Edward Wrote:
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> A good explanation of pavement damage is given by
> this link:
>
> Equivalent Single Axle Load
>
> So trucking is heavily subsidized, but waterways
> have an even greater subsidy and there are no
> private commercial airports (as opposed to general
> aviation) left in the US. They are all government
> owned.
>
> We as a country decided that it was best for the
> economy and the population in general to subsidize
> our transportation system. It has worked out
> reasonably well.
>
> Every time I see an article bemoaning the Amtrak
> subsidy I have to smile. They haven't a clue.

That's an apples and oranges comparison. Trucking and barging is about freight, while Amtrak is about hauling quirky people around.

You can't compare the Amtrak subsidies to some subjective equivalency per freight being moved on highways and waterways.