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Re: Reality based view of transportation funding
Author: Silver Shadow
Date: 12-17-2015 - 21:02
Edward Wrote:
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> Transportation is subsidized. Some more than
> others.
>
> The new transportation bill's direct subsidy of
> the highways, not from user taxes, is about seven
> times that of Amtrak. Of course the same people in
> Congress will continue to attack Amtrak as a
> boondoggle and ignore the highway subsidy. Life
> goes on...
Count me as one who believes that there should be much, much more federal and state funding of conventional Amtrak and "higher" intercity passenger rail.
That said, it does passenger rail a disservice to say that public funding of highways (above and beyond user fees) is seven times greater than Amtrak. Those hostile to Amtrak will point out that the better measure is dollars per user, which would be more favorable to highways because the number of drivers and passengers in cars, SUVs and light trucks is many times greater than the number of Amtrak patrons.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Transportation is subsidized. Some more than
> others.
>
> The new transportation bill's direct subsidy of
> the highways, not from user taxes, is about seven
> times that of Amtrak. Of course the same people in
> Congress will continue to attack Amtrak as a
> boondoggle and ignore the highway subsidy. Life
> goes on...
Count me as one who believes that there should be much, much more federal and state funding of conventional Amtrak and "higher" intercity passenger rail.
That said, it does passenger rail a disservice to say that public funding of highways (above and beyond user fees) is seven times greater than Amtrak. Those hostile to Amtrak will point out that the better measure is dollars per user, which would be more favorable to highways because the number of drivers and passengers in cars, SUVs and light trucks is many times greater than the number of Amtrak patrons.
