An eye-opening opinion on transportation

Read the first response to this post at The Road To Ruin. If you can, read the whole thing.

… new heavy rail systems appear much less energy-efficient than new bus services, when the energy needed to build roadways and track, the energy needed to manufacture and maintain vehicles, the energy used to heat and light stations, the energy required to drive to stations, and the directness of alternative modes of travel are taken into consideration.  …

The situation is even worse if high speed rail is considered because of the high quality dedicated track and grade separation that is required. Yet in spite of these obvious facts we still see pressure to increase rail service even when it would result in an overall system degradation of service.

Huh. Maybe my desire for light rail really is pie-in-the-sky thinking after all. ACCT are onto something, but my question/desire remains however: How can we effectively/efficiently plan for inter-county/city/region transportation without using rail?

Update 12/16/05: I reposted this to the top of the “fold,” so to speak, because the comments are outstanding.