Everyone all aboard the Fail Train! WHOO-WHOO!! (That's the Fail Train's whistle.)

1) This thing needs to be the world's definition of high speed, not the US version.

2) It needs to eventually stretch from Vancouver, BC all the way to San Diego, CA.

3) It should provide Portlanders with a cost-effective, fun, relatively fast way of getting to SF for a weekend trip.

OK my #3 is admittedly selfish as I have three different very close life friends down in SF that I would love to take trains to go visit for the weekend with my wife. But it should be done, anyway.

:)

If none of the above are happening, this will be my new CRC to hate now that we've pretty much squashed that stupid project.

Once you get past wilsonville there isn't much traffic.

Additionally, if there are only 2 trains/day we won't be seeing those things going past very often

@ Unicode Travesty -

I actually think the same thing whenever I'm on my MAX line flying past stalled traffic on HWY 26. The answer flies by these people stuck in traffic daily. Meanwhile I'm home with a beer and cooking dinner with the dogs fed and happy while they're barely pulling into their driveways.

You'd think people would be smarter, but they really aren't. I pass the same cars in my MAX everyday (or at least the same amount).

I'd be for it if it sets the stage for the inevitable regional/national high speed rail lines, but if we're just going to have to redo everything for REAL high speed rail, I guess I don't see the point, either.

Different priorities, Jackattak. Even when traffic's not moving, I've got my radio and my heated seats and my privacy. I'd rather sit in traffic in my own car than ride Portland's public transportation - it's not even a contest.

And you may beat me home, but I'm likely not going home - I'm meeting friends or running errands, something different every day, all over town. The MAX isn't super flexible like that. :)

Does that "current average speed" account for the extra time spent having to wait for the freight trains?

I went to a friend's wedding last year in Simi Valley, a train ride that was supposed to take twenty-two hours and instead took twenty-six. Google Maps puts the drive at sixteen. Ugh.

I agree, I don't see the point in doing it unless it's "real" high speed... It's like spending a fortune upgrading your company to use 56k modems.

@ Reymont -

Can't argue the heated seats or privacy, but I always have my radio. :)

The MAX is super-flexible, as are the other mass transit options, you just have to give it some time to adjust. Took me a few months, but after ditching my pickup in 2008, I haven't looked back.

And I have friends and go to various outings in NoPo, the East Side, Northwest, virtually all over Portland. What I can't bike/walk to, I can either take a bus, MAX, or StreetCar to.

It's not for everyone, no. You've got to want to change. If you don't want to change, no one, including me, can change your mind for you. It's a fundamental thing.

:)

The stupidity of our government at work.
American transit systems falling apart, people can't get to work, but the numb skulls in charge want to put in high speed rail.
GOD BLESS AMERIKA

Not digging all these smiley faces. Jack your a freakin' hippy, and Reymont you're polluting our city.

There. Turn those frowns upside... up.

It kind of sucks on the MAX on 84 when there's no traffic and it's slugging along at 50 as I see cars passing me going 10 or 20 MPH faster. I don't get why it can't be going faster than the cars there. It's on rails for crissakes.

Sorry Austin I'll try to cool it on the happiness. :(

The train situation in this country makes me so sad, only exacerbated by the three months I spent living on trains in Europe last year. Ideally I should be able to take a one hour train to Seattle, two hours to Vancouver, and an overnight to SF or LA.

It boggled my mind that you couldn't even take a train from Portland to Vancouver until last year and only because of the Olympics (which means service may end soon).

@Jackattak -

Oh, I had to do it for years while I was in school. So I don't think it's that I hate change - I've tried it and hated it.

Oh, and I at least buy carbon credits from carbonfund.org, and pick the projects as carefully as I can, for as little as that's worth. 12 cylinders, zero emissions, right?

@Austin :D

I'm thinking a MAX line to Wilsonville would have more immediate value. I support this idea but getting to SF for the weekend isn't the highest priority. Although, I would love to train down to our flat there.

@JackAttack
I'd be happy to switch to using Max, but the way they've designed it, it's just very inconvenient. I live on the far eastside, on 68th, about a mile or so from the new green line at Foster. To get to downtown, I have to walk or bus that mile to the green line, then go straight north and transfer at Gateway, then take another train. It takes me three or more times longer than by car. Heck, it probably takes a little longer than by bike. (And if we had better weather in winter, I'd bike more.) Compare that to somewhere like Chicago where you have a loop around downtown and then the El extends out like fingers on a hand going more directly to where you need to go. It's always faster taking the train than it is going by car if you're moderately close to a stop. I love using public transit it cities like NY, Chicago, and DC. But in Portland, it's kind of annoying in most cases. Maybe if they had more multi-level park & ride structures, I would consider it more.

Will this new rail line cost even more to ride than Amtrak? Because Amtrak is expensive. I've considered taking the train before, but, eg, it's nearly 50% more to go by rail to Sacramento than it is by plane. And whereas the plane ride is less than 2 hours, the train takes 16 hours. A trip to Eugene is way too expensive to commute on a regular basis at $25 one way. Even with gas prices where they are now, it only costs me about $12. (And with our current trains, it takes an extra 45 minutes, plus I lose the convenience of having my car.) btw, I can get to Sacramento from here in about 8 hours and it will cost me less than plane or train.

I'm with ya, extramsg. I live Downtown so it's not an issue for me, but I know what you mean.

And the Chicago train system is sick.

Hey guys, trains! Did you hear about trains? What about the latest train news, huh? Trains, I tells ya. Totally fucking trains, dude!

@Al M Um, how do you think the rest of the world gets to work? The Europeans rely on rail systems pretty heavily.

Al M is like, literally a TriMet bus driver I'm pretty sure. I'd take it with a grain of salt.