Part of the Ohio Hub Plan calls for having high-speed rail stops at major airports.  Here's an interesting article that shows how a good idea sometimes comes around for a second time....

 

OHIO MILEPOSTS | JULY 8, 1929

Columbus key hub in train/plane trek

Tuesday, July 08, 2003

Gerald Tebben

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

A crowd gathers at Port Columbus Airport on July 8, 1929, to witness the first flight of Transcontinental Air Transport.

 

A quarter century after the Wright brothers first flew, the Pennsylvania Railroad saw the writing on the wall and joined with several other companies to form the Transcontinental Air Transport in 1928.

 

The company, which began operation the next summer, married rail and air to offer 48-hour, coast-to-coast transportation to those wealthy enough and daring enough to travel around the clock via steam locomotives and Ford Tri-Motor airplanes.

 

Read more at:

 

Sources : The Dispatch ; http : // www . sprucegoose . org ; http : // www . rrmuseumpa . org [email protected]

 

 

From NARP... http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/hotline/more/hotline_457/

 

The long-anticipated groundbreaking for Providence’s T.F. Green Airport Intermodal Rail Station will be July 17 at 1:00 p.m.  The project will include a parking garage, moving sidewalk to connect to the airport terminal, and additional track work to streamline passenger and freight operations.  A key hurdle was overcome earlier this year when agreements were signed with six rental car companies to move their operations to the garage.

Wow, a prominent, pro-Amtrak piece in the PD.  Applause to James Ewinger.  The Ohio-Hub project can only benefit from such reporting.

PD's Ewinger wrote - "Ohio and Indiana are the only Great Lakes states that don't support some kind of passenger service, ..."

 

These 2 states are also the only 2 in the region that went for Bush.  Wonder if there's a corelation?  Hmmmm...  :wink:

Ohio at has a history of expecting something for nothing when it come to many issues. We consistently rank at the bottom in many categories and transportation is just one of them. We are an apathetic state and our leaders (?) reflect that mentality. Is it any wonder the best and brightest find careers elsewhere?

And check out this quote from our Governor-wannabe, Mr. Blackwell:

 

When asked about Illinois' $1.5 billion public-private partnership to rebuild its rail system, Blackwell said he has given no thought to the state's rail system.

 

"At this time, my focus is on this proposal," he said, referring to the privatization of the turnpike.

 

 

We are an apathetic state and our leaders (?) reflect that mentality. Is it any wonder the best and brightest find careers elsewhere?

 

Amen.

The following letter to the editor appeared in today's edition (July 12) of the Cleveland Plain dealer.

 

Ohio Hub is answer to region's rail needs

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

 

I appreciated Peter Krouse's June 25 article, "Shippers hop aboard." He outlined well the challenges our nation's rail system faces and the attention it needs. An important rail initiative under way in Ohio would provide significant benefits to our regional and state economy.

 

The Ohio Hub Regional Rail System proposed by the Ohio Rail Development Commission and the Ohio Department of Transportation seeks to improve passenger and freight transportation in Ohio and create strong regional economic links. Ohio Hub would create a four-corridor rail system connecting Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Erie, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Toronto and Pittsburgh, as well as dozens of other cities and towns. The plan proposes $236 million in highway and railroad grade crossing safety improvements, expanding on ODOT's $200 million Grade Separation Program.

 

Although Ohio Hub was not funded in the recently passed 2007 U.S. House Appropriations bill, it can still be taken up by the U.S. Senate, which has yet to finalize its appropriations bill.

 

With gas prices at $3 per gallon, not only is there a need for more focus on renewable energy - think of the strong winds at our doorstep, off of Lake Erie - but there is a need to seriously deal with Ohio's and the nation's transportation infrastructure.

 

Brian J. Cummins Cleveland Cummins represents Ward 15 and is a member of the Community & Economic Development Committee, Cleveland City Council.

 

 

 

© 2006 The Plain Dealer

© 2006 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

http://www.cleveland.com/letters/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1152693384277600.xml&coll=2

Check out the Ohio Rail Development Commission website .....http://www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail/ ..... for the new link to the new Ohio Hub website.  There is also a link to the Ohio Hub video under "Images".  It take a minute to download and it's in threee different formats. 

That looks superb! Congratulations.

 

Question: on the home page for the Ohio Hub site, it prominently mentions moving freight and moving people. But the link from the ORDC page says "Ohio Hub Passenger Rail System"... Why not drop "passenger" or add "freight" since I suspect freight capacity issues are ultimately going to drive this system to reality, with passenger riding on its coattails?

