.
- Little discussed in the Olympic matter: Brazil is building a $9 billion high speed rail link between Rio and Sao Paolo. Chicago, meanwhile, has a transit system that’s falling apart, with trains limited to 6 mph on some stretches of track. (Oregonian)
- According to a new report from Brookings, air travel is high concentrated in a small number of metropolitan centers. That means heavy delays in those places. But half of all flights are less than 500 miles and many of those passengers could be better served by high speed rail–if we had a network… (Tampa Bay Biz/ Brookings pdf)
- As we mentioned earlier this week, the $8 billion in stimulus funds for high speed rail drew applications from states for more than $50 billion. Announcements of winners will come “this winter,” according the DOT. (AP)
- Disney is on board with high speed rail in Florida. The company is even offering to contribute 50 acres of land for a station. The company’s backing potentially could add millions of riders to the system. (Orlando Sentinel)
- Phoenix is getting mad about being left out of the nation’s HSR plans. “If you don’t have a line on the map, you’re nowhere,” says one local official. Meanwhile, the Brookings report showed Phoenix to LA is the 3rd busiest short-hop corridor in the country. (AZ Republic)
- One long-running debate in HSRland is whether Rochester, Minnesota–home of the renowned Mayo Clinic–will be a stop on the Twin Cities-to-Chicago route. It ought to be, says a new study by the MN DOT, because it would be a major ridership generator. (Post Bulletin)
- What can the project to build a maglev link between Anaheim and Vegas do for you? Well, watch this upbeat new commercial and find out! Apparently it’s airing in Southern California now? Local confirmation in comments, plz… (CA-NV Super Speed Train)
Tags: HEADLINES
This daily dig was awesome, you could totally win a Nobel Prize for this.
Full points, sir.
Eric is just upset that the U.S. has a President that is highly regarded around the world and has inspired billions.
Conservatives hate America.
Kind of odd how we’re coming full circle after a 100+ years or so. The American West was created by the railroads, we abandoned the tracks for cars in the ’50s and in half a century are realizing that they weren’t such a bad idea after all.
Don’t forget, 100 years ago also saw a sitting US President win the Nobel Peace Prize. We really have come full circle.
I haven’t seen the attached commercial in San Diego, but the casual inclusion of the number of jobs in “city center” (a large Vegas strip development not well known outside of Vegas) leads me to think this is airing on the NV side of the border.
//dan.
My website is currently down.
Doing research on how much the Mayo Clinic spends on railroad activities. In your work do you ever run across them?
If you haven’t heard about this relationship before, Mayo is big, big time into rail for Rochester, MN. Pro for high-speed passenger rail and con for existing freigh rail.
Money they spend is huge but they won’t answer questions.
I am trying to reconstruct some of their activities.
Let me know. Glad to answer any questions.
Thanks