High Speed Rail Map

New map: US High Speed Rail System. This map is inspired by ideas from various agencies and advocacy groups including Amtrak, The Transport Politic, Wikimedia Commons, Florida High Speed Rail, SkyscraperPage Forums, Southern High Speed Rail, Southeast High Speed Rail, Ohio Department of Transportation, California High Speed Rail Authority, Midwest High Speed Rail Association, US DOT Federal Railroad Administration, Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corp

https://sites.google.com/site/californiarailmap/us-high-speed-rail-system

via Facebook

Anyone know where we can get a spare Trillion to implement this :blink:

Is that a picture of Fantasyland at Disneyland?

Pipe dream map, I hope to see a fraction of this before I die.

This map isn't as pretty, and it's a few years old now. But IMHO, this vision, featuring incremental building of faster-speed rail, together with filling the gaps in the current rail system, is the future we should be lobbying for. Unfortunately, PRIIA's focus on state support means that there's no incentive to be looking at a national system.

Did USrail21 get ahold of some neat drawing software?

Only three things hit me about the network:
1) Flagstaff-Phoenix as a route. When did that lose service?

2) Ditto the NW CA line.

3) And in SoCal, if you're throwing around enough money and influence to connect Fort Myers to Miami, you might as well get out the checkbook and dynamite and put Anaheim-San Diego on the network.

As to PRIIA, my earnest hope is that something gets changed there. Honestly, something might change on the federal front...but it's more likely to be some sort of crisis-induced slashing of highway funding matches that changes than anything particularly directly positive.

The maps are outputs of well-intentioned but wholly unrealistic people with too much time on their hands.

At least in the case of the NARP map, I believe about 2/3 of those routes either have been seriously studied at some point in the last 10-15 years or had service this side of 1990 (the old Broadway/3R line), and there are a handful where service either has been restored (Norfolk) or is on course to be restored (the FEC line and Roanoke). Parts of it aren't happening, but most of it isn't that outlandish.

The creator of the High Speed Rail map explains his vision...in the [uK] Guardian.

A US high speed rail network shouldn't just be a dream

Finally, somebody with the foresight to envision the day when we can board a high-speed train to Cheyenne.

It's as if mountains don't exist. Just tunnel right through the Rockies.

There is now a petition on whitehouse.gov based on the above HSR map. It's been getting enough attention that it's gotten 2,700+ signatures in two days.

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Fund a high speed rail system that runs coast-to-coast and connects all metropolitan areas.

The 20th century had the Interstate Highway System, let the 21st see a national network of high speed rail!

Create a funding source (energy taxes? US Savings Bonds sold to citizens? Crowdfunding shares in a newly chartered corporation?) and a multi-decade plan.

Build 220-mph trunk lines with nonstop expresses between major cities and high speed regional service for other places in between. Link up to less populated areas with 110-mph service.

Proposed map at https://sites.google.com/site/californiarailmap/us-high-speed-rail-system

Created: Feb 05, 2013

Click to expand...

Robert Cruickshank at the California High Speed Rail Blog on the genesis of the map.

Alfred Twu’s US High Speed Rail Map Goes Viral

CHamilton said:

There is now a petition on whitehouse.gov based on the above HSR map. It's been getting enough attention that it's gotten 2,700+ signatures in two days.

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Fund a high speed rail system that runs coast-to-coast and connects all metropolitan areas.

The 20th century had the Interstate Highway System, let the 21st see a national network of high speed rail!

Create a funding source (energy taxes? US Savings Bonds sold to citizens? Crowdfunding shares in a newly chartered corporation?) and a multi-decade plan.

Build 220-mph trunk lines with nonstop expresses between major cities and high speed regional service for other places in between. Link up to less populated areas with 110-mph service.

Proposed map at https://sites.google.com/site/californiarailmap/us-high-speed-rail-system

Created: Feb 05, 2013

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Make that over 12,500 signatures. If I'm reading when you checked last right, it pulled down 10,000 signatures in the last day.

*Signed*

Took less time signing the petition than it did to read all the self-defeating pessimism expressed in this thread.

Ok, I'm going to keep a running tally:

Feb. 8:
0001 Eastern: 3977 signatures (#3977 is the first one with a date of Feb. 8)
1701 Eastern: 12938 signatures (checked 1705)
1706 Eastern: 13028 signatures
1711 Eastern: 13159 signatures
1731 Eastern: 13406 signatures
1745 Eastern: 13600
1805 Eastern: 13888
Feb 9:
0130 Eastern: 18609
0837 Eastern: 19803
1309 Eastern: 21093
1312 Eastern: 21167
1833 Eastern: 23563

2000 Eastern: 24214

Feb 10:
0440 Eastern: 25877

2155 Eastern: 28626

Feb 11:
0011 Eastern: 29021

2218 Eastern: 34441

Feb 12:
1450 Eastern: 35855

2007 Eastern: 36268

Edit: Adjusted the initial time since I think the site updates every 5 minutes.

I was just #13,221.

The signature count is now up to 21,122. Seems to be picking up support at a very fast clip, or should I say "high speed"?

Well, it seems to be on track for 23,000 or so by 5 PM, which would be about 10,000 in 24 hours. It also seems likely to be over 25,000 by midnight, which would be around 21,000 in 48 hours.

Anderson said:

Well, it seems to be on track for 23,000 or so by 5 PM, which would be about 10,000 in 24 hours. It also seems likely to be over 25,000 by midnight, which would be around 21,000 in 48 hours.

Click to expand...

So the question is, can it maintain the momentum? Having been involved in the petition to revive the Waterfront Streetcar in Seattle, I know that after the initial sprint, it takes work, press, and social media to keep the signatures coming in. I'm dubious about some of the specifics being proposed, but if nothing else, maybe we'll get a serious discussion about building the sort of rail network that this country needs and deserves.

(I'd point out that a bunch of non-mandatory responses have come down on things on the site)

I'm also dubious about a good deal of the proposal...but I also agree that this is more of a case of "get a proposal on the table and then start talking".

Anderson said:

It also seems likely to be over 25,000 by midnight, which would be around 21,000 in 48 hours.

Click to expand...

Yes, it's over 25,499 now, and it's not midnight yet, at least anywhere west of Chicago

CHamilton said:

Anderson said:

It also seems likely to be over 25,000 by midnight, which would be around 21,000 in 48 hours.

Click to expand...

Yes, it's over 25,499 now, and it's not midnight yet, at least anywhere west of Chicago

Click to expand...

This means The White House now has to give an official response to this petition since it crossed the 25,000 threshold. The reply would most probably usual bureaucratic cryptic word play about how there is no money to implement this project, but do not underestimate the White House, they gave a brilliantly unexpected official response to the petition asking the Obama administration to construct a Death Star

Texan Eagle said:

This means The White House now has to give an official response to this petition since it crossed the 25,000 threshold.

Click to expand...

The minimum threshold for a response has been raised to 100,000 signatures.