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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.
I still think this isn’t the best allocation of funds yet. A light rail system using existing tracks with bus-like diesel powered single car trains makes the most sense in my mind. Our freeways are more than adequate locally and on 71 throughout the state to handle current traffic EXCEPT during rush hours when such a local light rail system would make the most sense. It’s not going to be faster or cheaper from what I’ve read so I guess what’s the point? By the time gas gets insanely expensive again, we’ll all be driving electric powered cars like the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf that are coming this year and next respectively and we’ll be left with a train that very few ride and won’t be able to support itself without government subsidies.
Kind of like the government subsidies for the freeways that will be needed when gas tax revenue declines from everyone driving electric?
And what about the initial cost of the new technology? Waiting for that to trickle down to the lower income brackets is going to be a long time coming. Wide scale car ownership was not a reality when Ford first produced the Model T. It made it more available but it didn’t render existing transit systems obsolete.
Any diminishment in gasoline tax revenues will be offset with higher plate fees in the future. People complain in Ohio plates and tags are expensive, move to California, fees for plates will blow your mind.
Between Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland the metro populations add up to almost 7 million people..will be a nice to connect these cities and have another option other than driving.
I can visit my family in NYC without driving ten hours or dealing with LaGuardia!!!
I won’t celebrate till tomorrow, then I will know whether or not we will be getting the full amount of money. Good news, 3C!!
Catnfiidle
You’re looking at 20 + hour journey then…
http://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak
You ever try JFK, and the airtran ? Very convenient
http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-airtrain.html
I hope we get all $400 million like they’re saying. If so, it looks like I could be taking the train to Cleveland and Cinci next summer or fall.
Hey buckeyechuck, it does not have to be fast to be effective. It gives people another travel choice. Those who choose to travel by train do for many more reasons than to save time.
I’m interested to see if there will be any kind of ripple effect on corporate business downtown within close proximity of the stations. Expansions? Relocations? Also, I hope the train station is somewhat inspiring.
To be viable it does need to be fast, it will be competing against the car. The East Coast and West Coast are currently the only viable routes due to clogged freeways and train service in those markets can either beat or come close to the same times as driving a personal vehicle.
The 3C will rely heavily on the business traveler and time is precious.
Tell us what you see for 2016, buckeyechuck. What about 2021?
How about you, what do see ?
Keep in mind those business travelers may want to work on business presentations, study sales data, market trends, read a newspaper etc. on their way to one of the cities. Pretty hard to do in a car on 71.
Answer the question. Either use your clairvoyance for good or stop projecting your perspective onto the rest of the population.
That’s true, some will want to do those things you mention. I’ve seen it all the time on the ACELA service on the east coast.
http://www.transportation.bombardier.com/en/1_0/1_10/1_10_4_4.jsp?menu=3_1
WIFI service will be paramount if this service wants to capture a percentage of the business travler.
http://www.wayoftherail.com/2010/01/18/canadian-pacific/amtraks-acela-going-wi-fi-dc-to-boston/
Thory, you have self appointed your self the contol czar of this board have you now. The first amendment is still in play in this country regardless of you’re liking it or not.
The TSA has made me a big fan of train travel.
How about how the 3-C Project relates to air quality, Climate Change, and Peak Oil ?
Orlando Sentinel reporting they will definitley be recieving 1.3 billion for 160mph trains linking Orlando and Tampa.
President gives the speech in Tampa Tommorrow.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-high-speed-announcement-20100127,0,4321977.story
Mega YES!
it is true. not everyone will use it. but not everyone uses I-75 or I-77. as a matter of fact i’ve never used them. what a waste! we should stop federal and state funding to I-75 and I-77 and all those other goofy roads i never drive on.