The Sprinter's long road to today
By: PAUL SISSON - Staff Writer
North County rail line has cleared many hurdles over the years | ∞
o.sprinter.4.030608.ww.jpg/bill wechter/The Sprinter crosing Barham Road and Highway 78 at Woodland Parkway in San Marcos Thursday.
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NORTH COUNTY -- When Sprinter trains carry their first paying passengers as early as this morning, the trip will represent the culmination of a long and often divisive quest to reinvent public transportation in North County.
It took three decades of planning, design, engineering and politics to bring the Sprinter to its opening day. Though many have questioned the wisdom of the new $480 million rail link between Escondido and Oceanside, few would deny the tenacity it took to bring the project to fruition.
The Sprinter has overcome lawsuits, sharp price increases, design flaws and even a damaging derailment to get to today, when it is set to start ferrying customers.
Now, the line must begin earning its keep, building toward the estimated 11,600 boardings per day needed to help cover its $11 million annual operating cost.
Peter Aadland, the North County Transit District's marketing director, said no one knows just how quickly the Sprinter will reach its rider targets, but he said the true measure of the rail line's success will not come overnight.
"The real proof won't be how many people are riding it on March 9, 2008, or 2009 or 2010," Aadland said. "In 10 years I think the ultimate goal would be for people to say, 'Wow, we're so glad somebody persevered with that train, because we can't imagine our world without it."
The beginning
If there is one person in the Sprinter's history most responsible for making the Sprinter happen, it is retired Congressman Ron Packard.
At a VIP event in December, where the new train was previewed for local leaders, transit employees and other dignitaries, Packard was heralded as the "father of the Sprinter" for his dual roles in helping the North County Transit District secure both the operating right of way and a $152 million federal grant that allowed the line to go from paper plans to concrete and steel.
Speaking from his Carlsbad home, Packard said last week that he was convinced from the beginning that North County needed more than just wider freeways to solve its traffic congestion problems.
"It's not that I have any great affinity for trains," Packard said. "I just have a great affinity for a balanced transportation system. Trains have their place, as do buses and cars. You can't put all of your eggs in one basket, that's very short-sighted."
Transit district records show that North County transit planners had been eyeing the 100-year-old rail line between Oceanside and Escondido since the late 1970s.
By 1981, a formal study of the rail line focused on using a diesel-powered light-rail passenger train similar to those in use at the time in Europe.
There was just one problem. The Santa Fe Railway Co., which owned the 22-mile spur line, wasn't willing to sell.
Packard said he went to Santa Fe bosses, hat in hand, in the early 1980s as a member of the transit board and a city councilman representing Carlsbad.
"They said, 'no way,' (that) they weren't going to sell it," Packard said.
In 1982, voters elected Packard to the 43rd Congressional District seat and he remained in Congress until 2001. He eventually found himself appointed to the House Transportation Committee.
When Santa Fe Railroad officials came before the committee in the early 1990s, Packard said he took the opportunity to request that they sell the Sprinter spur to the North County Transit District.
"They were coming before us because they were having financial problems, and I asked them 'Now are you willing to sell?' and they said 'Yes, we might be able to work something out,' " Packard said.
In 1992, the transit district purchased a total of 84 miles of track from Santa Fe for $90 million. The purchase included both the 22 miles of track for the Sprinter and 62 miles of coastal track from the Orange County border to San Diego. That track now carries the Coaster commuter line.
During his time on the Transportation Committee, Packard met Norman Mineta, who would later serve as secretary of transportation under President Bush from 2001 to 2006.
Packard said that after a lobbying effort from North County leaders, Mineta agreed to approve the full-funding grant agreement from the Federal Transit Administration, giving the Sprinter the cash it needed to proceed.
Ever more expensive
When the grant agreement was approved in 2003, the project's cost was estimated at $333 million. The price tag grew considerably as the project was built.
In 2003, when the Sprinter project was put out for bid, it was estimated to cost $351 million. Today, with all heavy construction work complete, the price tag has reached $478 million, a 36 percentage point increase over the estimate made four years ago.
Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, said he was not surprised by the increase.
"I would say 36 percent would be very consistent with what we've seen in increases in materials costs," Simonson said. "Their timing couldn't have been worse."
Driven by massive construction costs in the east and Middle East, the cost of raw materials spiked just as Sprinter construction began. Simonson noted that between 2003 and 2008 the cost of steel mill products increased 63 percent, copper prices early doubled, and diesel fuel rose 180 percent.
