high-speed rail

The Chinese Have a Phrase for It 0
- March 9, 2011
A new trend in Chinese is to turn an active verb into a passive verb–usually with a sinister context–by prefixing the character “bei” (pronounced “bay”). For example, bloggers who have been censored will say they’ve been bei huh-shyeh, or “harmonized”–a reference to the Chinese government’s efforts to create a “harmonious society.” This new, and formerly […]
READ MORE
LaHood: Amtrak Makes Money 0
- March 4, 2011
Speaking in Indiana last week, Secretary of Immobility Ray LaHood said Amtrak’s success shows that American should build high-speed rail. “Amtrak is doing very well,” claimed LaHood. “They’re making money, that wasn’t true a few years ago.” This led BoydGroup, an aviation consulting firm, to say, “This guy is lost in space.” BoydGroup points out […]
READ MORE
$590 Million to Increase Speeds by 2.7 MPH 0
- March 1, 2011
Secretary of Immobility Ray LaHood proudly announced Saturday that the BNSF Railway has agreed to increase Portland-Seattle train speeds from their current average of 53.4 mph to 56.1 mph, saving just 10 minutes (3 hours 30 minutes reduced to 3 hours 20 minutes) over the 187-mile trip. This, said LaHood, is “part of the President’s […]
READ MORE

Giving and Taking Away 0
- February 25, 2011
When Wisconsin and Ohio elected governors who promised to cancel high-speed rail, Secretary LaHood took their money away before the governors-elect even took office. But when Florida’s governor cancelled that state’s high-speed rail, LaHood gave local governments a week to see if they could form a consortium able to take on the project. Why didn’t […]
READ MORE
Updates from All Over 0
- February 18, 2011
California Republicans are proposing to divert federal grants for the state’s high-speed rail program to improving U.S. Highway 99 instead. Highway 99 is the major route through California’s Central Valley connecting Modesto, Fresno, and Bakersfield, while Interstate 5 skips those major cities. Highway 99 is highly congested and is in relatively poor shape, and Representatives […]
READ MORE
Sticking It to Your Employer 0
- February 18, 2011
Many people seem to think that high-speed rail won’t work in Florida but still makes sense in the Boston-to-Washington corridor. For example, in a commentary on Governor Scott’s decision to cancel the Florida high-speed train, Michael Barone writes in the Washington Examiner, “I have written rather extensively about the foolishness of most high-speed rail projects. […]
READ MORE

Contribute