable should be dropped, fares should be dropped and new tracks built or existing ones upgraded.

[pnutbutr]

16. Europe and Japan rail systems are run differently

The government provides and maintains infrastructure while private companies run the trains. The private companies are quite profitable and there is actually competition in the market.

[marmar]

14. Amtrak needs more funding......Improvements to service would make it a very viable alternative....

.... to flying short-distances or driving between the large metro areas here in the Great Lakes region. Right now, the service is too sporadic. And because Amtrak doesn't own its tracks, trains are often delayed waiting for freight trains to pass. (The 250-mile trip between Detroit and Chicago, for example, can often be stretched to 6-7 hours with the delays. That's ridiculous. The (significantly) longer run between Paris and Amsterdam on the high-speed Thalys is 4 hours)

[pnutbutr]

15. Amtrak is the best way to travel

I love Amtrak. The last trip I took cost slightly more than it would have to go by plane and I got a sleeping car which included all meals which are actually pretty darn good and I didn't have to worry about my young children crying on an airplane and getting bitched at by snotty people. My luggage was on the train I was on and was available no more than 10 minutes after arrival. The 24 hour train ride was part of the vacation, it was relaxing and we got to just take it easy, enjoy the ride and see the country. If you purchase a sleeping car you also get access to the VIP areas in major terminals. Amtrak knows what service is, the attendants in the cars are excellent, the food is good and everyone I have ever dealt with is as nice and helpful as can be.

It's great to see so much going to Amtrak finally and the money for high speed rail is fantastic. Europe has them, Japan has them but the US doesn't because rail travel is seen as old and busted in favor of airlines who are screwing people right and left for additional baggage and security and black lists and rate wars which end up with our government bailing out the airlines anyways cause they won't just raise rates to appropriate levels and provide good quality service but instead cut every corner imaginable just to stay in the black, not to mention that we have way too many airplanes in the sky and it increases every day. Having worked for the FAA for many years you have no idea what kind of problems really exist at these airports and with the airlines.

[Renew Deal]

17. Because it's an effective and necessary form of transportation?

:shrug:

[lunatica]

19. I used Amtrak and really enjoyed it. It's a great way to travel

if you want to enjoy the trip itself and aren't just thinking about getting to your destination.

[napoleon_in_rags]

6. This is really great news.

As I just said in another post, I wish a little more was spent on this stuff. But this is still really fantastic, and its going to do a lot of good.

[old mark]

7. Problem with Amtrak here is that it's not here.

We have to drive to Philly to get the train, nearly 60 miles each way.

Hoping they will extens passenger service.

mark

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. Sen. Boxer said a lot more is coming in the coming Energy Bill

She said that today... That's the bill it should come out of anyway.

[Canuckistanian]

10. I hope none of it goes to CSX

They're rapidly becoming the Halliburton of the transportation world.

[liskddksil]

12. More information

In late-stage talks, Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., pressed for $8 billion to construct high-speed rail lines, quadrupling the amount in the bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday.

Reid's office issued a statement noting that a proposed Los Angeles-to-Las Vegas rail might get a big chunk of the money.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gdDrWnoMueqVFI-Uo1ClxVZur22AD969TIKG2

Wow Can't believe Reid did something good for the bill afterall.

[marmar]

13. Excellent......

:thumbsup:

[a kennedy]

18. I can tell the price of gas by the number of train cars

that make up the train that goes by my home twice a day. When the price of gas was up near $4.00 a gallon, there were a total of 11 passenger cars, now when gas is $1.92 dollars a gallon, the number of passenger cars dropped to 8. The first time we went to Chicago on Amtrak it was about $200.00 for two adults in March of 2007. When we went last September, 2008, the price was double, about $430.00 for two adults round trip.........but, we thought it was still cheaper then driving.