Are Billionaires The New Driving Force In Improvements To Tranpsortation?



Crazy or inspired?

So we all realize by now that getting major projects done in the world of transportation is a slim chance at best. Look at the North Spokane Corridor. Even now that it's underway, it's not clear where the funding will come from to ever finish it. And installing light rail or high speed transit systems? Considering the economic and political climate, it's not looking good.

So, knowing that the government isn't going to foot the bill and public-private partnerships are drying up because businesses are being hit hard, who is going to build all this stuff?

Bring in the billionaires. More and more celebrities are now championing the transportation cause. Jeff Bezos of Amazon wants to use drones. PayPal lead-man Elon Musk has proposed the "Hyperloop" and Richard Branson has his own airline and wants to take people to the moon.

Are they crazy or the new force in getting things done? Politico looks at the reality of the situation and how feasible each billionaire's ideas are.

Conceptual Map of What US High Speed Rail Could Look Like

In 2009, President Obama announced a new vision for developing high-speed intercity passenger rail in America, calling for a collaborative effort by the federal government, states, railroads, and other key stakeholders to help transform America’s transportation system through the creation of a national network of high-speed rail corridors.

To achieve this vision, a High-Speed Rail Strategic Plan was published and the High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program launched.


Congress made $8 billion available but not much else has happened since then. Recently though, a conceptual map of what a nationwide high speed rail system could look like has been making it's rounds on the internet.
So above is a look at that map and you can find more info here.

WA Gets FLA Money For High Speed Rail

High-speed rail improvements in Western Washington got a boost last week when the state announced it will get an additional $15 million for the Amtrak Cascades service. The money had been set aside for Florida but was rejected by political leaders in that state.

The Spokesman-Review's 'Getting There' column has that story and other local transportation news.