KJP

And, to the west of us, expanded Amtrak services in Illinois started operating yesterday on three routes out of Chicago. The biggest increase came to the Chicago - St. Louis corridor, where the number of daily passenger trains rose from six to 10. Illinois' capital city of Springfield is in the middle of the route. Here is coverage from that city... http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/99482.asp Amtrak's expanded service begins By MIKE RAMSEY COPLEY NEWS SERVICE Published Tuesday, October 31, 2006 CHICAGO - The inaugural run of Amtrak's new Lincoln Service departed Union Station early Monday carrying dozens of travelers, including passenger-rail advocates, a business commuter and a junior college student taking his first train ride. Train 301 left on time at 7 a.m. for St. Louis via Springfield - part of a $12 million Amtrak expansion in Illinois that will add four daily round-trip trains on three rail corridors linking the Windy City with downstate. "Now we have the next step towards a real high-quality service," said Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, which lobbied state lawmakers and Gov. Rod Blagojevich earlier this year to pay for the extra trains. Harnish and about 20 members of his Chicago-based organization reserved business-class seats on the first train to St. Louis. They planned to have lunch there before catching a northbound train that would bring them back to Chicago in the evening. The new 7 a.m. train from Chicago is a daily express that skips some stops to shave minutes off the usual trip. It is one of two new Amtrak trains that will give passengers in either direction an additional morning and evening travel option. The total number of trains on the Chicago-to-St. Louis corridor increases to five round trips - three state-supported Lincoln Service trains and two cross-country trains from Amtrak's national network. Computer consultant Senia Bartl of LaGrange said she's happy to have a 7 a.m. train that gets her to Normal earlier in the day. She said she spends her work week in Bloomington and relies on Amtrak to get her to central Illinois and back. The cost: $22 round trip. "It's cheap. There's no way to beat the ticket price," Bartl said as she prepared to board. Jon Brengle, 19, was taking his first trip on Amtrak after missing a bus ride to the St. Louis area, where he attends Florissant Valley Community College. He said he expected the train to be "faster than a bus, smoother." Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said 92 people had bought advance tickets to ride the first southbound Lincoln Service, including 63 who were expected to board in Chicago. The train's capacity was about 225, he said. Also departing for the first time from Union Station Monday was the new Carl Sandburg train connecting Chicago with Quincy via Galesburg (where the legendary Sandburg, a poet and LIncoln biographer, hailed from). Passenger train enthusiast George Strombeck of Rockford and his friend Deems Jensen of Chicago wanted to be among the first passengers for the 8 a.m. train heading west. They planned to spend the day in historic Quincy before returning by train later in the day. "We've been on last runs," Strombeck said. "This is a first run, and it's exciting." The new trains - designed, in part, to stimulate business travel and tourism in Illinois - hit a potential snag last week when it was disclosed that Canadian National Railway Co. was having second thoughts about granting Amtrak access on two rail corridors. The CN owns tracks on a portion of the Chicago-to-St. Louis corridor and all of the tracks between Chicago and Carbondale that will feature a new Saluki train, named in honor of Southern Illinois University. Under pressure from members of Congress, the CN came to an agreement with Amtrak. Passenger rail proponents have said more travelers will choose intercity trains over automobiles and planes if they have several arrival and departure options. Harnish, head of the high-speed rail group, said Illinois ideally would offer passenger train service every two hours on the Chicago-to-St. Louis line. The new trains, which are starting during the first four months of the state fiscal year, have doubled Illinois government's Amtrak budget to $24 million. Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Matt Vanover said the agency would pursue a full year of funding in the next budget plan. He said it would cost more but declined to offer estimates; one source said the tab could be in the $30 million range. Amtrak ridership on state-supported trains grew to nearly 1 million during the last fiscal year, IDOT has said. That figure included passengers who rode Amtrak's daily Hiawatha service connecting Chicago and Milwaukee; the cost is shared with the state of Wisconsin. Mike Ramsey can be reached at (312) 857-2323 or [email protected].

