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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.
Also love that Megabus is a crap shoot if you require a wheel chair:
“However, if you normally use a wheelchair and you need to remain in it for your trip on megabus, please do NOT purchase your ticket on megabus.com, but call 877-GO2-MEGA and explain to the customer service agent the date, time and destination of your travel plans. Please have your credit card handy. The agent will check that there is space on the trip you want. If there is room on the trip, then a bus with a wheelchair lift or ramp will be allocated to that trip. If the trip you want is full, the agent will suggest another departure. Please also tell the agent if a personal care attendant (PCA) will be accompanying you and a reservation will also be made for them.”
Compared to Amtrak:
“If you use a common wheelchair, including a battery-operated chair, you may remain in your wheelchair en route. When wheelchair lockdowns are not available, we request that you apply your wheelchair brakes.
Many First Class and Business Class cars also have accessible seating. If you choose to transfer to an accessible seat, you may stow your wheelchair nearby.”
All your pontificating is meaningless if there is little support for 3c once it is up and running. With no cost/speed or convenience benefit, ridership is going to be difficult to come by and I would bet that you will not be able to sustain the system out to the 10 to 20 years you mention it will take to turn this network into anything approaching high speed. As it is, I can take a Greyhound from Cincinnati to Cleveland for the same price as 3c is proposing, (but will most likely be higher once in service), and still cut at least an hour off the time it would take me on 3c, so why do I need another form of mass transit that is slower and will be more costly than the one I already have? By the way, the Chevy Volt available later this year will do about 40 miles on a charge that will cost less than a dollar. Since most of us don’t go farther than that on a typical day, this is an effective mpg of 100mpg. Now at $40k you would still have to drive it 8 years to recoup the extra cost over a typical $30k sedan, but this is the first mass produced plug in hybrid, 10 years from now the cost will drop dramatically as advances in battery technology and mass production techniques bring down the cost. We have already seen hybrids that once hovered well above $30k drop ten grand in price.
Than I’m just like you.
Cota # 2, and # 1 route are buying articulated busses, if you’re up at 3 am, you can spot them being tested on the streets right now in Columbus. They seat 60 % more people than the standard busses.
As far as demand, the free enterprise system seems to work quite well, as demand is needed additional capacity will be added.
Tesla has two additional models coming out both with a range of over 350 plus miles. One is the size of the Honda Civic that will seat 4 and be priced at around 30K, and a smaller vehicle vehicle slightly larger than the SMART car that will be around 22K. They should roll out in 2013 and 2015.
This on top of what the other manufactuers are doing.
Lifeontwowheels “I’m glad you have the answers for everyone and have the vast, enlightened knowledge to determine what is best for everyone.”
Therein lies the issue, 3c is not best for almost anyone. I do agree that it would be a fantastic option for senior citizens, the handicapped, dui offenders and others with suspended drivers licenses. However, that won’t be enough to make 3c economically viable as these people wouldn’t make a very large percentage of the travelers along the proposed 3c+d route.
And for someone who is more apt to buy a $4-5,000 used car? Or a senior citizen with vision or mobility issues who is medically disqualified from driving? You are offering solutions that won’t serve the population as a whole.
Not every single person can be satisfied, America is not UTOPIA.
If you want to buy and drive a gas guzzling Excursion that’s your right and option.
If you want to sell Ohioans on high speed rail, it had better be high speed rail or the public will not use it to the extent you think they will.
Where is your proof on ridership?
COTA, with all of it’s ups and downs, saw ridership gains.
The same place yours is, you’re using faith and hope.
I’m using logic and reasoning.
One of will be right, the other will be wrong.
Walker,
When you talk with ORDC can you see what kind of work they will be doing with colleges in each of the 4 cities? Huge potential for ridership with college students.
