Make Cycling Safer

My classmate wrote a blog post about the need for more law enforcement officers patrolling our roads. I agree 100% with what he said. As a cyclist myself, this issue hits very close to home. I went on a ride this evening and not once did I see a police officer. When I'm out on the road, I am always nervous about whether or not the cars approaching me will give me enough space. On a few occasions, I've had oncoming traffic swerve into my lane as a sick "joke." There's nothing funny about taking someones life. If there were more officers on patrol, I feel that people would not do such reckless things. 

Something that really struck me was a link he posted about the injustices cyclists face. From getting arrested for not wearing a helmet, to drivers intentionally ramming cyclists with no penalty. 

Texas Needs A High-Speed Rail System

My classmate Kyle published an article regarding the building of a high-speed rail system connecting the "Texas Triangle" of cities, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. I am in full support of a long-distance rail system in Texas. In other parts of the country, and the world, trains are an important part of life. It is an efficient mode of transportation that is also affordable.

While there is currently a passenger railroad in Texas, (the Texas Eagle) it doesn't reach enough of the state. The Texas Eagle runs from El Paso to San Antonio through Austin to Dallas then to Texarkana. This line completely misses most of north Texas and southeast Texas.

Timeliness is also an issue with the current Amtrak lines. To get from Austin to Dallas takes approximately six hours. Almost double what it takes to drive to Dallas. The fact that our American trains are relatively slow compared to our European and Asian counterparts is also a reason that our trains are so unpopular. In order to appeal to the general populous, trains need to be exciting again.

Kyle addresses many good points and also addresses the opposition.