Impact of Proposed high speed rail

[GH]

Without adequate last mile infrastructure all of these public transport ideas are doomed to fail.

In UK where train travel used to be fantastic, it was decided to cut all of the rural money losing tracks. Officials were “surprised” to find previously money making main tracks now faced substantially reduced traffic and thus were also no longer profitable. Of course the presence of a union mandated “fire man” (looks after the coal burner) even on electric lines is laughable …

[Arraya]

[quote=afx114]A future beyond traffic gridlock by Bill Ford.[/quote]

The auto industries desires to put 4 billion cars on the planet by 2040(while providing reasonable needs for 9 billion people) will be thwarted by reality. Not unless we entirely change out our energy infrastructure, upgrade all grids across the globe, and electrify via some undefined energy source ALL while countries are mired in debt on the verge of cascading currency/banking crises- then still it would be a questionable project given the complexity of energy and material demands when looking at it systemically.

We might have to change plans.

Peak Oil – the clear and present danger
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/8044

Global oil production (crude oil plus condensate) has been on a plateau / in decline for 7 years, resulting in high energy prices that are feeding inflation, eroding family budgets and crippling the World economy. It is time for the international political community to awaken to the risks posed by Peak Oil. A British Government report published last week under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request makes clear that civil servants working at the UK department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) seem very aware of the risks posed by peak oil, and yet the British Government seems happy to continue to ignore warnings.

[Arraya]

[quote=afx114]A future beyond traffic gridlock by Bill Ford.[/quote]

The auto industries desires to put 4 billion cars on the planet by 2040(while providing reasonable needs for 9 billion people) will be thwarted by reality. Not unless we entirely change out our energy infrastructure, upgrade all grids across the globe, and electrify via some undefined energy source ALL while countries are mired in debt on the verge of cascading currency/banking crises- then still it would be a questionable project given the complexity of energy and material demands when looking at it systemically.

We might have to change plans.

Peak Oil – the clear and present danger
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/8044

Global oil production (crude oil plus condensate) has been on a plateau / in decline for 7 years, resulting in high energy prices that are feeding inflation, eroding family budgets and crippling the World economy. It is time for the international political community to awaken to the risks posed by Peak Oil. A British Government report published last week under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request makes clear that civil servants working at the UK department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) seem very aware of the risks posed by peak oil, and yet the British Government seems happy to continue to ignore warnings.

[Arraya]

[quote=afx114]A future beyond traffic gridlock by Bill Ford.[/quote]

The auto industries desires to put 4 billion cars on the planet by 2040(while providing reasonable needs for 9 billion people) will be thwarted by reality. Not unless we entirely change out our energy infrastructure, upgrade all grids across the globe, and electrify via some undefined energy source ALL while countries are mired in debt on the verge of cascading currency/banking crises- then still it would be a questionable project given the complexity of energy and material demands when looking at it systemically.

We might have to change plans.

Peak Oil – the clear and present danger
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/8044

Global oil production (crude oil plus condensate) has been on a plateau / in decline for 7 years, resulting in high energy prices that are feeding inflation, eroding family budgets and crippling the World economy. It is time for the international political community to awaken to the risks posed by Peak Oil. A British Government report published last week under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request makes clear that civil servants working at the UK department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) seem very aware of the risks posed by peak oil, and yet the British Government seems happy to continue to ignore warnings.

[Arraya]

[quote=afx114]A future beyond traffic gridlock by Bill Ford.[/quote]

The auto industries desires to put 4 billion cars on the planet by 2040(while providing reasonable needs for 9 billion people) will be thwarted by reality. Not unless we entirely change out our energy infrastructure, upgrade all grids across the globe, and electrify via some undefined energy source ALL while countries are mired in debt on the verge of cascading currency/banking crises- then still it would be a questionable project given the complexity of energy and material demands when looking at it systemically.

We might have to change plans.