The economist said he preferred to use the "other heavy construction" portion of the producer price index to judge whether a large government project is in line with inflation. Compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the index tracks the selling prices received by domestic companies for their products.
"For that section of heavy construction, which would include things like rail projects and ports, we've seen a 40 percent increase from 2003 to 2008," Simonson said.
But the Sprinter has seen more than just runaway inflation since construction started. Builders have discovered a litany of problems with the Sprinter's design that have caused many parts of the project, especially the line's Escondido Avenue rail crossing, to be redesigned, costing the project millions.
A former project engineer for the Sprinter told the North County Times in 2006 that the original survey of the rail right of way, performed in 2005, was inaccurate and responsible for many of the problems that have caused cost overruns today.
The transit district brokered a "tolling agreement" with the project's designer in 2007, agreeing to set aside the issue of who is financially responsible for the design flaws until after the project was completed.
Fans and foes
Since the Sprinter's early planning studies were conducted in the 1980s and 1990s, a steady drum beat of opposition has dogged the project.
The transit district faced several lawsuits from individual property owners and two local cities -- Vista and San Marcos -- that alleged the new train would be too noisy and dangerous to pedestrians and would unfairly gobble up private property. Those suits have been settled or otherwise resolved.
Tax-averse voters have also derided the project, pointing out there are relatively few large business parks along its length. By comparison, the Coaster links housing-heavy North County with the region's largest job centers in Sorrento Valley and downtown San Diego.
In 2005 the San Diego County Taxpayers Association awarded the Sprinter its "Golden Fleece" award, an annual dishonor the organization often bestows on transit projects of which it disapproves.
Lani Lutar, the association's executive director, said the organization maintains its disdain for the Sprinter for its cost overruns and for ridership estimates that she said the association deemed "overly optimistic."
"It's a perfect example of transit planners inaccurately estimating the costs for a project," Lutar said. "They continue to move forward with this belief that if you built it, the customers will come."
Richard Rider, a San Diego businessman and occasional columnist for the North County Times, said he objects to the very notion of light rail, which he said never comes close to covering its operating or construction costs.
"The Sprinter is nothing more than a big expensive bus on rails," Rider said. "The half-billion dollars that went into building this pretty rail system could have been used to widen Highway 78, and then everyone would have been able to use it."
Packard said that he sees the Sprinter not as a revenue-producing service, but as an alternative to crowded freeways.
"There are few train projects around the country that are not subsidized heavily," Packard said. He said the projects are important and valuable because they give commuters an option other than driving.
David Druker, a long-serving transit district board member, is also in the true-believer camp. Since he started serving on the board in 1996, he has consistently voted for the passenger rail line even when it looked as if the state might not provide $80 million in promised construction funds, forcing the district to borrow for the first time in its history.
Druker said he believes the Sprinter will do more than carry people who can not afford to drive.
"It's going to transform the communities that it goes through," Druker said. "We'll look back 20 years from now and say 'isn't this wonderful?' "
Like Packard, Druker said he sees all public transit, and the rail line in particular, as an alternative to driving that is worthy of the subsidy it receives from public tax dollars.
"I can't force people to get out of their cars, but I can provide an alternative that's safe and reliable," Druker said. "You've got to balance between building more roads and providing mass transit."
Contact staff writer Paul Sisson at (760) 901-4087 or psisson@nctimes.com.
Sprinter/Breeze fares
Starting today, the following fares apply for all Sprinter trains and Breeze buses. Transfers between the Sprinter and local buses are included in ticket prices.
ADULT FARES *
-- All-day pass: $4
-- One-way ticket: $2
-- Monthly pass: $54
SENIOR/DISABLED FARES
-- Day pass: $2
-- One-way ticket: $1
-- Monthly pass: $16
STUDENT MONTHLY PASSES
-- Palomar College: $42
-- MiraCosta College: $39
-- Youth regional pass (ages 6 to 18) $32
* Children age 5 and younger ride free.
Source: North County Transit District.
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Well.... wrote on Mar 8, 2008 11:43 PM:The kids at CSUSM and Palomar will use it. At least that's something. Aside from that, unless you work somewhere within walking distance of a station, or don't mind taking FOREVER to get to a the AMTRAK link, you're not going to bother with this thing. Oh yeah, you'll be paying for it buy the way, if you use it or not. Just like we pay for the AMTRAK and the trolley. 70% of the Sprinters ongoing costs are subsidized by tax money. The fares cover less than 30% of the annual cost to run the thing.
How dumb are we to allow the elected folks to jam this down our throat?
