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Rail only makes sense in densely populated areas. I live in NYC, and it makes a lot of sense here - and thankfully they aren't afraid to spend billions where they need to.

But even here, it is an expensive way to move people. Fares are subsidized, and it still takes me 1/2 hour to go about 2 miles across town (since I have to walk or take a slow crosstown bus to the station).

Since much of the population lives in suburbia, there is no way you could create rail serving that part of the population in anything approaching an affordable way. Maybe they shouldn't live out there, but really that's up to them and their $4 gas. Besides, surface rail is as slow or slower than buses when it has to share the road with cars.

I think many cities are building new trains, BTW. In NYC, they are putting in a brand-new subway line on 2nd Ave. Here's a page describing many of the new lines planned, proposed, or underway.

No surprise, though given that this same "organization" that thinks spending $100 per person per day to ride the train is a bargain...

Railroads are 8 times more energy-efficient than heavy trucks. The US used 19.8 million barrels/day in 2002 with two-thirds for transportation. (Today, roughly 20.7 million barrels/day.) Railroads carried 27.8% of the ton-miles with 220,000 b/day whilst trucks carried 32.1% of the ton-miles with 2,070,000 b/day (2002 data).

SkyTran is non-stop, 100 mph personal transit that can totally eliminate commuter congestion in any city, for the same costs of one linear line of light rail.

Intercity SkyTran 150 mph, non-stop travel between major cities will beat Commercial Jet travel times for distances of 600 miles or less. (Over 50% of all jet travel in the USA is for distances of less than 500 miles. Over $25 billion currently planned for USA airport expansions can be saved).

Let's look at the statistics. In 2004, a total of 42,636 people died, and 2.8 million were injured on U.S. highways. In other words, more U.S. citizens were killed and maimed on U.S. roads every three weeks than have been killed and maimed in the Iraq war after more than three years. Yet society shrugs its shoulders at this level of highway carnage.

Its difficult to get the numbers, but here are some from here: http://www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_00015.htm

Motor Vehicles 0.93
Rail Rapid Transit 0.55
Commuter Rail 0.05
Bus 0.10
Light Rail 0.00

I see algorithmic driving taking place about as soon as mass transit takes off.

Then again, I have never been able to explain irrational behavior.

A lot of research has been put into Personal Rapid Transit, which is expected to cost an order of magnitude less than monorail to build per mile, because it's so much smaller and lighter.

This page and this page show the cost comparison.

Read more about PRT studies and research here and here.

3 to 5 times the cost?

Not even close.

5 to 10 times the space?

Are you even serious?!

The monorail track is smaller, but the vehicle is wider than the track.

You need to take into account the clearances needed when a train is there!

Light Rail Transit beats monorail on almost every criteria.

Even elevated LRT beats monorail on cost, monorail might be slightly quicker to put into place, but that's about it.

Light Rail Transit (LRT) vs monorail comparison

I guess the problem is, once you have the car(~$400/month payment) and insurance(~$100), any amount you drive is about 12 cents a mile(25mpg car,$2 gallon,$1 maintenance), discounting your time. If you drive a 30mpg car and do your own maintenance, it might cost you 8 cents a mile.

So once you make the decision that you need the car, your monthly cost is $500/month + .12/mile. Now, when I last looked at bus rates, it was $1.25 for a one-way trip. So unless I was going more than 10 miles(15 for the efficient car), it's cheaper for me to drive. Add in "faster" and "more convenient" and I'm going to drive alot. I'll take a cab when flying (Airports not far, and charges for parking).

But then, that's just my situation. If you sit down and figure it out, you can find your own situation. If you live in a primitive arcology, you may be able to do just about everything via elevators, and subway system.

If they put the PRT system into practice, it could deliver stuff right to your building. Hire a building delivery guy to move the stuff right to your location.

Of course, this site brings up some potential problems with PRT (that I don't see as being any different from other mass transit or monorail). And I see the stations being built inside buildings. Not over the street.

Godawful URLs...try this: http://www.roadkillbill.com/PRTSim.html Also: http://pulsetc.com/article.php?sid=1056 http://www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_prt001.htm http://www.roadkillbill.com/PRTisaJoke.html

I am following up my own note with a link to a spirited attack on the idea that highways are paid for by gasoline taxes.

Yeah, only an order of magnitude more expensive. Average cost per lane-mile to construct a road: about $500K (rounding up). [Ref] Call it $1 million per mile for a two-line road. Average cost to construct light rail: around $20 MILLION per mile. [Ref]

Sure, these are data sources are not directly comparable and obviously don't include things like maintenance and operating costs (which are probably higher for rail since you have to have paid operators, but that's beside the point). Of course, rail also has much more stringent restrictions as to climb grades, turn radii, and other things that make it far less suitable for many out-of-the-way environments than roads.