| In previous interviews we've conducted with state officials, the primary feedback has focused on how the new HSR initiatives utilize existing track. The perception is that we're only getting mild speed/travel time increases due to sharing with CSX, the age of the lines and the route those lines travel.
In short; if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Will there be any effort to lay new track and implement "true" HSR? If not, can Rep. Slaughter address those concerns for our readers?
Creating a third track to run alongside the freight tracks is one of my primary goals for this project, both in the short and long term. $60 million was included in this group of grants to start building a dedicated passenger track that will eventually run along the entire Empire Corridor. Construction of this dedicated track should start as soon as the grants are approved; we've been told it can be completed within five years and I believe that's feasible.
Who the hell is going to take this train? Show me the demand. Show me the traffic figures that justify this outrageous use of taxpayer dollars. THEY DON'T EXIST.
In 2007, rail passengers made over 10 billion trips nationwide, and one third of rail trips happen in New York State. As gas prices rose last year, mass transit trips went up by between 5 and 15 percent. So there is certainly an existing ridership that would be benefited by improvements in rail.
There are also many New Yorkers who would ride the train if it got them where they want to go faster and cheaper than cars or planes. More than 80 percent of the state's residents live within 30 miles of a rail line. Given a choice, many would rather take a train than drive or fly. This development project is about giving them that choice.
Why would high speed rail help when there aren't enough jobs for the people already in their respective towns?
Helping businesses and workers connect can only help New York's economy. What's more, the construction projects themselves will provide an estimated 12,000 construction jobs to the region.
[Is rail safe?]
In 2007, heavy rail fatalities were 2 per billion miles traveled. Traveling by automobiles led to 12 fatalities per billion miles traveled, not to mention the injuries that resulted from car crashes. Rail is a safe, comfortable means of travel.
The question I would ask Rep. Slaughter is whether or not there is a plan to connect Buffalo and Toronto or Niagara Falls and Toronto in order to promote cross border business growth. Think of the economic benefit that would come from people in Buffalo commuting to Toronto each day to work and Canadian companies seeing the benefit of placing American HQ in Buffalo due to the ease of travel and commerce. Turning a 90 minute drive into a 30-45 minute train ride would certainly open up significant avenues for economic development.
Canada is building its own high speed rail network, and we certainly must connect the two to allow friends, family, and business partners to work across the border. This set of grants does not address that need, but as I continue to work to bring better rail to Upstate, connecting our network to Canada's is one of my goals. |
