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Archive: Tom Downs

Driving on to Irrelevance: That Or a 21st Century Train System

Thomas Downs / Oct 09 2009

For Release Friday, October 9, 2009
Citiwire.net

Tom DownsThere is an old saying that Americans will always do the right thing, but only after they have tried everything else first.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to make the transition. Latest example: visceral opposition to high-speed rail by those who should be thinking more innovatively. Consider Robert Samuelson’s recent column in the Washington Post– “A Rail Boondoggle, Moving at High Speed.” Samuelson cites the usual statistics–that we are an auto culture, that not enough people ride trains, that the costs are high. So, he concludes, President Obama’s commitment to high-speed passenger rail is a fool’s errand.

But Samuelson’s among those who has been playing this song for over 20 years. Their message has turned into a weird anomaly given what is happening around the rest of the globe. Read More »

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More Riders, High Costs: Transit’s Tough Dilemma

Tom Downs / Sep 11 2008

For Release Sunday, September 14, 2008
Citiwire.net

Tom Downs For public transit in America, 2008 has produced a vivid “best” and “worst” of times scenario.

After 50 years of sagging ridership and lost stature, buses and transit trains are back in heavy demand. Nationwide ridership is 4.5 percent higher than 2007, with some cities experiencing growth of 10 to 15 percent.

The top reason’s clear: high gas prices. Highway vehicle miles of travel nationwide have taken a 4.5 percent dip in a year — an unprecedented decline even as our population increases.

But sadly, the nation’s transit operators have little chance to celebrate their systems’ new popularity. Read More »

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