The Ties That Bind - Redux (posted by gins, 23 Oct 13)

Last September I wrote about the importance of the Donner Pass in connecting the nation, first as a Native American trail, later the route of the Transcontinental Railroad, followed by the auto, the phone, and finally the Internet.  I've always been fascinated by the role the railroad has played building this nation, and last month I visited the final stop of the Station to Station tour, an art and music train that I equate to a 'Burning Man on Rails.'  The Oakland stop was interesting for a number of reasons, one of which was use of the old 16th Street Station.   Think of the station as node on the Iron Internet.  The decaying neoclassical interior was a great juxtaposition to the modern visuals and vibe, and hopefully, at some point the building will be put to good use. 

But not for transportation, as the platform at the station is a stub, a victim of the Interstate Highway System which bypassed the building less than 100 feet to the north.  Few at the event were probably aware of the role the rail played in the growth of the Bay Area, including the recently celebrated 150th anniversary of what is now known as Caltrain, the first regular passenger service west of the Mississippi.  And it was sad that the actual train had to park a few miles distant at the nearest siding.  

An even more important milestone was celebrated during the same week - the 'first shovel' on the proposed high-speed rail line from San Francisco to Los Angeles.  When complete sometime after 2027, other than the Internet, the line will be the quickest way of enabling face-to-face interaction between the two cities.  Impressive that a century-and-a-half technology can still hold its own against highway and air travel wrt time and efficiency.  For those in Europe, Japan, and more recently China, this comes as no surprise.  But here in America, it is one small step forward.