Public Transportation and Smart Growth

U.S. high-speed rail 'myths' debunked.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/04/13/high.speed.rail.fact.check/index.html

CNN -- Are proposed multibillion dollar high-speed railway projects in the United States a smart move or a huge waste of taxpayer dollars?

CNN.com users are challenging politicians, policymakers and each other about whether the Obama administration's push to build high-speed rail lines in the Midwest, West Coast and elsewhere is on the right track. Many users want proof that high-speed rail can be a profitable, efficient job generator to help raise the sagging U.S. economy when compared with other types of transportation.

Read how federal budget cuts have slashed high-speed rail funding.

Experts -- including the two most powerful congressional lawmakers on rail issues, think-tank specialists and policymakers at the Department of Transportation -- have directly responded to CNN.com user comments.

(My thoughts - other countries can afford to subsidize high speed rail, as well as wonderfully comfortable and convenient regular speed rail for passengers and freight, because they are not subsidizing the military-industrial complex in support of endless strings of wars.)