Perhaps not as much of a pipedream as it seems at first blush. Still, lots of financial and political hurdles in the way.
Would be interesting to see what the social impact of travel times like this would be. Some people do commute already between Philly and NYC, even daily, but it's a bit of a slog. With a 37-minute travel time one could easily live in Philly and commute to NYC which could have an impact on real estate prices in both areas. The concept of "home" would be different if you could so easily and quickly travel between major cities. With those speeds you could just zip up to NYC for dinner and a show and be back home before bedtime. At a price, of course!
The hurdles are entirely political. A country (and region) this wealthy can easily afford first-rate infrastructure -- particularly since corridor travel will double over the next 30 years, and surely not all of those trips will take to I-95 -- but somehow it doesn't seem to be a political priority.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fairviewroad
Would be interesting to see what the social impact of travel times like this would be.
It's not just Philadelphia -- but also Baltimore, Hartford, and countless other places in between. Personally, I think that the states and not the feds should take the lead on fundraising and capital planning, particularly since states like Maryland and Connecticut will gain immensely from the improved connectivity. Of course, all of us along the NEC and around the country will benefit from more efficient travel, but somehow this Congress doesn't seem to understand that (or much else at all).
__________________
"Lady, this is not O'Hare. You get what you pay for." -- Overheard at MDW security, 1997
