Hey that's OK. We "need" trucks. We don't "need" rail, right? That's the justification we'll get.  :-(

Honestly most farms are not within reach of any railroads at all. It's not feasible to have most farms within a short distance of railroad spurs.

 

 

Hey that's OK. We "need" trucks. We don't "need" rail, right? That's the justification we'll get. :-(

Honestly most farms are not within reach of any railroads at all. It's not feasible to have most farms within a short distance of railroad spurs.

 

"One seat rides" are not as valued in freight transport. It's generally more efficient to funnel freight into main trunk railroad lines and use trucks only to distribute to the endpoints.

As I said in my removed post, something here just doesn't make sense. 

 

  In the old days, when farmers transported their goods to market by horse and wagon, it was important to be close to a railroad.

 

    Nowadays, farmers are willing to truck their produce 100 miles for just a slightly higher price for their goods. It's no longer necessary to have a grain elevator every few miles.

   

We're getting a bit off topic here.  But consider that the two biggest commodities carrie by TODAY'S railroads are containerized freight and coal.  Agriculture products are still significant, but not as dominant as they were back in the 19th and earl 20th Century.

 

Let's get back on topic now.  :)

Ohio mentioned in this WSJ article...

 

AUGUST 20, 2010, 7:58 P.M. ET

US States Balk At Costs Of High-Speed Rail Projects

The Wall Street Journal On-Line

 

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Some states that participated in the Obama administration's plans for building high-speed rail networks are now balking at those projects, halting or scaling back development because the federal government won't foot the entire bill.

 

The latest round of federal funding for high-speed rail carries a requirement that states chip in 20% of a project's costs. States say that is forcing them to choose between putting money toward what they see as more pressing short-term needs and devoting funds to projects that will take years to complete.

 

Full story at: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100820-711730.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

There are a million ways to get 3C up and running. The one with the most complications is if Kasich wins more than one term as governor or 3C opponents have a stranglehold on the legislature for an extended period of time.

 

Im just commenting on the current path, which involves that controlling board.

 

Since this 3C thing has been bouncing around since the early 1980s I'm skeptical the political will is there.  If this does happen in the future Ohio will be a late adopter.  Right now the current approach and the political realities (at minimum GOP control of the lower house and state-level GOP leadership committment to oppose rail)  make this iteration pretty dead.

 

 

Note the last line posted. If true fiscal conservatives don't scream like hell that this will bankrupt the state like they have about the $17 million for 3C trains, then their motivations (and the names of their puppet masters) will become much clearer...

 

Ohio seeks heavier freight trucks to spur exports

By MATT LEINGANG, The Associated Press

Updated 2:48 PM Thursday, August 19, 2010

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's administration wants certain freight trucks to carry heavier loads on highways so that Ohio farmers and manufacturers can increase exports, a policy change unpopular with critics who say the added weight would further damage roads.

 

The plan, pushed by agriculture lobbyists to help spur corn and soybean exports, puts state transportation officials in a delicate position of balancing economic interests with the struggle to maintain Ohio's highways.

 

Overweight trucks carrying items such as construction equipment or other freight cause about $144 million in pavement damage to Ohio highways each year, according to a 2009 study by the state Department of Transportation. The trucking industry only partly covers that cost, paying about $97 million in taxes and overweight fees, leaving taxpayers to cover a $45 million shortfall.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-news/ohio-seeks-heavier-freight-trucks-to-spur-exports-869891.html?cxtype=rss_ohio-news

 

The hipocrsy of some of our state legislators knows no boundaries. And nothing brings it more out into the open than their silence on the cost of heavier trucks. They decry "subsidizing" passenger rail, but what about a $45-million dollars subsidy to the trucking industry?

 

Shame on all of them.

noozer - it was not the legislature, but stricklands transportation department. what is your inside scoop?

A number of 3C "Quick Start" projects in this list....as well as the Cincy Streetcar.

 

ODOT seeks New Federal Funds for Transportation Projects of the Future

TIGER II Grant Requests include Electric Cars, Aerospace Runway and Ohio River Ports

 

COLUMBUS (Wednesday, August 25, 2010) - Electric cars, a new runway for landing futuristic aerospace equipment, and access to new jobs along the Ohio River - those are three of the 12 projects the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is hoping will receive funding through a new stream of federal transportation dollars.

