Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by Kon-Peki 1342 days ago
I used to live in Chicago. In my old neighborhood, there is a right-of-way reserved for future high-speed rail. Most of it is now “tunnel” because high rises and stores have built out around it, taking all the space except that reserved portion. The grocery store has a parking deck cantilevered over the right of way; a high rise literally has a tunnel through it, etc. it looks crazy in the present, but that’s what planning ahead looks like.

The US can do big infrastructure projects. It is happening all over the place. You just don’t notice because nobody is writing about non-failures.
3 comments
xyzzyz 1342 days ago
Can you give an example of successful recent (say, from last 30 years) passenger rail project that, unlike your Chicago one, actually exists? I mean, it is easy to set out space for project in advance, it’s actually building it that is the hard part.
link
relwin 1342 days ago
$2.1 billion 10 mile light rail extension, completed last year:

https://www.sdmts.com/inside-mts/current-projects/uc-san-die...

link
simfree 1341 days ago
Dayyyum, that is cheap compared to our 2 mile tunnel here in Seattle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Route_99_tunnel

$210 million a mile for rail is a great value compared to the cost to build here in the Puget Sound region. Sounds Transit 3 is adding 62 miles of rail for $53.8 billion and central portions like Ballard and West Seattle are still over a decade away from starting construction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Transit#Sound_Transit_2

link
fullshark 1342 days ago
Do you have an example? Your example can hardly be called a success. The last big infrastructure project I recall that can even be called a success is the Big Dig in Boston, which came at a huge (unplanned for) cost.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig

link
mickdeek86 1341 days ago
You don't have to leave the area:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_and_Reservoir_Plan

Though decades-long, is on schedule and budget. In Chicago.

link
pasttense01 1342 days ago
The infrastructure projects being done take much longer and cost a great deal more (even after adjusting for inflation) than a few decades ago.
link