Fri Feb 10 2012
Ohio's top transportation official says a plan to restore passenger train service in the state is a historic opportunity to create jobs.
Transportation Director Jolene Molitoris says rail projects in other states have spurred construction and sparked the development of condominiums, restaurants and other businesses around train stations.
Ohio is planning to use $400 million in federal stimulus money for a start-up service connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati with trains reaching a top speed of 79 mph.
We think the restoration of train travel is a good step, but we question whether 79 mph -- the top speed projected -- will attract passengers, who regularly achieve those speeds, albeit illegally, on I-71, the link between Cleveland and Columbus and Cincinnati as well as on I-70 and I-75, the highways connecting Dayton to the plan.
The Europeans, the Japanese and the Chinese already have or are building rail systems that achieve much higher speeds and connect cities not that much farther apart than those of Ohio. Why can't that be achieved here?
We are also bothered by the projection showing Ohio would have to keep the service afloat with an estimated $17 million annual operating subsidy, although at least in Europe, many of the rail systems do receive a subsidy.
We'd prefer a more ambitious plan: faster rail service with good spurs tying Akron, Dayton and Toledo into the system. Maybe the way to start is with a simple and faster route between Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati to get the three biggest cities tied together with follow-up linkages when the system is up and running.
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Posted by AMT March 15, 2010
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Unsustainable folly.
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