 

ODOT is seeking a share of $600 million in new federal funds appropriated by the U.S. Department of Transportation for its TIGER II Discretionary Grants program. This new federal funding is similar to the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery - or “TIGER grants” - authorized under the Recovery Act.

 

“This money will go to the kinds of projects that will help spur lasting economic growth, reduce gridlock, provide safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation choices and create jobs,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood when he announced the program earlier this year.

 

“We selected projects based on their ability to create jobs, leverage new private sector investment, and further transform Ohio into a premier national and global logistics location,” said ODOT Director Jolene M. Molitoris. “We also selected projects that will give Ohio’s citizens and business multi-modal transportation choice to help Ohio retain the next generation of young professionals and job creators,” added Director Molitoris.

 

While no one state can receive more than 25 percent of program funds, ODOT is supporting several applications totaling more than $259 million in requests. Those applications are:

 

Electrifying Ohio's Transportation System - a $12.3 million request to develop an Ohio electrical vehicle infrastructure readiness plan with local governments, including deploying 106 plug-in electric vehicles and 118 charging stations.

 

NASA Plum Brook Station Intermodal Facility - a $60 million request to construct a 9,000 foot-long runway to support new aerospace testing at the NASA facility and attract sustainable, high-tech jobs to Erie County.

 

Leipsic/Putnam County Road Widening - an $11.3 million request to widen County Road 5 in Putnam County to provide better access to the Iron Highway Industrial Park, a 244-acre industrial site in Leipsic served by three rail providers.

 

Akron Main Street/Broadway Street Interchange - a $55 million joint request with the City of Akron to reconstruct this high-volume interchange and increase access to nearby businesses, improve safety and reduce congestion for local drivers.

 

Springfield State Route 794 Relocation - a $3.8 million request to realign SR 794 to accommodate job growth at the Ohio Air National Guard Base, a major military unit and vital component of the area’s economy.

 

Ohio Energy and Transit Opportunity Districts - a $1.2 million joint request with the Ohio Department of Development to assist local communities in planning activities near the state’s eight proposed 3C “Quick Start” Passenger Rail Stations.

 

City of Columbus Rail Station - a $20.2 million joint request with the City of Columbus to construct supporting infrastructure (pedestrian and bicycle facilities, parking facility, bus transit shelters, and lighting) for the city’s 3C “Quick Start” Passenger Rail station.

 

Springfield Downtown Intermodal Facility - a $16.4 million request to build an intermodal facility in downtown Springfield to serve local transit routes, bike trails, and regional rail service, including the city’s 3C “Quick Start” Passenger Rail station.

 

Cincinnati Streetcar - a $35 million request to assist with funding the City of Cincinnati’s historic streetcar project that would connect the city’s two largest employment centers with electric streetcars.

 

Future Phases of the Columbus I-70/I-71 Modernization - a $15 million request to assist with funding for the detailed design and construction plans for later phases of the reconstruction of the I-70/I-71 interchange through downtown Columbus.

 

South Point Intermodal River Port - a $16.2 million request to make improvements to the South Point intermodal facility along the Ohio River in Lawrence County, with dock improvements, new overhead bridge crane, supporting road infrastructure, and new railroad line connections.

 

Washington County Multi-Modal Freight Facility - a $12.5 million request to re-establish abandoned rail lines and connect this Ohio River port near Marietta to an active CSX freight rail line, thus eliminating the need to offload freight from barges to a truck for a one-mile trip to the rail line.

 

Additional TIGER II Grant requests have been submitted to the USDOT by several local municipalities and transportation partners. These 11 projects represent the state’s official submissions by ODOT.

 

Competition is expected to be intense for these limited federal funds, with all 50 states eligible for these grants. The U.S. DOT is expected to announce the projects that have been selected to receive these grants after mid-September.

 

###

 

Copies of the TIGER II applications can be found online at www.dot.state.oh.us

For more information contact: Scott Varner, ODOT Central Office Communications, at 614-644-8640

or your local ODOT District Public Information Office.

 

Nothing here to assist RTA with any of its intermodal plans?

The above is only an ODOT list. Cleveland is submitting a $2.2 million request to do planning (presumably preliminary engineering) for the intermodal station on the lakefront. Many cities are individually submitting their own requests for rail/transit plans/projects.

