Road congestion continues to be a nightmare. Traffic moves at the same pace regardless of how many or how wide roads are built. So why does the government continue to pour funds into building wider roads, using up more land, dividing neighborhoods, and causing more pollution? The US is a car dependent culture and it cannot stay that way. More and better forms of transportation have to be implemented. Many good forms of transportation have already been developed; it is really a matter of funding. Instead of more roads, long distance, high speed railways should be built across the US.
As shown in Hanson’s text, even as more and wider roads are built, travel times have remained constant. The most significant thing being accomplished by making more roads is that more people are driving more and contributing to the automobile culture. This mode of transportation is very inefficient when compared to other technology available, but not yet implemented in the US. High speed railways have already proven to be useful, safe, and cost effective in Europe and Asia. Two prime examples are the Shinkansen in Japan and the Channel Tunnel between England and France.
High speed rails, as the name implies, can move a long distance very fast. With the ever increasing spatial gap between the home and everything else, implementing alternatives for long distance travel becomes crucial. They can safely reach speeds over twice the speed limit of most highways. This makes high speed rails a good competitor with both cars and planes. Although they are slower than plane travel, high speed rail tickets are much cheaper than an average plane ticket. This makes them much more accessible to people with middle and lower than average incomes.
In addition to being faster than cars, high speed rails are much safer. According to a 2007 study by the CDC, the leading cause of death for people aged one to forty is car accidents. The number of deaths per 100 million passenger miles for high speed rail is .04 and the deaths per 100 million passenger miles for cars is 1.29. This means that the average person is 30 times more in danger driving than on a high speed rail (AASHTO). This is because trains have significantly less risk of colliding since they are on a track and they are driven by a professional.
One of the most significant factors of any transportation that must be taken into account is the impact it has on the environment. High speed rails are very eco-friendly. They produce 71% less carbon dioxide emissions than cars and 76% less than planes. They are also 21% more fuel efficient than cars and 17% more fuel efficient than planes (AASHTO).
Instead of putting more funding into roads, the US needs to start putting more money into railways. There is only so long that the US can continue as an automobile dependent nation. The US needs to see a shift from cars to faster, cleaner, and more efficient forms of transportation. High speed rails are a currently good technology that should be implemented.
Works Cited
Hanson, Susan. “The Context of Urban Travel.” The Geography of Urban Transportation. 3rd ed. Eds. Susan Hanson and Genevieve Giuliano. New York: Guilford, 2004. 3-29.
“Basic Facts About High-Speed/Intercity Passenger Rail.” American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Tech. 10 Dec. 2010. Web. 1 Sept. 2011.
"NVSS - Mortality Data." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 10 May 2010. Web. 01 Sept. 2011. < http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm >
I completely agree with you. I think that different methods of transportation have to be developed in the U.S.. The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that the car industry is financially too strong and thus politicians have a lot of vested interest for things to stay the way they are. For instance, there was a project in Florida for the first high-velocity train in Florida and maybe even in the U.S.. But it was put down by our governor, Rick Scott, for truly "unknown" reasons as it has been proven over and over again that it would only have brought benefits to the state.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe high speed trains could replace cars as the dominant form of daily transportation in America. Cars provide much more flexibility than trains can. High speed rail could become the primary method of transportation between cities, especially if these cities have well developed public transit systems of their own.
ReplyDeleteI believe the point you raised about many alternative forms of transportation being underfunded is a pertinent one. Take for instance, the MARTA. The MARTA is severely underfunded, as a result of which there have been no upgrades to it. Despite no State funding, the MARTA is actually one of the most efficient transit operators in the country when you look at operations $ per passenger-mile.
ReplyDeleteThus, alternative forms of transportation across the United States need the firm financial backing of the Federal Government and the respective State Governments in order to flourish.