 

Based on what I've seen thus far, I'm really looking forward to seeing updates of the Ohio Hub pages. Looks VERY good!

Like anything else, there will undoubtedly be some fine tuning, but your point is a good one.

Train would link Ohio cities

Planners project $3.2 billion high-speed line

BY JON CRAIG | ENQUIRER COLUMBUS BUREAU

 

COLUMBUS - State officials are promoting - and already planning for - a $3.2 billion high-speed passenger rail line linking Cincinnati to Dayton, Columbus and Cleveland.

 

"The day the first high-speed passenger trains ... roll into town is not the time to unlock the old depot or break ground for a new train station," said the Ohio Rail Development Commission.

 

The rail commission, an independent branch of the state Department of Transportation, is hosting a Columbus-area conference today about the proposal for public officials and planners from five states.

 

Read more at:

 

Allison D'Aurora of the Columbus Bureau contributed. E-mail jcraig @enquirer.com

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060714/NEWS01/607140397

 

Project facts

Capital cost for startup of the Ohio Hub high-speed rail project is estimated at $500 million.

 

The initial phase calls for two trains a day running in each direction between Cincinnati and Cleveland via Columbus, at 79 mph.

 

Ultimately the train could run up to 110 mph.

 

Total cost for the multi-state project is estimated at $3.2 billion, with 80 percent of it funded by the federal government and 20 percent by states.

 

Source: Ohio & Lake Erie Regional Rail, Ohio Hub Study, October 2004. www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail

 

Amtrak ridership by city:  http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060714/NEWS01/307140012

 

Amtrak Ridership by State:http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060714/NEWS01/307140011

A pretty disappointing article, which started with some misleading information right off the bat (later corrected [or confused] with the factoids at the end of the article).

How so?  Granted, it didn't have a great deal of detail, but I thought he got the story pretty well.

I thought the whole system would cost $3.2 billion -- not just the 3-C Corridor. We don't need to scare elected officials with higher price tags suggested through careless reporting.

 

The point of today's meeting is regarding stations, yet not a word about Cincinnati's station location planning work from a year or two ago about where to put the station in Cincinnati and how it could interface with The Banks development.

 

I didn't like the writer's use of the word "insists" when referring to Nicholson's comment.

 

Rail freight congestion is a major reason for implementing the Ohio Hub plan, not a reason against it.

 

And any use of the words "pie in the sky" in an article about rail always bothers me. As if we're trying to do something that has never been done before and no else is even considering except maybe in a Jules Verne novel...

^But hell, its an article about rail...in Cincinnati!  Thats something in and of itself!  I keep getting emails about this project moving along and what not, I hope it just gets done!

High-speed passenger rail service could come to Columbus

 

RICK ADAMCZAK

Daily Reporter Staff Writer

07/18/2006

 

Columbus is the largest city in the country that does not have passenger rail service, but that could change dramatically in the next decade if state transportation officials have their way.

 

More than 80 state officials, politicians, developers and transportation experts gathered for a workshop hosted by the Ohio Rail Development Commission Friday in Worthington to discuss a plan that would include Columbus as part of a far-reaching railroad system designed to significantly increase passenger rail and freight train service in the state.

 

Though preliminary, the plan includes high-speed passenger service from Columbus to Cincinnati and Cleveland and eventually to Pittsburgh and Chicago.

 

Read more at:

 

http://www.sourcenews.com/news/today/cdr_c.lasso

Cincinnatians....

 

Newsmakers on channel 12 will be discussing Ohio Hub next Sunday, July 30.  The show airs at 11 AM.

 

I don't know who the guests are, I just heard Dan Hurley mention it at the end of today's show.

 

The official Ohio Hub Website is now operational at the following address:

 

http://www.ohiohub.org/

 

Just the basics on it right now, but I'm sure more will be added soon.

Though it doesn't specifically mention passenger rail, a bill like this could very well apply to the kind of rail improvements that need to be made to build the Ohio Hub System, as well as increase capacity to move more freight.

 

Senate Bill addresses growing freight capacity crunch;

 

 

Tax credit to help America expand rail infrastructure, reduce highway congestion

 

WASHINGTON, DC, July 27, 2006 -- A bill introduced in the Senate on Wednesday will help expand freight rail capacity and begin to prepare the nation’s transportation infrastructure for the coming surge in freight traffic, predicted to increase 67 percent in the next 15 years.

