Today’s New York Times brings us the story behind the cancellation of the prposed high-speed railroad between Tampa and Orlando, Florida. Michael Cooper, How Flaws Undid Obama’s Hope For High-Speed Rail in Florida, N.Y. Times, March 12, 2011, at p. A11.
The title says it all, and as you might suspect from it, there was a hefty element of politics behind the initial decision to pop some $2,400,000,000 to fund the construction of that rail line. But that, however true it may be, does not tell the whole story. It was a boondoggle. In the words of the Times:
“Tampa and Orlando are only 84 miles apart, generally considered too close for high-speed rail to make sense. The train trip, with many stops along the way, would have shaved only about a half-hour off the drive. Since there are no commercial flights between the two cities, the new line would not have lured away fliers or freed up landing slots at the busy airport.”
For the N.Y. Times story go to http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/us/12rail.html?_r=1&ref=politics