Light rail gets $67 billion

Google "light rail" sometime, then click on News. Almost every headline is a glowing go-go support for light rail. Here's an example.

HOUSTON--

(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 27, 2005--Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated)

In recent years, more and more cities, counties, and states have come to recognize that light rail, regional rail, and high-speed rail are key transportation solutions for the future. To that end, those same entities have committed large amounts of their time, energy, and dollars to that future. Currently, there are over $67 billion worth of active light rail, regional rail, and high-speed rail projects planned or under construction in

North America

For details on this trend view the entire article at www.industrialinfo.com.

Picture of trains in Cologne, Germany

Comments

[Daniel Bednar]

Hello,

I recently attended your seminar at Johnson Couty Communty College. I was the one who bought the Nine Shift book, which I am enjoying immensely. I find myself noticing trends beginning to happen as described in the book, and I'm seeing ways in which different organizations can move towards a more network-based environment. Colleges, for example, are ready for such a change to take place, and to survive they will need to change.

To that end I noticed the following news article from the Workforce Week e-newsletter. It describes how IBM is structuring its workforce for an "on demand" world. At issue is the need to be more flexible, to respond to companies' needs quickly and efficiently. Their strategy involves cross-training and moving people around in the business. They also recognize the value of their employees, and skilled employees are much better employees.

From the article:
"To be more flexible and responsive to clients' demands, IBM had to create a system to quickly identify needed skills, spot areas in which those skills were in short supply, and put the right people into place to fill them. This would involve teaching workers new skill sets and getting them to work with other divisions. If there are always employees willing to take vacant positions within the company, the delays associated with being short-staffed become a nonissue."

http://www.workforce.com/section/10/feature/24/04/62/index.html

Plus, if people are willing to take vacant positions within the company, they reduce layoffs, both increasing morale and decreasing wasted time and resources. It also allows them to take in new talent.

As I said, I thought you'd be interested. >

I also want to ask your permission to speak about the ideas in Nine Shift. I participate in the college's Speakers' Bureau, and I think this topic will appeal to many people in our area. In fact, I'm talking about the social impact of Chaos Theory tomorrow morning. I'd be willing to send you the Chaos presentation if you want to look at it.

Take care,

Daniel

Daniel Bednar, Coordinator
TeleCommunity Services
Longview Community College
(816) 672-2598

[Suzanne]

I did what you said (googled "light rail"). This is definitely the wave of the future and the present. I also found out that my state (Michigan) is a case study on the horrors of urban sprawl and we have the worst public transportation system in the country. Somehow I bet we'll waiting until the next "Nine Shift" (say, the year 3000?) to happen, before we get some decent public transit.