Locker Room’s Mitch Kokai passes along Time’s case for taxpayer-financed high-speed rail:

The goal is to create attractive alternatives to long drives and short flights, which would relieve road and air congestion; reduce carbon emissions, highway deaths and dependence on oil from foreign thugs or the blackened Gulf: create jobs; jump-start a new domestic manufacturing industry; and improve the competitiveness and convenience of the U.S. economy.

I spent some time in Raleigh over the weekend and I took note of the N&O’s Sunday front-pager on the effect proposed high-speed rail could have on downtown businesses:

Brad Hurley says he appreciates what high-speed rail service will do for Raleigh, but he worries that a new plan for fast trains could kill a downtown corner where he has served beer and oysters for 23 years.

“It sounds like ‘pick your poison,’ ” said Hurley, co-owner of the 42nd Street Oyster Bar at Jones and West streets.

Raleigh really pushes New Urbanist concepts of high-density development and mass transit, doing its best to keep up with Charlotte. Interesting to see that high-speed rail is indeed too good to be true for downtown.

Speaking of Charlotte, Antiplanner trashes Charlotte’s light rail system. But wait, it gets better —— $36 million ($24 million fed plus $12 million) for a streetcar line. Nice.

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