High Speed Rail Map

[Texan Eagle]

The 2009 variant of the above map shows "ten corridors (all previously designated as high-speed rail corridors by several successive Secretaries of Transportation) as well as the Northeast Corridor" which were "potential funding targets." IIRC, these corridors weren't intended to be a network, but at least this map shows how they might fit together.

Again I repeat my question from the previous map, same thing seems repeated here too-

If "designated high speed corridor" runs from New Orleans to Houston and another one runs from San Antonio-Austin-Dallas, what is the reason for keeping Houston-San Antonio gap as "other passenger rail route"? What strategic/economic benefit is derived by keeping Houston away from the other three Texas cities?

Similarly, what possible advantage is derived by not completing the eastern designated high speed corridor upto Miami and instead keeping a small "gap" between Jacksonville and Orlando? It's like, if and when this thing becomes a reality, passengers will be told "Yea, you can travel from Northeast to Florida by high speed rail, Orlando, Tampa, Miami all have high speed rail, but but but... sorry, you can't travel to either of those cities, you must get off in Jacksonville and then hop across by some other rail to Orlando and then continue" Retarded, ain't it?

 

[Ryan]

Who said anything about having to get off in JAX? The corridors are "potential funding targets", nothing more.

 

[Anderson]

My biggest issue with those maps was the gap between Cleveland on one side and Buffalo/Pittsburgh on the other. Likewise,I'd be inclined to just fill in the gaps JAX-ORL, Little Rock-St. Louis, and/or Tulsa/Kansas City.

 

[afigg]

Who came up with this brilliant idea of connecting Houston to New Orleans but not to Dallas, not to Austin and not to San Antonio either! Applause!
Also, what's the problem in connecting Jacksonville to Orlando and complete the east coast link? What great economic interest is served by keeping a tiny but gaping hole?

However, Dallas/FW to Houston has HSIPR funding to study building a HSR route. I would not read to much into a older map of initial HSR corridors.
As for your revised map, it should have a Tucson-Phoenix to LA HSR line. Phoenix to LA region is one of the busiest city/regional air routes in the US. I think if the CA HSR system and the Xpress West line to Las Vegas are built, an extension to Phoenix is going to happen. Colorado may well build an isolated HSR system along the front range and up into the mountains.

 

[George Harris]

What seems to have not been done but easily could be, is to look at the traffic volume between cities by road and by air and match up the proposed rail corridors with the heaviest of these. Maybe that is simply to simple and leaves out the various politicians and promoters.