Travelers May See Fewer Plane Delays

High-speed rail as an alternative mode of transportation in the U.S. is long overdue. We are reaching the point of diminishing returns as we expand our 4-lane interstates to 6 or (gasp!!!) 8 lanes. And even costly airport expansions make little sense when (prior to 9/11) the air corridors themselves are over-congested.

High-speed rail and maglev offer the perfect alternative to augment & supplement our highway and air transportation infrastructure. For regional trips between 150 and 350 miles, it is faster than automobile and not that much slower than air. Yet offers the potential to alleviate both congested highways and air corridors!

In light of current economic conditions, construction of this vital transportation infrastructure should be accelerated.

What is High Speed Ground Transportation?

High-speed ground transportation (HSGT)-- a family of technologies ranging from upgraded existing railroads to magnetically levitated vehicles-- is a passenger transportation option that can best link cities lying about 100-500 miles apart. Common in Europe ( http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/home.htm) and Japan (http://www.japanrail.com),HSGT in the United States already exists in the Northeast Corridor (http://www.amtrak.com/news/pr/atk9936.html) between New York and Washington, D.C. and will soon serve travelers between New York and Boston.

HSGT is self-guided intercity passenger ground transportation that is time competitive with air and/or auto on a door-to-door basis for trips in the approximate range of 100 to 500 miles. This is market-based, not a speed based definition. It recognizes that the opportunities and requirements for HSGT differ markedly among different pairs of cities. High-speed ground transportation (HSGT) is a family of technologies ranging from upgraded steel-wheel-on-rail railroads to magnetically levitated vehicles.

The Federal Railroad Administration has designated a variety of high density transportation corridors within our nation for development of HSGT:

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For more information, please visit the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA’s) High Speed Ground Transportation Website

I flew round-trip to Sacramento in the last few days. In preparation I made an extensive list of items I wanted to pack. Being Mr. Gung Ho, I wanted to make it very inclusive to make sure every little item I wanted was packed.

Over the years I found that it was very handy to have a pair of small scissors in the hotel room. Yep, you guessed it. I placed them on my list, packed them in my small black toiletries bag and placed that bag in my carryon. All this without thinking of security at the airport. It completely slipped my mind.

Then at the airport they were found and confiscated. I appologized and asked if they could bag them and give them to lost and found so I could pick them up on return. NOPE!

Oh well, chalk one up for stupidity. Mine, although I'm not 100% convinced...

Mine, although I'm not 100% convinced...

I'm all for beefed up security post 9/11...
but IMHO, some of this little stuff is excessive and simply intended to convince the public that they're actually doing something....

Then again, even 15 years ago, I had to explain what an Industrial Engineer uses a stopwatch for when the airport X-Ray machine detected one in my briefcase. I gave the security guard a straightforward synopsis of Motion-Timestudy that bewildered her enough to pass me right on through!

;-)

DoughtyOne,

You are not stupid for wanting to take a small pair of scissors in your carry-on bag. The fact is that scissors are handy things to have. Instead, the system is stupid and cowardly for denying us these conveniences. If Americans have really become such sheeple that we would allow a couple of thugs armed with scissors to hijack us, then we don't deserve to live. The fact that it happened once was a travesty caused by thirty years of the evil teaching that we should be passive in the face of our enemies. If we haven't shaken loose from the influence of that evil teaching yet, our nation is doomed. Security should be returned to what is was on September 10 with the exception that this time the passengers know that if someone tries to hijack the plane we should kill them.

Willie,

I have to disagree about the viability of high-speed rail for the scenarios mentioned in this article. One thing that will contribute to declines in air travel is that people are now driving when they need to make shorter trips. Flying anywhere is a minimum 4 to 5 hour cost of time. For most people, the trip to the airport will take an hour. To be there 2 hours before departure means that no matter how well things go, 2 more hours are spent on the trip. From gate to gate will require an hour for even the shortest flights. Even if the flight lasts only fifteen minutes, there is usually an hour of taxiing around the runways. When one arrives at the destination, another hour is required to collect luggage, rent a car, and get to anywhere except maybe a motel at the airport. The total here is five hours, and even best case scenarios rarely reduce it to four hours.

For the same five hours of my time, I can usually drive close to 300 miles. Driving means that I have more flexibility in leaving for my destination or returning. Driving means that I'm not crammed into a little seat with no leg room and my shoulder rubbing against another person's shoulder. Driving means that I can carry fingernail clippers if I so choose. Driving means that I can go to the bathroom when I choose. There is simply no way that the crowded, regulated, cattle-car atmosphere of air travel can compete with driving for these kinds of trips.

