Guest post by Theo Anderson Chicago’s intercity bus terminal is in limbo. Chicago has resisted calls for the city to buy and renovate the station. FlixBus, whose parent company sold the facility to a private-equity firm after buying Greyhound in 2021, now leases it on...
Freedom, For Starters
They’re a fast, easy, and affordable way to get around. But that’s just the most obvious payoff. High-speed rail delivers three more big wins.
Better Travel
High-speed trains are fun and relaxing—like a mini-vacation.
They free up time that you would spend driving (or sitting in a stuffed airplane) for the things that you actually love about travel. You can socialize, have a meal, read, and enjoy watching people and the passing scenery. And you can do these things while getting where you need to go—quickly and safely. It’s a totally different experience than any other kind of travel.
Connected Communities
High-speed trains are nonstop engines of prosperity.
While recent housing and development trends separate us from each other and hollow out city centers, high-speed trains bring us together. Which means they build capital of all kinds. They create vibrant economies, increase property values, and foster strong relationships between people and institutions.
Lower Carbon Emissions
Federal policies prioritize new highway lanes and cheap greenfield development, which creates more traffic and spikes greenhouse gas emissions.
We can no longer afford that paradigm. Electrified high-speed trains can run on 100 percent renewable energy. They also cut greenhouse gasses by incentivizing smarter, denser development. The effects ripple out and ratchet down carbon emissions across whole communities.
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