Hi Speed Transportation

Hi speed transportation should have competition. The best way is to allow public/private finance of high speed roadways. The speed could be limited to a tight range of 155 +/- 5 mph during the hours of 6am to 10 pm. 10pm to 6a could be unlimited. Cars would have to get certified for usage on these high speed roadway, by a vehicle standard and a special operator's license and special insurance policies. If folks can afford a such a vehicle (think mustang) then they could just rent said vehicle from their vendor of choice, to enjoy this new transportation adventure.

So there would be a modest cost increase to the usage of these hi speed roadways. This sort of competition will lower the cost of traditional options such as hi speed rail, simply by the metric of body-miles versus cost-safety comparisons. It would be a boon for tourism, particularly in the big states of Texas, California and Florida. Advanced navigation and control systems could also be a constituent part of these new systems. Training schools for tourists and others could provide the infrastructure for skills enhancement necessary to use these advanced roadways.

The real killer advantage revolves around the mathematics of 'degrees of freedom'. Run the road from SF to San Diego, and you can still use your personal transport vehicle for normal local cruising. Try that with a locomotive.