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The Return of Trains & Light Rail
Every Monday I'll be writing about the economy in some way (unless there is a pressing personal issue to discuss) and one thing I want to stay on top of are trends in lifestyle changes that reflect Peak Oil. Today's topic is transport by rail.
Please check out this link, it presents charts and information about this very subject:
www.peakprosperity.com/blog/79935/getting-on-train
America was essentially a nation on rails until after World War II. Then the growing car culture (along with cheap oil) killed that way of life. By the 1970s, only a remnant of what was once a massive infrastructure was used– and that continued to be the case for over 20 years.
Something started to change in limited ways in the late 80s and early 90s, though. Mass transit started to come back in some places. Where I live, for instance, with MAX lines as well as extensive bus services. MAX light rail has been steadily expanding all over the Portland, Oregon metro area for the last 25 years. Ridership is high. I know many people who live in or very near Portland who don't even own cars. They don't have to– which helps a lot of people with modest incomes to get around quite handily. During my teen years and early 20s I used mass transit daily, as did most of my family and friends– even those who had cars. Its easier and cheaper to commute into work in downtown Portland (and go to college, or go shopping) by taking a bus or MAX, even if you DO own a car. Portland area metro has made a concerted effort for years to encourage mass transit and bicycling (with bike lanes everywhere and even buses that carry bikes).
Portland, along with a few other cities who took (or kept up) similar mass transit policies, were once considered to be kind of WEIRD. No longer is this the case. Portland has a vital and growing inner city (no 'white flight' issues) and the quality of life even in urban areas is high enough to compete with regional suburbs quite handily. Meanwhile, people out in the suburbs keep demanding light rail's expansion, finding that any mass transit not only offers them more commuting choices, but helps to keep traffic congestion down for those who do drive cars. Its win-win for all.
Other regions are taking note, and now many other cities are beginning or expanding light rail, as it reduces expenses put towards gas-powered cars and even buses. Light rail takes some real money to get started– it requires extensive infrastructure– but once established proves to be a very inexpensive system to keep running. The federal government has helped this trend by offering tempting grants to cities who take this on as well. (Another one of those programs that Romney and company would cut if given the chance, by the way.)
Not only is light rail (or fast and light commuter trains) coming back into vogue all over (especially since the year 2000) but also regular passenger train service. Amtrak ridership has seen a 50% increase in the last decade (between gas prices and airport patdowns…) and that trend has been accelerating substantially since 2008. Plans are in the works all over the country to begin fixing, improving, and expanding passenger train service. Once again, the Pacific Northwest coastal region is ahead of the curve (as you can read about in the article sited above.)
I find this trend to be noteworthy because it illustrates something that John Michael Greer noted years ago: “the past will become the future as we enter decline.” One of those predictions was that trains for both freight and passenger service would be gaining momentum and become once more (in the years to come) the primary way people and goods are shipped over land. Places that are preparing for this switch over early will reap the benefits as the extra monies needed for infrastructure spending dries up.
This is happening piecemeal, a bit here and a bit there, but it is nonetheless a very obvious trend for the future. Car ridership over the last decade has declined as gas prices have risen. The new generation coming of age seems happy to use mass transit or share cars– much to the consternation of car makers. But it makes sense. Between gas, insurance, and up keep– cars just aren't practical for the young, the old, or those on limited incomes or who live in cities with good mass transit. As we sink further and further into Decline, fewer and fewer people will see car ownership as a smart option, and for many it simply won't be an expense they have the choice to carry. As a Generation Xer, I have grown up in the Golden Age of the Automobile (as I'm sure it'll be called someday) and I admit I prefer the freedom and security of owning a car, even if we don't use it all the time. I like knowing I can take off for the beach, the mountains, the desert– or just 'get out of dodge' in any sort of emergency. However, even I must admit that I see sharing rides or co-owning cars may be the smarter way to go for many people.
This will be an interesting trend to keep track of, if you'll excuse the pun!
2012-11-08 05:33:14
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