Another rail junket

It seems like every new rail proposal must include a junket in which politicians travel the globe for "research." Well, it's happen again -- this time a trip to France to examine high-speed rail. As the BB has reported, the state's high-speed rail proposal is not exactly on track. But still:

Six California lawmakers are traveling to France this week to study the country's TGV, or Train a Grande Vitesse. The high-speed rail opened in 1981 and carries passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. California is considering a 700-mile system of its own. Voters will determine the fate of the project with a $10 billion bond measure on the November 2008 ballot. The state is considering lines from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and Sacramento to San Diego. (from AP)

What do you think of these junkets? Do they help set rail policy or are they a waste of money? Hit COMMENT button and speak out!

Comments

[Chris T]

The resistance in the USA to trains is pretty pathetic. Anyone who has enjoyed high speed travel in Europe or Asia via train should be screaming for that in our country. As our airports bulge at the seams with no more room (like LAX) and our highways bulge at the seams with no room to grow (like the 405, etc.) we need to be looking seriously at these options NOW, not in 20 or 30 years. Everyone always points to the specter of having to "subsidize" rail systems but in fact it is the highway system that is subsidized so heavily. We already have a huge road network that is pricey to maintain so why expand that more when the returns are greatly diminishing. How many lanes do you need on the 405 to make it congestion free? TOO MANY. Rail lines take up so little room as well so lets give them a serious thought and stop stonewalling!

[Brian Dear]

Rail junkets are a great idea. I split time between Seoul, Korea and Paris, France, although I'm originally from Houston, TX. Houston is known for its resistance to rail projects. When I first moved to Paris and discovered how well the rail system actually runs, I was immediately ashamed of the ignorance of my hometown. An international perspective it critical for leadership to become exposed to different means of solving transportation problems. Sometimes thinking outside of the box is really just about looking at the success of someone else's box! After experiencing the efficiency of Korea and France's high speed rail systems, it will be great when I eventually move to Los Angeles to enjoy similar rail comforts there.