Lynch at Large

The following commentary is especially noteworthy because, according to heavy rumblings, Amtrak may be only hours away from invoking the 180 day rule to cancel many of its' western passenger trains, including the Eagle which passes through Arkansas and the City of New Orleans, which goes through Memphis and down the Delta regions.

This week marks the fiftieth anniversary of the interstate highway system. President Eisenhower pushed in through as a national defense measure, and Ike was a five star general. It was a good idea, even if better highways did mean more and cheaper automobiles. The highways also killed the interstate passenger train.

The Interstate Commerce Commission did add a bit of federal regulatory assistance to push the train into its' grave. What remains today, Amtrak, is hardly a national transportation system, although it is essential in the northeast where fast trains carry about twenty million passengers a year.

This is no time to get sentimental about how things used to be, but it is worth noting that the loss of passenger rail service has been a huge detriment to many small and medium sized towns. Let's not bring back the passenger train. That would never work.

It would, however, be a good idea to create a reliable national system of fast ground transportation for intermediate length trips, like the rest of the world. Folks would not give up their cars, but we should have a choice on how we go places. After 9-11, airlines were shut down and there was no good alternative.
(Broadcast June 29, 2006 on the Arkansas Priority Radio Network)