AutoTrDvr
(Arnold, BTW ),
I'm often following news stories around the country as they relate to rail, but it subway, light rail, commuter, or Amtrak. And one of the most common thing that I see from those opposed often goes like this "I can get in my car and drive there for $35 vs. paying $100 for Amtrak." Far too many people equate the cost of driving only to the cost of the gas in their tank. Many even forget to include the cost of filling up once again when they get home to their trip. I'll point out the fact that one must include a pro-rated cost for insurance, interest, price of the car, repairs & maintenance, and wear & tear. That makes their trip more expensive that just the price of the gas they put in the car.
Then we come to the fact that the fuel taxes do NOT fully cover the costs of our roads & highways, meaning that we drivers actually get a subsidy to drive our cars.
When one starts including all of that, driving often isn't cheaper than Amtrak. But again, far too many people don't realize that, so they jump in their car and drive instead of taking the train.