Link.
But, how far will $8 billion get us? Let's say a typical high speed rail line costs $80M per mile. Throw in another $20 for gubmint waste (or just to make nice round numbers). That is 80 miles. WooHoo, high speed rail to Waco!
Or at least it's enough to get started on planning and design throughout the country. Oh well.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
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Hey it is more than ever before. And it appears President Obama's plan is to fund $1 Billion a year as well after the stimulus.
Beggars can't be choosers right?
$80 million a mile? I don't doubt our propensity to spend wastefully, but even that's a bit much. Spain's new lines that go 125+ mph cost $22 million per mile. US high speed rail only goes to 95+ mph, which would drop the cost considerably (less grading, fewer tunnels, lower tolerances, etc.) Also, most of the designated US corridors are flatter than central Spain.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/203
My conservative gut estimate would be around $18 million/mile - about 450 miles. What's interesting is figuring out where it would go. The Northeast line already exists, and California's is funded.
Oddly, the chairs of the congressional committees and subcommittees dealing with rail transportation represent areas without metro populations. Perhaps Rahm Emanuel expects it in Chicagoland?
I've never seen anything under 40-60 Mill. When I briefly looked it up 80 Mill was the extreme high end, so I just ran with it, taking the assumption that many of these numbers might be deflated by a previously stronger dollar AND that with all this essentially fiat money coming online the dollar will further deflate.
With that said, I can't see 18 Mill at all. A modern streetcar line costs 25 Mill per mile on a two-way track.
Either way, your point is taken, but it's still not exactly the transcontinental railroad.
Also, I think Richard Florida's recent essay might come in handy here. That the high speed regional links should be focused on the near term towards the rise of the super-megalopoli, ie Bo-Wash, DFW/Houston/Austin, Atlanta/Charlotte/RDU, I-4 in Florida, etc.
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