 

The bipartisan “Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act,” introduced by Senators Trent Lott (R-MS) and Kent Conrad (D-ND), would provide a 25 percent tax credit for any business investing in new rail track, intermodal facilities, rail yards, locomotives or other rail infrastructure expansion projects. Railroads, ports, shippers, trucking companies and other transportation-related businesses would be eligible for the credit.

 

Additional cosponsors of the legislation include Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Also supporting the bill are a diverse group of businesses and trade associations such as the American Association of Port Authorities, Port of Oakland, South Carolina State Ports Authority, Arch Coal, Intermodal Association of North America, the National Mining Association, Maersk, and the Waterfront Coalition, which includes retail leaders such as Nike and Office Depot.

 

“We’d like to thank this bipartisan group of senators for demonstrating the vision and leadership needed to address the overwhelming transportation challenges facing our nation. The price of doing nothing is simply too high,” said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads. “We must expand our transportation capacity to keep our nation’s competitive edge in today’s global economy. We can no longer build our way out of this problem by expanding highways. Freight rail must be included in the public policy solution.”

 

Numerous studies – including a report from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Office – have concluded that building more highways is no longer the only answer to the nation’s transportation problems.

 

“The highway system is increasingly congested, and the social, economic and environmental costs of adding new highway capacity are prohibitively high in many areas,” states the AASHTO report, which found the benefits of rail infrastructure tax incentives would far exceed the cost. “Making these investments and realizing these benefits will require a new partnership among the railroads, the states, and the federal government.”

 

AASHTO is composed of state Department of Transportation leaders across the nation, and their report on the freight rail industry recommends investment tax incentives as a key part of the solution to the nation’s infrastructure problems.

 

Many leading business organizations have also recognized the looming transportation crunch and are supporting tax incentives to increase capacity, including the National Retail Federation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, the World Shipping Council, and the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Corridors.

 

“One of the few areas of agreement among transportation policy experts is that freight railroads need to play an even bigger role in responding to the massive increases in freight traffic,” said Hamberger. “Privately-owned freight railroads already are investing record amounts in their infrastructure, well over the average for U.S. industries. But that will still not be enough to handle the huge increase in freight expected over the next two decades.”

 

According to a recent Harris poll, a large majority of Americans want to see more freight moved by rail, and less on highways.

 

“Unless we want to see our nation’s highways get more congested than they already are, we have to find a way to move more freight on rail, and this legislation will go a long way toward accomplishing that goal,” said Hamberger.

 

###

http://aar.org/Index.asp?NCID=3801

Tax credits are a start, but this nation really needs a rail infrastructure program on par with highways and aviation

 

Absolutely.  This is not about favoring rail over any other mode.  It's about balancing out the transportation system: something we haven't had since the 1950's when the Interstate Highway System was begun.

 

Expanding rail capacity for both freight and passenger is vital if we are to begin achieving this balance.

Sounds like it could be a nice bonus for the Rickenbacker Intermodal Hub.

Sounds like it could be a nice bonus for the Rickenbacker Intermodal Hub.

 

Actually, if the Pittsburgh-Columbus-Lima-Ft Wayne-Chicago route gets built, there is a good chance that there will be a passenger station serving Port Columbus. 

That's the plan.  The Ohio Hub envisions stops / connections at most of the major airports in Ohio and outside the state at airports such as Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo, Toronto.

 

BTW:  The Hub Plan was featured on WKRC-TV's "Newsmakers" today (Sunday)  a podcast of the show is available at:

 

http://www.wkrc.com/news/rss/

A L L  A B O A R D  O H I O

309 South Fourth Street, Suite 304

Columbus OH 43215

www.allaboardohio.org

614-228-6005

 

For Immediate Release                                      Contact:  Bill Hutchison, President

Aug. 3, 2006                                                                            (614) 882-1716

 

All Aboard Ohio heads toward the same destination,

but with more energy and teamwork

 

COLUMBUS -- All Aboard Ohio, a statewide rail and transit advocacy association, today announced it was looking forward to addressing the state's pressing mobility needs with renewed vigor, including new staff, management structures and strategies. All Aboard Ohio President Bill Hutchison also said the association's members, funders and friends will become a stronger part of the advocacy team to continue the organization's growth, stability and professionalism it has achieved in its 33-year history.

