Wisconsin to Get Federal Tax Money for High Speed Rail

Yippee.

A fact sheet issued by the White House lists the $810 million for the stations and track improvements necessary for the high-speed line connecting the state’s two largest cities, along with improvements to the Amtrak Hiawatha line between Milwaukee and Chicago that will serve as the building blocks for a 110-mph service along that route.

Let me be clear (sorry, I’m channeling Obama), this will result in work for people and be a nice infusion into Wisconsin’s economy, but the long term isn’t so promising.  At some point the federal money will run out and the taxpayers of Wisconsin will have to pay to operate and maintain the line.  And for what?  So a few people can have their trip between Milwaukee and Madison subsidized?  No thanks. 

As I’ve said in the past, I have to go to Madison on a fairly regular basis.  I would LOVE to pay a couple of bucks to sit on a train and read, work, or nap as I get there.  But given that the train would not drop me off where I actually need to go, requiring me to rent a car or cab it (plus parking, waiting for the train, etc.), the whole experience would be more hassle and expense than just jumping in my car and driving over there.  But even if I rode the train, do y’all really want to subsidize my ride?  I can certainly afford it, but why pay my own way of some suckers with float the bill?

The comparison with the Hiawatha line isn’t accurate.  I’ve ridden that line many times.  The drive to downtown Chicago is longer and traffic worse that makes the train more reliable.  There are no such concerns between Milwaukee and Madison.  Also, the concentration of likely destinations in downtown Chicago and ready access to cabs and the Metra make it convenient.  But even in that case, 90% of the people on that train can afford to make their way to Chicago on their own and the rest of us are subsidizing their commute. 

Here again we are facing the prospect of trading short term economic activity for a long term white elephant.