by 2nd trick op
Those of us who frequent these forums regularly are well-versed in the growing conflict between rail freight and passenger moves. The decision to get freight off the NEC in the wake of the Chase accident is the most prominent example, but the recent push to upgrade a couple of emerging corridor opportunites will likely intensify the issue.
But I think it's worth noting that a similar conflict is slowly developing on our overburdened highway system. When I learned to drive in the mid-1960's, passenger autos weighed about a ton and a half, got 15-20 MPG, and were a lot more crashworthy than they are today. Volkswagens were fairly common by then, but still viewed as the choice of the committed non-conformist (oxymoron?). Today, I get around in a 4-banger Ford Focus that probably weighs less than a ton. And driving definitely is not the pleasure it once was.
Meanwhile, over the same period of time, highway semi-trailer lengths have been increased from 40 to 53 feet, height to 13' 6", and the states which opposed double trailers were brought into line by the tactic of threatening to withhold highway funds. This is not something you want to run into while behind the wheel of a Prius or Scion.
Attempts to segregate commercial motor vehicle traffic can be traced back to the development of the parkway system in the Northeast in the 1940's, but the added development of busways and HOV lanes on the fringes of the most congested cities is evidence that the trend is increasing. And I'm not certain whether the new toll roads springing up on the fringes of several Sunbelt cities allow commercial traffic.
The AAR ran a few ad campaigns against heavy-duty truck traffic prior to 1950, but these apparently didn't draw much of a response. The continuing upward pressure on gasoline prices might generate some sympathy from the public toward further restrictions on trucking, but in reality, the present retail distribution system is closely geared to tying individual outlets to a distribution center that can be served by an overnight "fast turn".
My point being, as in other posts, that the entire surface transportation sytem is no longer well attuned to recent changes in underlying conditions, both economic and societal. All of these pressures are interconnected, and those of us around long enough are going to witness a shift nearly comparable in impact to the emergence of the motor vehicle a century ago.
But I think it's worth noting that a similar conflict is slowly developing on our overburdened highway system. When I learned to drive in the mid-1960's, passenger autos weighed about a ton and a half, got 15-20 MPG, and were a lot more crashworthy than they are today. Volkswagens were fairly common by then, but still viewed as the choice of the committed non-conformist (oxymoron?). Today, I get around in a 4-banger Ford Focus that probably weighs less than a ton. And driving definitely is not the pleasure it once was.
Meanwhile, over the same period of time, highway semi-trailer lengths have been increased from 40 to 53 feet, height to 13' 6", and the states which opposed double trailers were brought into line by the tactic of threatening to withhold highway funds. This is not something you want to run into while behind the wheel of a Prius or Scion.
Attempts to segregate commercial motor vehicle traffic can be traced back to the development of the parkway system in the Northeast in the 1940's, but the added development of busways and HOV lanes on the fringes of the most congested cities is evidence that the trend is increasing. And I'm not certain whether the new toll roads springing up on the fringes of several Sunbelt cities allow commercial traffic.
The AAR ran a few ad campaigns against heavy-duty truck traffic prior to 1950, but these apparently didn't draw much of a response. The continuing upward pressure on gasoline prices might generate some sympathy from the public toward further restrictions on trucking, but in reality, the present retail distribution system is closely geared to tying individual outlets to a distribution center that can be served by an overnight "fast turn".
My point being, as in other posts, that the entire surface transportation sytem is no longer well attuned to recent changes in underlying conditions, both economic and societal. All of these pressures are interconnected, and those of us around long enough are going to witness a shift nearly comparable in impact to the emergence of the motor vehicle a century ago.
Last edited by 2nd trick op on Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.
What a revoltin' development this is! (William Bendix)