re: #423 Irish Rose

You’re looking at the concept of light and HS rail service implimentation as an either-or, real… it’s not. People are still going to use their cars, they’ll just have additional options available to them.

And it means that Americans who either can’t drive or can’t afford a car, will actually HAVE an option.

IR, the problem with your argument is the limited amount of funding available for either LR, HSR, or roads. Every dollar spent for one is one dollar less for the others. Again, it comes down to cost/benefit. The cost of Light Rail has to take into account replacement or upgrading existing rail lines, adding rail lines and stations, and dealing with purchasing private land for right of way. For HSR you have to deal with replacing existing track that is fine for existing rail but unable to handle the additional forces required to keep a high speed train on the tracks. On the other hand, the cost of adding or improving an existing road is much less for a greater benefit for more people.