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Smart Choices, Less Traffic - 2002 Sprawl Map - Sprawl - Sierra Club
The Sierra Club says that California High Speed Rail is one of the best projects to reduce sprawl in CA. Yay!
I am definitely in support of sprawl reduction. Increasing population density, mixing use zones, and reducing the need for automobiles are all a part of reducing sprawl. Places like Los Angeles (where I grew up) are complete and total crapfests because of sprawl. Sprawl makes viable public transportation almost impossible. Mixed use zoning allows for homes, shops, businesses, etc to share the same zones. This allows for vibrant communities (instead of modern suburban ickiness), the ability to provide meeting/eating/shopping/working/entertainment/etc all within walking distance of home.
What does this have to do with bullet trains? Well they go along the same lines...bullet trains will help reduce sprawl at the airports. The ever expanding airport is very sprawl prone since it takes a LOT of land to build runways and places for airplanes to go. Also, the freeways and whatnot necessary to channel all of the people trying to get to the expanded airports...blek! It's time that we have options in medium to long distance travel. Airplanes work great for transoceanic flights, but 100 to 600 mile trips over land can easily be accomplished by bullet train...or even maglev!! ooooohhhhh! magleeevvvv....