High-Speed Rail Comes With High Price Tag (Civil Engineering, October 2001)
Summary:
Civil Engineering reported that the main problem with the High-Speed Rail Investment Act of 2001 was that the U.S. Congress had trouble funding it. This article puts the troubles with starting a high-speed rail projects into a financially strapped context, partially explaining why the federal government is hesitant to invest in the new technology.
Topic:
Category:
Academic Research
What is it?
an academic periodical article
Title:
“High-Speed Rail Comes With High Price Tag”
Publication Information:
The name of the publication is Civil Engineering. The article was published in the October, 2001 issue in Reston, Virgina.
Author:
Jeff L. Brown
Location:
Accessed:
February 11, 2009
Support:
GAO, Genral Accounting Office
Amtrak
Joe McHugh, Amtrak’s acting vice president of government affairs
The GAO estimated that the tax credits created by the act would cost the U.S. treasury $4-7 billion over an additional 20 years than what was previously estimated. Amtrak estimated that $50-70 billion would be needed to develop operational high-speed rail in all 11 corridors identified by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Joe McHugh said that relying on Amtrak distributing bonds for development of rail lines of a set period of time would be easier that relying on yearly congressional appropriations.
Audience and Agenda:
Civil engineering has an unspecified readership of 101,210. Professional engineers and engineering enthusiasts make up the bulk of readers. They use this publication for news about engineering projects, engineering companies, specific engineers, politicians advocating engineering projects, and new legislation. They expect articles that assume previous knowledge of engineering, and offer more in-depth information.
The American Society of Civil Engineers pays for the publication and thus the article. Their funding comes from member donations, publication sales, educational courses, royalties, and investments. The board of the ASCE probably authorized the publication of this article after deciding it would not clash with the organization’s financiers. They are seeking an audience of well-informed professionals in the engineering world. The article leans toward trying to gain support for the idea of giving Amtrak the money to give tax credits to companies to help develop high-speed rail. That is probably because the ASCE is funded mainly by private engineering interests. A writer working for Civil Engineering and thus the ASCE created this article, helping to advertise the greater organization’s opinion.
Usefulness:
This document was created with the approval of the ASCE to promote the idea of tax credits for private companies that help Amtrak develop rail lines. That is a feasible project that might gain support among politicians wanting to please both voters and business.
It is trying to address professionals with a stake or interest in private companies being able to help develop the national infrastructure. Private involvement is probably the only way high-speed rail is going to initially become politically and economically palatable.
Their argument in favor of tax credits for private companies presents one possible policy proposal that might help answer my question. It remains to be seen if the government will help private companies to develop high-speed rail.
The article leaves out information about oversight of Amtrak and the companies receiving the government-mandated tax credits. It also leaves out any alternatives that might involve the government more. Civil Engineering obviously wants to push the most privatised option that would serve its members the most.
Focusing on the problems with high-speed rail, this source relates to Source Notes 9. Being published in a professional article, this source relates to Source Notes 11, Source Notes 14, and Source Notes 15.
Works Cited:
No Author Listed. “ASCE a better world by design.” American Society of Civil Engineers. <http://www.asce.org/asce.cfm>
No Author Listed. “Civil Engineering Magazine.” American Society of Civil Engineers. <http://pubs.asce.org/magazines/CEMag/>
No Author Listed. “Ulrich’sweb.com” Ulrich’s Periodical Directory. <http://ulrichsweb.com/ulrichsweb/>
Filed under: Academic Research
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[...] Being published in a professional engineering magazine, this source relates to Source Notes 11 and Source Notes 12 [...]
[...] to Source Notes 9. Being from a professional periodical, this source relates to Source Notes 11, Source Notes 12, Source Notes 13, and Source Notes [...]
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[...] Focusing on a specific piece of legislation, this source relates to Source Notes 2, Source Notes 7, Source Notes 12, Source Notes 21, and Source Notes [...]
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