Two major new Amtrak services started up yesterday on existing Amtrak corridors. One is the new high-speed (110mph) Keystone Corridor service between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, adding three more weekday trains to the 11 already in service. Here's a few photos from the following gallery of yesterday's start-up of service: http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/photos/gallery.ssf?cgi-bin/view_gallery.cgi/penn/view_gallery.ata?g_id=3618 http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/116226691973090.xml&coll=1 Amtrak's Philly run raises bar for travel Amtrak's Keystone gets faster, smoother Tuesday, October 31, 2006 BY FRANK COZZOLI Of The Harrisburg Patriot-News It's not like jumping in a fast car, hitting the gas pedal and holding it at 110 mph until you're in downtown Philadelphia. Railroads, like highways, have reduced-speed zones. But Amtrak trains did hit 110 mph at times yesterday as high-speed rail made its debut in the 104-mile Keystone Corridor. Yet it wasn't necessarily the speed that was wowing travelers. For some, it was the smoothness of the ride. "It was pleasant," Anthony Merritt of Lancaster said as he arrived in Harrisburg yesterday morning. "The comfort and the speed, it was a good combination." Larry Joyce of Summerdale, who's been riding trains since he was 4, agreed. "You can feel the difference," Joyce said. "This was really a bumpy section coming out of Middletown to Elizabethtown." Not any more, not with continuously welded rail. New express trains, which stop only in Harrisburg, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, Paoli and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, take 90 minutes -- a half-hour less than the old service. Local trains, which include stops in Middletown and Mount Joy, now take only 105 minutes. New York City-bound? Ten of the 14 Keystone trains from Harrisburg continue to the Big Apple. Riders who take express trains to Philadelphia and stay on to New York will get there in 3 hours, 15 minutes. "That's faster than any plane or car," said Karen J. Rae, deputy secretary for local and area transportation for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Supporters are calling what's happened in the Keystone Corridor a model that should be followed nationwide. To make the high-speed trains possible meant finding $145 million for the kind of extensive improvements to the corridor that hadn't been seen in 70 years. In July 2004, Gov. Ed Rendell brokered a financial arrangement among Amtrak, the Federal Transit Administration and the state to make the needed upgrades. Today, commuters between Harrisburg and Philly are riding the fastest trains in the country besides those in the main Northeast Corridor, which runs from Washington, D.C., to Boston, said Alexander K. Kummant, who took over last month as Amtrak's president and chief executive officer. Kummant said building partnerships with states to run corridor service is the wave of the future for the rail line. He and others expect yearly ridership on Keystone trains, which was 823,097 in fiscal year 2006, to eventually grow to one million. "Now that you have the increased frequencies and the skip-stop service, there's no reason ridership can't increase even more," said Ross B. Capon, executive director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers. Capon said the high-speed part of the service is often overhyped. "For most people, the added frequency is probably more important," he said. In the Keystone Corridor, the number of trains has increased from 67 to 84. Capon said he hopes the success of the Keystone service sends a clear message to the White House to stop "nickel and diming" Amtrak. State Rep. Rick Geist, R-Altoona, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, called yesterday a great day for transportation in the state. "I didn't think I'd actually live long enough to see it," he said during a ceremony in Harrisburg. While he considered yesterday great, Geist said many tough days are ahead as Pennsylvania wrestles to solve its transportation funding crisis. Within two weeks, a special commission convened by Rendell is to issue its recommendations on how to solve the crisis. "It's a real issue," Geist said. "The physical plant of Pennsylvania is really hurting." FRANK COZZOLI: 255-8454 or [email protected]

This is Johnny Sokko, calling Children Services. Come in Children Services...!

Where ya been? I missed your intimidating avatar!

MTS, Kingsbury Run is the name of a housing development off Kinsman. I believe it's in the Mount Pleasant area. When you see it, you'll think you've died and gone to Parma Heights.

I'm game. Just tell me when and where.

I was commenting on the vehicular traffic in the photos.

I can't remember either. My folks said I loved Ultraman, too. But for some reason I don't remember that. I was also a big fan of Godzilla -- even bought the video in my adult years.

This is the only way I get to scoop the PD sometimes.... _________________ October 30, 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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Councilman Kevin J. Kelley, Chair of Cleveland City Council’s Aviation and Transportation Committee, will introduce legislation to require a Passengers’ Bill of Rights to be displayed in all taxicabs operating in Cleveland at the Council meeting on Monday, October 30, 2006 at 7 pm. “The Taxicab Passengers’ Bill of Rights will clarify for the passenger what should be expected from a driver and will protect passengers from unfair treatment,” said Councilman Kelley. “It also protects the driver by clearly stating what the driver is and is not responsible for.” Among points included in the Bill of Rights are the guarantee of a safe ride to any location in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area, a direct route, an effective complaints process, a free ride if the meter has not been activated, and a reduction in tip in services are not properly provided as well as a quality taxicab and a professional driver. The legislation being introduced states that a $100 penalty will be accessed for each failure to display the Bill of Rights. This ordinance also establishes a flat insurance policy requirement for all taxi-cabs, lowers the rate for the first one-sixth mile or fraction of it to $2.25, decreases the charge for each succeeding one eighth mile or fraction of it to $.25, sets the waiting or traffic delay rate at $18.00 per hour and sets the charge for carrying more than four passengers at $1.00 for each additional person. ###

Very sad. Even 15 years ago, the last time I was in Johnstown, it was a lot more lively than this. And see my comments in Part I about Slapshot being filmed here.