 

"We are aggressively pursuing new and better ways to build the constituency for rail and transit, while seeking specific improvements to transportation services," said Mr. Hutchison. "After all, that is why citizens and organizations chose to commit their limited resources to help our efforts in the first place. They need to know that they come first as we consider a replacement for our executive director, following his choice to pursue other interests. We wish him all the best."

 

All Aboard Ohio is the only statewide nonprofit organization whose sole mission is to advocate for improved passenger train and public transit services in Ohio. The organization was founded in 1973 as the Ohio Association of Railroad Passengers.

 

All Aboard Ohio's board of directors is conducting a comprehensive review of association resources to maximize its effectiveness. That could include hiring new staffpersons to grow the organization's revenues, membership, communications and teamwork. The All Aboard Ohio board has much experience from which to draw, as it is comprised of corporate, governmental and nonprofit professionals who have a diverse wealth of knowledge in transportation issues, management, finance and advocacy.

 

"We look forward to a bright future," Mr. Hutchison said. "Our goal is for All Aboard Ohio to emerge as an advocacy organization that is second to none in the nation when it comes to successfully improving transportation choices for citizens. Only through teamwork, communication and energy can we reach that destination."

 

END

Good to hear!

 

I suggest anyone interested in improving passenger rail in and around Ohio consider joining All Aboard Ohio.

 

You can get membership info at: www.allaboardohio.org

 

BTW: The new Ohio Hub Plan website now has all of the presentations at the recent Ohio Hub workshop available for download at www.ohiohub.com

 

Just click the "meetings" link.

 

I finally signed up!  I'd been meaning to do that for quite some time now.  Now, when do I start seeing results?  :wink:

Thank you! We'll hopefully have some more progress pretty soon. We're working on getting federal funding for the environmental impact analysis of the Ohio Hub (please contact Senators DeWine and Voinovich and ask for their support!).

 

As for the Lorain-Cleveland regional project, the next stakeholders meeting for which will be at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 30th at Cleveland City Hall. It will be part of a special meeting of the Aviation & Transportation Committee.

 

I'd also like to push some interim service improvements, such as extending existing train services from New York state and Michigan into and across Northern Ohio. But that's not official All Aboard Ohio project. Hopefully it will soon be one.

 

BTW: The new Ohio Hub Plan website now has all of the presentations at the recent Ohio Hub workshop available for download at www.ohio.com

 

You sure about that web link?

Oops.  I changed it.

 

www.ohiohub.org

1000 Friends of Central Ohio's

Moving Smarter (aka Bacon, Eggs and Rail) Breakfast

 

Wednesday, August 9th, 2006

The Ohio Hub Plan:

“Moving Ohio’s People & Economy Better By Rail”

 

You are cordially invited to join us for an eye-opening breakfast

and an important update on the progress of Ohio’s plans

for both high-speed passenger rail

and expanded capacity for moving freight. 

 

The Ohio Hub Plan can bring positive impacts

on almost every aspect of our lives in Ohio:

 

·        Improve Ohio’s economy through better mobility

·        Create thousands of new jobs

·        Create a new and better option for business or leisure travel

·        Allow us to better manage traffic congestion

·        Help us reduce the use of oil and improve air quality

 

This is a great opportunity to ask questions

and find out what needs to be done

to advance what could be the most ambitious

transportation plan in Ohio in recent years.

 

Upstairs at the North Market

7:30 am- 9:00 am

$10 for Members - $15 for general public

(Renew your membership by going online)

http://www.1kco.org

 

Please RSVP by noon on Tuesday, August 8

[email protected]

 

 

From the 8/24/06 Toledo Blade:

 

PHOTO: Seney, right.

 

Ex-Sylvania mayor to leave state rail development post

BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU

 

COLUMBUS - Jim Seney will step down on Sept. 1 from his $84,344-a-year job as executive director of the Ohio Rail Development Commission after 38 years in state and local government.

 

The former Sylvania mayor and aide to Republican Govs. George Voinovich and Bob Taft could not be reached yesterday for comment on his future plans. He has spent six years heading the commission charged with promoting economic development through improvements in passenger and freight rail service.

 

In a statement released by the commission, he said he felt he had done "as much as I can with the limited resources that have been available to our commission. We have a lot to show for it as a result."

 

Read more at:

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060824/NEWS24/608240414/-1/NEWS

 

From the 8/23/06 Pulse-Journal:

 

 

Liberty Twp. resident not on board with plans for train

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

By Eric Schwartzberg

Staff Writer

 

Liberty Twp.’s proposed land use plan — a vision for what the township can become — shows room for a new train station in the middle of the township.