I haven't seen mush posted about Kasich's willful ignorance about rail. In categorically rejecting support for 3-C, he said Ohio should instead focus on improving freight rail for economic development. How can he not know that 3-C and the Ohio Hub are based on a Republican economic development plan to increase freight capacity to the point that the lines can also accommodate passenger rail? And that the $400 million in federal money will increase freight capacity? And that if Ohio rejects that $400 million, it will have to root through the state's empty coffers if it wants to increase freight capacity?

 

If he has his head so deep in the sand (or somewhere else) as to be that ignorant on the topic of rail, how many other things is he equally ignorant of?

A number of 3C "Quick Start" projects in this list....as well as the Cincy Streetcar.

 

ODOT seeks New Federal Funds for Transportation Projects of the Future

TIGER II Grant Requests include Electric Cars, Aerospace Runway and Ohio River Ports

 

 

 

Cincinnati Streetcar - a $35 million request to assist with funding the City of Cincinnati’s historic streetcar project that would connect the city’s two largest employment centers with electric streetcars.

 

Cincinnati is building a modern streetcar system.

A number of 3C "Quick Start" projects in this list....as well as the Cincy Streetcar.

 

ODOT seeks New Federal Funds for Transportation Projects of the Future

TIGER II Grant Requests include Electric Cars, Aerospace Runway and Ohio River Ports

 

 

 

Cincinnati Streetcar - a $35 million request to assist with funding the City of Cincinnati’s historic streetcar project that would connect the city’s two largest employment centers with electric streetcars.

 

Cincinnati is building a modern streetcar system.

 

Let ODOT know about the error....their contact info is on the release.

Gee, I wonder if the reporter was going to write a balanced article or simply take dictation from one source like many "journalists" do today?

 

 

Kasich: High-speed train dead when I'm governor

Marc Kovac

about 8 hours ago

By MARC KOVAC | R-C Capital Bureau

 

COLUMBUS — John Kasich reiterated his opposition Wednesday to a plan backed by Gov. Ted Strickland to connect Ohio’s big cities by passenger rail.

 

“The 39 mph high-speed train is dead when I become governor,” he said, adding later, “We don’t have the money to operate it, we don’t have the money long-term to fund it ... (and) I’m still trying to find somebody in Ohio that wants to get on that train. No, no, we have to shut it down before it gets too far.”

 

The state has received $400 million in federal backing to establish passenger rail services between Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland. The state Controlling Board, with opposition from Republican members, released $25 million earlier this year to complete initial studies and planning for the project.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4884194

 

BTW: Marc Kovac runs the Statehouse press room for Dix Newspapers.

He can be reached at:

(614) 228-1700

[email protected]

More Money For The 3C Passenger Rail

 

Millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds are going to support both the 3C Passenger Rail plan and a project to bring streetcars to Cincinnati.

 

Now even more money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act may be used on a rail station in Columbus for the project.

 

The wheels are rolling to put a passenger train in Ohio, connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati.

 

The station would be located in Downtown, near the north end of the Columbus Convention Center.

 

Inside, businesses, who say customers are still down from years past, can hardly wait.

 

 

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/aug/25/more-money-three-c-train-ar-208031/

I haven't seen mush posted about Kasich's willful ignorance about rail. In categorically rejecting support for 3-C, he said Ohio should instead focus on improving freight rail for economic development. How can he not know that 3-C and the Ohio Hub are based on a Republican economic development plan to increase freight capacity to the point that the lines can also accommodate passenger rail? And that the $400 million in federal money will increase freight capacity? And that if Ohio rejects that $400 million, it will have to root through the state's empty coffers if it wants to increase freight capacity?

 

If he has his head so deep in the sand (or somewhere else) as to be that ignorant on the topic of rail, how many other things is he equally ignorant of?

 

 

He can't be that ignorant and niether can all the other Republicans.  That is why I smell something fishy here.  As you all know, an ODOT manager was caught red handed taking bribes from some bridge repaining contractors about a year ago. 

He can't be that ignorant and niether can all the other Republicans. That is why I smell something fishy here. As you all know, an ODOT manager was caught red handed taking bribes from some bridge repaining contractors about a year ago.

 

Oh yes he can. You aren't seeing what motivates politicians. They see soft polling numbers for 3C, and see Strickland as vulnerable on that issue. So even if Kasich knows what the facts are, they won't serve his run for the governor's office.

 

Consider:

 

+ There is bipartisan support for hauling heavier steel shipments by truck but doesn't support increasing fees on trucks to pay for the damage roads they will do: annual subsidy $50 million.

