High Speed Rail in the US

[The Mad Monk]

I like the idea, but the involved states must be the principle source of funds.

[Patroklos]

I imagine that in some instances it will take a decade to get the right of ways. Especially for intercity. They should get on that.

[Jon Miller]

I like the idea of highspeed rail between major cities

however, most of our cities have ****ty mass transit

this needs to change first

JM

[The Mad Monk]

Yep. Time to bring out the eminent domain lawyers and level some city blocks.

[DanS]

High-speed intercity passenger rail is also relatively pointless if it connects cities that lack effective mass transit systems.

I don't think this is strictly true. In the US, intercity rail on the Northeast Corridor has thrived on business travelers who are willing to pay a premium for rail service. Business travelers don't tend to rely on public transportation. However, there has to be a bustling business core -- some sort of center of the city. Some big cities in the US have almost no center.

[Drake Tungsten]

Effective mass transit tends to increase density and lead to the creation of urban cores.

[DanS]

No doubt. But there are cities in the US that have urban cores that don't have effective mass transportation.

[Asher]

I think about 12 posters in a row brought up that point.

[Ben Kenobi]

Canada could use it in the Montreal-Toronto corridor. Alberta in the Calgary-Edmonton corridor. For starters.

Toronto- Montreal

Hamilton - Toronto

Montreal- Quebec City.

Vancouver - Chilliwack.

Windsor - Hamilton

Calgary- Edmonton

More people in Lower Mainland then in Edmonton and Calgary combined. 3 million to 2.

Edmonton to Calgary is by far the worst ratio of all of these high speed rail connections. 150 kms/million people. That's a horrible ratio.

Toronto to Hamilton is the best, while Vancouver to Chilliwack is second, followed by Montreal to Quebec, and then Toronto to Montreal. Even Windsor to Toronto is better then Edmonton to Calgary.

They would probably do it in this order:

1. Toronto to Hamilton.

2. Montreal to Quebec City.

3. Hamilton to Windsor

4. Hamilton to Ste Catherines

5. Toronto to Montreal. (Completing the network from Detroit to QC and then QC to Buffalo).

6. Vancouver to Chilliwack. (Vancouver/Surrey/Langley/Aldergrove/Abbotsford/Chilliwack).

7. Edmonton to Calgary.

[Fake Boris]

We need more of it in North America.

Canada could use it in the Montreal-Toronto corridor. Alberta in the Calgary-Edmonton corridor. For starters.

Not happening with Harper.

When Ignatieff kicks him out though, we could see Windsor-Quebec.

[Asher]

Ben, jesus ****ing christ.

Approx 2.5 million people live in the Calgary-Edmonton corridor. In a virtual straight line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary-Edmonton_Corridor

There are approx 2.5 million people who live in the Lower Mainland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Mainland

THOSE NUMBERS SOUND FAMILIAR. IT IS AMAZING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE DOESN'T CONSTANTLY LIE AND MISLEAD AND UNDERESTIMATE ONE BY HALF A MILLION AND OVERESTIMATE THE OTHER BY HALF A MILLION.

What is your problem?

Not that it MATTERS because raw transportation is the issue, not raw population. Far more people regularly travel between Calgary and Edmonton than ****ing Chilliwack and Vancouver!

The other city listings you had were ****ing retarded. Hamilton - Toronto, REALLY? the GO train is damn fast as is. Windsor - Hamilton? REALLY? Windsor is going to cease to exist in 5 ****ing years.

WHY DID I VIEW YOUR POST.

[chequita guevara]

WHY DID I VIEW YOUR POST.

That' what I always ask.

[Wezil]

Hamilton doesn't make sense. As Asher points out - GO does this already. The trip isn't long enough for a high speed to make sense.

I agree with Windsor's future not looking bright however down the 401 corridor you also have Guelph, KW, and London. Combined that approaches a million people of which many currently use 401 or VIA.

Toronto - Montreal is the obvious choice for the 1st leg of any future system.

[Kontiki]

The problem with Ben's analysis is that he's mixing high speed rail with commuter rail service. You simply don't do high speed for inner-metro commuting, because it's way too expensive and ultimately useless (not nearly enough time to get up to the speed you need to make high speed, well, high speed).

The only high speed route that would almost surely be viable is Toronto-Montreal. Edmonton-Calgary is questionable but probably next on the list, along with expanding the Toronto-Montreal line to include Ottawa (tricky detour, though) and out to London (maybe Windsor). I don't see running it from Montreal to Quebec as being viable, but it's still in the third tier. Absolutely no point going out to the Niagara Peninsula.

[Wezil]

The only reason to go to either Niagara or Windsor would be to make the US connection. Unfortunately Buffalo and Detroit are the US connection points. This doesn't strengthen the argument for these cities.