^Pizzaguy: aviation is amazing but when delays cost airlines (
http://www.airlines.org/economics/cost+of+delays/ ) an estimated $10B in FY08, excluding the value of passenger time, it is reasonable to ask if the aviation system is being used efficiently. Approximately 30% of arrivals in the New York area airports (Newark, LaGuardia, JFK) were delayed last year. At crowded airports such as Newark, O'Hare, and SFO, high speed rail provides a very good alternative to short-haul flights. This is especially true in congested regions where expansion of capacity-constrained airports is not possible.