By The Antiplanner
(The Antiplanner) – Supporters of subsidies to Amtrak and mass transit often say that, due to the lack of such subsidies, Americans have been “forced to drive.” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg experienced this earlier this week when his flight was cancelled and he was “forced to drive from Washington DC to New York.” If only the nation had spent billions of dollars subsidizing intercity passenger trains between DC and New York, he wouldn’t have been forced to drive.
Wait a minute: the nation has spent billions of dollars subsidizing passenger trains between DC and New York. So why was Buttigieg forced to drive? For that matter, why was he flying if Amtrak’s high-speed Acela is so good?
After all, he sings the praises for Amtrak whenever he gets the chance. Could it be that he is too important to ride the train? Could it be that he supports Amtrak so he can drive on less congested roads?
Originally published by The Antiplanner. Republished with permission.
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