U.S. Left in the Dust as China Unveils World's Fastest High Speed Train

Daily Tech ^ | June 7, 2010 | Jason Mick

[KevinDavis]

I prefer we stay #1 in aviation and rocketry... I can care less about rail...

[Heliand]

Does the fare cover the cost of the ride?

I guess it depends on who is doing the accounting.

P.S. Let me know where and when I can collect my dividend check from all those profits that the public roads make for us as owners.

[Heliand]

AND the payment of massive tax subsidies, typically amounting to 85% of the fare.

Have you ever calculated the subsidy for the typical interstate? Its not hard. Take the daily vehicle miles on the road, multiple by the average miles per gallon of the vehicles on the road, and then multiply by the gas tax paid per gallon. Then go back and compare to the cost of a mile of new or rebuilt road, including finance charges, opportunity cost, maintenance, police, and forgone property taxes.

Hint - compare the cost per mile via payment of the gas tax on a "freeway" with the cost per mile on a non-subsidized toll road to start getting a feel for the subsidy level.

And those taxes are paid by those who derive NO benefit from the toy trains whatsoever.

Can you explain the benefit to me of my subsidizing your driving? If I drive 95%+ of my miles on local streets and toll roads, but I still pay gas taxes which only go to cover costs on interstates and major freeways, as near as I can tell I am essentialy sending you a check to cover the actual cost of your driving. When are people like you going to stop freeloading off the rest of us?

[longtermmemmory]

instead you want traffic backed up because the houston people mover has killed another person or crashed into another car?

thousands of self driving vehicles can be coordinated to make use of the various roads and parking. It also makes it less necessary to live in “hells kitchen” rathole cities. (see NYC, detroit, chicago, etc)

[Mr. Blonde]

Dude I’m all for a mix of options. I don’t think having just cars is a good idea. Just public transport isn’t a good one either. However, there is a happy medium that can be for the betterment of cities.