• Bring on the lobbyists! The fight is on to distribute that precious $8 billion in HSR stimulus money. (Politico)
• A glimmer of good news for a Monday morning? Panama Canal Authority chief executive Alberto Alemán Zubieta predicts the economic downturn won’t alter long term growth in trade and shipping traffic projections. (LloydsList)
• Less upbeat: The Mayor of Detroit discusses the Herculean feats that will be required in putting the city back together. (Freep.com)
• To sit comfortably, or not to sit at all: In the face of a difficult choice — more comfortable seats, or more of them — the Maryland Transit Administration went with the latter on its MARC trains: Jam in more seats, even if they’re less pleasant to sit on. (Baltimore Sun)
• Is the ethanol industry in serious, serious trouble? (The Oil Drum)
November 30th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
To be fair, MARC didn’t specifically order the cars with the uncomfortable seats; they just bought them second-hand from VRE, since that was the easiest way to get Northeast Corridor-certified railcars quickly.
When they talk about “molded-plastic seats”, I’m assuming they’re talking about the same kind of seats that bus and subway riders everywhere sit on without whinging to the press. Admittedly, MARC riders sit on said seats for longer on average than most transit riders, but I’m guessing this is mostly about having your expectations recalibrated than actually finding seats to be painful to sit on.
November 30th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
I’ve always thought of lobbying as Bribery by a different name. The difference, if it is one, is where money changes hands, one is over the table, one is under the table. I don’t know maybe I haven’t been paying attention to a possible positive that comes from it. Aren’t Lobbyists the ’special interests’ that throw money around to get their way? Correct me if I’m wrong please.
With HSR in this country I do think there needs to be a hardline approach as it will be beneficial in so many ways. Draw a line on a map, say “here we build this line” and get to it. Whatever it takes. there are 300 million people that will benefit from a venture such as this. I don’t see why it has to be so a$$-backwards, all the time, with everything.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:02 am
on the MARC debacle, i’m hoping that a new series of rider humiliations in various parts of the country at least brings decongestion pricing to the fore in the transit world. or maybe we really are better people than car drivers, and as such, don’t have to worry about the laws of supply and demand?