Originally Posted by
tyrion
I think smart (self driving and well coordinated) electric cars and buses are the way forward in the USA. It won't be as fast as HSR, but the lack of speed can be compensated for with comfort and convenience (many more endpoints than HSR).
The cost of smart electric cars will continue to come down, and (most importantly) the capacity of our existing road system will scale with intelligence (coordination), while the cost of HSR seems too unpredictable (as we've seen in California).
It would be an improvement, but not near as efficient as rail. It still has to use the roadway and therefore, is pron to delays/accidents/etc. as regular traffic