Mass Transit addendum

In a previous post I was critical of the stimulus package for designating too much money for roads and highways and not enough for Mass Transit, specifically High Speed Rail. But a Washington Post story says the money that is in the plan will be a big improvement over previous years. Coincidentally, there's a feature story in the NY Times about our current passenger rail system, Amtrak. The writer takes a cross-country trip and is delighted, though I have to say his praise for the messy urban "scenery" near the cities is the opposite of my cynical view. On my one Amtrak trip, from Atlanta to Birmingham for a TV story, I found myself wishing the junk yards and empty downtown factories could somehow be painted over. [UPATE: Monday, March 9, 2009: New study says Mass Transit usage is up significantly.]