Larry wrote on Mar 9, 2008 12:04 AM:Light Rail is an huge status item for cities. Enjoy. It did cost a lot.
Holden wrote on Mar 9, 2008 12:32 AM:There is one thing in particular that has not happenned as of yet.
THE PUC HAS NOT GIVEN NCTD THE WRITTEN LETTER OF APPROVAL AUTHORIZING THE SPRINTER TO BEGIN TRANSPORTING THE PUBLIC.
We were told that NCTD should receive the written approval no later that Friday. Friday came around and there was no letter and nothing released from EITHER the PUC or NCTD.
There is NO letter of approval because the Sprinter has not passed -safety- inspections.
danny wrote on Mar 9, 2008 1:52 AM:Finaslly its open I plan to ride today
Billy wrote on Mar 9, 2008 6:41 AM: Five will get you ten that it does not open on time. (I couldn't help that.) What happened to the university students - don't them children get to ride?
Carnegie wrote on Mar 9, 2008 8:36 AM:Do I have to use a station to board? I can just jump on as it passes beneath my bedroom window.
Mike wrote on Mar 9, 2008 8:48 AM:Glad the train is finally up and running. I lived in Vista in 2000-2002 before construction began and was looking forward to the system. But I had to move to the Midwest for my job. Looking forward to riding it next time I take a trip to North County.
LLB wrote on Mar 9, 2008 9:25 AM:What a waste of time and money! Who will benefit from this? The business owners and land owners who have property near the Sprinter stations maybe. But, even that possibility is very far from a sure thing. Who will ride the Sprinter? There are no significant office or manufacturing facilities near any of the Sprinter stations. Who will pay for this? All the residents in the area will pay for this. It will be only a few years before the actual truth is revealed. No one will really benefit from this incredible boondoggle. The people who run the NCTD should be fired, or let go, or voted out of office. Sooner rather than later.
Ralph wrote on Mar 9, 2008 9:27 AM:The long awaited debut is upon us. Mr. Packard believes that this will eliminate traffic congestion, it will not. Instead, it will only serve to exacerbate it. Mr. Aadaland refers to "Passenger Targets". That may be more profound than he knows. With the malfunctioning signal equipment, and pedestrians, [potential passengers], crossing the tracks in an unsafe manner and location there will indeed be many "Targets" of the moving variety. Hindsight being 20 - 20 a monorail run down the middle of 78 and "T'd" at the 5 and 15 would have much better served the community with an increase in "Clean Air" buses to support the monorail,[and for far less money,too]. It would have sold itself in time when those stuck in grid-lock watched the streamlined monorail go zipping by. Instead we have an imported diesel burning train which skirts the fringes of population for much of its 22 mile journey, serviced by platforms most of which lack accessibility, sanitary facilities, or water, and most importantly, SECURITY. The actual total cost of this project may never known due to the unique system of financing employed here, but it's a safe bet the actual cost has far exceeded the $500 million dollar mark. Wikipedia suggests its cost is more in the $750 million dollar range. With all of the fines and cost overruns, we have yet to hear of anyone being held accountable for this gross waste of the public's money. To add insult to injury, the Transit Board gave the Executive Director a $32,000 raise for fiscal 2008. The reasons for this generosity remain unclear.
Kat wrote on Mar 9, 2008 9:31 AM:Build it and they will come.....
This is great! Progression in the right direction. Think of all the kids in the summer time that now can take the train to the beach instead of watching T.V. or hanging out at the mall. So many positive things to follow when you have a way to get there! Lighten up people! Get out of your car, get out of your house, go mingle!!!!
Skip wrote on Mar 9, 2008 9:44 AM:I wanted to take my children for a ride before I go on deployment. Not sure if we have time for that now as I am on my final week here. If you want to see countries that have rail systems that really work, then you must visit Singapore or Japan. You cannot just have one track to nowhere, such as the Sprinter, but rather a vast interconnecting system (all rail). I still feel that the money would have been better spent on fixing the 78 Freeway. I’ll be back in 7 to 9 months and then we will try it (The Sprinter).
Erik wrote on Mar 9, 2008 9:51 AM:Congratulations, and finally!
The Sprinter is a much-needed transportation link, and we need more of these alternatives to freeway traffic. For about the same cost of 1 1/2 days of Iraq War, we have a means to reduce our dependency on foreign oil (and our need to muck around in the Middle East).
To be truly useful and increase ridership, the Sprinter will need to run more than every 30 min. weekdays and every hour weekend. NCTD should consider the San Diego Trolley as an example.
