July 12, 2008
Take the Train
There is a story at the GOOD Magazine site about a cross-country Amtrak ride. The article is part travelogue and part historical yarn. Inside, the author makes the case for a revitalized light and high-speed rail system as part of the attack on the high costs of fuel.
“Per passenger mile, an Amtrak train uses about half the energy of an airplane, and can carry twice the number of people. It’s also the passenger-carrying equivalent of 16 lanes of highway.”
The Japanese Shinkansen trains that The Greatness and I took on our two trips there were incredible - speedy and relaxing. Meanwhile, I live in Atlanta, a major U.S. city that can’t even build a decent subway system, for any number of reasons, many political in nature. Hopefully, the current energy costs will help to bring down some of the barriers to better public transportation.
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