Diminishing Returns of Highway Investments Part II: "There is a persistent narrative that highway spending, particularly for highway expansion, is a good investment. This may have been true once, but now that the auto/highway system has matured and reached saturation, investments in other parts of the transportation system are yielding greater economic benefits" https://rpa.org/news/lab/economic-benefits-of-transit-spending
Lakeshore Rail Alliance
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More economic development, better workforce mobility, improved quality of life and environment through modern, fast, frequent passenger rail in the Great Lakes and Northeast Megaregions. www.allaboarderie.net/lakeshore-rail-alliance
Diminishing Returns From Highway Investments Part I: We knew 20 years ago that highway investments were not providing sensible economic returns when (in 2006) the Brookings Institution found that every dollar invested in new lane miles only bring about 11 cents in congestion benefits: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-effect-of-government-highway-spending-on-road-users-congestion-costs/
We have enough car infrastructure. Time to focus transportation investments on modes that are more efficient at moving people.
Between the Iran war and the TSA meltdown at airports, the online chatter about people taking Amtrak is showing Americans want more trains, but Amtrak does not have the capacity we need. We must invest in electrified passenger rail. How many more warnings about oil dependence are we going to ignore?
https://www.hsrail.org/blog/when-america-wants-to-ride-will-the-trains-be-waiting/
@andrew773 Agree. We peaked with the moon landing, but even then our passenger rail system was falling apart. The L is great, but needs the equivalent of a "ring road". People don't just want to go in and out of downtown.
The U.S. will not be immune to high jet fuel costs. Sure would have been smart to build an electrified passenger rail network starting about 30 years ago:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/30/thousands-of-flights-cancelled-as-jet-fuel-costs-soar/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/30/thousands-of-flights-cancelled-as-jet-fuel-costs-soar/
This is not sustainable. Cars are so expensive that people are getting 7yr loans. By the end of year 5, you owe more than the car is worth. More high-quality options to driving is the best way to give people freedom from the growing expense of car ownership. LEGALIZE TRANSPORTATION FREEDOM:
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/cars-are-so-expensive-that-buyers-need-7-year-loans/
Place the entire NEC under a completely separate federal authority from Amtrak and mandate open access. Fares will fall and service options will increase as competitors enter the market. Travelers will have options from bare-bones to premium and in-between. This model has been successful in Europe.
This is a bad move by @amtrak that should be opposed. This yard will be needed to expand passenger rail service in the Midwest. It is very short-sighted. https://www.hsrail.org/blog/amtrak-should-rethink-its-plan-to-sell-a-national-asset/
