[Phantom Lord]

Just face it. Commuter and light rail is a pipedream. It is not a viable alternative. Outside of large cities where you do not need a car, like NY, it is not a good idea and is a sure money loser.

If it was such a good idea, it would have taken hold when Trains were the masses way of travel. But it didn't and Henry Ford became Americas first Billionaire. And if it was such a good idea and the publics demand for it was so great PRIVATE BUSINESS would be competing with eachother in the market place. But private business is not competing with eachother because they know it is a loser. And I will say, that MOST of the people who support rail and want more people riding rail are leftists and socialists. And their main driving force behind it all is their uncontrollable urge to control our lives, tell us where to live, how to live, how to get around and what to do. It is about power and controlling the way people live.

[biblewonk]

Just remember who paid for the interstate system and who pays for railroads. Hint, government and private business respectively, you socialist.

[Publius]

Your ignorance of transportation history astounds me. Every American city, major and small, had electric interurban rail transportation until after WW2. These companies were capitalistically run and made profits. Many cities had steam-powered commuter rail in competition with the electric interurbans.

The Depression killed many of these systems, and the government's highway-building program killed off the rest. Then a consortium involving GM and a number of others bought up the remainder and converted them to buses.

In cities today where diesel commuter rail has been recently instituted, it is a success.

[Tauzero]

Re: #46

You are absolutely right.