The $54 question: Is rail worth it?

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ^ | Saturday, September 25, 2010 | STEVE HINIKER

[driftdiver]

Good enough to support wasting $1 Trillion dollars?

[reg45]

.... how many of those are really interested in going to Madison?

The politicians? Oh wait! They have taxpayer funded chauffeured limousines.

Maybe they just want a bar car and a sleeping hooker car.

[gitmo]

If it’s such a sure thing, why hasn’t some private company done it?

[Willie Green]

Over 28 million Americans from all walks of life use public transportation every day.
If and when you ever grow up and become an adult, you'll realize that passenger rail is just a transportation technology that happens to have advantages over other transportation technologies in certain situations.

[Willie Green]

If it’s such a sure thing, why hasn’t some private company done it?

Because the Airline, Oil, Freight Railroad and Highway Industries unite to prevent the market competition.

[narses]

Because the Airline, Oil, Freight Railroad and Highway Industries unite to prevent the market competition.

LOL, the railroads never play that game, no, never!

[gitmo]

You’re serious?

[dr_who]

What do you think Free Republic is about? Obsessively promoting public funding for railroads?

[sport]

Mark post #18

[Willie Green]

Yes.

[Ditter]

Thanks I love those old songs.

[Mygirlsmom]

They would like to have the money for rail either returned to Washington or spent on highways. Dream on. The $810 million is a part of a larger plan to restore intercity passenger rail across the United States. This is a federal project that won't be derailed by Wisconsin politics.

So the logic is if we're gonna flush this money down the toilet, by God, it should be a Wisconsin toilet!

The problem is not just in the flushing, but in the perpetual plumber bills that follow.

[ltc8k6]

“According to the state Department of Transportation, one-way fares will be between $20 and $30 for the ride from Madison to Milwaukee. Compare that to the cost of driving. Using federal reimbursement rates for mileage, driving the 78 miles between Madison and Milwaukee costs $39. That means taking rail saves between $9 and $19 each trip.”

What sort of math is that? 78 miles is 2 or 3 gallons of gas and a tiny amount of wear. That’s 6 to 10 dollars, not $39. Federal reimbursement rates are not reality.

Is that 20 or 30 dollar fare the actual fare, or the subsidized fare?

[wheresmyusa]

I’ll ride your train when i can haul my freshly gutted deer home on it.

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

Without daily suburban commuters, it’s really just a toy for the occasional commute from Milwaukee to Madison.
Milwaukee Intermodal Station provides service to over ½ million Amtrak passengers per year, and many thousands more use the facilities bus terminals. Providing a rail connection from that station to Madison will provide many passengers for the route without having to be reliant on the suburban population.

---

500.000 / 365 days = 1,350 per day = 55 per hour

=

0.98 people per minute

Wow

Almost one person per minute walking thru a giant train station ...!!!!!!!

must be a thrill to see that!

Great use of the taxpayer’s money !!!!!!!!!!

[Willie Green]

I don't know what you think that your silly calculations are supposed to prove.
They certainly don't reflect any basic understanding of any seasonal/daily/hourly usage patterns.

[knowtherules]

The people that need to get from Mikwaukee to Madison already have a way to get there.

[hal ogen]

After much thought I decided that the most reasonable thing is for the government to give each Citizen their own train and station (along with 10-15 miles of move-able track). Also, they should give each of us a money printing press. Happiness is here again! nobama and his minions are geniuses!!!!!! his is truly the “summer of recovery”.

[codercpc]

Willie, since I have told you over and over again that the majority of people in Wisconsin DO NOT WANT THE TRAIN, and that argument doesn't seem to bother you, I have one question, and one question only for you.

IF you lived in Wisconsin, would you vote for Tom Barrett (champion of the Train, Democrat) or Scott Walker (opponent of the Train, Republican.)

[codercpc]

After all, it's not Wisconsin money, it's Federal money!

Do people (ie, Willie Green) not understand that all TAX money still comes out of our pockets?