Or the population gets older (as an average) and wants communities designed more for walking and less for driving... Or younger people make less money than their parents did and can't afford multiple-car households nor do they want to commute long distances... Or gas prices keep trending upward, prompting people to reevaluate their lifestyles... Or the region gets its act together by communities working with each other more rather against each other... Lots of things can change, and subtly. Those regions which notice the changes and capitalize on them, will rise above those that use trends of the past decades to decide their future for them.

Glad to see they want to be like America. Maybe that's one trait not worth copying.

Hey MrNYC ... I love your new avatar -- Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot! I loved that TV show when I was a kid in the early 70s. Your avatar: A web view: Another view: The bad guys (the Gargoyle Gang): Their evil monster: Johnny Sokko calling the Giant Robot "Use your rocket missles and atomic punch!"

Great news. I hope they can make it work.

I wouldn't say it will have easy rail access from West 25th. You're better off taking the Tremont Community Circulator, which serves the Ohio City Rapid station and the West 25th corridor, and will serve SYC.

When you get to the outer counties (Lorain, Medina, Geauga), and talk about sprawl, they have no idea what you're talking about. When you explain that the metro area is not growing, they look at you like you've just said the sky is green. "Why are they building all these new homes?" That's sprawl, I tell them. Every new home, new store, new business that you see being built is almost always causing a vacancy somewhere else. And, more often than not, the vacancy is happening in an older part of the city. "Cleveland?" they ask. Not just Cleveland anymore, but Lakewood, Brook Park, Fairview Park, Parma, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, Bedford, Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, University Heights, Euclid..... "I used to live in Cleveland Heights but then I moved out here to enjoy some peace and quiet, but the traffic is worse here than it was in Cleveland Heights," they said. Bingo, I replied. That's cuz you have to use the car to get to the bathroom.

Welcome fivekerr. We need more Akronites (either current or past) on this forum!

Why would they do just an African-American Garden? That would be like having a European Garden or an Asian Garden. How about the many African nations instead? It looks like they've got the space for them.

I never thought of starting a Tremont because I had assumed there already was one. I guess that falls into the category of "oops."

Musky, that sound's like a prediction in search of a means to realize it. I know you didn't predict it, but I hate it when someone comes up with a prediction of the future and starts to reorganize planning and resources in line with that prediction. NOACA does this bullshit all the time. Um, whatever happened to planning for desired outcomes?

Here's an outstanding article that I hope everyone will read. _________________________ http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/ Published on 26 Oct 2006 by The Archdruid Report Politics: imperial sunset by John Michael Greer The coming of peak oil is driven by geological factors, not political ones, but the cascade of consequences that will follow the peaking and decline of world petroleum production can’t be understood outside the context of politics, on global, local, and personal scales. As a religious leader who believes devoutly in the separation of church and state, it’s been my practice to keep politics out of these commentaries, in the probably vain hope that other clergypersons will notice one of these days that the barrier between religion and politics is there as much to protect them from politicians as it is to keep them from abusing their own positions. Still, it’s impossible to make sense of peak oil outside of its political context, and so a few words on the subject can’t be avoided here. This is especially true on the global level, the subject of this week’s Archdruid Report, where the preeminent political fact of the age of peak oil is the impending decline – and, at least potentially, the catastrophic collapse – of America’s world empire.

Veddy nyice!

Too bad Lakewood misused a perfectly useful tool like eminent domain and rightfully got a beating for it. If there ever was a use for eminent domain, it's to relocate the Silver Coast apartments to a place where it fosters economic development and synergies, not hinders them. Where to put them? How about at the corner of West 117th and Madison. I've heard that Spitzer wants to build a bank and an Aldi's there, but that's it. I wouldn't mind those things if they were topped with several floors of housing. How ironic that, while traveling east on Madison in Lakewood, as you get closer to the rapid station, the density gets less. Those light-density, parking-lot intensive uses at the corner must be replaced with mixed, denser uses!!

What was Jones' approach?

I agree. Consider also that the first VIA trains out of Toronto actually start their journeys on the opposite side of Toronto. I.E., the Montreal-bound train starts not from downtown Toronto, but from Aldershot near Hamilton. Conversely, the westbound Windsor train starts on the east side of Toronto, at Oshawa. In Ohio, morning 3-C Corridor trains could start in Painesville or, at the south end of the route, in Lawrenceburg or maybe in Louisville or Lexington. And, as you noted, Chicago- or Detroit-bound trains from Cleveland might start in Akron or Canton.