 

If built, a high-speed rail service would whisk commuters at 110 miles per hour to destinations between Cincinnati and Columbus.

 

But Liberty Twp. resident Jamie Dobrozsi said the likelihood of such a project actually happening is remote because the area shown for the Liberty Twp. rail station does not have the necessary infrastructure and direct highway access.

 

Read more at:

 

http://www.pulsejournal.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/08/23/pj082406twp.html

 

From the 8/26/06 Enquirer:

 

 

Devices spy approaching trains

Group buying system to improve traffic flow near Loveland tracks

BY JANE PRENDERGAST | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

 

LOVELAND - A group working to improve railroad transportation throughout Ohio will buy a new system to regulate traffic lights at two intersections near the downtown tracks.

 

The Ohio Rail Development Commission will spend about $90,000 to buy computerized devices that communicate directly with railroad crossing warning systems. The units, called I-SPIs, can control nearby traffic lights to ease congestion .

 

The system will detect an oncoming train two minutes before it hits the tracks and start changing lights so traffic doesn't continue all the way to the tracks and stop. It also will monitor that crossing gates are completely lowered and have battery backups that will keep the lights working when power is out.

 

They'll be installed for the West Loveland Avenue crossings at Karl Brown Way and Second Street, possibly in October.

 

The battery backups alone will be significant, said City Manager Tom Carroll.

 

"Now when the power goes out, we use three police officers to control traffic," he said.

 

A spokesman for the commission could not be reached Friday. But the commission's safety programs manager, Susan Kirkland, complimented the city's cooperation in a letter last week to Carroll. Often times when the commission works with a city on a project, she wrote, state officials find little interest from the community.

 

But in Loveland, the railroad has an impact on the redevelopment project the city is trying to do. It involves turning about six acres around Broadway and Second Street into townhomes, offices, retail space and restaurants and could mean $30 million or more in private investment.

 

Developers mentioned that train noise could affect the marketability of the new residences. The city is considering creating a railroad quiet zone that would mean trains would have to be quieter.

 

But officials first wanted to know how much, if anything, in other improvements the state would be willing to pay for.

 

Kirkland wrote that the commission might refer other Ohio communities to Loveland to check out how the system works.

 

The city already has spent about $10,000 to upgrade the traffic controls at the Five Points Intersection, the third spot where the railroad goes through downtown. That was part of a bigger project there that included replacing water and sewer lines as well as installing replacing stop signs with traffic lights.

 

E-mail [email protected]

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060826/NEWS01/608260384/1056

 

This isn't part of the 3C's corridor and not sure if it should go here, but I was nonetheless really excited when I read the article in the school newspaper today.

 

Proposal could offer students alternative method of travel

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

by Alexandra Barlow, The Miami Student

 

 

In the early morning hours in Oxford, the Amtrak train on the Cardinal/Hoosier State line rolls into town - and then right out again without stopping.

 

Traveling from Chicago, through Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Washington, D.C. and to New York, adding an Amtrak stop in Oxford on this particular line could present a new option for students.

 

Professor Leah Wasburn-Moses has dared to ask Amtrak, the student body and the city council the obvious question: Why doesn't it stop here?

 

She put her concerns to action when she presented a proposal to the city council planning commission two months ago after collaborating with Amtrak and the Ohio Rail Development Commission.

 

"We're here and the student population is huge, and we have no transportation options," said Wasburn-Moses, an education psychology professor from Lafayette, Ind., where there is a train stop. "With our lack of transportation options I thought: Why are we just sitting here on this?"

 

According to Richard Keppler, director of parking and transportation for Miami University, 2,638 parking passes have been issued this year for the 15,200 undergraduates enrolled. Therefore, there are many students, especially first-years, without cars who have come to rely on their parents and carpooling for a means of travel.

 

Carlin O'Day, a first-year from Western Springs, a suburb of Chicago, is facing this dilemma.

 

"(Having a stop in Oxford) would be so nice and so much easier," O'Day said. "That would be fabulous because you wouldn't have to have your parents come pick you up."

 

Alex Heinz, a first-year from Rochester, N.Y, on the other end of the route, does have a car but thinks that a stop would be beneficial to students.

 

"If I didn't have a car I'd take the train so my parents didn't have to drive nine hours," Heinz said.

 

He also raised an issue that many college students face: money.

 

"Lots of people would take the train with gas prices being so high," Heinz said.

 

Lou Jannazo, the chief of project development at the Ohio Rail Development Commission agreed.

 

"With the oil prices and the congestion, at some point in time we should be looking to expand transportation capacity in all regards, and the rail passenger is one regard," Jannazo said.

 

He has corresponded with Wasburn-Moses, supporting her proposal by offering financial backing should the city of Oxford decide to fund the project.

 

"It's the city's call," Jannazo said. "We'd consider putting some money toward it."

 

Amtrak's policy is to have the city provide the stop, which includes lighting and a platform. Amtrak has shown willingness, according to Wasburn-Moses, to work with Oxford should the city decide to go through with it.

 

The issue is currently in the hands of the Oxford Planning Commission, which will vote on it in November. Paul Brady, chair of the commission, said that the Amtrak stop is included in the city's transportation plan, and although there "seems to be some other things we need to do," he doesn't expect it to be removed any time soon.

 

"There's time if someone wishes to lobby," said Brady, since the vote will not take place until November.

 

Wasburn-Moses encouraged students with thoughts, comments and suggestions to e-mail her.

 

"I think that we need real, visible support from students and from the Miami community in order for this project to become a reality," Wasburn-Moses said.

 

She can be contacted at [email protected].

 

This is a silly proposal.  The reason it isn't included in any passenger rail plan is because Oxford lacks a critical mass of people...not to mention a certain density level.  Sure there are students there (small-medium school...only full of people part of the year).  This would not allow for a successful operation of a regional rail station.

 

Not to mention, if these tracks were to be switched over to newer technologies for faster/more efficient trains....the stop would be too close to Cincinnati, it would make the network totally inefficient.  This is the whole point behind hubs!  People in Oxford would have to travel to the hub (does Oxford have its own airport?).

 

15,000 students is not that much.  The City of Hamilton is a city of more than 60,000 residents and it is not being considered for the Ohio rail plan.  Oxford is not a Cincinnati, Indy, Chicago, DC, or New York.....its not even a Hamilton!

 

This is a terrible article, and obviously the people who wrote/were quoted throughout the article have no idea on how regional transportation works.  I'm surprised this article was even published....its a bad representation of the caliber of students at MU.

My intuitive response to the idea as a current resident of Oxford is that it makes a lot of sense. Oxford does not have any viable intercity travel options.  Not only is it fairly far from the Dayton or Cincinnati airport, it is also far from the nearest interstate highway. Students could really use this to go back and forth between home and school on breaks or vacations, as well as for interviews and cultural events in big cities like Cincinnati, Indianapolis, DC, and Chicago. Parents and friends might also choose to travel to Oxford via rail. The railroad tracks go right through the heart of Oxford, and a rail stop would be within walking distance to a lot of people. The city itself is set up very well for a rail station; once you get here you don't really need a car. 

I think the viabilty of rail is more than the number of people living within whatever mileage of the stop. In my opinion the type of community, the market type, and the existence of other intercity travel options are important considerations.

Not to mention, if these tracks were to be switched over to newer technologies for faster/more efficient trains....the stop would be too close to Cincinnati, it would make the network totally inefficient.  This is the whole point behind hubs!  People in Oxford would have to travel to the hub (does Oxford have its own airport?).

 

It doesn't seem like you quite understand how passenger trains operate.  Railroads operate linearly, not on a point-to-point hub-and-spoke system, like airlines do.  Furthermore, high-speed trains operate at "normal" speeds when in the urban core.  Do you really think the TGV enters Paris at 200 mph?

 

How close is "too close", anyway?  East Coast cities have suburban rail stations that are closer to the core city than Oxford is to Cincinnati.  New Carrollton, MD and Alexandria, VA, are fairly busy stations, even though both are within 10 miles of Washington Union Station.

 

 

^^Well I guess West Lafayette and Bloomington Indiana should also have regional rail connections....hell their student populations are greater than MU and neither one of them have good connections (to large metros) either.  I don't want to get into some long....drawn out debate here, but my stance (my schooling has taught me it is right) is that Oxford is a bad place for a regional rail station, and that its demographics would set it (Oxford station) up for failure.

 

But I see where you are coming from...it would be great for you and other MU students.  It would also be great if I had a light-rail stop across the street from my house, but there are logistics behind rail lines/stations besides simply having the railroad tracks and land for station.