COTA is an urban metro bus system and has a definite cost benefit, especially for the large college population, many of whom do not own a car. For the cost of one round trip ticket from Columbus to Cleveland, you can by an unlimited monthly pass on COTA making it much more cost effective than a car as long as the routes get you where you need to go, and when you need to go. 3c+d does not enjoy this or any cost/speed or convenience beneft and therefore is not comparable to COTA. Successful rail networks have to provide a reason for one to buy a ticket, 3c+d does not unless you are handicapped, elderly, are prone to DUI convictions or have a suspended license.
lifeontwotrainingwheels says “Where is your proof on ridership?” and again I ask, other than the aforementioned handicapped, elderly, or those with DUI convictions, who in their right mind would pay twice as much to take at least twice as long to get to someplace where they will still need to find a way to get to their actual destination. I’ve driven back and forth between Cincy and Cleveland and it sure isn’t the scenery. There are those in the beginning who sill think it is pretty cool, and those like me who would probably take their kids Once. I believe that peak ridership will be in the first month or so and then drop dramatically.
College kids? Business Professionals? Sports Fans? I’ll agree with what Andrew Hall said earlier that the times would have to be studied and adjusted to better serve other populations.
Also the cost and time thing is a wash.
As I said earlier, tank of gas on my car costs around $30-40 anymore. Gets me around 340-350 miles.
Projected cost to Cleveland on 3C is $20-25 one way. Not even close to twice as much. At most $10 over. Don’t forget to factor in cost of insurance and maintenance to per mile cost beyond gas.
Time wise is projected at 2:18 driving. Doesn’t account for an accident, traffic or weather. 3:13 on the train. Factor in even a 15 minute delay to stop and piss at a gas station on the way down and it’s only a 40 minute split. On the train I can sleep, stretch, walk, read, hop on my laptop.
When I get off I can easily hop COTA or the Cleveland transit service, including their rail system and BRT line depending on my destination. More than likely I will have my bike, giving me greater access to the city.
“3c+d does not unless you are handicapped, elderly, are prone to DUI convictions or have a suspended license.”
Second time I’ve heard this silly phrase. I Just wonder, where you are getting your script?
3:13 on the train becomes at least 4 hours, and probably much more for most, when you add your time to the station, waiting for the train and the time at the other end to get to your destination. Most of us also need to be at our destination at a specific time and with a train that will only run 3 or 4 times a day I may have to add additional hours onto my trip time. For example, if I need to be in Cleveland at 2:00 pm and the train gets there at noon, I have another wasted 2 hours. In this case my 2.2 hour car drive becomes a 6 hour train trip. With only 3 or 4 trains scheduled, this will be the rule more than the exception. Even worse when you think of it as a 5 hour round trip by car and most likely a 10 hour or more on 3c+d. As to gas, the typical car today gets 20+ mpg on the highway, and most get much more. My Accord would take me about 5 gallons of gas at today’s $2.50/gallon my trip cost would be 12.50 factoring in my overall cost of ownership of around $1.00 per hour and I might have an actual cost of $15.00. And of course if their are multiple riders in my car, the cost stays the same where the cost on the train rises incrementally. I am also sure that the cost of food on the train will be ridiculously high compared to a quick stop at McDonalds.
Davidf says”
“3c+d does not unless you are handicapped, elderly, are prone to DUI convictions or have a suspended license.â€Â
Second time I’ve heard this silly phrase. I Just wonder, where you are getting your script?
I made it up myself thank you, and it’s not silly, common sense, reason and logic would tell you that it is quite accurate.
I’d ride a train for 4 hours to Cleveland in a relaxed setting, WAY before I’d drive it. So you have your anecdotal evidence, I have mine…and they hold equal value.
jlmms, good for you. Some people will ride, some won’t. Some will drive, some won’t. What’s wrong with a balanced transportation system that gives us options and allows the state to grow responsible instead of paving under every cornfield when population ticks up 2%.
BTW, AAA calculated cost per mile w/ fuel at .52/mile. Your 12.50 is really $148 and change.
http://www.aaanewsroom.net/main/Default.asp?CategoryID=4&ArticleID=529
If you actually have logic and reason on your side, you don’t have to tell people that.
A.
@ Andrew Hall +1 It’s funny how some people have to repeat the words common sense and logic over and over again. Of course common sense and logic are frequently the converse of each other and frequently conflated with each other. Which of course is neither an example of reason or logic.
I don’t fit any of the categories (picked for their pejorative effect I’m sure), mentioned by jlmms and I will definitely be a rider on this train.
As to food, on Amtrak cars with food service it’s all between $2-7 according to the menus online. Plus they serve beer, wine and liquor at prices comparable to most of our bars, $4-6.
ETA
And policy is to allow personal food. So no added expense for food if you bring your own snacks.