For many of us, the daily commute consists of leaving home earlier than we鈥檇 like to sit in traffic we鈥檇 rather avoid. With high levels of congestion and frequent accidents on our roads, commute times are unpredictable and sometimes there鈥檚 nothing to do except be late. With the technology available today, there should be a better option. We need a more reliable way to commute and high-speed railways offer a practical and efficient solution.
The lack of effective public transportation in Boulder and across the United States has caused an unchecked increase in traffic and a devastating decrease in public safety. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), people who use public transportation are 90% less likely to get into a traffic accident when compared to those who ride in private automobiles. Even though it鈥檚 about 10 times safer per mile to take a bus or a train1, a majority of Boulder residents still rely on their personal vehicles for their basic transportation needs. On average, 76.4% of American communities drive to work on a daily basis, which is much higher than in Boulder where it鈥檚 about 50.9%. However, the public transportation system within Boulder county only accounts for 7.9% of people, the rest bike, walk, or rideshare for their everyday commute2. With a lack of viable public transportation, there are numerous predictable consequences such as more hectic commuting and higher accident rates, but there are some unexpected consequences as well. It's not just individual drivers who are impacted; with over 70% of all domestic goods being transported by truck, congestion-related delays also have a significant impact on supply chains3.
Anybody who drives to work in the Denver metropolitan area is subjected to horrendous traffic jams on a daily basis; this is caused by a multitude of factors. Of the roughly 706,000 people living in this metropolis, 70% drive to work by themself every day4. Traffic fatalities are the leading cause of death for persons aged 1-54 5. The sheer mass of people on the roads is enough to cause major headaches throughout the region, not to mention the amount of truckers on the roads adding to the congestion and safety concerns.听
The current transportation system forces companies with a major dependence on materials and shipping to rely on trucking for a majority of their domestic transportation needs. This is because there are very few other efficient and reliable ways to deliver large payloads to specific locations within cities. Today, roughly 70% of all domestic goods are shipped by truck, with only 25% of goods being transported by rail. Trucking's domination in tandem with a lack of viable public transportation is not sustainable because of the threat to public safety and the increasing amount of carbon emissions it continues to produce. 29% of all the carbon emissions in the United States come from transportation, 16.4% from personal vehicles and 7% from trucking directly while railroads account for only 0.6% 6.听
High-speed railways are an untapped, efficient form of transportation that offers solutions to many of these pressing issues. In general, railroads are used for long distance transportation because they can carry heavier payloads and maintain better fuel economy than trucks. Trains are also significantly more cost effective, have temperature controlled cars for special cargo and continue to be more secure than trucks because it is extremely unlikely for a train to get into an accident or get caught in traffic. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) states US railroad mileage exceeded 200,000 miles in 1902 and reached a peak in 1920. During this time period, railroads accounted for almost all transportation within the country, but by 1978 it dropped to just 35%7. This dramatic rise and fall of the industry is attributed to the economic and societal influences of the Great Depression, both World Wars, and technological advancements. As of 2022, rail transportation accounts for roughly 25% of all commercial transportation but only 3% of business, commute or pleasure transportation8. Today's US freight railroads are four times more fuel efficient than trucking and a single train removes hundreds of trucks from the roads. This tackles the carbon footprint from two sides. According to AAR, moving freight by rail reduces the greenhouse gas emission of the entire process by 75% on average. Additionally, AAR states that 鈥渋f 50% of the truck traffic moving at least 750 miles went by rail instead, greenhouse gas emissions would fall by approximately 26.2 million tons.鈥澨�
Despite the numerous benefits of shipping by rail, most companies still rely on trucking as their primary means of transportation across the continental United States. The main reason for this is that there are no avenues to deliver packages to specific addresses by rail. This is where trucking takes over, for example, a train travels significantly faster from San Francisco to Chicago than a truck, but it has a preset location it goes to. The cargo is unloaded onto trucks at these locations to make the shorter deliveries. Shipping entirely by truck offers a major time advantage, even with all the transportation issues associated with driving across the country. This is because of how long the final unloading and reloading process of shipping by rail takes. Through the addition of an effective high-speed rail system there will be huge cuts to carbon emissions, a boost to the economy from greatly reduced shipping and leisure travel costs, and provide thousands of jobs from coast to coast.
Over the years there have been several attempts by US Representatives to set aside funding for high-speed rail projects. In 2022, 10 US Senators and 65 Members of the House asked for $3.5 billion dollars from the 2023 fiscal budget to begin development of high-speed rail infrastructure9. Two years prior, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., rolled out a national plan to invest $205 billion dollars into creating a network of high-speed rails10. These efforts are just the lastest in a long string of unfruitful attempts to begin a high-speed rail system dating back to 1965. Currently, there are three projects in development, but only one is under construction: the line from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The line from Las Vegas to Southern California is expected to break ground in 2023 and the line from Dallas to Houston is in the works, but has had some legal difficulties over land rights.听
The need for a network of high-speed rails spanning the United States is obvious, so what is the hold up? Since 2008, China has built 23,500 miles of railway connecting all of its major cities and they are expecting to double this total by 2035.11 With max speeds of 217 mph, the Chinese train system has revolutionized the efficiency and convenience of intercity travel. It is critical to note that while the Chinese rail system is making great progress, it comes with legitimate concerns over ethical development and foreign policy implications. Namely, the railway system is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure project connecting East Asia to Europe, and the financing strategies may prove problematic. China is being accused of 鈥榙ebt trap diplomacy鈥� where they fund major infrastructure projects in developing nations who have unsustainable loans, then use the accrued debt to leverage those nations governments. While this two-sided dealing is unethical, it does not directly affect any infrastructure projects in the United States.
The California line, by contrast, has been slow in development, largely owing to cost. The typical infrastructure cost in China is about $20M per kilometer, while the current project in California is totalling a whopping $56M per kilometer!12 Nearly double the cost and with each new estimate, the total continues to grow. The reason it is significantly more expensive to build in California is because US public transit agencies do not have the authority, experience or support to deliver a major transit construction project. The support of local government officials are essential in acquiring the necessary permits and land required for such a project. Additional problems include high methane zones underground near Los Angeles and an average increase of 50% per mile of domestic rail transport projects when compared internationally13.
The primary benefits of constructing effective high-speed railway systems across the United States include easier access to travel, less carbon emissions, safer travel, faster shipping, jobs for those building the railways and jobs for those who will be operating and servicing them. This new system will create safer roads, make commuting easier and serve as an investment to our future. High-speed rail is a viable and realistic solution to a lot of problems, so why is nobody doing anything about it?听
For citizens wanting to make a direct impact today, commute with a nearby coworker tomorrow, pick up an RTD bus pass for local trips and spread the word about the benefits of creating a high-speed rail system here. To get involved locally here in Boulder, contact your city council representatives, the Colorado Front Range Rail District Chainman, Jim Souby and Colorado Department of Transportation officials about the Front Range Passenger Rail project14. For further information about getting involved on the national level, contact your congressional representatives and visit the US High-Speed Rail Association website15. Together, we can revolutionize the transportation industry!