LETTER: Highways will go the way of the horse and buggy
The slew of recent letters bashing the cost of the Brightline West train construction is disingenuous. Highway reconstruction costs between $7 million and $15 million per mile, or about $3 billion for the Los Angeles to Las Vegas distance, and has to be redone every 15-20 years. Every state in the country, including Nevada, has a deficit in road maintenance and has been unwilling to raise taxes enough to adequately maintain roadways.
The electric train will avoid contributing to the hidden $184 billion annual bill we all pay in health and climate costs due to vehicle transportation. I personally can’t wait to give up the soporific scenery, racetrack-like mentality and beautiful Baker bathroom stops of the Interstate 15 car commute in favor of a sleek, smooth train where I can occupy my time for a couple of hours. But of course, at the turn of the 20th century, a lot of people thought they would hang on to their horse and buggy.