* Norfolk Southern RR own most of the 'right of 'way' any plan would be contingent upon their acceptance. Norfolk-Southern RR previously indicated their freight would have the preference as to right-of-way on their mainline. Therefore passenger trains may on occasion have to wait on a siding for freight to pass. Although I suppose it's how wise the dispatcher organizes the scheduled runs. Also new lock switches and other signaling devices are going to have to be installed to upgrade the current freight mainline to satisfy the safety standards for passenger trains.
* Between Phillipsburg and Allentown is 16.94 miles. Rail construction would cost an estimated $20 million per mile it was estimated in 2010. An estimated $658.9 million total in 2010 dollars
* Trains would depart for High Bridge, NJ connection from 4 locations (ABE and Phillipsburg). What I wasn't aware of is you would board the train. Get off in High Bridge, NJ to transfer trains. Then in Newark you must transfer to yet another train in to NYC.
* Where would be enough parking accommodations for commuters to park their cars to take the train?
* Will folks who use the current buses be willing to transfer to three trains which may not be timed to your exact arrivals? Will they stand out in the cold winter months on train platforms to do so? Or would they prefer to just make a single boarding on a bus which takes them right into Port Authority one block from Times Square?
* Will folks who can currently travel by bus to NYC in around 1.25 hours be willing to endure more then the 2 hours it would take by train?
Keep in mind the $658.9 million is in 2010 dollars and it does not include the rail line to High Bridge, NJ. If that extension should cost $20 million a mile, the price tag could easily come in much higher. Then there's always those unforeseen costs overruns.
The buses are already running at no costs to the taxpayer. Should taxpayers spend what will most likely be over $1 billion between construction and annual taxpayer supported funding over 3or 4 years to reinvent the wheel?
Thinking Outside The Box:
If we were serious about using public transportation-- I would think far less money would be spent by encouraging current commuters to use the public transportation that we do already have. This could done by creating incentives through the use of designated lanes for buses, car pool lanes, etc. Why not create new highways designated for the exclusive use of commercial vehicles and public transportation only.
That may sound dumb on the surface, but isn't that exactly what we're already proposing to do when we create these train tracks? And I bet we could create these for far less the $20 million a mile! Plus it would take the huge 80,000 lb trucks out of the equation. These don't mix well with cars anyway on our current highway systems. I bet truckers would like that one!
Think about this and give this a second thought. What if when I-78 was built it was built only for buses and trucks. Drivers either would have had the choice to continue driving that sucky old Route 22 OR pile on a bus that that flies up I-78.
(2) If these drivers already don't like the bus stops they certainly will object to a train making dozens of stops. Also considering they'd have to delay their travel even further by pulling over to let freight pass and having to switch trains in New Jersey I simply don't believe they'd use this rail system.
(3) It is highly unlikely all 1,400 riders would switch from their current bus seats to board trains. So you'd need 1,000's of commuters into addition of those who presently use buses.
(4) Ask me why we should invest $659 million in a rail to High Bridge, New Jersey when you can drive the 20 miles into High Bridge, NJ only 28 minutes away and catch the train which is there already! Or from Allentown it's 42 miles in 52 minutes. Too far to drive you say..
(5) Private bus company's are making profit from these runs. Why should taxpayers foot over $11 million every year in deficits when we already have efficient transportation that creates profitable jobs and businesses? Note that these didn't require millions in taxpayers' $'s for their initial startup costs.
(6) The rational is because people have moved to this area from the 'big city' there is now is a transportation need. Well people come and go. Housing developments move from time to time to other areas. Buses can reroute to serve those needs. Once those tracks are laid, they cannot be moved.
My Final Thoughts On This Matter
From the standpoint of economic costs, travelers' commute times nor passengers' scheduling requirements, does any of this meet the criteria to bring this project to a successful conclusion.
Yes I would like to see passenger trains once again. But as long as drivers are willing to sit 30 minutes waiting to get into the Lincoln tunnel. Driving around Manhattan for another 20 minutes to pay for expensive parking decks you'd most likely have to pry their cold dead hands from their steering wheels before you'll get them on public transportation. This makes about much sense as bringing back canal barges for anything other then a expensive tourist attraction. Until buses and the demand for them can no longer handle capacity, then and only then could I see a need for alternative mass transit.
Fortunately I will always have yesteryear's memories of the gorgeous views from the train ride into NYC when I was a kid. It's sad, really.
According to the Washington Post Amtrak.. "...rail service needed $1.4 billion in subsidies from Congress in 2012"
Paul Carpenter of The Morning Call once said.. "If another great old train — the Lehigh Valley Railroad's Black Diamond — went that fast, it means it also could have gone from the Lehigh Valley to Broadway in 45 minutes or thereabouts."
...BUT IT DIDN'T!!!! According to it's 1958 train schedule on page #5 the "Black Diamond" trip from Allentown to Penn Station in NYC was 6:13-8:30 AM (2 hours 17 minutes). This is because depending on the time of day it made a half dozen or more stops. AND that's assuming it was on time, which it never was. :-)
Secondly IT NEVER WENT TO BROADWAY. It went to Penn Station 31st & 7th Avenue. That's 9 blocks from Times Square (which most folks consider Broadway). 'Times Square' is one block away from the bus terminal (Port Authority) where the bus comes in. The old LVRR had 3 seperate trains in the morning and two later in the day going to NYC. Each of them taking about the same 2 1/2 hours to make the trip.
Seems to me, nonstop bus service between Bethlehem/Easton into Manhattan USING A BUS ONLY LANE the entire way would not only be fairly quick but certainly less expensive to establish. Many are not aware, but NYC is creating “congestion pricing” for cars entering Manhattan from everywhere below 60th Street. The additional charge is something like $25. Doesn’t bother me, I no longer have any desire to visit NYC.
ReplyDeleteNot only the $25 but so too the damn bridge toll on top of that. Plus the bridge forces drivers into the congestion zones where they are forced to pay. Yet with all that NYC still claims they're broke!
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