It seems the federal Government should look to the past and do what Franklin Roosevelt did with the interstate highway system. "Shop the supermarket" build High speed rail around the outer edge of the entire U.S. using medians of existing I-10 in the south and other interstates East - -West -North. Then just as State highways did let each state connect in as their states need Such as in the past Highway 61 from Texas to Chicago and beyond. It's not new imagination it's just present thinking of economical quick transportation combining past to present needs. The infrastructure is there. The need is there. The imagination and spirit of cooperation is absent from the equations.
All great ideas. Activists and industry lobbyists are working on getting dedicated funding for high-speed rail in the next infrastructure bill. Brightline Florida and Brightline West are both routing tracks on existing freeway rights of way. It's a very intriguing strategy that helps minimize conflicts, and potentially makes for much cheaper, faster construction. I wrote about that in a previous post:
But it's not appropriate everywhere. In the Dallas to Houston corridor, for instance, planners determined that the existing I-35 freeway right of way was too windy, and had too many interchanges, to make it practical for high-speed rail.
Thanks for the response. Another idea that I would hope through public awareness would get traction , is the fact that hurricane season costs insurance companies and feds billions. ( Insurance companies off loading as much as possible in claims to FEMA, and fed insurance policy) In areas from Florida through Texas we could capture enough rain to help drought stricken west ( including Texas) incorporate this aquaduct into a scenic coast highway thus avoiding the congestion in Houston. Sit the fast rail right in top of aqua duct. Every one wants to go to the beach. Every coastal city wants protection from rising Gulf waters and storm surge. Have insurance companies pay outright their share. Citizens partnered through Rural. Development grants ( making citizens stake holders in the aquaducts success) Profits generated by selling water to drought area's will help pay back grants quicker once grants are paid back. The aqua duct becomes a co op and citizens get dividend checks for any profit above overhead. In my small town our electric service operates under those guidelines and it was nice getting a check once a year. Be it ever so small, it gave hope in Government not being to big to fail as long as we kept feeding them and in turn they fed us to grow as well. Just a weird thought. Have a good weekend. Benjamin.
No train is going to protect a place from a hurricane. And no one in Florida is going to let you build one on the beach. No civil engineer is going to tell you that's a smart place to build.
I agree no train can protect a place from a hurricane. However It can move and evacuate people from coastal areas much faster than highways. A mono rail train elevated, or incorporated into an aquaduct / seawall could be tackled by civil engineers and city planners. Seawalls not only protect against storm surge they also reduce maintainance costs of beach access adjoining highways wind driven sand. America is reactive rather than proactive. Until cities all along the coast become uninsurable due to flooding even from rain. No one will look for a profitable solution that excess water benefits other areas of the nation that are willing to pay for the water. New Orleans is 7' below sea level they pump water every rain Alabama gets 47" of rain average. Yet some cities have to pay other cities to pump water to them due to growth and un met demand for water. Water is going to be a very valuable asset for those cities who begin to look at excess water as an asset rather than a liability. People leaving coastal areas due to excessively high Insurance rates, to totally uninsurable homes will probably be the only way city leaders, city planners, and civil engineers will see the over looked asset part of flood water. I don't have the answer. I have an idea. My thinking is proactive how to incorporate the transporting of water and people efficiently for a better future, into one project that is well thought out to benefit the coastal cities and Nations current and future needs. Hurricane season is upon us. Billions will spent on damage that could be spent towards protecting.
With all due respect you're out of touch with both cost and positivity. A red state that won't allow off shore.oil rigs ain't going to let s train foul their beaches.
A red state that won't fund a low speed train to reconnect Jacksonville with new Orleans is not going to spend $100 billion to build beach based HSR along the gulf coast. Not even if you invoke hurricane evacuation
Most existing interstate right of ways are not big enough for this. That is the infrastructure is not there. You'd have to aquire more which is at best messy and time consuming.
Florida DOT has made a point with new freeways to build a right of way that can accommodate. FL 520 was fairly new and built with this larger right of way to accommodate a train and utilities.
Yes. It's messy with states. Overwhelming in scope when a person thinks of all the issues that have to change to embrace and adapt to future climate change and transportation. Good you recognize examples that they are trying.
I always want California High-Speed Rail in California and Brightline West and I always love California High-Speed Rail in California and Brightline West.