It doesn't seem like you quite understand how passenger trains operate.  Railroads operate linearly, not on a point-to-point hub-and-spoke system, like airlines do.  Furthermore, high-speed trains operate at "normal" speeds when in the urban core.  Do you really think the TGV enters Paris at 200 mph?

 

How close is "too close", anyway?  East Coast cities have suburban rail stations that are closer to the core city than Oxford is to Cincinnati.  New Carrollton, MD and Alexandria, VA, are fairly busy stations, even though both are within 10 miles of Washington Union Station.

 

I'm sorry I didn't know that Oxford was considered to be within the urban core....nor did I know that Cincy, Oxford, Dayton were comparable to DC, Baltimore, rest of east coast.

I would also say that if there were consideration of a different form of rail (inter-city...not regional) then Oxford might be alright.  A smaller range line ie: Cincy, Hamilton, Oxford would lend itself better than DC, Cincy, Oxford, Indy, Chicago.  There are heirarchys of railways much like roadways, and Oxford would definately NOT be an arterial, but rather a local or collector street.

Well I guess West Lafayette and Bloomington Indiana should also have regional rail connections

Why not?

 

Oxford is a bad place for a regional rail station, and that its demographics would set it (Oxford station) up for failure.

Please elaborate on both points.

 

I'm sorry I didn't know that Oxford was considered to be within the urban core....nor did I know that Cincy, Oxford, Dayton were comparable to DC, Baltimore, rest of east coast.

Now you're just being a patronizing idiot.  I presume you're intelligent enough to read what I wrote.  If you have a counterpoint to make, then make a statement and support it.  This statement by you is just a bullshit excuse for the status quo. 

^Have you read any of my other posts referring to this?  I have answered much of what you're asking me to answer already.

 

Oxford is a bad place for a regional rail station' date=' and that its demographics would set it (Oxford station) up for failure.[/quote']

Please elaborate on both

...

Not to mention' date=' if these tracks were to be switched over to newer technologies for faster/more efficient trains....[b']the stop would be too close to Cincinnati, it would make the network totally inefficient[/b].  This is the whole point behind hubs!  People in Oxford would have to travel to the hub (does Oxford have its own airport?).

 

15,000 students is not that much.  The City of Hamilton is a city of more than 60,000 residents and it is not being considered for the Ohio rail plan.  Oxford is not a Cincinnati, Indy, Chicago, DC, or New York.....its not even a Hamilton!

 

Now you're just being a patronizing idiot.  I presume you're intelligent enough to read what I wrote.  If you have a counterpoint to make, then make a statement and support it.  This statement by you is just a bullshit excuse for the status quo. 

 

My counterpoint I thought was clearly made.  You cannot compare the Cincinnati-Dayton metroplex to the East Coast Megapolis!  While station within 10 miles of one another may work on the east coast they will not work everywhere (Cin-Day, Cle-Tol, Cin-Ind, Lou-Lex, etc)

 

I would also say that if there were consideration of a different form of rail (inter-city...not regional) then Oxford might be alright.  A smaller range line ie: Cincy' date=' Hamilton, Oxford would lend itself better than DC, Cincy, Oxford, Indy, Chicago.  There are heirarchys of railways much like roadways, and Oxford would definately NOT be an arterial, but rather a local or collector street.[/quote']

 

What I am saying is that ALL cities can have rail!  Smaller towns have lines that run to bigger towns...its a heirarchy system.  The main lines (regional) are the arterials.....then the collectors (inter-city)....then the local (light-rail, subway, mono-rail).  I would not categorize Oxford as being an arterial, but rather a collector.

UncleRadio, you might have skimmed over the article too fast, because this proposal for rail service in Oxford is indeed about intercity rail and not regional.  Getting this rail service in Oxford isn't about changing the existing rail lines, or adding any new rail lines. It sounds like it would be something relatively easy to do and require simply getting a platform built by the city and Amtrak agreeing to stop there. It is the Cardinal Hoozier line that runs right through Oxford 3 days a week.

