May 24, 2007

Enjoy today's low gas prices while you still can.

With gas topping $4 a gallon in some parts of the country, it might seem hard to believe that things could get worse. But in the long run, there is really only one direction for the price of gas to go, and that's up.

Sure, the price of gas will probably dip from time to time again. But experts estimate that world oil production is already at or beyond its peak. That almost certainly means higher prices for the fuel that's left.

In addition, continued unrest in the Middle East or another Katrina would only make matters worse.

This is why America needs to invest more in travel alternatives like rail -- now.

The oil shocks of the 1970s caught us by surprise, and they harmed our economy and quality of life for at least a decade. We shouldn't let that happen again. Greater investment in more convenient, comfortable, fuel-efficient rail service is a way for us to get out in front of this problem instead of reacting to it later.

Of course, trains don't run on flower petals either. Petroleum powers many of today's trains, just like cars. But the reality is that there is no better way to use the fuel we have to move large numbers of people around -- and eventually to switch to other sources of energy, like electricity -- than by train.

Rail naysayers sometimes argue that "you'll never get people out of their cars." Yet a recent USA Today analysis found that the average American is actually driving less for the first time in 26 years.

At the same time, earlier this month, Amtrak announced a 5 percent increase in ridership over the previous year. The biggest growth came for short-distance trips of fewer than 500 miles. Many of these are trips that
people would have previously driven, not flown. Meanwhile, new "light rail" systems for local travel in cities like Minneapolis have seen ridership exceed initial projections, as well.

Rail opponents also like to argue that if efficiency is what we're after, then buses can do a better job, and sometimes they're right. But in many cases, rail provides a workable solution. Trains combine greater energy efficiency with spaciousness, higher speeds, smoother rides, plus amenities like lounge and dining cars that other forms of transportation can't match.

This is why other countries have invested so heavily in rail.

The use of rail in countries from Europe to Asia -- including some of our main economic competitors -- is well known. Even Canada, with vast distances that surpass America's, has been rolling more investment into rail.

Yet Amtrak has had to struggle for years as opponents in Congress have tried shrinking it to death. Amtrak service arguably bottomed out in the late 1990s, with the elimination of routes, such as between Denver and Portland, Ore.

Since then, however, the addition of new and better service in places such as the Midwest hub (centered on Chicago), has shown that the more places you can board a train and the more places it can take you, the more practical and valuable the service is.

America's transportation needs are complex, and there is no one, perfect solution. But that's exactly why we need more rail investment now as a part of our transportation system.

When fuel prices were cheaper, we came to overrely on highway transportation. Now we need to build more modern, convenient, comfortable and fuel-efficient rail services.

We shouldn't have to struggle with gas prices to keep our economy moving while other countries pass us by.

Chris Ott is a writer in Boston who has traveled by rail in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. He can be reached at Progressive Media Project using our contact form.