+ There is bipartisan support for increasing truck weights to haul Ohio-based agricultural products but no increase in weight-distance fees to offset the damage to Ohio's roads: annual subsidy $45 million.

+ GOP wants to eliminate the late fee on driver's license renewals without coming up with a way to replace the annual loss to Ohio's budget: cost $30 million.

+ Budget hawks are silent on the ODOT's seven-year increase in costs to operate/maintain/support the added highway infrastructure planned/underway without an identified way to pay those operating costs: $3.3 billion over seven years (see: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,18328.msg504531.html#msg504531).

+ 3C annual operating expense to Ohio: $17 million (but just $3.4 million in each of the first three years).

 

The only one of these costs which so-called fiscal conservatives are upset about, claiming it will "bankrupt the state," is the $17 million for 3C. Hypocrisy is spoken when self-interest is the motivation. And the self-interest comes from the highway lobby who fears a change of culture in Ohio from its drive-everywhere mentality to one where people actually have a choice. They don't fear 3C's failure. They fear its success.

I hope this isn't off topic, but given all this discussion about Cleveland and Akron, I had a thought.  Wouldn't it be great if we used some the the money set aside to build the rail system connecting the three Cs (and Dayton) to build a commuter rail system connecting the two downtowns of Akron and Cleveland?  Think how this would unite the region. :clap:

 

The short answer is, on Oct. 2, 2009 (the deadline for applying for rail stimulus funds), the 3C Quick Start was the only Ohio rail project whose planning was sufficiently advanced so it could be eligible for these federal funds. If Ohio doesn't use the $400 million for 3C, the funding goes back to the Federal Rail Administration for it to use on another rail project that was eligible for federal funds on Oct. 2, 2009. That means another state gets the money if Ohio doesn't use it for the purpose requested.

He can't be that ignorant and niether can all the other Republicans.  That is why I smell something fishy here.  As you all know, an ODOT manager was caught red handed taking bribes from some bridge repaining contractors about a year ago. 

 

Oh yes he can. You aren't seeing what motivates politicians. They see soft polling numbers for 3C, and see Strickland as vulnerable on that issue. So even if Kasich knows what the facts are, they won't serve his run for the governor's office.

 

Consider:

 

+ There is bipartisan support for hauling heavier steel shipments by truck but doesn't support increasing fees on trucks to pay for the damage roads they will do: annual subsidy $50 million.

+ There is bipartisan support for increasing truck weights to haul Ohio-based agricultural products but no increase in weight-distance fees to offset the damage to Ohio's roads: annual subsidy $45 million.

+ GOP wants to eliminate the late fee on driver's license renewals without coming up with a way to replace the annual loss to Ohio's budget: cost $30 million.

+ Budget hawks are silent on the ODOT's seven-year increase in costs to operate/maintain/support the added highway infrastructure planned/underway without an identified way to pay those operating costs: $3.3 billion over seven years (see: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,18328.msg504531.html#msg504531).

+ 3C annual operating expense to Ohio: $17 million (but just $3.4 million in each of the first three years).

 

The only one of these costs which so-called fiscal conservatives are upset about, claiming it will "bankrupt the state," is the $17 million for 3C. Hypocrisy is spoken when self-interest is the motivation. And the self-interest comes from the highway lobby who fears a change of culture in Ohio from its drive-everywhere mentality to one where people actually have a choice. They don't fear 3C's failure. They fear its success.

 

Well put KJP.  Sounds like a good op-ed for the major papers.

He can't be that ignorant and niether can all the other Republicans.  That is why I smell something fishy here.  As you all know, an ODOT manager was caught red handed taking bribes from some bridge repaining contractors about a year ago. 

 

Oh yes he can. You aren't seeing what motivates politicians. They see soft polling numbers for 3C, and see Strickland as vulnerable on that issue. So even if Kasich knows what the facts are, they won't serve his run for the governor's office.

 

Consider:

 

+ There is bipartisan support for hauling heavier steel shipments by truck but doesn't support increasing fees on trucks to pay for the damage roads they will do: annual subsidy $50 million.

+ There is bipartisan support for increasing truck weights to haul Ohio-based agricultural products but no increase in weight-distance fees to offset the damage to Ohio's roads: annual subsidy $45 million.

+ GOP wants to eliminate the late fee on driver's license renewals without coming up with a way to replace the annual loss to Ohio's budget: cost $30 million.