It seems the federal Government should look to the past and do what Franklin Roosevelt did with the interstate highway system. "Shop the supermarket" build High speed rail around the outer edge of the entire U.S. using medians of existing I-10 in the south and other interstates East - -West -North. Then just as State highways did let each state connect in as their states need Such as in the past Highway 61 from Texas to Chicago and beyond. It's not new imagination it's just present thinking of economical quick transportation combining past to present needs. The infrastructure is there. The need is there. The imagination and spirit of cooperation is absent from the equations.
All great ideas. Activists and industry lobbyists are working on getting dedicated funding for high-speed rail in the next infrastructure bill. Brightline Florida and Brightline West are both routing tracks on existing freeway rights of way. It's a very intriguing strategy that helps minimize conflicts, and potentially makes for much cheaper, faster construction. I wrote about that in a previous post:
https://benjaminschneider.substack.com/p/is-this-a-new-era-for-high-speed
But it's not appropriate everywhere. In the Dallas to Houston corridor, for instance, planners determined that the existing I-35 freeway right of way was too windy, and had too many interchanges, to make it practical for high-speed rail.
Thanks for the response. Another idea that I would hope through public awareness would get traction , is the fact that hurricane season costs insurance companies and feds billions. ( Insurance companies off loading as much as possible in claims to FEMA, and fed insurance policy) In areas from Florida through Texas we could capture enough rain to help drought stricken west ( including Texas) incorporate this aquaduct into a scenic coast highway thus avoiding the congestion in Houston. Sit the fast rail right in top of aqua duct. Every one wants to go to the beach. Every coastal city wants protection from rising Gulf waters and storm surge. Have insurance companies pay outright their share. Citizens partnered through Rural. Development grants ( making citizens stake holders in the aquaducts success) Profits generated by selling water to drought area's will help pay back grants quicker once grants are paid back. The aqua duct becomes a co op and citizens get dividend checks for any profit above overhead. In my small town our electric service operates under those guidelines and it was nice getting a check once a year. Be it ever so small, it gave hope in Government not being to big to fail as long as we kept feeding them and in turn they fed us to grow as well. Just a weird thought. Have a good weekend. Benjamin.
No train is going to protect a place from a hurricane. And no one in Florida is going to let you build one on the beach. No civil engineer is going to tell you that's a smart place to build.
I agree no train can protect a place from a hurricane. However It can move and evacuate people from coastal areas much faster than highways. A mono rail train elevated, or incorporated into an aquaduct / seawall could be tackled by civil engineers and city planners. Seawalls not only protect against storm surge they also reduce maintainance costs of beach access adjoining highways wind driven sand. America is reactive rather than proactive. Until cities all along the coast become uninsurable due to flooding even from rain. No one will look for a profitable solution that excess water benefits other areas of the nation that are willing to pay for the water. New Orleans is 7' below sea level they pump water every rain Alabama gets 47" of rain average. Yet some cities have to pay other cities to pump water to them due to growth and un met demand for water. Water is going to be a very valuable asset for those cities who begin to look at excess water as an asset rather than a liability. People leaving coastal areas due to excessively high Insurance rates, to totally uninsurable homes will probably be the only way city leaders, city planners, and civil engineers will see the over looked asset part of flood water. I don't have the answer. I have an idea. My thinking is proactive how to incorporate the transporting of water and people efficiently for a better future, into one project that is well thought out to benefit the coastal cities and Nations current and future needs. Hurricane season is upon us. Billions will spent on damage that could be spent towards protecting.
With all due respect you're out of touch with both cost and positivity. A red state that won't allow off shore.oil rigs ain't going to let s train foul their beaches.
A red state that won't fund a low speed train to reconnect Jacksonville with new Orleans is not going to spend $100 billion to build beach based HSR along the gulf coast. Not even if you invoke hurricane evacuation
Oh yeah. I got wiped out of my small town by a 30 foot storm surge that came with Katrina
Most existing interstate right of ways are not big enough for this. That is the infrastructure is not there. You'd have to aquire more which is at best messy and time consuming.
Florida DOT has made a point with new freeways to build a right of way that can accommodate. FL 520 was fairly new and built with this larger right of way to accommodate a train and utilities.
Yes. It's messy with states. Overwhelming in scope when a person thinks of all the issues that have to change to embrace and adapt to future climate change and transportation. Good you recognize examples that they are trying.
I always want California High-Speed Rail in California and Brightline West and I always love California High-Speed Rail in California and Brightline West.
Yes and yeah of course California High-Speed Rail in California and Brightline West.
Yes and yeah of course California High-Speed Rail in California.
I always want California High-Speed Rail in California and I always love California High-Speed Rail in California.