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According to a Statehouse source, the 3C Corridor should be officially receiving federal stimulus dollars tomorrow in an announcement following Obama’s State of the Union speech. In October 2009, ODOT and the Ohio Rail Development Commission submitted their application for $563 million to help fund a passenger rail line that would run between Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati. More information about the 3C Corridor can be found at 3cisme.ohio.gov. More information about tomorrow’s announcement can be found in a Dispatch article here.
Update #1: Gov. Strickland’s office is planning a news conference today (Thursday) in the Statehouse Rotunda at 1pm. Anyone planning on attending?
Update #2: It’s official. The 3C Corridor is receiving $400M in federal funding.
Construction cost for the I- 71 corridor plan, as very little land wil be encroached on is about $ 350 million. Enviromental studies have already been done on I – 71, that is not an issue. The state of Ohio already owns the land.
That is complete nonsense. Where did you get that cost figure? Nevermind too that there is no longer space in the median for the trians since they added the third lane of traffic.
Right now, I can say without a doubt, the proposed schedule is problematic. I don’t understand the reasoning behind the early final departures at all, and it really seems like they’re trying to hamstring themselves into failure.
I wonder if they could meet it halfway and offer later service Friday, Saturday and Sunday to start?
I think that’s the opposite of what needs to be done. People traveling on Friday/Saturday/Sunday are probably more likely doing it for leisure and less likely to need a later train home.
I was thinking more from the sports perspective.
But yeah, I see where you are coming from. Is it the initial cost that is keeping the route departures limited?
I am frustrated with the total amount of investment from the feds. If you want high speed rail, give the states more than $8 billion. Ohio recieved something like $800 million just for road projects in the stimulus bill, and I would argue that few of those projects were big tranformative investments, like this has the potential to be.
Ironically, this firestorm of criticism for a $400 million investment for the 3c, didn’t occur when we were given nearly twice as much money to do scattered road and intersection improvements throughout the state. Somehow that wasn’t seen as “waste” but this is? Is there just something about substituting the word “rail” for “road” that incites people?
As far as ridership, who can really predict that right now? This is new service and their are too many unpredictable variables to accurately say it can be gauged (and even small changes, like scheduling, could have a profound impact on ridership).
A couple of things I do find problematic though, that schedule really needs reconfigured (and designed in a way more conducive for business travelers). I travel often for work, and this does have some real advantages (for short distance regional travel) over other modes of travel. (air is too expensive and time consuming…also frustrating for anyone who has dealt with the TSA lately and auto travel doesn’t allow for working while on the road….which given that driving roundtrip to these cities kills 4 hours of lost productivity, could be quite attractive to an employer.
Also, there should be discounted passes for some riders…like a monthly COTA pass (considering that you could foreseably commute to Dayton on a regular basis if the schedule was altered).
But yeah, I see where you are coming from. Is it the initial cost that is keeping the route departures limited?
I expect it’s because of conflicts with freight traffic.
johnwirtz: ( Is it the initial cost that is keeping the route departures limited?) “I expect it’s because of conflicts with freight traffic.”
That is my understanding as well. In fact, this investment for passenger rail in Ohio is an equal part big subsidy for the entire freight rail industry in terms of track upgrades and maintenance. This for an industry which is already favored by anti-trust exemptions.
A.
Wirtz,
Cost figures to build a mile of track, with the right of way already owned are $ 400,000 per mile. Add up the miles between Columbus and Cleveland and multiply.
Wirtz,
No room on the I- 71 parrallel plan.
Photo evidence proves otherwise.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.875176,-82.213097&spn=0.000858,0.001719&t=h&z=19
The only questions that remain to be asked, the height of the underpasses on I-71 may not allow double decked DMU trains.
You realize how old some of the photos on Google Maps are, right?
I use GM all the time to plot bike routes and the photo overlays help if I am using a trail but they aren’t perfect. I’ve encountered a number of instances where new development isn’t seen on the GM photos, additional bike paths have been put in etc.
ETA
Case in point:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=101263960219499677790.00046a98c7a37d7e93e2e&ll=39.845169,-82.821658&spn=0.013114,0.027745&t=h&z=16
That is the site of a new, blacktopped bike path in Canal Winchester. I can be there in 10 minutes and snag a photo of it, yet the imagery is old enough that you can’t even see construction taking place.
Yep and it shows three lanes on each side on I- 71. Unless odot has added a fourth lane without telling anyone, room exists.
Next objection ?
Do you have engineering data that supports your idea? Or just an outdated picture?
The photos are from 2009, it’s only been 2010 for 30 days.
What engineering data are you looking for ?
Chuck, the thing is, almost everyone can come up with an “it would be better if” argument for almost any development. The streetcar would have been better if it had serviced a much larger area. Columbus Commons would have been better if it started with more multi use buildings. Ibiza would have been better if it hadn’t been imaginary.
Based on the fact that we got what we got, other than just complaining that we need a bigger boat, what are the real options you’re suggesting?
Core what if this fails ?
Do you think discusion of rail in Ohio will ever be taken serious, ever again ?
You see what my options are, I am a transportation engineer by trade.
Who in the state of Ohio came up with this plan is beyond me.
When the state wants to build a new road, they hire outside companies to devise the best plans available. Sometimes several options are available. Usually the cheapest most cost effective method is used, not always, but usually.
Case in point, the US33 bypass being constructed around Nelsonville right now, the state of Ohio did not design, did not draw and did not come up with the plans to it. The specifications were sent to several design firms, each came up with the solutions based on the requirments submitted. Then the state chooses the best plan.
This isn’t a bigger boat, this is a boat that wont sink.
ohio has more road lanes per capita than any other state. every paved inch was built using public money. noone ever complains. Nelsonville by-pass? how much will that cost? why in the hell would i want to pay for that? but i have to don’t i. how much do you want to bet it won’t run at capacity except maybe one half hour a day. i’ll bet you can walk across the Nelsonville by-pass at 3am.
Chuck, if you’re some kick ass transportation engineer, why are you wasting your time arguing with us non-experts on a forum instead of working on this project? Seriously, we all get it – you think this is a waste and you could do better. Then go do it man, and let us be stoked about this little bit of progress.
It’s easier for chuck to sit here and tout his knowledge. That’s the way it always is. Much easier to talk about doing something than actually doing it.
So what am I supposed to do ? What is actually that I can do ?
Like I, said, what if this fails ?
Do you think rail of anykind would ever be taken seroiusly in the state of Ohio ever again ?
I certainly don’t want to see 400 million dollars gambled away on a small probability that it may work. I’d rather invest the 400 million on a plan or idea that has a much better chance of being succesful.
For whatever reason, the state of Ohio chose to do what they did in planning this route in the manner that they did. All the engineering talent in the state appears not to have been used or tapped for some unknown reason.