+ Budget hawks are silent on the ODOT's seven-year increase in costs to operate/maintain/support the added highway infrastructure planned/underway without an identified way to pay those operating costs: $3.3 billion over seven years (see: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,18328.msg504531.html#msg504531).

+ 3C annual operating expense to Ohio: $17 million (but just $3.4 million in each of the first three years).

 

The only one of these costs which so-called fiscal conservatives are upset about, claiming it will "bankrupt the state," is the $17 million for 3C. Hypocrisy is spoken when self-interest is the motivation. And the self-interest comes from the highway lobby who fears a change of culture in Ohio from its drive-everywhere mentality to one where people actually have a choice. They don't fear 3C's failure. They fear its success.

 

It's really too bad that Ohio's major media outlets are so lazy and clueless that they haven't picked up on this.  Some have attempted to prod some of the major newspapers to look into the political end of this, but the prodding was ignored.  I have very little respect left for the media. 

KJP's post is also a great example of how the Ohio Democrats are themselves too clueless to understand that they could turn this issue to their advantage.  They're spineless and dense.  Not much of a choice anymore: Republicans who would turn against their grandmothers if it would make a good wedge issue, and clueless, spineless, wishy-washy Democrats who couldn't run an effective campaign against an amoeba. 

GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Claim They'd Stop Rail Project

Wisconsin Receiving Federal Funds For High-Speed Rail

Updated: 10:22 am CDT August 26, 2010

 

MADISON, Wis. -- The state's high-speed rail project has become a big political issue in the Wisconsin governor's race.

 

But can the two candidates saying they'll stop the project really do it?

 

Republican candidates Scott Walker and Mark Neumann said that if elected, they'd stop work on the project upon taking office in January, and they'd do it by using clauses in the state contracts that allow them to quit the work, WISC-TV reported.

 

"We have ways of saying if the money doesn't show up, you can't expect that local government, that state government to pay for it," said Walker. "In this case, we're going to send the money back. We can ultimately terminate those contracts by virtue of pointing out if the money isn't here any longer, we're not spending it, therefore we can cancel the contract."

 

Full story at: http://www.channel3000.com/politics/24763633/detail.html

KJP's post is also a great example of how the Ohio Democrats are themselves too clueless to understand that they could turn this issue to their advantage. They're spineless and dense. Not much of a choice anymore: Republicans who would turn against their grandmothers if it would make a good wedge issue, and clueless, spineless, wishy-washy Democrats who couldn't run an effective campaign against an amoeba.

 

Agreed.

looks like Republicans are idiots in other states as well

No one party is all-everything.....

 

Milwaukee Biz Blog

Wisconsin Republicans should get on board with high-speed rail

Posted on August 26, 2010 3:44 PM

http://www.biztimes.com/blogs/milwaukee-biz-blog/2010/8/26/wisconsin-republicans-should-get-on-board-with-high-speed-rail

By Ralph Munro

 

Editor’s note: Ralph Munro, the long-time Republican secretary of state for the state of Washington, has been monitoring the debate at BizTimes.com about high-speed rail in Wisconsin. Munro decided, along with three other Republican officials in the state of Washington, to write the following entry for the Milwaukee Biz Blog. Note, Munro has performed some consulting work for Talgo Inc., the Spanish company that will build high-speed railcars in Milwaukee.

 

Wisconsin Republicans opposed to higher-speed rail might want to take a second look. We are four GOP elected officials who worked together to bring Talgo and higher-speed rail to the Vancouver (British Columbia)-Seattle- Portland corridor with remarkable results.

 

Like Wisconsin, Washington and other states find themselves forced to make hard choices when spending tight public funds. Not only does everyone want government to do more with less, it is also vital to get the best results for the money spent.

 

So, why are Wisconsin’s GOP gubernatorial candidates lining up in favor of road spending only and against resource-efficient passenger trains?

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.biztimes.com/blogs/milwaukee-biz-blog/2010/8/26/wisconsin-republicans-should-get-on-board-with-high-speed-rail

Good op-ed, but what I don't think Mr. Munro realizes is that many (if not most) passenger rail opponents are political idealogues first and Republicans second. 

Great letter to the editor in today's Dispatch...

