It may not be a perfect model, but I do wonder if there are ways to either bring Columbus’ light rail costs down OR create a broader starter line that has more appeal. I think one of the big things driving costs is that jog down High and the vehicles to make that work. Granted there are issues with keeping that particular line on the separate rail grade. Of course we just need to see support to move things a fraction of an inch forward to get to the studies and the real answers. Not the speculation.

In other news, I am glad to see the 3C moving forward.

The train has a seating capacity of 750 passengers, which means that the maximum ridership it can handle is around 3000 rides per day. (Or 1500 round-trip riders per day.)

So I’d say that an average of 900 rides per day on that particular system isn’t a bad average.

Still, I don’t think it’s good model either for a suburban Columbus Light Rail line, or for the 3C Corridor unless we’re really looking to do things in a very limited capacity on a very shoestring budget.

900 rides a day are taken on that line. Assuming most users purchase a round trip, only 450 people a day actually use the line. Coulda done better.

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Rail/Programs/passenger/Pages/OhioHubOverview.aspx

It is woefully inadequate and the stats are old.  Ohio just commissioned a new study from Woodside Consultants that is due by August.

It is being debated in the State Senate right now.  Currently H.B. 2 was voted out of the House of Reps. on partisan lines with passenger rail in it.  Amendments to H.B. 2 are due to Chairman Patton’s office by Monday at noon. The next committee meeting is Tuesday.

Following that model a billion would go a long way here.

As Walker explained this isn’t exactly an either/or situation but money is money and we will all end up paying this money back one way or another.

Does anyone have a link to the study on general public acceptance of the 3C project?  I’m sure they are out there.

Hell, I drive the “split” every day and it’s just not bad enough to make it worth sinking over 1.5 Billion bucks into “fixing” it. It’s not bad at all actually.

If we don’t let them know, Ohio will never get this money.

Just to clarify… the State of Ohio was granted $8.2 Billion in federal stimulus, and ODOT was granted $935M for highway project funding.

What Strickland is requesting is an additional $250M out of the $8 billion federal pot for rail projects across the country.

So from my understanding… if Ohio is not requesting any of that specific money for rail projects, it’s all going to simply go to other states’ rail projects. It’s not going to be used for anything else within our state.