There is a wonderful article in the Washington Post today that coincides with comments I heard from people yesterday. I spent a few hours at Earthfest Day at the Zoo, working the booth with my All Aboard Ohio friends yesterday. There were a few people who had reservations about whether or not The Ohio Hub could ever come to fruition or worried that Amtrak would be put in charge of The Hub (not the case). But the over all reaction from the many, many people who came to the booth was in favor of high speed passenger rail. They were also hopeful that light rail and other methods of public transportation would start getting more attention in our State.
Necessity is the mother of invention right? That explains the railroad industry’s recent turn around….yes turn around, regarding freight rail. Frank Ahrens of the Wash Post writes an in-depth article about the industry called A Switch On The Tracks. Here are some of the highlights:
1. The railroad industry is having to lay new/more track for the first time in 80 years.
2. The industry laid off 4700 workers in 2002 but just hired 5000 people
3. Freight hauling is booming because of world wide trade
4. 18 wheeler freight hauling is not handling capacity and is struggling due to the cost of fuel.
“….A train can haul a ton of freight 423 miles on one gallon of diesel fuel, about a 3-to-1 fuel efficiency advantage over 18-wheelers, and the railroad industry is increasingly touting itself as an eco-friendly alternative. Trucking firms also use the rail lines; UPS is the railroad industry’s biggest customer….”
As an aside but also important to remember, Amtrak ridership is up and has been increasing for five years straight. Mayor Jackson said in his ’state of the State’ talk that we won the bid for the German solar panel company (IBC Solar AG) because they saw us as one of the top port hubs in the Country. Can’t we do a better job at keeping that title if we improve our rail lines?
And if you are still undecided, look at this fact: there are seven companies controlling the freight hauling industry in the U.S. Guess who is looking to invest in them? Warren Buffet. There is also an accompanying video to the Post story here.
Don’t forget, your input is requested by ODOT. What kind of public transportation would benefit you and your family? It really does sound like ODOT wants to prioritize in ways that make sense and stand to reap the best ROI. You can (and hopefully will!) get your comments to them by going to ODOT’s 21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force website here. Peace Out - 3C
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