Rep. Frelinhuysen to Give Away HSR Funds to the South

This congressman has completely lost his mind. No thanks to people like this is why our country has a "D" when it comes to infastructure and public transit. While the Europeans and the Asians are advancing we are getting left behind in yet another field.


http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/06/23/nj ... own-state/

I'm content with this decision, because I don't support any High Speed Rail period. I support Commuter Rail being funded, not High Speed Rail. Of course if I was in DC in the 1990s, I'd have been one of those arguing for Amtrak's discontinuance.

Well, after the major power problems going on recently, I think it'd be stupid to use dedicated rail money to fix flood damage out west.

Here's an idea. How about stop building towns in flood plains.

frostyorange wrote:Well, after the major power problems going on recently, I think it'd be stupid to use dedicated rail money to fix flood damage out west.

Here's an idea. How about stop building towns in flood plains.

That's a legit problem too. If the Northeast isn't a signal, they'll build a shoddy mcmansion over anything.

NJTRailfan wrote:This congressman has completely lost his mind. No thanks to people like this is why our country has a "D" when it comes to infastructure and public transit. While the Europeans and the Asians are advancing we are getting left behind in yet another field.


http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/06/23/nj ... own-state/

I can empatize with your frustration.
But how often do politicians turn down pork money like this? If they all did it our economy would be in much better shape.

Roadgeek Adam wrote:I'm content with this decision, because I don't support any High Speed Rail period. I support Commuter Rail being funded, not High Speed Rail. Of course if I was in DC in the 1990s, I'd have been one of those arguing for Amtrak's discontinuance.

Commuter rail just means more sprawl. We need to contract sprawl, not further subsidize or enhance it. Commuter rail funds should go to rapid transit and intercity/high speed rail. Rapid transit allows ease of travel within smaller urban areas, and intercity rail allows quick, efficient travel from city to city. High speed rail helps out with intercity, especially between the largest cities. It's a much more efficient use of funds.

First off, I think the title of the thread is a bit misleading. It sounds as if the money is certainly going to areas ravaged by flooding. Putting "proposes amendment" after Frelinghuysen would make it more accurate.

Secondly, the reality is the NEC catenary is old and is in dire need of an upgrade. Deferred investment to do so will only make the situation worse in the future. I, for one, hope the money is not diverted.

morris&essex4ever wrote:Secondly, the reality is the NEC catenary is old and is in dire need of an upgrade. Deferred investment to do so will only make the situation worse in the future. I, for one, hope the money is not diverted.

The folks at Amtrak have been asking for wire upgrade funds since the beginning. It would be smart to do the upgrades now. You could take any wire being removed and sell it. Copper prices remain at record levels.

I can see that the folks who are for this has never riden a rail as as frequent to work like I and many others do. With three problems in three days how could you just "give our money away" it's not pork when your country's infastructure is crumbling within and the other nations around the world are doing much better then you. It really gets me when the people of this country will not spend money for badly needed upgrades due to a certrain politican party and their follows calling it "pork" It's about time America catches up to the rest of the work and modernizes the facilities and esp the electrical work. I say the NEC shoould been HSR years ago up to 200mph Boston-DC.


Hey Congressman! Stop punishin us in you poltical football! We also don't appriaciate you giving away funds to people who decided to live in homes in areas where natural disasters are common but people still want to stay in.

This is what will be left to future generations.

All politics are local; and how many Amtrak lines are there within Rep. Frelinghuysen's Eleventh District?

Several DL&W lines of NJTransit, but then hasn't NJT been well fed (especially the DL&W as compared to the CNJ?) at the FTA Feddytrough?

frostyorange wrote:

morris&essex4ever wrote:Secondly, the reality is the NEC catenary is old and is in dire need of an upgrade. Deferred investment to do so will only make the situation worse in the future. I, for one, hope the money is not diverted.

The folks at Amtrak have been asking for wire upgrade funds since the beginning. It would be smart to do the upgrades now. You could take any wire being removed and sell it. Copper prices remain at record levels.

Note that while true the price of copper for scrap is at a peak, but so is the price of copper for the new materials that would be needed. And the scrap value is de minimis compared to the new material that is required.

the ali wire have a high tensile steel wire throught the middle of them , otherwise they would probably sag as much as the copper .

I think the Northeast, New Jersey and New York in particular, give enough of their hard-earned money to the Deep South via the Federal Government.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0923084.html

either way what ever needs to be repalced should be repalced. We need improvements and upgrades from the very beginning. By an overzealous congressman pulling a stunt like this is endangering lives. The last thing we want is the railway version of what happened in Minniapolis with the bridge there. It's so easy for them to tag this as "pork" but have some heart and symtapty for the working man and woman in this area of ours who have to endure longer commutes due to equipment breakdowns and time away from their families just so that they can put food on the table and money in their pockets.

It already makes me sick that countrys who once had nothing or war torn are now beating us while we have people at the top not looking out for our greater good continue to race us to the bottom.

NJTRailfan wrote:either way what ever needs to be repalced should be repalced. We need improvements and upgrades from the very beginning. By an overzealous congressman pulling a stunt like this is endangering lives. The last thing we want is the railway version of what happened in Minniapolis with the bridge there. It's so easy for them to tag this as "pork" but have some heart and symtapty for the working man and woman in this area of ours who have to endure longer commutes due to equipment breakdowns and time away from their families just so that they can put food on the table and money in their pockets.

It already makes me sick that countrys who once had nothing or war torn are now beating us while we have people at the top not looking out for our greater good continue to race us to the bottom.

Exactly, get with the program Frelinghuysen!!