01 October 2008

Funding for the 3C rail corridor

This Week News : Agency awarded passenger rail grant

Retrieved 01 October 2008 at 1605 from:
http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/marysville/stories/2008/09/26/Rail.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=104

This is great news!  The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC - See link under my "links I like") was awarded $62,500 from the Federal Rail Administration to study the feasibility of reviving passenger rail to more portions of Ohio.  According to the article the Cleveland - Columbus - Cincinnati would service nearly 60% of the State's population - many of whom have not had passenger rail service since 1971. 

I for one, applaud the efforts of Gov. Strickland and the ORDC to bring passenger rail back to Ohio.  I have traveled by rail, and depending on the destination, prefer it.  Some locations I went to include Toronto, Ontario, NYC, and Philadelphia, however - to go to NYC & Philly I had to drive to Pittsburg to catch a train and to go to Canada I drove up to Niagara Falls, NY...  Having to drive hours just to get to a train and leaving your vehicle in some scarry looking lot in a city far from home is not the way to attract passengers.  This step to bringing rail closer to more citizens is a much more effective way of increasing ridership!

Hopefully this study will bear out evidence that people will utilize rail options if they are made available to us.

No comments: