New Amtrak Routes (Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati: subsidized, live, cost)

[skeddy]

4 or 5 years is a long time away. A whole new set of politicians will make the final call on this.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Karl Lagos

Where are you getting 3 hour trip and $60 roundtrip fares from? It's a pretty big leap to assume that this will mirror the ridership connecting 2 of the biggest tourist destinations in N. America, Orlando and Miami.

That's the cost of similar distance trips on Amtrak in Illinois between Chicago and Springfield for instance.

[Karl Lagos]

Cincy to Chicago is about roundtrip $100-120 coach, 9 hours each way.

[PerryMason614]

Originally Posted by Karl Lagos

Cincy to Chicago is about roundtrip $100-120 coach, 9 hours each way.

Versus about 4 and 1/2 hours driving, not to mention that I believe you have to get on the train in the middle of the night.

I doubt too many people are going to sign up for a 9 hour choo choo ride through the middle of Indiana.

Unless there is a short-term plan to make this true high-speed maglev rail, this is a waste of time if you can't keep travel time reasonable.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by PerryMason614

Versus about 4 and 1/2 hours driving, not to mention that I believe you have to get on the train in the middle of the night.

I doubt too many people are going to sign up for a 9 hour choo choo ride through the middle of Indiana.

Unless there is a short-term plan to make this true high-speed maglev rail, this is a waste of time if you can't keep travel time reasonable.

True dat.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by skeddy

4 or 5 years is a long time away. A whole new set of politicians will make the final call on this.

Lord, I hope so. TERM LIMITS! Wait a minute, wrong forum...

[46H]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

The overall usage point isn't for travelers coming into Ohio from other states and as already demonstrated on the highly successful Northeast Corridor, focused on intra-state/intra-regional travel.

You cannot compare population/business density of the NE Corridor with Ohio.
Population Density:
Boston-14k/sq mi, NYC 29k/sq mi (Manhattan 73k/sq mi), Phil 12k/sq mi, Balt 7.2k/sq mi, DC 11.3/sq mi
vs
Cinc 4k/sq mi, Toledo 3.4/sq mi, Col 4.1k/sq mi, Clev 4.9k/sq mi
Also, many of the NEC cities can easily support car free living with a load of mass transit at both ends of your rail trip, unlike the Ohio cities.

You cannot compare the distances, either:
Boston to Wash DC via car is 438 miles through some of the worst, most dense traffic in the USA with expensive tolls and absurd parking costs at your destination.
Cleve to Cinci is 248 miles through a lot of empty farmland.

There is a lot of motivation to avoid driving in the NEC contributing to high rail demand.

Originally Posted by kyle19125

The resident of Cincinnati traveling to Cleveland or Columbus, and any combination within as well in Detroit-Toledo-Cleveland will be the intended beneficiaries or those not allergic to public transit.

It has zero to do with being allergic to public transit. It has everything to do with cost and convenience. You will need to get to the train station via car (free downtown secure parking?) or car service. When you take a train, everybody needs a ticket. If you take a train to one of the Ohio cities and end up downtown, there are high odds you will need a car (or Uber) to get to your final destination adding more cost to your trip. All the different travel legs and waiting add even more time to your trip. Then you need to repeat the process on return.

With a car every passenger after the driver is essentially free. Downtown Cleveland to downtown Columbus is 143 miles (google). If the car gets 20 miles per gallon and gas is $3/gal, the trip costs 31.50 one way plus wear and tear. There will never be a one way rail ticket of $31.50. The car costs are substantially cheaper, the car flexibility is unmatched, and there is no need for extra travel legs during the trip.

Originally Posted by kyle19125

About a 1/3 of all Americans live in an urban environment so the premise that everyone is inconvenienced by a centralized train station is a bit of a suburban myth, not to mention in a study 98% of all Americans support public transit and would use it over driving.

While 1/3 of Americans might live in an 'urban 'environment, how you define 'urban' matters. The Ohio cities do not have enough density to support rail service. Even if the Ohio cities ever got rail, the schedules would be thin due to lack of demand and that would contribute to its eventual service cancellation. There are no defined reasons show that there is any need for rail between these Ohio cities. The distances, costs, and time flexibility are never going to get people out of their cars.

[Karl Lagos]

Originally Posted by PerryMason614

Versus about 4 and 1/2 hours driving, not to mention that I believe you have to get on the train in the middle of the night.

I doubt too many people are going to sign up for a 9 hour choo choo ride through the middle of Indiana.

Unless there is a short-term plan to make this true high-speed maglev rail, this is a waste of time if you can't keep travel time reasonable.

In the past it usually took 5 hours plus, then I started using the megabus. Honestly after a number stays in the Gold Coast, going to Reds Cubs games, eating drinking having fun.....I can do all of that in Downtown Cincy and OTR. MLB should match up the Reds Cubs for every Memorial, 4th and Labor Day weekends. Cubs fans travel well to Cincy.

[PerryMason614]

Originally Posted by Karl Lagos

In the past it usually took 5 hours plus, then I started using the megabus. Honestly after a number stays in the Gold Coast, going to Reds Cubs games, eating drinking having fun.....I can do all of that in Downtown Cincy and OTR. MLB should match up the Reds Cubs for every Memorial, 4th and Labor Day weekends. Cubs fans travel well to Cincy.

I once took a Megabus from Columbus to Chicago, to connect to another Megabus going to Omaha. (I was picking up a car from a family member.) I didn't mind the leg between Columbus and Chicago, but Omaha made it a long trip. I forgot how long it took.

The next time I had to take a one-way trip, I flew.

[kpl1228]

Hope it happens, with revised train schedules. Also, hope legit train stations are used for it, not just a platform and shack. Not likely with Cleveland, though. Way too much construction would need to happen to bring trains back to Terminal Tower.
Like many have said, I've seen this movie before and I'll believe it when I see it.