 

Rail plan important to college students

Friday, August 27, 2010  02:51 AM

 

The more I hear Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich criticize the 3C rail plan, the less inclined I am to vote for him. I keep hearing how the

 

$17 million annual operating subsidy is going to be a detriment to the already ailing Ohio economy, but the last time I checked, there are more than 11 million Ohioans, equating to approximately $1.60 in yearly taxes per person for the project.

 

Full letter at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2010/08/27/rail-plan-important-to-college-students.html?sid=101

 

^ Great opinion page...thanks!

What train are you talking about?  I don't particularly care for the 3C corridor, but I'd prefer that if it's going to be built that it have a station in Akron.

The Akron routing adds nearly 50 miles and one hour to the 3C service, causing a decline in ridership and revenue as well as a rise in annual operating costs from the added train-miles.

The Akron routing adds nearly 50 miles and one hour to the 3C service, causing a decline in ridership and revenue as well as a rise in annual operating costs from the added train-miles.

 

Has a similar study been done on every single other city along the route? 

This is a big problem here in the midwest, the mindset that "if it doesn't serve me directly, then I'm not interested and may even oppose it."  It's a wonder anything gets done around here. 

 

Has a similar study been done on every single other city along the route?

 

The number of routing options (just among the existing rail corridors) that were looked at resembled a ball of yarn worked over by a kitten. Every possible combination of routes, segments of routes and variations of routes was studied.

The Akron routing adds nearly 50 miles and one hour to the 3C service, causing a decline in ridership and revenue as well as a rise in annual operating costs from the added train-miles.

 

Has a similar study been done on every single other city along the route?

 

Over 30 route scenarios were examined in the early study phase of the 3C Corridor.... inlcuding routing through Akron.  The best route was the one selected...for reasons of both potential ridership and time.

This is a big problem here in the midwest, the mindset that "if it doesn't serve me directly, then I'm not interested and may even oppose it." It's a wonder anything gets done around here.

 

That's not just a midwest problem.  It has crept into just about everything nationwide.  There is no sense of common purpose and working to together anymore.  This is becoming one of the downfalls of our nation. 

 

Also, it has been discussed here several times that there are ways to eventually tie Akron into the 3C and CLE-PGH corridors.  So, it's not like they have to or will be left out forever.  In order to make that work, though, the corridors have to be built first.  One step at a time.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has created a This Place Matters Community Challenge to help non-profit organizations across the country start a conversation about places that matter in the communities that they work in. And the more support each organization gets for their participation, the more opportunity they have to spark a preservation movement in their community, and inspire more people to embrace preservation and historic places that matter (plus a cash prize to help them continue their work doesnt hurt either.)

 

A message from LCTC project manager Karen Davis [email protected]...

I just registered to show my support for my favorite organization and I hope you will too. Join me and hundreds of people across the country and become a part of the Community Challenge to show your support for the places that matter to you, and the organizations that are working hard to protect and preserve them.

 

Please Vote for the Lorain County Transportation Center by registering at:

 

http://my.preservationnation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TPM_CC_Map&s_oo=NbFeSkGHZccjk9gHB34DZw..&s_tlid=35726

These are interesting times.  On one hand, we have critics who say spending $$$ on passenger rail and/or high speed rail is (chliche' alert) " a waste of money".

 

And on the other side, critics who say we should be devoting all of the $$$ toward true high speed rail. (see the story below)

 

Legislators urge 150+ mph bullet trains, not 110 mph trains

Critics say current plans don't shoot for real travel improvements

Jon Hilkevitch

The Hartford Courant

Getting Around

 

August 30, 2010

 

A revolt is building against what some public officials mistakenly consider high-speed rail.

 

You can't blame anybody who has experienced riding aboard bullet trains for being completely unimpressed by the current goal to have passenger trains traverse the Midwest at top speeds of 110 mph, up from 79 mph on Amtrak today.

 

But that's the game plan, at a cost of billions of dollars.

 

Bullet trains routinely operate at 150 to 220 mph. It's the performance level Illinois should be shooting for, said state Sen. Martin Sandoval, D- Chicago, who is chairman of the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee.

 

Full story at: http://www.courant.com/topic/ct-met-getting-around-20100829,0,4567995.column

Just in case you can't find these readily available, here are some pieces to share with elected officials and those seeking elected office this fall...

 

 

3C Corridor Comparisons:

http://freepdfhosting.com/7e28c8a73e.pdf

 

3C Mythbusters:

http://freepdfhosting.com/db21068f6e.pdf

 

3C Talkings Points (for travelers):

http://freepdfhosting.com/3a603c9121.pdf

 

Don't let the lies and gross misrepresentations go unchallenged!!

