Too Poor For Trains

"Many areas lack the money to expand or repair mass transit."  

That insightful and predictive sentence was in this New York Times story about people moving to the south.

Our nation continues to be split between regions/states/cities that are embracing the 21st century and trains, and regions/states/cities that are trying to hang on to the last century of cars and highways.  

The South and my home state of Wisconsin are two examples of areas clinging to the obsolete transportation of the last century.  The South and Wisconsin are also examples of less prosperous economies and median income.  Which, as the NYT writer implies, may put these areas even further behind, even when they recognize the necessity and economic benefit of light rail and trains.  By then, these areas will desperately want light rail and trains, but will they be too poor to build them? The NYT story was written by Alan Blinder, Robert GEbeloff and David Leonardt, who heads their currently astute column "The Upshot." 

Comments

[David Lubic]

http://www.goldmansachs.com/our-thinking/outlook/millennials/index.html

[David Lubic]

Not strictly a train thing, but something you might find interesting. But the following comments by readers--wow!! A lot of unbelievers there!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/28/8-things-millennials-want-and-dont-want-basically-anything-their-parents-wanted/?tid=sm_fb

[David Lubic]

Alas, the fight goes on, even in places with money:

http://www.floridanotallaboard.net/

https://www.facebook.com/floridanotallaboard

What this is all about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Aboard_Florida

http://www.allaboardflorida.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AllAboardFlorida