Is $53 Billion to Much For Our Future

In 1956 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act which created the interstate system. Ike's inspiration for the highway network came after after his 61 day journey in the United States Army Transcontinental Convoy that traveled from Washington D.C. to Gettysburg, then on to San Fransisco. The trip was a grueling journey, and later inspired President Eisenhower to begin the largest construction effort in the history of our nation. The result was the Interstate Highway System. Imagine if the convoy had used the rail system. Would Eisenhower put money into developing an interstate rail system?

Here we are, fifty-five years later deciding again whether or not to invest in and develop a network of high speed rail to connect our country in the same way the Interstate Highway System has. The problem is not a technical one, we have the engineers and technology to complete the system. The problem is a political one, we have differing opinions on the necessity. Our highway network is largely complete, and in dire need of repairs and upgrades. Congestion on many inter-urban corridors frustrates commuters, slows the movements of goods, and costs our nation in lost productivity.

President Obama has proposed a solution that will solve the problem of congestion and our dependency on oil. The National High Speed Rail Plan will reconnect cities, and offer incredible alternatives for mobility. His plan comes at a cost, $53 Billion, which is not a small figure. Compared to the $114 Billion spent on our Interstate Highway System, it doesn't seem as bad. For less than half what we spent to build highways, we can create a complementary system.

Many critics have said that this system is too costly, and that our nation can not afford to build high speed rail. What is not being discussed is the cost of inaction. The United States is the only nation in the world without a developed high speed rail system. Our reliance on oil has become our Achilles heal. While the rest of the world develops alternatives, we have been drilling deeper, only to find the wells are running dry.

Building a high speed rail network is critical for the future success of our nation. The construction will provide jobs in the present tense, it will develop opportunities for urban growth in the near future and it will bless the next generations with a mobility network that does not need to rely on a single source of fuel. Building the High Speed Rail network will carry a cost to our nation but make us stronger. Not investing in this system will not cost us much, much more.

Posted in: policy,Shayne Trimbell,transit