A terrific editorial from Wisconsin, and one that could be directed at those here in Ohio who take cynical swipes at passenger rail development.

 

Back on high-speed rail issue

 

Monday, August 30, 2010 8:13 AM CDT

Watertown (Wisconsin) Daily Times

 

Today we're going to jump back on the high-speed rail issue for a bit.

 

Boy, it sure has heated up in recent weeks, no doubt because the primary election for governor is just a couple weeks away and both Mark Neumann and Scott Walker have almost made the issue the centerpiece of their campaigns. As most of our readers know, the high-speed project is adamantly opposed by these two candidates and they have vowed to stop it if they are elected. We don't know if that's campaign rhetoric or not, but we hope that's all it is.

 

Had this not been an election year, we can't help but wonder if the high-speed rail initiative would have been so much in the limelight. It's been in the planning stages for well over two decades and support has been strong right up until the federal grant was approved a short time ago.

 

We remember back in the spring of 1998 when Gov. Tommy Thompson authorized an extension of the Hiawatha line from Milwaukee out to Watertown. The extension was for 88 days and the times were not particularly good. Still, 32,446 people used the train in those 88 days just on the section between Watertown and Milwaukee. It was amazing.

 

Full editorial at: http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2010/08/30/in_times_square/times01.txt#blogcomments

 

And another editorial voice from Wisconsin.

 

Full speed ahead

 

There is absolutely no reason not to accelerate spending on a worthwhile project that promises great economic benefit - including jobs.

 

Aug. 25, 2010

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal

 

So, the charge is that Gov. Jim Doyle is accelerating spending on a federal high-speed rail line to make the project unstoppable. Our reaction: Pour on the steam, er, coal, er, diesel? Whatever. Pour it on.

 

This project will be good for the state. Remember, this is federal stimulus money intended to put people to work. The sooner, the better.

 

Doyle isn't running for re-election. The presumptive Democratic nominee, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, supports the rail line between Milwaukee and Madison.

 

Full editorial at: http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/101514234.html

Expect this in Ohio. The answer to this is the precedent to high-speed lines elsewhere in the world. Ask the media to learn what was the top speed of the passenger rail services which preceded the introduction of true high-speed rail on a given route and why was true high-speed rail pursued.

 

Consider: China's Jinghu 1912-built rail line between Beijing and Shanghai. The line was upgraded to permit top speeds of 125 mph and a 9-hour travel time to cover the 800-mile distance. It has a very attractive service, created a pro-rail culture and supportive political constituency. The line is so popular that trains depart hourly -- in the overnight hours. During the daytime, trains depart every few minutes! The line has become overwhelmed with traffic and since the only option to relieve it is to build parallel tracks, why not build a totally new high-speed line that offers 220 mph speeds and a running time of less than five hours.

 

This has been repeated everywhere around the world. The same happened between Paris-Lyon, where an overcrowded 100+ mph rail line was relieved by building the first TGV line which today carries 55,000 per day (consider that only 15,000 people travel daily between Chicago, St. Louis and intermediate points, a corridor of similar distance and population).

 

Today, the UK is considering its first domestic high-speed line (to augment the HS1 international line to the Channel Tunnel) on a 400-mile route between London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Edinburgh. Today, there are two parallel routes offering train speeds of 125 mph and running times of just over 4 hours for the two 400-mile routes. Each carries more than 50 million riders per year (Amtrak's Northeast Corridor carries about 15 million), and there is little room to add more capacity.

 

So that's why other nations build true high-speed rail. They don't build it to relieve congestion on their road and air networks. They build it to relieve congestion on their 100+ mph passenger rail and freight lines.

The Right should not give up on cities

 

by John Norquist

 

Why are so many on the Right hostile to rail transit? When I was mayor of Milwaukee from 1988 to 2004, I wanted to restore some of the streetcar system that had been removed back in the fifties. Republicans, fueled by talk-radio personalities, attacked the idea as if I’d proposed Sovietizing the bratwurst industry. This attitude plays out across the United States, in any state that has a city big enough to have or desire a transit system.

 

Conservatives in Europe, Canada, and Japan aren’t so resistant. In Switzerland, arguably Europe’s most politically conservative nation, streetcars and commuter trains run almost everywhere people live. Is the reaction so different here because American conservatives oppose all government spending? No, the Republican Party, home to most conservatives in Congress, has supported comparatively large increases in spending when it has held power, most recently under George W. Bush.