 

 

Here are the stations presently served on that line:

 

New York - Penn Station, NY (NYP)

Newark, NJ (NWK)

Trenton, NJ (TRE)

Philadelphia, PA (PHL)

Wilmington, DE (WIL)

Baltimore - Penn Station, MD (BAL)

Washington - Union Station, DC (WAS)

Alexandria, VA (ALX)

Manassas, VA (MSS)

Culpeper, VA (CLP)

Charlottesville, VA (CVS)

Staunton, VA (STA)

Clifton Forge, VA (CLF)

White Sulphur Springs, WV (WSS)

Alderson, WV (ALD)

Hinton, WV (HIN)

Prince, WV (PRC)

Thurmond, WV (THN)

Montgomery, WV (MNG)

Charleston, WV (CHW)

Huntington, WV (HUN)

Ashland, KY (AKY)

South Shore, KY (SPM)

Maysville, KY (MAY)

Cincinnati - Union Station, OH (CIN)

Connersville, IN (COI)

Indianapolis, IN (IND)

Crawfordsville, IN (CRF)

Lafayette, IN (LAF)

Rensselaer, IN (REN)

Dyer, IN (DYE)

Chicago, IL (CHI)

 

Everyone in Oxford does intercity travel several times a year. Oxford also gets a lot of parents, prospective students, and other visitors throughout the year.   

If there already is an inter-city rail line ready and waiting I don't see the harm; however I was not familiar with this line when I took Amtrak from Cincy-DC-NYC.  My train did not make this many stops (I am glad because I would have been irritated by the frequent stops on the already slow train).  We stoped only a handful of times between DC and Cincy.....and a few times between NYC and DC.

"15,000 students" isn't demographics--it's the population of Miami U.  You conveniently ignore places like Carbondale, Illinois (home of SIU) that have existing Amtrak service.  I suppose Carbondale should just close its station, huh?

 

Nowhere did I say that there should be rail stations every 10 miles in SW Ohio, because that's certainly not even the case on the densely populated East Coast (at least with intercity service).  You make it seem, however, that Oxford is just outside of downtown Cincinnati, which it is not.   

 

Perhaps part of the disconnect is in calling the Ohio Hub "regional".  I think that's an abuse of the term.  Regional rail more often refers to commuter rail.  The Ohio Hub is most certainly intercity, but over a limited area.

 

UncleRando, what you describe isn't much different from the SNCF <<reseau>> in France.  If we had a network like theirs, sans wildcat strikes, our rail system would be the envy of the world.

UncleRando, what you describe isn't much different from the SNCF <<reseau>> in France.  If we had a network like theirs, sans wildcat strikes, our rail system would be the envy of the world.

 

Much of what I yearn for in transportation systems is based off of European models...not American.  My heirarchy system, that I described, is exactly that.....it is based off of the European model (inner-city, inter-city, and regional lines web their way throughout Europe), thus creating a great network of rail that people use in high volumes very efficiently!

 

Maybe I just have a beef with the American system of rail transit, rather than a problem with a stop in Oxford.  A wise man once said:  "Don't hate the player....hate the game."

Maybe I just have a beef with the American system of rail transit, rather than a problem with a stop in Oxford.  A wise man once said:  "Don't hate the player....hate the game."

 

That's two of us.  You point out something really worthwhile, though.  Even if we build high-speed intra-regional rail systems in the U.S., we still need slower trains to serve the smaller cities, like Oxford, and commuter rail for intra-metropolitan-area service.  For example, the East Coast has the Acela trains, which mostly stop in the larger cities.  There is also the Regional service, though, that stops at more stations (like Newark and Trenton, which get missed by Acela).  On top of that, each region has commuter rail that connects suburbs to their core city.  Within the cities, of course, there is the local rail transit service, but that's a different mode entirely. 

This is a non-debate. There is no hard-and-fast rule over how rail networks should be designed or where stations should be located on them. Each is tailored for the market which exists, or could be created by the investment. Every rail service is a hybrid of what has come before, though there are some general similarities which allow various services to fall in differing classifications. We can debate what these are until we're on our death beds. Simple answer: if there is a market for a train station in Oxford -- build it.

 

(P.S. Lafayette, Indiana does have a station stop on the same route that passes through Oxford, and the route/service is called the Cardinal, not the Capital Hoosier. The Hoosier starts in Indianapolis and goes to Chicago, also via Lafayette! The Capitol Limited goes through Cleveland and Toledo).

 

The real debate is... what is holding up the construction of the Oxford station. The answer -- a federal requirement for level-boarding to every car on the train from the platform. The intent of the provision was make passenger trains more accessible for disabled patrons. The actual result is that it is making the construction of new, or reconstruction of old stations too expensive, and thereby limiting the number of cities/stations where trains can stop. The outcome is that disabled patrons have fewer mobility options.

 

Yet another brilliant idea brought to you by faceless bureaucrats in Washington D.C. :bang: