KJP

Guys, stop it. You're advocating where you would live, not where this couple in their grandchild will live. I lived in the southwest part of the city (Berea) for several years and have relatives who have lived there for more than a decade. Unless you're coming from places east or west near I-480, Parma Heights or Parma are not easy to reach. That's certainly true if you're coming from/going to University Circle, Shaker Square, Downtown Cleveland, Lakewood or places farther west. This is made worse by the Fulton Road Bridge replacement, which will last until 2009 and put more traffic on other north-south roads like Ridge and Pearl. Sparky, Parma Heights is a decent city to live in. Based on what you've described as your various preferences, Parma Heights (and neighboring Middleburg Heights) will offer much of what you're looking for. First, Parma Heights... It has diverse home types, including apartments, condos, smaller bungalows, tudor/ranch homes, and more. It has a very good recreational complex called Greenbrier Commons, off Pearl Road. The complex has a recreation center and a terrific community theater. There is the Big Creek parkway, with a bikepath along it that links to the Cleveland Metroparks -- one of the largest urban park systems in the nation. Also, located part in Parma Heights and most of the rest in Parma is the Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) Western Campus. It's pretty large, with a good cross section of people, and has lots of events (live music, notable guest speakers, adult education and much more). If you want easy to access to downtown Cleveland and Parma Heights, a good choice is Middleburg Heights (just west of Parma Heights). Middleburg has newer townhouse-style condos/apartments, ranch homes, bungalows and larger homes. Schools are decent in Middleburg, as they are in Parma Heights. Middleburg is right on I-71 that goes into downtown Cleveland and is close enough to Hopkins Airport to be convenient but far enough to not be a nuisance. Middleburg also has the Big Creek Parkway and its bikepath, and is closer to the Cleveland Metroparks (the metroparks is a U-shaped "Emerald Necklace" around the metro area). Bus service (the 51X) is frequent along Pearl Road (runs through Middleburg and Parma Heights) plus there is rush-hour express buses from the nearby Strongsville Park and Ride to downtown Cleveland. Just up I-71 is a station on the Red Line rapid transit rail line to downtown and the University Circle museums. However, from a freeway perspective, two of the least accessible areas in the metro area are Parma Heights and the University Circle area (where most of the museums, music venues and other cultural attractions are located). And these two areas are not close to each other. Based on your desire for good education for your grandchild and the type of housing you desire, I would not recommend any areas that are located geographically between Parma Heights and University Circle. Youre best bet is to find a home that's near one or the other, and the type of housing you've suggested would likely be found in greater abundance at the Parma Heights end. I hope this helps.

This was posted in another thread... http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=10852.msg134276#msg134276 And what does this article have to do with the Avenue District anyway?

I highly recommend Becker's Donuts & Bakery in Fairview Park (western Cleveland suburb). They had several shops around Cleveland for decades, closed them all in the 1990s (?), then the family's descendants reopened their Fairview Park shop a few months ago. They still have the same family recipies and some of the same employees. http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&lr=&q=doughnuts&near=Fairview+Park,+OH+44126&radius=0.0&latlng=41441389,-81864444,3971974372199626946&sa=X&oi=local&ct=result&cd=3

A decent article despite the political linkages cited herein. ____________________ http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2006/3344electr_mainline.html This article appears in the November 3, 2006 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. Pennsylvania Train Is Electrified, But Congress Stalls by Mary Jane Freeman Electrified high-speed rail service, travelling between 90 and 110 mph, begins on Oct. 30 in the 104-mile Philadelphia-to-Harrisburg Keystone (rail) Corridor. Not yet at 150 or 300 mph, as in Europe or Asia, this will be the first electrified high-speed rail service established outside of the Northeast Corridor's Boston to Washington, D.C. route. This milestone, however, should have been realized decades ago, just as ten other designated high-speed corridors in the United States also should have been upgraded and built out. The Pennsylvania project, conceived in the 1990s, wasn't acted on until 2004, when Democratic Governor Ed Rendell and rail development businessman David Gunn, who was then head of Amtrak, took the initiative to overcome obstacles put up by Congress and the Bush Administration, which had impeded the building of a 21st Century rail network in America. This project is the exception, rather than the rule in rail development. Congress has barely dribbled enough dollars to keep Amtrak running, and has failed to fund serious rail technology and infrastructure development, leaving ten other high-speed rail corridors, crossing 28 states, to languish. U.S. rail development for two decades has been thwarted by a clique of fiscal conservative "reformers" out to privatize the nation's passenger rail network. The nation urgently needs rapid rail development to relieve air and highway congestion, and to bring American transportation into the 21st Century. To make it happen and catch up for lost years, we must retool our rapidly disappearing auto plants to build the components for rail, putting hundreds of thousands of skilled auto workers back to work and creating tens of thousands more jobs building the nation's aged infrastructure. Lyndon LaRouche's Emergency Economic Recovery Act of 2006 would do just that. The potential to reverse the stalemate in rail policy, and in Congress, also exists in the form of a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in July 2005. The bill, S. 1516, introduced by U.S. Senators Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) titled, Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2005, won widespread bipartisan support, but was thwarted by the GOP agenda set by Senator Bill Frist and the White House. It would reauthorize Amtrak, over ten years with annual dedicated funding of $1.9 billion, and set up a Federal/State 80/20 funding match for states' projects. The bill sponsors would like to press for passage of the bill in the post-November lame duck session, but this requires support in the House which has not yet materialized. If it is not taken up then, Senators Lott and Lautenberg are prepared to re-introduce the bill in the 110th Congress in January. The sad reality is that the United States could have built, by now, its first 21st Century rail corridors using magnetically levitated (Maglev) trains for freight and passenger service, had Congress acted two decades ago when the technology was invented by two Americans. Instead, Maglev was taken up by Japan and Germany, while all the United States did was to adopt the idea of incremental high-speed rail development. America was "Sputnik-ed" again. The United States lost the technological edge in this area and failed to nurture the skilled engineering workforce. Now, 20 years later, China has a Maglev test route in service travelling at 300 mph, while the United States barely has a national passenger rail system, its freight rail network lags behind most of Europe, and Maglev development is barely on the U.S. radar screen. Partnership for Progress: The Keystone Corridor The $145 million Keystone Corridor overhaul project brings this historic route up to a state of good repair, and has made possible 110-mph service, which is the fastest outside the Northeast Corridor. The express trip from Philadelphia to Harrisburg will be 90 minutes, while the local service will take 105 minutes. The rail corridor, in existence since 1834 as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was electrified in the 1930s, and used electricity as its power source until the early 1990s when lack of funding for Amtrak led to the maintenance problems that ended use of electric trains on the route. When David Gunn became Amtrak president, he had a vision for the Keystone Corridor's potential, and acted on it. In January 2004, he met with Governor Rendell to propose a new partnership with a renewed focus on improving the infrastructure, especially the electric service, along the corridor. Amtrak agreed to fund 50% of the infrastructure upgrade programs and to fund necessary equipment overhauls. Rendell recognized the regional benefits—traffic congestion mitigation and economic development potential—and so agreed to renew the state's funding commitment. In the end, the funding for the project was split among the state, Amtrak, the Federal Transit Administration, and Norfolk Southern railroad. With the Gunn-Rendell impetus, the project replaced all the overhead catenary lines; put in 200 miles of continuous welded rail; installed over 200,000 concrete ties; improved the track beds; and upgraded all crossings and signal equipment, including installing fiber optic cable for reliable communications and signal control. Refurbished push-pull electric train sets will elminate the need to turn trains around at end points. A number of stations along the route also have been remodelled. The investment was justified as ridership had grown by 12%, from 640,267 riders in 2004 to 730,360 in 2005. Amtrak will add four new roundtrips to the route and it is expected that the increased frequency of trains will, in Governor Rendell's words, "easily draw a million riders a year," and address "fuel consumption" issues. In announcing the new service Rendell remarked, "Our experience with the Keystone Corridor ... shows that passenger rail is far from being relegated to our museums." True High-Speed Rail Is Long Overdue President Abraham Lincoln's vision to unite the nation with the transcontinental railroad was realized by 1869. Economic growth and new towns followed the building of the rail routes. Development of rail technologies continued, and by the 1930s America had 3,000 route-miles of electrified rail. In fact, Pennsylvania led the nation in building electrified rail routes. In 1965, Congress passed the High Speed Ground Transportation Act defining a role for the Federal government in this type of rail travel. An early project was the continuous electrification between Washington, New York and Boston—today's Northeast Corridor. In the mid-1960s, physicists Gordon T. Danby and James Powell invented super-conducting magnetically levitated trains (maglev). But through the 1970s and 80s, the post-industrial society paradigm shift set in, and the technology was not developed in the United States. Instead, London and Wall Street bankers imposed market-based policies driving us from a production-based economy to a consumer-based one. The nation's rail policy shifted too. High-speed rail projects had to be "time-competitive" with air and auto trips of 100 to 500 miles which, as the Federal Rail Administration describes, "is a market-based, not a speed-based definition." On May 3, 1990, Congress took testimony on the potential for U.S. development of third-generation Maglev systems—the Japanese had developed the first-generation prototype, and were then working on the second-generation technology. Dr. Danby, told the House Surface Transportation subcommittee, "Maglev is poised for commercial application worldwide while the U.S. is on the sidelines.... We can leapfrog to the forefront if we start now on a five-year construction program." He explained that the United States was fast losing the skilled engineering skills to do this: "... much of our industrial engineering culture has deteriorated ... it almost makes you cry to see what totally financially oriented managers have done to much of our basic industry." He passionately called on Congress to "restore our technical culture" for posterity, "I don't want my children to only flip hamburgers in a 'post-industrial' decline of the U.S." Ten current members of Congress sat on that committee back in 1990, but failed to seize the advantage. Such "financially oriented managers" have today bankrupted the core of our auto and aerospace firms, leaving America with a huge deficit of next-generation skilled workers. Danby said then, "Maglev has much greater potential for widespread beneficial use than new high-speed rail." He was right, yet Congress didn't even build the high-speed rail service. Corridors Designated but Not Built In 1991, Congress finally designated five corridors for high-speed rail (HSR) development. By the close of the Clinton Administration another five were added. The Northeast Corridor is the eleventh HSR corridor. Securing this designation made states eligible for minuscule amounts of Federal funds to aid in safety upgrades. Each state made differing levels of improvements based on available funds. Congress meanwhile repeatedly threatened to shut down Amtrak as it also curtailed Federal funds for it and other rail projects. From any rational or economical vantage point, new rail projects make sense. Comparative costs for constructing new limited-access highways or airport expansions versus rail, show that rail is highly cost efficient. For example, standard estimates to construct one lane mile of road is $40 million. Estimated costs, per mile, for passenger rail are $500,000 for trains at 110 mph, $3 million for 125 mph, and $5 million for 150 mph. Take these numbers and plug them into the projects: The Chicago Hub is a 3,000 mile project, for example. No state, or small group of states, can undertake such a capitol improvement project without Federal support. Congress dallied for a decade but states, anxious to keep the potential for HSR corridors, spent millions to make incremental upgrades on the routes. This included eliminating at-grade rail/highway crossings, adding new signal technologies on the tracks and in trains, and renovating some stations. In many cases, feasibility, environmental impact, and economic impact studies for higher-speeds on the routes have been funded. Ridership has grown 10-15% in the last five years as upgrades were made even without improved on-time service, which depends on separating freight from passenger rail lines, or increased frequency of service, or refurbished rail cars. Spikes in fuel costs also added to this increase as commuters sought alternative travel options. As of Fall 2006, except for the Keystone Corridor, no other state project has electrified rail routes. EIR detailed the status in the California, Chicago Hub, and Ohio Hub corridors in its May 19, 2006 issue. EIR's June 10, 2005 issue published a plan with a bill of materials to create a 42,000 route-mile electrified rail network, the impact of which would radiate through the economy and lay the basis for finally building U.S. Maglev corridors. It is time for Congress to act in the interest of the general welfare of the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs, particularly in the manufacturing sector, over this decade. LaRouche's Economic Recovery Act of 2006 calls on Congress to do just that: Restore millions of jobs and spawn a new generation scientists and engineers to rebuild the nation's infrastructure of rail, locks and dams, water systems, schools, and hospitals, as the first step in rescuing the nation's economy and to build it into the 21st Century. ###

You're asking someone to predict the future? Sounds like you had something bad in your coffee this morn. Here's a prediction: today, I will do something positive for passenger rail in Ohio. Over the weekend, I will do some more. And I'm pretty sure, assuming I don't get hit by a bus or fall down the stairs, that I will do something on Monday that builds on what I did the previous days. Here's another prediction: if there were just a half-dozen people like me in Ohio doing this stuff on their own free time (and there are), then we will be a lot closer to realizing the Ohio Hub in a few weeks, months, years than we are now. So what did you do to support the Ohio Hub today?

I also never get bored of Chicago pics.

Latest e-mail..... __________________ Dear West Shore Corridor Stakeholders, I will have a report for you soon from the last meeting, an excellent event held Oct. 20 as part of the Lorain County Community Alliance Annual Summit. Keep an eye out for it in the coming days. Please note the upcoming meetings on your schedule: + Nov. 15, 9 a.m., Community Station Subcommittee, hosted by Westlake Planning Director Bob Parry, Westlake City Hall (details and agenda at bottom). Community officials, planners, developers and others interested in station-area locations/development are strongly encouraged to attend. + Nov. 18, 6 p.m., Fall Rail Cocktail & Buffet, cosponsored by the Lorain Port Authority and the Stocker Foundation, at Downtown Lorain's Black River Transportation Center. Please download invitation and registration from these locations: http://members.cox.net/kjprendergast/LorainFundraiserInvite.pdf http://members.cox.net/kjprendergast/LorainFundraiserRegistration.pdf The event may seem a bit pricey, but at the $100 support level, you are still getting a complimentary year's membership in All Aboard Ohio, some great food and drinks, a terrific speaker and your contribution may be tax-deductible -- just remember to ask us for a receipt. Even if you can't attend, please check to the box on the registration to support All Aboard Ohio's West Shore Corridor efforts. We cannot progress without your help. + Early- to mid-December for next full Stakeholders Meeting. Plans are tentative right now, but we are looking at having another stakeholders meeting in that time frame, given the amount of activity. Prior plans were to hold off on meeting again until January, but that would have let things get stale. I will inform you as soon as possible when and where the December meeting will be held. Stay tuned. __________________________ Meeting of Community Station Subcommittee For the West Shore Commuter Corridor 9:30-11 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006 Westlake City Hall Council Chambers 27700 Hilliard Road, Westlake Host: Robert Parry, Director Department of Planning & Economic Development Coffee and rolls 9:00am Purpose: Review and discussion of potential station locations and economic development potential in each community adjacent to the existing rail line. Agenda: Welcome and introductions 9:30 am Review of NOACA NEO Commuter Rail Feasibility Study Ph2 stations suggestions Review and discussion by communities of alternatives and development potential Adjourn ### Kenneth Prendergast Director, Research & Communications All Aboard Ohio! 12029 Clifton Blvd., Suite 505 Lakewood, OH 44107-2189 (216) 288-4883 cell (216) 986-6064 office [email protected] www.allaboardohio.org

I asked a pop culture nut at our office, and he says Johnny Sokko and Ultraman were both on Channel 61, back-to-back.

This just in... Osama bin Laden was named to lead a national task force on anti-terrorism, Jeff Skilling was appointed to direct a special advisory committee to Congress on ethics and recently retired Exxon CEO Lee Raymond was named by Bush to chair his energy task force to shape the nation's energy policy. Guess which one of those "fox guarding the henhouse" scenarios is true? Answer is below.... ______________________ http://www.exxposeexxon.com/newsroom/raymond.html Bush Administration's Appointment Of ExxonMobil's Lee Raymond Draws Public Protest Exxpose Exxon Activists Call for Fair Play For Immediate Release: October 25, 2006 CONTACT: Shawnee Hoover (202)674-0922 Print Adobe Version October 25, 2006 — Over 60,000 letters poured into the Energy Department last week in protest of the Bush administration's appointment of former ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond and the National Petroleum Council to chart America's energy future. On the eve of Exxon's third quarter profits report, Exxpose Exxon calls on the company to cast off the legacy of Lee Raymond and invest profits in America's future. Lee Raymond, chair of the National Petroleum Council, is to provide the administration with policy recommendations for the long-term direction of the nation's energy policy. As chair, Mr. Raymond was granted the power to handpick the study's leadership. "ExxonMobil is currently the worst of the oil giants fueling America's oil addiction," said Shawnee Hoover, campaign director of Exxpose Exxon. "Putting Exxon's Lee Raymond in charge of solving America's energy crisis is like putting Jack Abramoff in charge of solving political corruption."

I think lowering the speed limit to 40 mph would make FHWA a tad unhappy. Lowering the speed limit on a state route, like SR2/Shoreway, to create an urban boulevard makes sense. But not in an intermediate segment of a cross-country interstate. P.S., I updated my Inner Belt graphic, seen above or by clicking this link: http://members.cox.net/neotrans2/innerbeltremovals.jpg A larger version (1.73 mb) is available at: http://members.cox.net/neotrans2/innerbeltremoval.jpg And, this new concept would no longer require the demolition of Central Cadillac, the Jane Addams facility or the Cedar Estates high rise. The recreation center and some of the 60-year-old public housing structures, many of them vacant, would still have to be razed and relocated with newer structures, likely on land opened up by the removal of the Central Interchange. So few takings are required for this new concept because of the location of the new Inner Belt alignment, a slight curve built into it, and because of the limited about of privately owned land where the alignment would be put.

I also applaud them. Congratulations mayors for an excellent step.

Very distressing. In addition to the infestation of drugs, poor education, the proliferation of highways and their perpetuation of sprawl, it seems to that another major factor keeping the inner city down is that some see it as a place to fleece the public and run with the money.

You're probably thinking of last week's snow. It didn't stick in Cleveland, and certainly not in areas near the warm lake, such as downtown.

I just remembered that the same policy applies to new housing construction in FP as well.

We can, but the way the big money has overwhelmed the political process, those with fresh ideas, independent thinking and the individual willpower to do what is difficult rather than what is easy will not receive the campaign money to achieve victory. And until this political process is changed, America will continue to offer weak leaders (now there's a contradiction in terms!) while our competitors keep kicking our economic ass.

While that is true, I think it's pretty fair to say that if a casino or two is built in Cleveland, the revenues that would go to the city and county would probably help finance the new convention center. That being said, I still haven't made up my mind on Issue 3. I don't like how the issue is being marketed as some college improvement fund with little or no mention of gambling. I say if you can't market something on its own merits, then why should I support it?

Depends on when the photo was actually taken. I see some photos in that thread with snow on the ground....

This is why I hate politics, politicians, labels and simplicity. We try so hard to herd people under umbrellas we call political parties so that simple-minded people don't have to think about what people are actually saying and can instead spend more time hating them for the label they now wear. I'd rather judge people one at a time. Seems a fairer approach. As for how much we subsidize our gasoline/oil industry, check out the press release (and the link to the full report) at this location: http://www.icta.org/press/release.cfm?news_id=12

Such wonderful advanced notice.... ___________________ October 31, 2006 City of Cleveland – Office of the Council 601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 216 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 For more information contact: Cleveland City Council Katherine Bulava Samsa, Media and Public Relations 216-857-7362 NEWS ADVISORY: WHO: Cleveland City Council’s City Planning Committee, Public Service Committee and Aviation and Transportation Committee WHAT: A joint committee hearing to discuss ODOT’s Innerbelt project proposal. Concerns relating to this project and alternative options will also be discussed. Representatives from the Cleveland Indians, Applied Technology, and the Cleveland Clinic as well as representatives of local businesses and the commercial, industrial and residential districts impacted by the proposal will address the joint committee. WHEN: Wednesday, November 1, 2006 at 10:00 am WHERE: Cleveland City Council’s Committee Room WHY: “At this joint committee hearing, we are taking the time to examine the ODOT plan and other alternatives and we are listening to the voice of the community,” said Councilman Joe Cimperman, Ward 13. “City Council believes that this hearing is an opportunity to continue a review process that can yield consensus and positive results.” ###

Some images of the Amtrak services in Illinois that were doubled in their service levels yesterday.... Approaching Joliet, near Chicago, on the line to St. Louis At the Joliet station Joliet's classic old station (pretty substantial for a suburban station!) Also served by very frequent commuter train service to downtown Chicago Trains on that route will serve St. Louis' new Gateway Transportation Center Interior of new Gateway Transportation Center I'll see if I can find any shots from yesterday's events in Illinois.

Welcome aboard, JeTDoG. My greeting is delayed, as I missed your message about rail transit from earlier this month.

Way to go Howard. Twit.

