>Airplanes have the exact same problem, but I don't see people saying we should stop investing in airports. Fair point. We should then see if air travel holds

>Airplanes have the exact same problem, but I don't see people saying we should stop investing in airports. Fair point. We should then see if air travel holds a key advantage over rail travel in the USA. As I see it, the answer is in both space and time savings, both of which minimize cost and maximize benefit. The time savings are particularly pronounced, especially over distances greater than, say, a few hundred miles. Happy to elaborate on the savings in more detail, if you desire such. >For long distance travel, I don't think it's a huge problem that you might need multiple modes of transit to get all the way from A to B. That is, of course, your opinion. I'm sure there are tens, if not hundreds, of millions of Americans who will strongly disagree with you because they are, in no particular order: feeble, disabled, terrified of a particular mode of transit, hurried, cost-conscious, traveling with multiple young children, etc.