New New Deal Could Have Us Riding the Rails

The Center for Design Excellence is calling upon the new American administration coming in January to launch a "New Deal 2009" that would not just create jobs and stimulate the economy, but would also generate a sustainable national network of 200-mph trains, regional rail and local light-rail systems.  They argue that spending any more tax dollars on new roads is a mistake.

Over all, I agree with this concept.  Investing in efficient train systems and divesting out of airline and automobile expansion makes sense at an environmental level.  New projects would provide Civilian Conservation Corps-type jobs with specialized technical training.  They would also break the unbalanced stranglehold that the oil industry has had on American transportation for decades.

Green industry jobs are the wave of the future and a comprehensive network of trains is a wise means of catching that wave.  While I support the argument of spending no more tax dollars on road expansion, I believe that we should also continue to invest in road projects that rehabilitate our current infrastructure.  We are not going to make the jump to rail overnight, and we need to be strengthening crumbling bridges and roads to protect travelers.

HT:  Freddie O.