by rwwff » Thu 11 May 2006, 14:22:19
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('perdition79', 'T')he price of gas should be at least $5 a gallon. Put an end to this suburban hell that America has become. The speed limit should be dropped nationwide to 55 mph to save gas, and carpooling should be encouraged by all levels of government: city, state, and federal.
The problem with 55 and why its such a rub, is that it inconveniences no one in New England, and inconveniences everyone in Texas, Montana, etc. We drive faster down here because there are 200 miles of straight nothing between cities. If you want to share the pain equally, lets set the speed limit at 55 everywhere, but we take 200 billion from amtrak's New England budget, and we take that money and lay highspeed rail between Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. (Everyone flies to El Paso, so don't worry about that.) Include the mandate that the train must run at least 5 passenger cars, every three hours, and must take no longer than 4hours on each trip. If the train fails to run, the speed limit cap comes off automatically. If the fair is ever higher than any New England fair NY<->DC or Boston<->DC, the speed limit caps come off automatically. Anything you can take with you in a passenger car, you are allowed to take with you on the train.
That would be a fair sharing of the pain.
I actually think my cost estimate is a bit low, but its high enough to evoke the appropriate feelings.