To the editor: Did James E. Moore II, a professor emeritus of transportation engineering at USC, fully consider climate change in his letter stating that the California high-speed rail cannot compete economically?
As our climate grows more unpredictable and ferocious, travelers may find air travel too dangerous and unreliable. More and more flights will be unable to conform to the schedules set by airlines. Travelers could decide that the time and ordeal of security and getting to and from the airport are not worthwhile.
When planes cannot fly, high-speed rail is necessary.
Lloyd A. Dent, Northridge
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To the editor: In the construction industry it’s sometimes said, “You can have it cheap, you can have it fast, you can have it good — but you can’t have all three.”
When considering high-speed rail transportation, I think we disregard the cost of transporting things (and people) by air. Why are most goods (especially heavy ones) transported either by sea or rail rather than on airplanes?
Yes, train travel is more time-consuming, but by how much? How much time is expended traveling to and from widely dispersed airports versus more convenient train terminals?
How much time is spent checking and retrieving your baggage? When traveling by train, your bags are often right there for you to pick up as you step onto the platform.
Rail infrastructure largely exists already, including the land dedicated to rights of way and terminals. A relatively modest investment could upgrade these for high-speed travel.
Anyone who has traveled abroad can probably attest to the convenience, economy and quality of modern rail transportation — good, cheap and fast.
Philip Baer, North Hollywood