Light rail could have some advantages, but it would have to exploit them well. If light rail could reduce the waiting time from 2 hours before departure to the old 45 minutes, then it might have a chance. If passengers were treated as Americans and not as cattle, it might have a chance. If light rail were dependable, then its lower susceptibility to weather delays could be a very marketable advantage. It would still depend on the development of infrastructure at both ends to make travel convenient. It does me no good to arrive at my destination by rail in 2 hours and then have to endure another hour in a bus or taxi just to rent a car to drive to wherever I'm staying.

If light rail could make the above issues work to its favor, I think it's real advantage would be in the 600 to 800 mile trip range. For 300 miles, nothing will ever be as convenient as driving, but at 600 miles, I have to spend an entire day in the car. If light rail could move fast enough to get me to my destination without losing an entire day, then it is competitive.

WFTR
Bill

I can see Norman Mineta's pointless "Bataan Death March" through our airports will continue. You know, check every one mindlessly as a potential terrorist threat and make sure our nation's pilots still don't get to be armed to ward off a future 911. It will leave the flying public much reassured this summer.

For the same five hours of my time, I can usually drive close to 300 miles.

You are correct about light rail not being competitive at this distance.
However, light rail is more of a local, mass-transportation sysetem
It is not the same as high-speed rail or Maglev systems which are designed for regional intercity service.
High-speed rail travels up to 190 mph. Maglev promises speeds up to 300 mph.

Interestingly, the Maglev system whose first 47 mile segment is proposed for Pittsburgh is intended to be eventually extended to Philadelphia, a distance of 300 miles. It is envisioned that this trip would take aproximately 2 hours, including 2-3 minute stops in smaller Pennsylvania cities along the way: Greensburg, Johnstown, Altoona, Harrisburg, Hershey, etc. etc. (the exact route is uncertain, but one could be sure that the state capitol at Harrisburg would be included.)

This provides tremendous flexibility to the transportation infrastructure, since the intent would be to have Maglev stops AT THE AIRPORTS of Pittsburgh, Harrisburg & Philly!!! This provide significant convenience to travelers who are changing modes of transportation, while also offering an alternative that is performs more reliably and safely in inclement weather.

This "traveler" is going to see no plane delays because I don't fly anymore.

The Maglev system in Pennsylvania would be interesting as you describe it. Pittsburg to Philly in 2 hours might be competitive for some people doing that kind of "commuter" travel. If the system is going to make stops at some of the cities that you mentioned, they might as well run it to State College. For all of the things that I think would be weaknesses in this system, it could be good for sending students between home and college on weekends if the cost were low enough. If people could get to Beaver Stadium from Pittsburg or Philly in 90 minutes on Saturday morning and return that evening in the same time, many football fans would take advantage of the system. I'm not persuaded that it would work, but it would be interesting.

WFTR
What If?
Bill

For years I unknownly traveled by air with several live .45 cartridges (230 grain round nose) in the bottom of one of the pockets of my carry-on briefcase. I went all over the USA and parts of Canada and no one caught it. I made the discovery while transferring stuff to a new briefcase.

Since the tryrants in Washington refuse to let citizens and pilots arm themselves, I no longer am using the airlines. I drive now. And I don't care if the airlines go broke. We need to fire the idiots and elect a real Republican as President.

Pittsburg to Philly in 2 hours might be competitive for some people doing that kind of "commuter" travel. If the system is going to make stops at some of the cities that you mentioned, they might as well run it to State College.
That is the long range plan, although the initial 47-mile segment from Pittsburgh to Greensburg has to be built and proven first.
While it's too preliminary to say exactly what other towns would be served along the way to Philly, I have seen Altoona and Harrisburg specificly mentioned. Now, the "normal" route to cross through the mountains from Altoona to Harrisburg follows U.S. 22 through Mount Union, Huntington and Lewistown. (by car, not sure where existing train rail may follow.)

I don't know if State College would be considered too far north to swing the route or not. At Maglev's speed, it certainly wouldn't add much travel time to the total route, just added construction cost for the extra distance. But then as you point out, it would be a very desirable stop for servicing even more passengers! 40K students gotta get in and out of Happy Valley somehow, and that doesn't even begin to count the alumni, family and friends who visit for many events including football.

I'm all for beefed up security post 9/11... but IMHO, some of this little stuff is excessive and simply intended to convince the public that they're actually doing something....

I had to call tonight to find out if I had to report for jury duty next week. Among the list of 'Do Not Brings' were markers (no mention of pens or pencils, mind you) and make-up. What the hell kind of terrorist is going to hold a court room hostage with a tube of Loreal shade 93 lipstick? And what's with the marker? Are they afraid I am going to cheat and write the answers to the defense's line of questioning on my hand?