From the "Transport Politic" blog: Deciphering objections to improvements in rail service

Excerpt: "The baseline explanation for the limited Republican support for such investments is relatively easy to pinpoint: Their electors live in areas that would benefit only indirectly from such projects. Their constituents, primarily living in sprawling suburbs, do not see the value of government spending on anything other than roads."

At "The Transport Politic," here.

Some thoughts to keep in mind about why the opposition is so virulent and hostile towards improvements in passenger rail. Some points:

1. That there are those who see no value in investing in any transportation other than roads, or

2. Investment in any form of rail is an inappropriate involvement in the free market of transportation, that the improvements were spread too thin around the nation,

3. That the proposed improvements were actually upgrades to the conventional speed service, and that the Obama Administration funded it, so therefore, they're opposed to it.

4. Reason foundation opposed it, using any number of arguments.

5. With some opponents, they are going to oppose it no matter what. I think that is the case with what we had this last go around in Wisconsin.

There is also the issue that there are those who refuse to see any value in rail at all, even if (in the case of Wisconsin) $ 600 million' s worth of track improvements would have benefitted freight rail.