Re: (erielack) Scranton, was: Railroads "That Should Never..." A&GW

[Charles_Walsh_@_Berlex.com]

You're correct in saying that other factors besides speed are important,
although in Japan 150 mph speeds only further tips the balance towards
trains.  And , yes, it is a cultural thing, but also the Japanese by
necessity need rail transport; it's just too crowded there.  We in the US,
on the other hand, can for the most part do without it since in many parts
of the US the population density isn't there and the travelling patterns
are far too diverse to support rail.  That could change, but it will take
time.


                                                                           
             "Gary R. Kazin"                                               
             <gkazin_@_yahoo.com                                             
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                                                                   Subject 
             08/17/2006 11:04          (erielack) Scranton, was: Railroads 
             AM                        "That Should Never..." A&GW         
                                                                           
                                                                           
             Please respond to                                             
              "Gary R. Kazin"                                              
             <gkazin_@_yahoo.com                                             
                     >                                                     
                                                                           
                                                                           




- --- jwmutter_@_comcast.net wrote:
> That works out to $0.54 per mile.  Allowing $0.20/mile for
> depreciation/maintenance/insurance/etc, they are asking $0.34/mile.
>  Assuming a car gets 20 mpg and gas is $3.00/gallon, it costs about
> $0.15 in gas to drive a mile. These numbers may not be exact, but I
> think you get my point -- it's much more expensive to ride the bus
> or train.

Fully allocated (including depreciation, maintenance and insurance)
most cars in the US cost at least 40 cents a mile to run.  If you
drive the 135 miles between Scranton and NYC daily, you certainly
have to include those factors: your car doesn't last as many years.

> Taking the bus or train typically doesn't save time over driving
> (how often does their schedule exactly match your own?), plus you
> have the local transportation issue when you arrive at your
> destrination, so in order for pople to switch to the bus or train
> there must be another tangible benefit to not driving.

When did you last try to park in Manhattan on a weekday?  THAT is the
tangible benefit - not having to park.  Last month, I was driving
through midtown on a weekday (yes, I'm crazy).  I had to exchange a
book at a bookstore near Rockefeller Center.  It would have taken
about 10 minutes, but there's no street parking anywhere in Midtown
from roughly 14th to 60th Street.  It would have cost me more to park
in a garage than the book was worth!  I simply couldn't do the
errand.  I should have parked in Queens on the way in and taken the
subway.  It might even have taken less time!

> If Amtrak and the bus companies want to attract more of the
> car-driving public, they need to lower their prices to complete
with
> automobiles.

The parking situation in Mahhattan is bad even on weekends.  On the
few times I drive then, I pay about $20 to park at Tenth or Eleventh
Avenue.  Then I take a crosstown bus to reach the subways.

> The problem becomes even more pronounced when there is more than
> one person travelling.  I'd love to take the Metroliner from
> Baltimore to NY to visit my parents, but tickets for a family of
> four would cost about $300.  Gas and tolls is less than half that.

A full car is a different story.  Three people in a car IS mass
transportation, just not PUBLIC transportation.  Usually when I drive
to NYC on a weekend, there are three or four people in the car.  That
even justifies paying for a garage, if I can find one near my
destination.


There is a huge contrast in cultures elsewhere.  I'm in Japan right
now.  Today my wife, son and I rode 880 miles on four trains from
Hakodate (up on the north island of Hokkaido) through Tokyo to Kyoto
using our JR passes.  It took less than 12 hours, including a two
hour break in Tokyo.  One leg averaged 150 mph, with a top speed that
had to be over 180.  This week is one of the busiest travel periods
in Japan, loosely translated as Homecoming Week - Japanese living in
other countries come back to visit.  Every train we rode today was
over 90% full.  We had to take a 3am train from Hakodate to reach the
Shinkansen (Bullet Train) line in time for the first train of the
day.  Later trains (hourly or better) were sold out, with only
standing room tickets available (three hours to Tokyo) except the
last train of the day, which does not have a connection on to Kyoto.
The typical Bullet train consist is 16 cars, each seating over 100
people.  Nearly everyone takes the train - we saw other Americans,
Brits, Germans, as well as Japanese families, businessmen, teenagers.
 I did see a few expressways, nearly all with slow heavy traffic.

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

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