Railroads given advantage

[MIrailfan]

How come railroads have the FRA and other agencies that pay for railroad improvements yet truckers are on their own for improvements to trucks?

 

[Ryan]

Who pays for improvements to the roads that truckers use?

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[Trogdor]

Last I checked, most railroads paid for their own track improvements, unless those improvements were for passenger service.

 

[SarahZ]

How come railroads have the FRA and other agencies that pay for railroad improvements yet truckers are on their own for improvements to trucks?

What do you mean?

MDOT maintains the roads in Michigan, not the trucking companies. (Local trucking companies do pay into MDOT via their vehicle registration just like the rest of us. I just meant they don't actually contract the road work.)

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Actually an increasing number of truckers are going indie these days.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

How come railroads have the FRA and other agencies that pay for railroad improvements yet truckers are on their own for improvements to trucks?

How come commercial trucks which easily cause 100x more damage to the roadway than private vehicles aren't forced to pay 100x times more toward road construction and maintenance? If you want to see an end to preferential subsidies then truckers will be paying a lot more than they do now. I guess you really won't know what you've got until it's finally taken away from you. Here's hoping that day comes to pass and the sooner the better.

 

[MIrailfan]

The FRA pays for railroad improvements in safety and environment. Truckers are on their own.

 

[Ryan]

Did you read anything posted above?

 

[Green Maned Lion]

He never does.

 

[MIrailfan]

yes, and im right. as for the roads bigger trucks do pay mre in fees and weigh station stops.

 

[Ryan]

Not enough to account for the damage they cause.

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[Green Maned Lion]

Feed not the troll.

 

[Eric S]

The FRA pays for railroad improvements in safety and environment. Truckers are on their own.

Care to document what you are referring to?

 

[Trogdor]

yes, and im right.

No, you're not.

Please provide citations on how much money the various government agencies have put into freight railroads per year. Now, provide the same data on how much government agencies have put into roads every year.

While you're at it, also provide data on how much property tax railroad rights of way pay into state and local budgets annually, as well as the same data on how much roads pay in property taxes.

Once you provide those numbers, we can continue this discussion.

Edit: To be generous, we'll even include passenger rail numbers