[Date Prev][Date Next]
[Chronological]
[Thread]
[Top]
Re: (erielack) Scranton Light Rail
I got the clipping including the map u refer to. I reflected on the fact that many of the routes existed when I was a kid & up to the time I went into the USAF (1955). In fact, until 1950-51 or so, there was passenger trains opn the DL&Ws 'Bloom' line. Many times I rode my bike down tho the DL&W station & watched the mail & baggage unloaded at the station iinto the 1 & 1/2 truck of the contractor who took the mail over to the Pittston postoffice. There was a trolleybus route from W/B to Pittston up Wyoming Ave. on the West side & looping thru Pittston over the Fort Jenkins bridge & back over the Water St bridge & back to Wbre. Complementing this was a bus route up the east side of the river Pittston-Wbre. Of course we still had the Lehigh Valley trains from Pittston to NYC thru W/Bre as well as the Laurel Line (until 1953). In West Pittston, we had the Castle bus route of the Wilkes-Barre Transit Co. which ran from downtown Pittston to the
west side of the Coxton bridge (known as the Forest Castle since there was a blockhouse there in the early 1800s to protect from ye Indians & British raiders as happened in the American Revolution). This shuttle mainly served LVRR employees who took the bus & then had a switch engine run across the bridge to take them to Coxton Yard. I watched the little EMDs run back & forth to dropoff & pickup LVRR men.
For all u haters of mass transit, consider that this short bus run was used by men who HAD cars but preferred taking the bus & then the yardengine back & forth to & from work. BTW, the Coxton bridge HAD a walkway & handrail unlike the DL&W bridge in West Pittston. It was only a couple miles from West Pittston to the Coxton Bridge & as a kid, I WALKED it many times............13c could be used for a double feature at the ROMAN theater in Pittston on Saturday.
Point is- if there's convenient service, folks will utilize it. How can all u train-haters talk about govt. money being wasted on AMTRAK??? Ur brains have been well & truly washed by the hiway-trucking lobby that takes a helluva lot more tax money than the RRs do. Only problem I have with RR subsidies is - making the RRs be responsible for proper use of the money. Forinstance....not taking the money & then sticking Psgr trains behind coal trains/ freighttrains, etc. It makes me sick to hear them rattle on about the 'wickedness' of taxpayer subsidies. Airlines are subsidized, hiways are subsidized, ports are subsidized. DEAL WITH IT!!!!!
Regards to all
Walt Smith
________________________________
From: "Njricky2_@_aol.com" <Njricky2@aol.com>
To: erielack_@_lists.railfan.net
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 11:57:53 PM
Subject: (erielack) Scranton Light Rail
The following appeared in today's Scranton Times-Tribune. Last week, an
article was published with a map that showed a combination of light rail and
commuter bus service routes that can be established from Carbondale to
Scranton, from Scranton to WB, from WB south and from suburbs east and west of both.
With renewed energy in seeing intercity passenger service from NYC to
Scranton become a reality, to see interest in a mass transit system that
encompasses the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area is good news. Yes, it's a vision, but the
vision is there and it's being discussed. Before we say, "Ain't ever gonna
happen", let's look at now and the future.
Part of the famed Laurel Line is in operation from downtown Scranton to PNC
Field, home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. S/WB are lucky in that
there are many rights of way in existence and with proper planning, the cost
of construction can be reduced. It's all in the planning.
There is one other thing that hasn't been mentioned. When intercity service
is restored, a light rail/commuter bus system would be a convenient way for
people to commute into Scranton and then board NJT or Amtrak to their
destinations.
Every region has a hub and when we look at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in
particular, we see that Scranton is the natural transit hub.
Adding a lane or two to I81 will only support demand for so long. The
combination of light rail/commuter bus with a connection to intercity rail
service will prove to be the better bet.
Rick
Experts: Light rail is costly, but worthwhile choice
By Charles Schillinger (Staff Writer)
Published: June 18, 2009
_e-mail this_
(http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/experts_light_rail_is_costly_but_worthwhile_choice#) _ share this_
(http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/experts_light_rail_is_costly_but_worthwhile_choice#)
Building a light rail system costs about $46.2 million a mile on average,
slightly more than the rough estimates local officials have thrown around for
adding a lane to the valley's Interstate 81 corridor.
But light rail experts say the benefits of a passenger rail system are
worth the price tag and more cost-efficient than adding lanes to highways.
At a meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. today at the University of Scranton's
Brennan Hall, planning officials will seek public input on the preliminary
draft of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties' 20-year Bi-County Comprehensive Plan
that calls for revival of a passenger train service between Scranton and
Wilkes-Barre to curb congestion on the region's roads.
Looking at 400 miles of light rail lines built over the past 30 years,
light rail expert David Dobbs, publisher of Light Rail Now, said the cost per
mile in today's dollars comes to about $46.2 million. But he said cost varies
greatly depending on location.
Charlotte, N.C., for example, added 9.6 miles of light rail at a cost of
$437.9 million in 2009 dollars, or $45.6 million per mile. But the 2007
project included buying rights-of-way - something Lackawanna and Luzerne counties
already have - buying vehicles, building bridges and even running the rail
line through the city's convention center.
In comparison, Allegheny County renovated an unused but existing 5.2-mile
rail line at a cost of $130.7 million in 2009 dollars, or $25.1 million per
mile.
Based on those examples, total upfront costs to establish 18 miles of light
rail between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre might range between $452 million and
$821 million - an extraordinary cost, but less than the $1 billion
estimates to expand I-81 between Nanticoke and Clarks Summit.
It is possible another lane is needed along I-81, said Teri Ooms, executive
director of the Wilkes-Barre-based Institute for Public Policy and Economic
Development. But, at some point, the region needs a fresh alternative like
the light rail concept.
"Every time there is a problem we can't build a lane (on I-81). Otherwise
we're just going to end up like California, with 5- to 6-lane freeways and
multiple freeways," she said.
An obstacle to getting such a major undertaking as light rail under way is
convincing people it will work, said Dr. John Spychalski, professor emeritus
of supply chain management at Penn State.
"There's no way to test to see if it will work. That's a difficult issue,"
he said.
Mr. Dobbs said smaller cities can tackle light rail as long as there is a
high population density along a rail corridor, he said.
County planners say the valley surrounding Scranton and Wilkes-Barre has
made that possible. And a rail line that makes stops in downtown Scranton, PNC
Field, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Wachovia Arena and downtown
Wilkes-Barre has potential, officials say.
The largest challenge remains funding. PennDOT's funding stream isn't
exactly healthy, especially with federal officials striking down efforts to toll
Interstate 80. Press Secretary Rich Kirkpatrick said they barely can fund
basic needs, let alone new ventures.
"It's always good to be exploring options like this, but we have to
remember what a critical funding situation we're in right now, without talking
about doing anything new at all," he said.
Contact the writer: cschillinger_@_timesshamrock.com
**************Dell Days of Deals! June 15-24 - A New Deal Everyday!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222677718x1201465083/aol?redir=http:%2F%2F
ad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B215692163%3B38015526%3Be)
The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
http://EL-List.railfan.net/
To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html
The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
http://EL-List.railfan.net/
To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html
------------------------------