SUN EDITORIAL:

It’s in the numbers

Air traffic volume strengthens Las Vegas’ case for high-speed rail funding

Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 | 2:08 a.m.

It is no surprise that there is fierce competition among metropolitan areas nationwide for a piece of the $8 billion in federal economic stimulus money that has been earmarked for high-speed rail development. Americans sick of sitting in bumper-to-bumper, exhaust-belching highway traffic are starved for more efficient transportation.

The Federal Railroad Administration, which will evaluate the competing proposals and distribute the money, has a tough task ahead. But we believe a new study by the Brookings Institution, a Washington public policy think tank, makes a strong case that a significant portion of that money should go toward high-speed rail between Las Vegas and Southern California.

As reported Thursday by J. Patrick Coolican in the Las Vegas Sun, the study found that a 229-mile corridor connecting Las Vegas with Los Angeles and neighboring communities is the nation’s second-busiest route for short-haul airplane travel. Among the nation’s air routes that are less than 400 miles, only the Southern California-to-Bay Area connection had more passengers than the 3.7 million who traveled between Las Vegas and Southern California over a one-year period through March.

The significance of these findings is that competition for the high-speed rail funding is limited to corridors that are no longer than 600 miles. The fact that so many people take the short flight from Southern California to Las Vegas suggests that a well-designed, fast train connecting those two metropolitan areas could be wildly popular.

That is why we have been so enthusiastic about a proposal to build a magnetic levitation train from Las Vegas to Anaheim, Calif., which would carry passengers at speeds of 300 mph — even over the congested Cajon Pass along Interstate 15.

Based on the Brookings study, we believe the railroad agency would be making a wise investment by selecting the proposed maglev project to receive some of the stimulus funding. That would help make Southern Nevada an important high-speed rail hub and fulfill President Barack Obama’s vision of an environmentally friendly transportation option that would help foster economic development.

Discussion: 4 comments so far…

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By SgtRock

Oct. 11, 2009

5:16 a.m.

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I know that the Sun is a spend-o-alcoholic but they do know that the USA is generating a $2 trillion dollar deficit this year.

It will take billions upon billions upon billions to build the train and to fund it's operation over time.

It would be much cheaper just to give away free roundtrip airline tickets from LA to Las Vegas.

Sun's game plan for the future of our children and for generations to come:
Spend, spend, spend, deficit, deficit, deficit, tax, tax, tax ..... Spend, spend, spend, deficit, deficit, deficit, tax, tax, tax Spend, spend, spend, deficit, deficit, deficit, tax, tax, tax Spend, spend, spend, deficit, deficit, deficit, tax, tax, tax Spend, spend, spend, deficit, deficit, deficit, tax, tax, tax Spend, spend, spend, deficit, deficit, deficit, tax, tax, tax Spend, spend, spend, deficit, deficit, deficit, tax, tax, tax Spend, spend, spend, deficit, deficit, deficit, tax, tax, tax Spend, spend, spend, deficit, deficit, deficit, tax, tax, tax ..... until one day investors stop buying US Treasury Bonds and that will be the end.

If we want this "feel-good" train then use private money (like your own money).

I think it is funny that Sun often's quotes it own "news stories" in its editorials.

Hmmmmmm...I wonder if they do "news stories" to push their own agenda. What do you think?
By El_Lobo

Oct. 11, 2009

7:12 p.m.

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PvtRock.....

Your post using the old "Spend, spend, spend, deficit, deficit, deficit, tax, tax, tax" rant is getting a little redundant.

Aren't you a little more imaginative than that? Shame on me. I shouldn't ask that question.....the answer is obvious.... It's NO, NO, NO!

I'm amazed that you are so consistent with your opposition to anything and everything that resembles progress, but then I'm reminded that you're a typical right-winger......Progress to you and others like you, means walking backwards....

Woodrow Wilson had it right..... He said:

"Conservatives are people who sit and think and sit and think, but mostly sit...."
By News_Watcher

Oct. 11, 2009

7:15 p.m.

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With regard to SgtRock's comment, it is worth noting that the maglev train will not take any more money than is already on the table. Eight Billion dollars have been set aside in the stimulous bill for high speed rail. The money WILL be spent. The question is, will it be spent in Southern Nevada, or in another part of the country?

And of course, it is not a "feel good" train. It is a train which would actually be competitive with both rail and highway, without using anywhere near the same amount of fuel or creating anywhere near the same amount of greenhouse emissions.

Doing things the same old way as before will ruin the United States.
By El_Lobo

Oct. 11, 2009

8:14 p.m.

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News_Watcher said:

"Doing things the same old way as before will ruin the United States."

You're 100% correct. That't very evident but unfortunately, many in this country refuse to see that...