The Cleveland Hub Initiative

When I started posting here as Gildone, I didn't realize that no one here was using pseudonyms (or at least not obvious ones).  I participate in the forums at Urban Ohio.com where everyone uses pseudonyms.  Ok, moving along...

Theresa:  ORDC did its homework on the cost effectiveness of the Ohio Hub before they began building support for the plan.  The pending economic impact analysis is the last piece of the puzzle in that regard.   I should add that passenger rail isn't the only beneficiary of the project.  Freight rail will benefit as well.  A lot of freight originates from and moves through Ohio and some lines are running into capacity issues.  The project will provide additional freight capacity as well which will also result in a lot of economic benefits.  

I'm excited, but my excitement is tempered after 11 years of involvement in the grassroots advocacy for intercity passenger rail.  Longtime rail advocates (many far longer than me) have endured one letdown after another, constant blathering of half-truths and distortions about passenger trains from the anti-rail crowd, clueless politicians, an even more clueless media, and hopelessly myopic transportation officials.  For too long, being a rail advocate has been like being a Brown's fan has been for the past 15 years:  Lots of hope, but hopes dashed season after season.  

That said, things really are coming together this time.  For the first time in Ohio, we have an openly pro-intercity passenger rail governor.  There is a groundswell of grassroots support for expanding and modernizing our passenger rail system, a bi-partisan effort to reform Amtrak and correct the key omissions in the nation's transportation policy that have held passenger rail development back came together last year with SB 1516, (now SB 284, as Carol indicated).  

Although I should add that the people at large have been ahead of our politicians for years on the issue of passenger rail.  Multiple state and national polls that have been done in the last several years that show 70-80% of Americans want a modern, expanded, efficient passenger rail system-- that's a super-majority.  Public officials are finally catching up to what the American people have known for years.  It is very unfortunate that it took 9/11 and the near tripling of gas prices to make the light bulbs go on, so to speak.  

Anyway, the governor has appointed some pro-passenger rail people to key positions already, but the real key is going to be who he appoints to head ODOT.  It is imperative that the next ODOT director understand that  the "T" in ODOT stands for "Transportation" and transportation means more than highways.  

The stars do seem to be aligning this time, so PLEASE don't let my lingering bit of cynicism dampen anyone's enthusiasm.  I'm extremely happy to see all the support that is building throughout the state and around the country.  It's that support that's going to make it finally happen.  

The Ohio Hub isn't European-style high speed rail (like France's TGV, for example) that's going to require property acquisition for brand-new rights-of-way.  It's 90-110 mph trains using existing rights-of-way which is a lot cheaper than TGV.

Eventually, the US is going to have to start building TGV-style high speed rail, but the way to get there is incrementally by first using conventional infrastructure.  Europe didn't go from near zero to TGV in one step.  They upgraded existing lines for higher speeds, then built the TGV stuff a segment at a time-- and Europe is still building it.  

Ohio tried to go from zero to TGV back in 1981 or 82 and it didn't work.  It was too big of a step for people considering the costs involved.  There is still some truth to this today even though a super-majority of Americans want trains. 

In the 25 years following WWII, we let the extensive private passenger rail system we once had die, so we have a lot farther to go than Europe did, because they never let their rail systems die.  Now, outside of the Northeast Corridor, California, Pacific Northwest, and a few routes in the Chicago area, there is little rail service in the US to speak of.  So, we need to build the constituency back up and get people riding trains again.  Once trains become a regular part of people's lives again, then you can sell the cost of TGV.  

On a side-note: the TGV-type lines in Europe are two tracks, not four. In areas where there are four tracks, it's probably because two of the four tracks are used by slower regional and local trains. I've been to Italy a couple of times.  In some areas, like between Rome and Florence, they had two separate two-track rights-of-way that weaved over and under each other.  Two tracks were for the fast Eurostar/Pendolino trains that made limited stops and the other two were for the slower trains that made more frequent stops (some at every single town)

Oh, and 11 years is nothing.  I know of many people who have been involved for 30-35+ years.

Carole said: I am doing my best not to get super excited about this but it's hard not to!

Carol:  You represent an industry that our elected officials need to hear excitement from when it comes to the Ohio Hub.  So put that excitement to work by telling your trade association and elected officials why you're excited and why this is good for the real estate industry.  From what I gathered, you've begun this already.  Thanks!

oops.  made a mistake. I thought Gabriel said that to do high speed rail correctly requires four track infrastructure.  That's why I made the comments about how many tracks the TGV's run on.  

He actually said, "to do a high-speed rail correctly requires something for a track infrastructure that is WAY different from what Amtrak has"  

Sorry for the mis-read and resulting digression...

Here's another interesting site where you can see all of the currently proposed rail corridors in the country: 

States for Passenger Rail Coalition 

It is interesting to note that most of the proposed corridors overlap existing Amtrak routes (not all-- the 3-C being one example).