John wrote on Mar 9, 2008 10:12 AM:Congratulations, they pulled off the heist! I may not be a math major, but 12k daily riders at full fare= $48K a day. Assumoing it runs at full capacity every day (x365)=17,520,00 a year. -11,000,000 operating expenses = 6,520,00 a year. 6.52m/480m = 76 years to pay for itself at full capacity every day with no discount fares. Sounds like a great deal!
local wrote on Mar 9, 2008 10:16 AM:Since it costs us so much money, I sure hope there are people it helps. Wish it came right through all of Esco. so college students here could use it. And wish it didn't burn fossil fuel, that seems a step backward. But I do think it's ironic that it's opening up to riders the same week there were two suicide by train incidents in this area.
Gus wrote on Mar 9, 2008 10:28 AM:I remember these SAME complaints being made during the construction of The Coaster
Today The Coaster transports thousands of loyal commuters every day who absolutely LOVE it.
The morning and afternoon trains are packed. The Padre trains are packed.
I was worried about the noise of The Sprinter, since it passes right by my home. I even thought of selling.
I'm happy to discover that it sounds no louder than a truck going by and I hardly notice it.
C'mon! wrote on Mar 9, 2008 10:45 AM:All of you naysayers have no idea what the impact of light rail will be. So quick to judge. Why don't you all take it for a ride and imagine what the possibilities versus sitting at your computer and commenting negatively.
Think positive people!
clarity wrote on Mar 9, 2008 11:01 AM:Some people are just misinformed or not informed at all. The Sprinter money could not be used on "widening the 78". A large portion of the money came from state and fed allocations SPECIFICALLY earmarked for rail transportion. You cannot just take that money and widen a freeway with it. Besides, widening freeways solves NADA - it only makes traffic worse and encourages the same old metal-coffins-inching-along-a-freeway approach. You can always tell the people who don't know anything about transporation planning. They are the ones that say "use the money to widen the freeways". LOL! Please stop.......and gain some vision here.
Finally wrote on Mar 9, 2008 11:05 AM:The sprinter is going to be great for business, at least for me.
I can't wait to take the sprinter from my home to the Oceanside transit system. I frequently travel to Los Angeles for business, and this train is going to be terrific.
For me, the main benefit of the train is I can work while I travel. With a laptop, cell phone and a broadband wireless card, it's a mobile office.
Even better, the train is going to get me home on time. It has taken me 4.5 to 5 hours driving to get home to San Marcos from downtown LA, especially on Friday afternoons. The traffic thru Orange County is just ridiculous, and picks up again on the 78 east.
I'm also very much looking forward to taking the sprinter to the coaster to the airport. The 15 south of of escondido is ridiculous, and there isn't enough parking at the airport. No fewer than 5 times I've been stuck parking at terminal 2 when I have a flight out of terminal 1. It will be terrific to not have to deal with a car.
Tom wrote on Mar 9, 2008 11:31 AM:Hoklen, the PUC gave approval last Friday afternoon.
What? wrote on Mar 9, 2008 11:40 AM:I am POSITIVE that this money would of done more good if it was used to add a lane to the 78. I am also POSITIVE this train will not make it's operating costs for decades. The bummer for me is that I like trains.
Walt wrote on Mar 9, 2008 12:30 PM:The Packard automobile went bankrupt when its option didn't meet public need.
"Balanced Transportation" isn't wasting over one third of transportation funds for 20 years to build the mass transit option when fewer than 2% have "come" to use it!
Stephen Roe wrote on Mar 9, 2008 12:42 PM:The Sprinter reminds me of the bridge to nowhere in Alaska...
What a waste of tax payers money.
Skip wrote on Mar 9, 2008 12:45 PM:A perfect example of why a mass train system will not work here. There are so many environmentalist groups crying about the toadfrogs and such, then you have the "not in my backyards" groups, and the green piece guys, and the open border nuts, that it will take forever to do anything, and then it will be 10 times the original cost.
In Japan, China, and Singapore, when the government decides to do something, THEY JUST DO IT! PUBLIC BE DAMNED .....
