Table 2: USHSR (2011) illustrates that high speed trains are the most efficient form of transportation in terms of energy efficiency per passenger

It is understood that to create electricity, fossil fuels are often burned; however, there are many more alternatives for electricity generation including renewable energy and nuclear compared to the limited number of fuel sources in the current transportation sector.

Transit Oriented Development

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) incorporates HSR and addresses the climate change problem on a deeper level. TOD communities are built around a HSR system, connecting local transit systems to the HSR system and also incorporating green technology throughout the community to make the community as a whole more green. USHSR (2011) describes TOD’s in more detail:

Transit oriented development (TOD) is the exciting new fast growing trend in creating

vibrant, compact, livable, walkable communities centered around high quality train systems. TODs can be stand-alone communities, or a series of towns strung along a rail line like pearls on a string. TODs are the integration of community design with rail

system planning.

TOD could enhance a HSR system by connecting the maximum local and international travelers to the system through ease accessibility for citizens (USHSR, 2011).

Jobs

There could be an opportunity to promote strong economic development through job creation with HSR investment. Infrastructure investments alone have the potential to create large amounts of jobs in terms of rail and station creation, transit design, and train construction. There is also the potential for additional jobs to be created through research and development while designing and creating the most optimal, cost effective HSR system for each region of the United States. The Midwest High Speed Rail Association projected a major economic surplus through HSR investment in the Midwest alone, which could possibly be translated into other regions of the country (Table 3).

Table 3: Midwest HSRA job projections for a HSR implementation project in the Midwest United States (USHSR, 2011)

This study clearly projects a major economic surplus through job creation in only one region of the United States; if the projections are accurate, HSR has the potential to bring large profits to a region.

Convenience

High-speed rail has the potential to be a major boost in convenience for passengers throughout the country. The U.S. High Speed Rail Association (USHSR, 2011) illustrates the potential convenience by pointing out the easy access to downtown city-centers, little or no delays, no security delays, lessened security lines, fast boarding, few restrictions, increased cabin space, and travel time comparable to planes. The other major convenience of HSR is that passengers are allowed to do their personal work throughout transit. In cars, the work has to be delayed due to the driving process, and in planes, cell phone use is prohibited. Grunwald (2010) sums up the potential convenience of HSR by stating:

You wouldn't have to get to the airport ridiculously early, take off your shoes, turn off your phone or pay extra for luggage; you wouldn't have to worry about the weather or

some Icelandic volcano canceling your trip. You wouldn't have to watch the road, wait in traffic, find parking or pull over to stretch your legs; you wouldn't risk arrest or an accident by drinking or texting. (USHSR, 2011)

With the increasing dependence on technology and especially mobile telephones, HSR could hold an advantage over both the automobile and airplanes.

Mobility

In terms of mobility, HSR may have the ability offers intercity hubs, increased passengers per car than planes, and lessened congestion from traffic. HSR could have the ability to take passengers directly into downtown areas at a high speed depending on station design; airports are generally on the outskirts of towns and cars that travel into the inner city usually need to travel at a very slow speed. Also, a high-speed train car could have the ability to carry more passengers than both cars and airplanes, resulting in more people being taken into urban centers with fewer trips; a green incentive. Lastly, a HSR

system has the potential to drastically reduce the amount of congestion from cars on U.S. roads and highways, greatly reducing carbon output. USHSR (2011) provides some key statistics in favor for HSR. First, a single high-speed train line can carry the equivalent passengers of a 10-lane freeway. Second, the average American motorist will spend 6 months of their life waiting for red lights to change, and over 5 years of life stuck in traffic (Grunwald, 2010). Third, road and airport congestion cost America over $156 billion per year in wasted time and fuel (USHSR, 2011). The time and money being saved from less time, congestion and accidents as a result from HSR could be used in much more productive areas, such as renewable energy investments.

Overall the potential benefits for a HSR system in the U.S. are vast; however, it is important to understand that these benefits are not guaranteed. An implementation strategy with the proper precautions and steps could enhance the potential for vast benefits; yet assurance that all the positive aspects will be fully utilized from the beginning of implementation is ignorant.

Negative Impacts

Three possible negative impacts of high-speed rail will be considered: initial costs, severity of accidents, and ridership. The major driving for critics of HSR are the high up front cost that a high-speed rail system requires. Arduin and Ni (2005) state that the approximate average for high-speed lines construction costs per kilometer around the world is $53 million U.S. dollars. This price could easily be higher depending on the type of infrastructure and terrain the line is be implemented in. The costs include planning costs, infrastructure costs, and superstructure costs. Infrastructure costs include that of

land manipulation and track to be laid. Superstructure costs include rail-specific elements such as guide ways (tracks) plus the sidings along the line, signaling systems, catenary and electrification mechanisms, communications and safety installations, etc. (Campos, 22). However, some of the infrastructure and superstructure are already in place due to the low-speed rail system that has been implanted in America for a significant time.

Another negative impact for high-speed rail is the severity of accidents in terms of fatalities. Naturally, as train speeds increase, the probability of an accident causing a significantly larger number of deaths increases in direct proportion. Table 4 from USDOT (2000) shows this direct relationship in a graphical function.