Panos for Progress: Thoughts and Selections

  Multifaceted writer Cliff Slater dies at 91 I will always remember fondly and with much appreciation my friend, mentor, advisor and neighbor Cliff Slater who passed on January 20. He had a full and most accomplished life. He survived Hitler's V2 bombs in his native UK, hurricanes while crossing the Pacific Ocean in his boat, cancer, and decades of Hawaii's antibusiness environment. He was a very successful businessman, author of transportation books and articles (including one in Transportation Research!), had a regular newspaper column, and was an active participant in Honolulu's civics.  RIP.

It's fairly common knowledge that America's freight trains are long, but how long? Union Pacific railroad  runs some of the longest trains at 3.8 miles (or 6.1 km) long! Long trains are also slow. A 3-mile train traveling at 30 mph will take a full 6 minutes to clear a road/rail crossing. Wall Street Journal: These monster trains regularly cut off local roads, delaying residents, school buses and emergency vehicles. Some states have introduced bills to limit train length to 1.6 miles but can’t enforce them because they’re barred from interfering with interstate commerce.