http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/blog/2009/08/20/wasting-time-on-passenger-rail/ Up To The Minute Analysis Of Ohio Public Policy Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:34:40 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/blog/2009/08/20/wasting-time-on-passenger-rail/comment-page-1/#comment-4834 Harold Thomas Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:21:54 +0000 http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/blog/?p=4420#comment-4834 Like Mr. Plous, I would have no objection to a relatively small subsidy; however, I agree with you that it makes no sense to build a passenger rail system that is slower than driving. What we need are European-style high-speed rail between Cincinnati and Cleveland, with at most three intermediate stops: Dayton, Columbus, and Mansfield (the last to connect to trains running east and west). We could couple this with a slower local service to take care of towns in between. Like Mr. Plous, I would have no objection to a relatively small subsidy; however, I agree with you that it makes no sense to build a passenger rail system that is slower than driving. What we need are European-style high-speed rail between Cincinnati and Cleveland, with at most three intermediate stops: Dayton, Columbus, and Mansfield (the last to connect to trains running east and west). We could couple this with a slower local service to take care of towns in between.

]]> http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/blog/2009/08/20/wasting-time-on-passenger-rail/comment-page-1/#comment-4823 F.K. Plous Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:31:11 +0000 http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/blog/?p=4420#comment-4823 Why do you insist that the trains recover all their costs directly from passenger fares? The highways and airports do not, and now the airlines themselves are losing money. Transportation is inherently unprofitable. It creates great economic value, but most of that wealth-creation occurs outside the transportation system itself and cannot effectively be captured by the transportation enterprise. About 1/3 of highway costs are not recovered from motor-fuel taxes, license fees, traffic fines and other user charges. The missing third is subsidized out of state general funds with money collected from income, property, sales and other taxes. The Airline Passenger Ticket Tax does not effectively pay for the airports, and the FAA itself, which costs about $3 billion per year, is funded out of the General Fund, i.e., by non-users. Likewise the National Transportation Safety Board and other federal and state agencies essential to, but not paid by, commercial aviation. Why do you insist that the trains recover all their costs directly from passenger fares? The highways and airports do not, and now the airlines themselves are losing money. Transportation is inherently unprofitable. It creates great economic value, but most of that wealth-creation occurs outside the transportation system itself and cannot effectively be captured by the transportation enterprise. About 1/3 of highway costs are not recovered from motor-fuel taxes, license fees, traffic fines and other user charges. The missing third is subsidized out of state general funds with money collected from income, property, sales and other taxes. The Airline Passenger Ticket Tax does not effectively pay for the airports, and the FAA itself, which costs about $3 billion per year, is funded out of the General Fund, i.e., by non-users. Likewise the National Transportation Safety Board and other federal and state agencies essential to, but not paid by, commercial aviation.

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