 

But enthusiasm for spending on the Right seems to focus on war, highways, and prisons. Prisons and war I understand, as the modern Republican Party openly promotes itself as uniquely patriotic and aggressively devoted to law and order. But why support spending lots of tax money on highways?

 

Full op-ed at: http://www.amconmag.com/blog/keep-america-moving/urban-outfitters/

 

 

The event was a workshop for the newly-announced Passenger Rail Manufacturing Research Center being formed by Columbus-based EWI and over 100 reps from rail manufacturers attended..... But what does James Nash from the Dispatch focus on?....speed and trying to drive a wedge issue being pushed by the Republican critics.

 

State promises faster passenger rail

Freight companies object to 110 mph vs. agreed-to 79

Wednesday, September 1, 2010  02:52 AM

By James Nash

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Ohio's transportation director asserted yesterday that passenger trains eventually will reach speeds of 110 mph across the state, even as freight railroads that will share the tracks effectively responded: "Not so fast."

 

The state plans to run passenger trains from Cleveland to Cincinnati, with major stops in Columbus and Dayton, at speeds of up to 79 mph by the end of 2012. The 110-mph top speed isn't simply a goal; it was a condition of Ohio receiving $400 million in federal funding for passenger rail.

 

Full story at: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/09/01/copy/state-promises-faster-passenger-rail.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

^This was another hatchet job by the Dispatch.  Nash twisted around the stuff about the freights opposing 110mph.  What the state has been negotiating so far with them is 79 mph.  They haven't yet discussed 110 mph and won't until after the 79 mph trains have been up and running for a while and the state has taken 79 mph service as far as it can reasonably go.  Then they will negotiate higher speeds. 

 

Ben Marrison at the Dispatch needs to hear from people about their biased, hatched job coverage:  [email protected].  Don't berate them.  Make your criticism constructive.  Be polite. 

I've given up on the media (see the signature line below my messages). There's only one or two I trust anymore. The rest are going to have to use pre-fabricated quotes in my press releases or erroneously attribute a no-comment to me. Or they can just make up something which is what too many of blogger-turned-journalist yahoos are doing these days. Their motto seems to be "When the news breaks, we fix it."

I understand, and agree.  I quit TV news and commercial radio years ago.  Don't even have cable or satellite (never have). 

 

It's sad to see that Strickland isn't fighting back very well and not turning the tables on Kasich when it comes to the 3C.  If he loses, it will be his own fault.  And the 3C will suffer as a result...

Let's not forget that most Ohio voters probably won't vote for or against Strickland or Kasich because of 3C. It's a relatively small if not nonexistent issue for most Ohioans, I would presume. So I suspect that's why Strickland isn't being more vocal about it. I doubt most Ohioans would leave the state like I would if the opposition gives the rail money back to the feds for use in other states.

 

I take a different view. To me, I consider 3C as a "tip of the iceberg" issue. If the opposition is that crazy to take this funding that will improve jobs, economic development, mobility for all, energy efficiency and environmental security and give it to competing states in the name of petty ideology, then I fear that this just the tip of the iceberg of what they will do next. I wish Strickland would say something like that, but he won't.

 

So KJP, are you saying that you are going to leave Ohio if the 3-C project doesn't move forward?

If Ohio cannot upgrade and diversify its transportation system with the addition of a robust system of passenger trains, I predict you won't just see KJP leave, but tens of thousands of college grads and young professionals to whom (polling shows) such a diverse and convenient system is important in their choice of where to live and work.

 

But what hack reporters like Nash don't bother to report is that Ohio stands to lost business and jobs among Ohio companies that supply parts and services to the passenger railcar manufacturing business.  He all but ignored that in his story.  And it isn't just about jobs created by the 3C...it's about business that will be generated by every state that is starting up or expanding passenger rail service and that is over 35 states at this point.  The major passenger railcar manufacturers are already reporting a backlog of orders and Amtrak hasn't even finalized the purchase of new railcars to replace its fleet.

 

BTW: Amtrak's largest supplier for it's current and future fleet?  An Ohio company.... Columbus Steel Castings, which makes the wheel asemblies and couplers for every passenger car.

Personally, it's that important to me that I would consider leaving. Having good public transit available is an essential element of where I choose to live.