Rail researcher says U.S. poised for shift in mass transportation - High Speed Rail
June 13, 2011
By: Jake Ooley
NEW YORK – With the U.S. population expected to boom by mid-century, U.S. investment in high-speed rail service is both wise and necessary, according to a transportation policy expert.
Petra Todorovich, director of the America 2050 program at the Regional Planning Association in New York City, spoke to MediaLab recently about the benefits associated with bringing high-speed rail to the United States.
"As gas prices and populations rise, the need for a mass public transportation system is evident,” Todorovich said. “The America 2050 plan is a blueprint focused on expanding the existing the rail systems throughout the U.S.”
With gas prices hitting $4 and above in many parts of the country, the need for alternative transportation options is clear, said Todorovich. These rising fuel costs, paired with exponential U.S. population growth, will make rail a viable answer to moving mass numbers of travelers.
“By the year 2050, the United States is expected to grow by 100 million people,” said Todorovick. “High-speed rail allows for greater mass transit, while also cutting down on our dependence of foreign oil. “
However, high-speed rail is not achievable in every part of the country. The America 2050 plan highlights several corridors in the U.S. that could support future high-speed rail.
“The America 2050 looks to expand high speed rail in the areas of the U.S. that qualify under six different criteria,” said Tordorovick. “ Metropolitan size, distance, transit connections, economic productivity, congestion, and mega-regions determine whether or not high-speed rail can be considered for an area.”
Cities that have greater population densities and more connections within a rail corridor are those most likely to be considered for improvements and possible implementation of high-speed rail.
“Megaregions, large metropolitan areas, are the first to be considered for improvements and high-speed rail,” Todorovick explained. “The phasing plan takes all of these criteria into consideration and looks where passenger rail is in a higher demand.”
Many countries around the world, including China and Japan, have invested heavily in rail systems. However, the United States ranks 13th globally with slightly more than 27 million riders annually, according to the International Union of Railways.
“Public policy in the United States differs from other countries,” said Todorovich, explaining that the emphasis in this country continues to be highways. “We have built an elaborate and successful interstate system here in the United States, and unlike many places in Europe, gas prices are still very low here.”
The United States has recently begun investing in the federal rail program. In the last two years, various competitive grant programs have emerged.
“In the 2009-2010 year, there was huge federal funding for passenger rail,” Todorovich said. “The federal fund received $10.5 billion, which hadn’t happened in over two decades.”
However, when Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives and strengthened their numbers in the Senate following the 2010 mid-year elections, funding for passenger rail was reduced.
“In 2011, Republicans sought to reduce the budget of public rail in order to reduce the federal budget deficit,” said Todorovich. “The government took back $400 million of the $10.5 million they had given the previous year.”
The nation’s fiscal problems will make establishment of high-speed rail more challenging.
“Year to year,” said Todorovich, “it’s going to be a fight to gain funding.”
The road to high-speed rail will be long and bumpy, Todorovich predicts, and ultimately may rely on largely private instead of public investments.
In addition, the process will also challenge societal norms and habits.
“People have grown accustomed to bad traveling conditions,” Todorovich said of air and automobile travel. “They have a way to get around, even though it may not be efficient.”
Todorovich said she is hopeful that the public and elected leaders will realize sooner rather than later that high-speed rail will accommodate future populations and provide other upsides.
“High-speed rail has almost endless benefits,” said Todorovich. “It expands the labor market, job creation, community revitalization, investment opportunities, safety, greater travelling capacity and a greener, more cost efficient traveling alternative.”
According to Todorovich, the future of high-speed rail in the U.S. hangs in the balance.
“With baby-boomers and younger generations moving to more urban areas, they, too, see rail, biking, and other mass transits as practical and logical means of transportation,” said Todorovich. “We are poised for a shift.”