# Superfast trains in the U.S. - why not?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superfast-trains-in-the-u-s-why-not/394385>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 3, 2007, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superfast-trains-in-the-u-s-why-not/394385 "2007-03-03T01:56:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 89

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**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superfast-trains-in-the-u-s-why-not/394385/89 "2015-04-25T16:14:57Z")

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> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> But, in the United States, we have areas with extremely high population density separated by rural areas that are sparsely populated. And much vaster and less-populated rural areas than Japan has. As for NIMBYism, the Interstate Highways cut through densely populated areas as well as suburbs and exurbs and the countryside – if we can tolerate those next door, we can tolerate anything. HSR is quiet and innocuous by comparison.

Regarding the population density issue, there is no place at all in America that comes close to many other countries. I’m going to quote myself from another thread:

> [@Internet providers need to be subject to competiton](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-providers-need-to-be-subject-to-competiton/718397/23):
>
> Major cities in the US have far LOWER population densities than many major cities in other countries.  
> The following list gives people per square kilometer, for some reason:
> 
> Seoul/Incheon   
> 16,700
> 
> Taipei   
> 15,200
> 
> Madrid   
> 5,200
> 
> London   
> 5,100
> 
> Tel Aviv  
> 5,050
> 
> By contrast, Los Angeles–the most densely-populated American city–ranks 90th in the world at 2,750. New York is 2,050. Dallas/Ft. Worth & Houston, with about 8 million residents between them, are 1,150.
> 
> [http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/largest-cities-density-125.html](http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/largest-cities-density-125.html)
> 
> Seoul is **6 times** more densely-populated than LA.

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