Funding Woes Sonora CA

You would think that with the new year upon us we could turn the corner and start talking about something other than the same old stories. But that's just not going to be the case.

Look at CTA for example. They start off 2008 staring doomsday straight in the face — again. Amtrak is dealing with a strike. SAFETEA-LU is ending. And the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission is calling for a 40-cent increase in the national gas tax in the next five years to overcome infrastructure deficiencies and up to a 60-cent increase in state gas taxes over that timeframe — which not all of its members agree is needed.

It was odd, but a few weeks before the commission released its findings, I visited this month's cover story, John Inglish, who discussed this very topic. And he did so vehemently. According to Inglish, this study isn't just a possible outcome, it's not a fate destined to happen, it's a reality that is already affecting us. What's interesting from this transit official is his position that freight is actually getting the worst of this current situation.

No wonder we're talking about funding so early in the year. It's no longer a matter of finding out who is getting government money to help build or expand their transit system. Funding has gone from a want to a need for the entirety of the United States' transportation infrastructure. I blogged about this a while back, but we really need to start looking at all infrastructure as one whole unit, something Inglish says is a necessity as well.

And the question then becomes that if the situation is so dire, why can't we find some funding for it? Take, for example, the idea of a national high-speed rail network. High-speed rail has had a hard time finding supporters in the states. Part of it is the image many people have of rail in their heads — especially those who have limited to no experience with it.

But the idea of national intercity rail system is a good one. Actually, it's a great one … and more than a little familiar. Kind of sounds like the interstate highway system. You know, that mass of interconnected roads we rely so heavily on. How did that get funding? From the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act. Did you catch that word there in the middle — defense — that's the key to this phrase.

President Eisenhower saw how Germany's autobahn road network worked as a component in its national defense system and decided that the U.S. needed something along those lines. And with his support it happened.

Back to that Intercity Rail Network. Few people can imagine a war happening within the U.S. borders, but it doesn't take that to disrupt our entire system.

9/11 proved that a coordinated terrorist can shutdown our system just as effectively. What we need is to show that rail is as integral to that defense network as the highways are.