That is certainly true (the geographic issue)
However incorporating mass transportation should not be a pipe dream and something we as conservatives should not shut the door on
If we are able to reduce the transportation costs for the average person, I see no reason why conservatives should be opposed to it
One solution is clustered regional high speed rail. The key thing is the technology is still not quite there to have 300 mph trains
If that was you simply need to build within regions (for example Richmond-Washington DC-Philadelphia-NYC with DC and NYC as major hubs), thusly letting airlines make longer, more profitable flights
I don’t disapprove of mass trasportation or high speed rail but it is a luxury that doesn’t fit all scenarios or many frankly.
The regional approach done right is not one of those scenarios as you mentioned. There are a few places it does make sense. Smart growth advocates will say this meshes well with their intent to compress the populace and thus make these projects more doable both financially and from a construction view.
The one thing we will contend with is foreign participants being involved from a capital standpoint, and perhaps even an operational one as well.
Heck, being as foreigners already hold so much of our debt and already own a fair bit of properties and infratsructure in a few instances, we should let them pay for it and we will ride it for them. ;-)
But heck, who am I or others to stand in the way of progress? Most of us will be long gone before the tickets are issued anyway.