Why just last week, one bureaucracy fined another for pollution mismanagement. See what I mean. It will probably be another 10 years before they fix the 78, and who knows how long before they fix the 215. We need another study.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/03/07/news/coastal/21_57_013_6_08.txt
Skip wrote on Mar 9, 2008 1:05 PM:ON THE WEB: Want to see a successful rail transit system? Google "SMRT Singapore". Their interconnecting train system consists of 4 interconnecting loops that effectively cover the entire city. Add to that busses and taxies, and you have a system that works. Taxis are affordable in most countries (not here). Check out the “train map” to see what I am talking about.
happy wrote on Mar 9, 2008 1:12 PM:Finally they got that thing moving. finally im gonna make it on time to school LOL.. i live in escondido and i have to go to palomar college in san marcos, i usually start class at 8 and traffic SUCKS.. on HW 78. I'm glad they built this.. think of it this way.. if you ride a car YOU have to wait for sprinter to pass.. if you take sprinter. people will wait for you(if you're riding sprinter) to pass.. very good deal =)
Syl wrote on Mar 9, 2008 1:24 PM:I am sure that they thought that the Stage Coach was a very effective and environmentally friendly means of transportation during its' day.
Escondeeter wrote on Mar 9, 2008 1:42 PM:That 'bridge to nowhere' is pretty well traveled today. Close to a hundred people were at the Escondido station at 4:30 this morning for the first trip. By noon, the parking lot was 2/3 full and they were running extra trains. The crowd was mostly from Escondido, but there were a few dozen west-end folks on each train.
There were the usual 'first day' problems: one of the ticket machines broke down, the absence of any signage or DBD greeters left non-locals trying to figure out where to go when they got off the train, and there was an interesting example of the cultural adjustment that'll be required by train riders. One of the patrons came sauntering up to the train after it had given the pre-departure signal. A transit cop hit the button on the door to get the guy on board, but the guy didn't like the fact that the car was crowded, so he turned his nose up at the open door and began ambling down the platform to the second car. Whereupon, the train pulled out, leaving him. That old east coast 'running for the train' skill still needs some time to develop here.
Obviously, the novelty value will diminish pretty quickly, but I have a feeling it'll get a lot of use from the 'going to the beach' crowd on weekends and from the student population during the week.
Dave wrote on Mar 9, 2008 2:03 PM:How long would it take to pay off new lanes on 78? You can't both complain it won't make enough money, and want it to go to freeway construction with no direct income. If it pays the operating costs and then some, that's really good.
Joe wrote on Mar 9, 2008 3:22 PM:You can only widen the 78 up some much. When people begin getting tired of sitting in traffic and burning fuel at $5 a gallon, they'll start to take the train.
Th real problem is that auto commuters always are hoping **everybody else** use the train sop their commute on the freeway will lighten up.
Just wondering if they have an accomodation for surfboards?
SprinterGirl wrote on Mar 9, 2008 4:19 PM:I worked as a Sprinter Ambassador at Nordahl Station today and was very excited to see the great turnout, even at a station with no parking lot! Most folks were very positive about the Sprinter and were making a round trip just for fun.
Yes, there were glitches (the large amount of people riding was one!), but I talked to many folks who are going to be using the train to get to and from work and school and were happy to have an option in this time of high gas prices.
Hopefully, everyone will realize that opening day glitches are to be expected and once things settle down, the Sprinter will make a welcome addition to public transportation.
Congratulations NCTD, for bringing light rail to North County.
NCTD Victim wrote on Mar 9, 2008 4:33 PM:I have felt first-hand the IMPACT of the Sprinter on the bus routes today! The Sprinter ELIMINATED 7 bus routes, and it now takes an even LONGER period of time to get from one side of Oceanside to the other, considering that fewer routes are now doing longer hauls (gee, now there is a "carbon emissions" improvement!). I spent twice as long today trying to get from Town Center North to downtown Oceanside then I did yesterday, on the TWO BUSES I had to ride, vs. just the one before! What an "improvement"!
SprinterGirl wrote on Mar 9, 2008 5:37 PM:Joe, surfboards 6 feet long or less are allowed on the Sprinter. Your best bet is to board on the car with the handicap/bicycle symbol on it, as there's more room there.
seamus x wrote on Mar 9, 2008 9:39 PM:haven't people figured it out yet?
the transnet tax has been accumulating the monies needed for this (and other projects) from a .75% (that's POINT-7-5 percent) sales tax, over the last DECADE or so. did it really hurt you that badly? give me a break!
the community decided to sink some money into local infrastructure to benefit the community! this is going to be a BIG plus for all the towns along the line, especially with rising fuel costs and an overall cost-of-living that's just off the map!
Guess what? wrote on Mar 10, 2008 9:01 AM:If I'm not mistaken a little over 2 months ago NCTD cut bus routes and the number of Coaster trains running, because of lack of riders and cost, so does anyone really think that the Sprinter will be any different?
