Ideas should win or lose in “The marketplace of ideas.”

I have recently written and published two op eds questioning the wisdom of spending $400,000,000 to create high-speed rail service between Chicago and Moline (or Davenport or Iowa City).

My goal, as an opinion writer, is to take a position that forces my readers to think the issue through. I make every effort to take, what I believe to be, the sound position. I feel I have achieved my goal when my opinions provoke strong responses — expressing supporting and contrary opinions. As I have stated frequently, I believe the best ideas ultimately prevail in the “marketplace of ideas.” That is why I have no use for people and governments who would suppress opposition speech.

In response to my two Amtrak op eds, I have received two letters. The first utterly disagrees with me. The second, thanks me. I set both out in full below. You judge which one makes more sense — when you are being asked to expend 400 million taxpayer dollars. I have no recollection of ever having met or spoken to either man.

The first letter came in the form of a Letter to the Editor, from Tom Walsh of LeClaire:

“The Times recently printed former Judge O’Shea’s opinion that rather than expand Amtrak to Moline, his “best guess” is that Amtrak advocates should instead buy toy trains. That supercilious conclusion is followed by a litany of unanswered questions. Allow me.

“Cost of train vs. Airfare? Flying to Chicago coast $225 — $450. (Booking.com) vs. $16 — $26 for the Princeton — Chicago train, which extrapolates to $24 — $40 for Moline — Chicago.

“How many people would use Amtrak? A “best guess” is that people now squeezed into airplanes would gladly choose Amtrack comfort — and security — at one-tenth the cost.

“Additional travel costs getting to one’s ultimate destination, by taxi or Uber? Chicago has an excellent public transportation system for commuter and tourists alike, linked to O’Hare. By remarkable coincidence, many commuter trains operate from Union Station, just like Amtrak does. Who would have thought?

“Travelers headed to the Loop can walk. No need for Uber, your honor.

“Subsequently, O’Shea tried to justify his foregone conclusion with an article focused on Amtrak’s recent operating losses, which were magnified by COVID. He implies that Amtrak’s profitable Northeast Corridor is an anomaly. Instead, it is a model to be replicated — an efficient, environmentally superior system, unfettered by slow-moving freight trains.

"O’Shea questions whether Amtrak can recoup the $400,000,000 in track upgrades. Curiously, he omitted such analysis of another $1,200,000,000 infrastructure upgrade — the I-74 bridge.

“Thankfully, O’Shea merely fulminates here, no longer dispensing his foregone conclusions and double standards from the bench.”

The second comes from Ron Moore:

“I recently read your column titled “From Moline to Chicago: By Amtrak? Or by limousine?” and would like to share the service my company already offers.

“I own Burlington Trailways and we are a motorcoach company that is appropriately licensed, insured, and compliant with FMCSA regulations.

“I have owned the company since 1981 and currently run three motorcoaches from Davenport, Iowa, to Chicago, Illinois, every day. A passenger can take our motorcoach from Moline, Illinois, to Davenport, Iowa, to catch these schedules.

“Our motorcoaches are 45’ (long) vehicles with seating capacity for 54 passengers. Each motorcoach is also wheelchair lift equipped and can accommodate two wheelchairs onboard. There is a restroom onboard and plenty of storage underneath the cabin for luggage.

“Tickets for these schedules can be conveniently purchased from www.trailways.com or in-person at the Davenport or Moline depots.

“I am happy to answer any questions or provide more information if you desire. Thank you for bringing attention to transportation in the area!“

The essential question is how many people will “commute” on a daily basis between Chicago and Moline (or beyond) using Amtrak? 100? 200? 1,000? (It is the “commuters” who make the NE Corridor profitable).

It is suggested that since $1.2B was spent to build the new I-74 bridge, that spending a mere $400M on high-speed rail, is money well-spent. But more than 80,000 vehicles cross the I-74 bridge daily — 29.2 million yearly! Even were Amtrack to carry 1,000 per day, that’s 1/80th of what the bridge carries. So, which is the better bargain?

It is opined is that most “commuters” who now fly, will switch to Amtrak. How many “air commuters” are there?

It is easy to spend money when it isn’t yours — especially when the government spreads it around like manure. But if the $400M must be spent, is spending it on high-speed rail the best transportation option?

Can anybody point to a single Amtrak route outside the “NE Corridor” that has ever turned a profit? If not, then, in addition to the $400M “start-up costs,” expect additional substantial annual losses. Just look at any Amtrak P & L.

The new Amtrak cars look terrific. They should for $400M! But how much of a subsidy would it take to allow the extant limo or motor coach (bus) services operating between Chicago and Moline to up-grade their equipment? If it were to take $4M a year, they could operate for 100 years on $400M. And busses and limos run on roads and bridges that already exist. And if they ran at annual losses, they’d be out of business.

First Published in the Moline Dispatch and Rock Island Argus on April 23, 2023. 

Copyright 2023, John Donald O'Shea