Peak Oil – the clear and present danger
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/8044

Global oil production (crude oil plus condensate) has been on a plateau / in decline for 7 years, resulting in high energy prices that are feeding inflation, eroding family budgets and crippling the World economy. It is time for the international political community to awaken to the risks posed by Peak Oil. A British Government report published last week under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request makes clear that civil servants working at the UK department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) seem very aware of the risks posed by peak oil, and yet the British Government seems happy to continue to ignore warnings.

[Arraya]

[quote=afx114]A future beyond traffic gridlock by Bill Ford.[/quote]

The auto industries desires to put 4 billion cars on the planet by 2040(while providing reasonable needs for 9 billion people) will be thwarted by reality. Not unless we entirely change out our energy infrastructure, upgrade all grids across the globe, and electrify via some undefined energy source ALL while countries are mired in debt on the verge of cascading currency/banking crises- then still it would be a questionable project given the complexity of energy and material demands when looking at it systemically.

We might have to change plans.

Peak Oil – the clear and present danger
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/8044

Global oil production (crude oil plus condensate) has been on a plateau / in decline for 7 years, resulting in high energy prices that are feeding inflation, eroding family budgets and crippling the World economy. It is time for the international political community to awaken to the risks posed by Peak Oil. A British Government report published last week under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request makes clear that civil servants working at the UK department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) seem very aware of the risks posed by peak oil, and yet the British Government seems happy to continue to ignore warnings.

[briansd1]

[quote=afx114]A future beyond traffic gridlock by Bill Ford.[/quote]

I watched the video. Looks like Bill Ford got Botox treatment. I can always spot those.

A connected network to manage traffic… I don’t care, but many will fight it as it’ll make cars into appliances that are self-driven.

London has a congestion charge and Singapore has a great pay-to-drive, time-variable system that makes traffic flow every nicely. But if you make it cost prohibitive for people to drive, there must be a convenient public transport system.

[briansd1]

[quote=afx114]A future beyond traffic gridlock by Bill Ford.[/quote]

I watched the video. Looks like Bill Ford got Botox treatment. I can always spot those.

A connected network to manage traffic… I don’t care, but many will fight it as it’ll make cars into appliances that are self-driven.

London has a congestion charge and Singapore has a great pay-to-drive, time-variable system that makes traffic flow every nicely. But if you make it cost prohibitive for people to drive, there must be a convenient public transport system.

[briansd1]

[quote=afx114]A future beyond traffic gridlock by Bill Ford.[/quote]

I watched the video. Looks like Bill Ford got Botox treatment. I can always spot those.

A connected network to manage traffic… I don’t care, but many will fight it as it’ll make cars into appliances that are self-driven.

London has a congestion charge and Singapore has a great pay-to-drive, time-variable system that makes traffic flow every nicely. But if you make it cost prohibitive for people to drive, there must be a convenient public transport system.

[briansd1]

[quote=afx114]A future beyond traffic gridlock by Bill Ford.[/quote]

I watched the video. Looks like Bill Ford got Botox treatment. I can always spot those.

A connected network to manage traffic… I don’t care, but many will fight it as it’ll make cars into appliances that are self-driven.

London has a congestion charge and Singapore has a great pay-to-drive, time-variable system that makes traffic flow every nicely. But if you make it cost prohibitive for people to drive, there must be a convenient public transport system.

[briansd1]

[quote=afx114]A future beyond traffic gridlock by Bill Ford.[/quote]

I watched the video. Looks like Bill Ford got Botox treatment. I can always spot those.

A connected network to manage traffic… I don’t care, but many will fight it as it’ll make cars into appliances that are self-driven.

London has a congestion charge and Singapore has a great pay-to-drive, time-variable system that makes traffic flow every nicely. But if you make it cost prohibitive for people to drive, there must be a convenient public transport system.

