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Re:Petition for Smarter Infrastructure by marcell on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @07:55PM (#14974927)
> We can fund this by stopping the high-speed rail, and spend the $68+ billion we are planning to spend on that on better local rapid transit systems, improved bus lines, and new roads instead

This proposal would replace a real and coming solution (HSR) with vague proposals ("improved bus line") and tech that may not pan out for years if ever ("electric airplanes"). I'm skeptical.

The HSR will provide a significant improvement for the Bay Area->LA route, and provide rail service to places that currently don't have it at all (eg. Fresno->San Jose). If we kill HSR, it's entirely likely that we'll end up with both no HSR, no hyperloop, and no super-speedy self driving cars. I'd rather keep chugging along on HSR, and build the hyperloop (or whatever comes next) when it's ready.

Re:Petition for Smarter Infrastructure by mosheroperandi on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @09:35PM (#14975524)
Yeah, there's some magical thinking that it'll take several decades to fully roll out "yesterday's technology", but somehow, by the time hyperloop technology is production ready, it won't take several more decades to actually get one built.