Signalization problems wrote on Mar 10, 2008 9:16 AM:Just 36 hours before the first Sprinter paying passenger climbed aboard, I had a shocking experience. Travelling North on Las Posas at 7:00 PM Friday, I had the red light ahead and pulled to the first space, just past the Sprinter tracks, at Mission and Las Posas. I had my windows down, and while waiting I noticed white lights coming from the East silently passing the Palomar Depot, without warning. When when the Sprinter (I had no previous idea) came within 500 feet of the intersection, the warning lights began flashing (I was ahead of them) and the arms came down within 300 or so feet of the train, Then the sound started. I cannot help but wonder what may have happened. What is NCTD doing about this ?
Richard wrote on Mar 10, 2008 12:21 PM:Seamus x, the half-cent countywide sales tax imposed in 1987 was to improve transportation in general. But only a tiny, tiny fraction of the people of the county will ride the Sprinter.
Assuming the NCTD projections are correct (which I doubt), then it will carry about 12,000 riders daily -- about 6,000 people round trip. Of those 6,000, NCTD predicts that 75% or so will be former bus riders.
So we just spend half a billion dollars from all sources (plus incurred millions of annual operating costs) to carry at most 1,500 additional people once a day. It's stunning.
To: Signalization Problems wrote on Mar 10, 2008 12:50 PM:The solution is to not stop on the tracks as the signs and conventional wisdom instruct you to.
Keith wrote on Mar 10, 2008 1:42 PM:You are all fortunate to have rail. I live outside of Sacramento near Auburn. It's only 20 miles to work but it takes 1-1.5 hours in a car. Train can make it in half the time, but it costs $17.00 ONE-WAY. $2 is a good deal. Give it a try!
Mike wrote on Mar 10, 2008 2:11 PM:Just wait till gas hits $5.00 - $6.00 a gallon you will be begging for public transportation. You know that it is not far off, soon $4.00 a gallon is going to be the norm. Better start selling off everything you own to pay just to get to work. We need more support for projects like this, yeah maybe this one was a bit of a failure but we need to start somewhere and get rid of our ties with oil
Matthew wrote on Mar 10, 2008 2:16 PM:The fact of the matter is that ALL forms of transportation (Road, Rail, Airports etc) require goverment subsidies to build and for the most part operate/maintain. So the argument that rail/transit systems are a waste because they don't cover their operating costs is nonsense. Nobody expects roads to make a profit for the taxpayers, so why do we put the same requirement on transit? Widening the 78 would cost at least 4x as much and become congested again within several years. The OCTA has spent billions on freeway widening the past 10 years (all needed), but those widened freeways are congested during the rush hour again, so its a never ending cycle. Bottomline, the Sprinter is just one player of many required to keep people moving in the future as our population continues to increase.
SprinterGirl wrote on Mar 10, 2008 2:47 PM:To: Signalization Problems, who mentioned pulling past the tracks on a red light: that's a no-no and you will get a ticket if you get spotted doing that. Stop before the tracks and wait for the green.
Richard wrote on Mar 10, 2008 4:33 PM:It's true that almost all forms of transport get at least some govt subsidies. But the roads have a user fee that, properly allocated, would indeed pay for the highways. That's the state and federal gas tax which comes to 36.5 cents a gallon. Plus sales tax paid per gallon -- which includes a tax on the gas tax. But these user fees are spent on other modes of transportation, or just disappear into the general fund.
The real question is what is the subsidy per PASSENGER mile? Of all the modes of people transportation, rail gets several times the per passenger mile subsidy of any other form of transportation.
Derek wrote on Mar 11, 2008 10:32 AM:I don't want my gas taxes to pay for freeways, because I hardly ever use them. Gas taxes are a poor substitute for real user fees (tolls).
Once those tolls are in place, you might see more people taking the Sprinter and thereby lowering the per-person subsidies.
Polar Bear wrote on Mar 19, 2008 2:17 PM:The railroad is not fully double-tracked, the trains are short two-car sets and they run what? once an hour? This is laughable. In my home country commuter trains have 10-12 cars in a set and run every 4-5 minutes in peak time, and every 10-15 minutes off-peak, almost 24/7, with only 3 hour break from about 1:30 to 4:30 at night. Now this is a transportation system. Sprinter is not a transportation system, it is a toy, "whoa! look at this pretty train! Just like in Europe, so cute!". Short trainsets with one hour intervals make sense for 250-mph bullet trains, but not for commuter trains.
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