The NC House is considering a proposed joint resolution urging the NCDOT to apply for part of the $8 billion federal teaser offered for high-speed rail. Nothing could be more irresponsible.
None of the 23 “Whereas” clauses in the resolution mentions that the NC taxpayers are on the hook for this long- range project. None of them mentions that the trains will average only 55-75 mph in NC. None of them mentions that the system offers virtually no environmental or congestion relief benefits because it will have few riders. And none of them mentions that the huge cost is really a subsidy for mostly well off downtown workers such as bankers, lawyers and government employees.
As the JLF report “Why North Carolina Should Not Build High-Speed Rail” concludes:
Yet the FRA [Federal Railroad Administration] has no estimates how much high-speed rail will ultimately
cost, who will ride it, who will pay for it, and whether the benefits
can justify the costs. A realistic review shows that high-speed rail
will be extremely costly and will add little to American mobility or
environmental quality.
The best available data indicate that the FRA plan will cost about $90
billion, or roughly one-fifth the inflation-adjusted cost of the
Interstate Highway System. This plan will provide trains with average
speeds of 140-150 miles per hour (mph) in California, 75-85 mph in
Florida, and moderate-speed trains averaging 55-75 mph in North
Carolina and 30 other states.