[Jazzman]

[quote=EconProf]The fatal flaw in high speed rail (and, arguably, all forms of mass transit) is ignoring the time to get from your house or apartment to the station, and then to get from the destination station to your job (or store, etc.)…plus the parking problem at the station. Americans love to go from their own driveway to the parking lot at their destination. This is a luxury we have that the Japanese, Chinese, and europeans envy.[/quote]

They may well counter at what cost? A landscape scarred by freeways, dependence on a fast disappearing natural resource, huge distances just to buy a newspaper, costs due to the necessity of multiple vehicles per household. Don’t get me wrong, I would much rather use a car than be crushed in a metro, but on the other hand I’d much rather walk down a beautiful pedestrianized street than go out to eat in a car park. I would much rather be able to walk, or bike than have to get into a chunk of metal every time I need to go somewhere, that needs to produce enough energy to move something twenty times my own weight. The Chinese may not see this yet, but the Japanese and Europeans probably get it.

There’s pro’s and con’s on both sides, but is the question really about choice?

[Jazzman]

[quote=EconProf]The fatal flaw in high speed rail (and, arguably, all forms of mass transit) is ignoring the time to get from your house or apartment to the station, and then to get from the destination station to your job (or store, etc.)…plus the parking problem at the station. Americans love to go from their own driveway to the parking lot at their destination. This is a luxury we have that the Japanese, Chinese, and europeans envy.[/quote]

They may well counter at what cost? A landscape scarred by freeways, dependence on a fast disappearing natural resource, huge distances just to buy a newspaper, costs due to the necessity of multiple vehicles per household. Don’t get me wrong, I would much rather use a car than be crushed in a metro, but on the other hand I’d much rather walk down a beautiful pedestrianized street than go out to eat in a car park. I would much rather be able to walk, or bike than have to get into a chunk of metal every time I need to go somewhere, that needs to produce enough energy to move something twenty times my own weight. The Chinese may not see this yet, but the Japanese and Europeans probably get it.

There’s pro’s and con’s on both sides, but is the question really about choice?

[Jazzman]

[quote=EconProf]The fatal flaw in high speed rail (and, arguably, all forms of mass transit) is ignoring the time to get from your house or apartment to the station, and then to get from the destination station to your job (or store, etc.)…plus the parking problem at the station. Americans love to go from their own driveway to the parking lot at their destination. This is a luxury we have that the Japanese, Chinese, and europeans envy.[/quote]

They may well counter at what cost? A landscape scarred by freeways, dependence on a fast disappearing natural resource, huge distances just to buy a newspaper, costs due to the necessity of multiple vehicles per household. Don’t get me wrong, I would much rather use a car than be crushed in a metro, but on the other hand I’d much rather walk down a beautiful pedestrianized street than go out to eat in a car park. I would much rather be able to walk, or bike than have to get into a chunk of metal every time I need to go somewhere, that needs to produce enough energy to move something twenty times my own weight. The Chinese may not see this yet, but the Japanese and Europeans probably get it.

There’s pro’s and con’s on both sides, but is the question really about choice?

[Jazzman]

[quote=EconProf]The fatal flaw in high speed rail (and, arguably, all forms of mass transit) is ignoring the time to get from your house or apartment to the station, and then to get from the destination station to your job (or store, etc.)…plus the parking problem at the station. Americans love to go from their own driveway to the parking lot at their destination. This is a luxury we have that the Japanese, Chinese, and europeans envy.[/quote]

They may well counter at what cost? A landscape scarred by freeways, dependence on a fast disappearing natural resource, huge distances just to buy a newspaper, costs due to the necessity of multiple vehicles per household. Don’t get me wrong, I would much rather use a car than be crushed in a metro, but on the other hand I’d much rather walk down a beautiful pedestrianized street than go out to eat in a car park. I would much rather be able to walk, or bike than have to get into a chunk of metal every time I need to go somewhere, that needs to produce enough energy to move something twenty times my own weight. The Chinese may not see this yet, but the Japanese and Europeans probably get it.

There’s pro’s and con’s on both sides, but is the question really about choice?

[Author]

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