Originally Posted by
professorscott
I am amused whenever I read posts about how much rail travel is subsidized. Nearly all the federal spending on transportation goes to highways. Air traffic, ports and railroads fight over the scraps.
A truly competitive national transportation system would probably look like this, and every single piece of this will be subsidized to some extent, because nobody is actually willing to pay what it costs to move himself around:
1. Air travel in a hub-and-spoke system [[what we have today), encouraged for travel of over 300 miles but discouraged [[i.e. not subsidized) for short-distance trips, and primarily serving major urban-area airports.
2. Moderate speed rail [[60 to 150 mph), encouraged for travel of trips under 400 miles between major urban areas.
3. Regular passenger rail and intercity bus service for short trips and trips between smaller communities.
4. Enhanced spending for regional public transportation throughout the country, with local match requirements similar to the existing rules for Class I roads.
5. Of course to maintain the existing road network but without much in the way of future expansion.
If someone in DC would like for me to draft a policy in this regard, I would be happy to do so.
Prof. Scott