The uncertainties around climate change are forcing countries like the US to invest heavily in transportation infrastructure. This map, courtesy of America 2050, displays the planned Trans American Passenger Network which is a comprehensive inter-city rail network across the United States. There has been a $8 billion down payment made in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and $5 billion in Barack Obama's proposed budget towards this.
No matter how long Barack Obama spends on other major federal issues i.e. immigration reform, he has expressed vehement interest in bringing about an extensive passenger rail system which will optimize national transportation flows and efficiencies in America.
Why the pressure to do this? Other than the obvious climate change reason, the US is projected to grow by 140 million people by 2050. This will require massive investments in roads, highways and more importantly, rail networks. Having a Trans-American-Network of national inter-city passenger travel would significantly reduce the need for national flights and alleviate pressure on inter-state highway systems. Both national flights and inter-state highways contribute heavily to the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
So, this plan will provide more travel options for Americans. It is going to require a lot of federal and state investment. This plan recommends that federal investments in inter-city rail be directed towards corridors with the greatest demand for inter-city travel.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the US over the next little while. Especially considering the plethora of issues Obama plans on dealing with. For more information, see here.
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