October 30, 2006 PENNDOT & AMTRAK CELEBRATE INAUGURAL RUN OF NEW KEYSTONE SERVICE: A new era in rail service in Pennsylvania begins today with the inauguration of the state's new Keystone Service providing passengers with fast, frequent and reliable service between Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and New York City. Through a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Amtrak with support from the Federal Transit Administration, the $145 million upgrade brings all-electric service with increased speeds — up to 110 mph — to the Keystone Corridor. The new service will reduce most travel times between Harrisburg and Philadelphia by 15 to 30 minutes off the current 2-hour trip. Express trains with fewer intermediate stops will complete the trip in a brisk 90 minutes. Travel times between Harrisburg and New York City will also be reduced — 30 minutes for regular trains and 45 minutes for express trains. Weekday roundtrips are increasing from 11 to 14 - with 10 traveling through to New York — making the service not only faster than driving, but more convenient and reliable than ever before. "Transportation plays a crucial role as we revitalize Pennsylvania, making it an even better place to work, live and play," Governor Edward G. Rendell said. "Our efforts throughout the past fours years have included working to improve passenger rail service and expand freight service while we maintain a statewide network of highways and bridges that touch every community. I'm pleased to have been a partner with Amtrak in upgrading Keystone Corridor service." "We have a great partnership with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - it is a prime model of how Amtrak and state governments can work together to develop successful corridor service," said Alexander Kummant, Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer. "Pennsylvania has become a leader in recognizing a need for increased rail service and working to make it a reality." The start-up of new service was celebrated with a kick-off reception in Harrisburg with a special inaugural train carrying VIP guests, news media and public officials from the state capitol to Philadelphia in 90 minutes — demonstrating the speedy travel time of new express Keystone Service trains. The Benefit to Our Communities: Improving the mobility of Pennsylvanians is the goal of the improved service. Travel along the Keystone Corridor by car takes between 2 hours and 20 minutes to 3 hours depending on the traffic. By offering a faster rail alternative, the Keystone Service will remove more cars from the road. Commuters will save time, and with a monthly Keystone pass, they will save money as well. Highway commuters between Philadelphia, Lancaster and Harrisburg can save at least 25% by switching to a monthly Keystone pass, according to Penn DOT estimates. This makes the new all-electric service the fast, frequent, energy-efficient and cost effective alternative to highway congestion. The new Keystone Service will not only provide better service for rail passengers, it will also aid highway travelers. Infrastructure improvements will result in greater freight capacity on the Keystone Corridor, taking trucks off nearby roads and highways. Also, through a separate agreement, the Commonwealth and Amtrak are working together to eliminate three public highway crossings along the route in Lancaster County. A Partnership That Works for Passengers: The launch of the new Keystone Service is a testament to the strong partnership between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Amtrak. Working together on the $145 million project, the Amtrak-owned 105-mile rail corridor was upgraded to deliver faster, more frequent and more reliable service for thousands of Amtrak passengers in Pennsylvania. In addition to the service upgrades for passengers, the work completed on the Keystone Corridor also provided an economic benefit for the region. In the course of completing the project, Amtrak purchased $100 million in goods and services, including $30 million spent on products manufactured or purchased in Pennsylvania. Infrastructure Improvements: The new Keystone Service encompasses a number of infrastructure improvements that will result in increased top speeds — from a previous top speed of 90 mph to a maximum of 110 mph, the fastest outside the Northeast Corridor. In order to accommodate the higher speeds and faster travel times, signal and electrification systems, including more than two dozen signal instrument houses, were upgraded for the first time in 70 years. New fiber optic cable will provide reliable communications and greater signal control, and electrification has been restored over the entire route. Amtrak also installed approximately 120 miles of continuous-welded rail which provides for a much smoother ride. Other infrastructure improvements include the installation of 185,000 concrete ties, nearly 80,000 wooden ties, and 53 new switches. A new freight bypass will improve safety and reliability. Bridge structures and culverts have been replaced and drainage improved. Also improving travel times are ten cab-control cars that have been newly-rebuilt in the Amtrak shops. These cars allow engineers to operate the train from either end, eliminating the need to turn the train around thus saving time and allowing trains and train crews to complete more trips. Popularity of the Keystone Corridor: The Keystone Corridor is one of Amtrak's most popular with 823,097 Amtrak passengers traveling the route in FY2006, a 13% increase from 730,360 in FY2005. In addition, Philadelphia rose to second place on Amtrak's list of the Top 50 Stations in 2005, bypassing Washington, D.C. In 2005, Philadelphia's 30th Street Station served more than 3.74 million passengers up from 3.69 million passengers in 2004. During the same period, the station in Harrisburg rose from 28th to 27th place on the top 50 list serving 340,000 passengers in 2005, up from 317,000 in 2004. (Amtrak - posted 10/30)

I don't think the conventions industry is that healthy anymore to support having several large convention facilities in any city, especially one not known for its convention business bursting at the seams.

In addition to the above, I want to make sure that readers saw the post about the other new service that started yesterday.... Go to http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=6079.msg136365#msg136365