[ad_1]
High-speed rail boasts the potential to connect Californians faster than any other form of land transportation, create tons of jobs in high-cost cities, and increase economic activity—all while expanding sustainable transportation choices and reducing emissions.
Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, over 90% of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum-based—gasoline and diesel—and much of this fuel is used in the personal vehicles that many Americans must rely on to get to and from work. work.
In fact, in 2019, the average American commuter lost 54 extra hours a year to traffic delays – “extra hours” meaning extra time spent traveling at congested speeds rather than the speed limit. Specifically, commuters in Bay Area cities lost 103 hours sitting in traffic that same year. At the same time, the number of climate-related disasters has tripled in the last 30 years, partly caused by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
The Net Zero Game Changers Initiative, an interagency White House task force, recently identified high-speed rail as one of 37 “game-changing” opportunities that will enable the US to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Like US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg he said in October, “There is no sense why Americans should settle for a standard of rail speed and convenience that is inferior to what a citizen can expect if he lives in Germany, or Japan, or Italy, or even Turkey or Morocco.” We should have the best in America when it comes to any form of infrastructure.
Many European and Asian countries are ahead of the United States when it comes to building high-speed rail systems. Commuters in France, for example, pay just $11 for 200mph across the country – as long as they’re running errands or sipping a cup of coffee. Instead of spending countless dollars and hours and hours on highways due to reliance on fossil fuel personal vehicles.
Although California’s high-speed rail project has faced initial hurdles, it has already brought a host of benefits to the region and state, and has the potential to solve some of our most pressing problems.
For example, the data shows that living in the Bay Area requires working three — or more, depending on the city — full-time jobs at the state’s minimum wage. Rising costs of living mean well-paid jobs are becoming even more valuable and cities are expanding to create more affordable housing. The Central Valley is expanding, and a high-speed rail route runs right through it to affordably connect people to where they need to be.
Since construction began, California’s high-speed rail project has created nearly 9,000 construction jobs, most of which go directly to Central Valley residents. There are currently 171 miles under construction in the Central Valley, with more than 30 active construction sites. More infrastructure development means more jobs for Californians.
Road traffic carries more risks than lost hours spent in traffic jams. According to an analysis by the National Safety Council, motor vehicle deaths are set to increase by 9% in 2021 with 4,161 deaths in California that year alone. Other modes of transport, in contrast, have much lower fatality rates.
In fact, Japan’s high-speed rail system, which has been in operation for decades, is known for its nearly flawless safety record, which includes zero passenger deaths in its more than 50-year history. Implementing better passenger rail systems and advocating for the use of public transportation, including high-speed rail, is a big step in the right direction toward achieving zero road deaths in California.
After years of delays and setbacks, California’s high-speed rail is moving forward with trains expected to be in service by the end of the decade. In June, the state legislature appropriated $4.2 billion to complete the initial operating segment for California’s “Bay to Basin” high-speed rail network in the Central Valley, marking the end of political back-and-forth and uncertainty. And despite the negative media attention, UC Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies polls show that 56% of California voters want to continue construction of the high-speed rail project.
High-speed rail is part of our sustainable, efficient and safe transportation future that will connect communities in California and across the country.
San Jose Spotlight columnist Karen E. Philbrick is executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute, a research institute that focuses on multimodal surface transportation policy and management issues.
[ad_2]
Source link
