Virginia Moving Forward with Rail - Will Virginia Beach?

Despite a Congress that's more interested in pandering to the austerity crowd than actually solving America's problems, Virginia is moving to create jobs & boost our economy with several new rail projects:

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation is forging ahead on several state rail improvement and expansion projects using mostly state funding, concerned that even promised federal funds won’t materialize in time.

[Department of Rail and Public Transportation Director Thelma] Drake said that her department was hard at work on an Amtrak extension that would connect Richmond to Norfolk (some 111 miles apart, see diagram at top). The project’s cost recently swelled by about $13 million to a total $114.6 million, due to added safety and infrastructure costs, all paid for in state transportation funding. The state believes the service, which will cost $33 for a one-way ticket between Norfolk and Washington, will pay for itself.

Depending on your mileage, it costs about $30 just for gas to drive from Norfolk to DC, so $33 for a one-way ticket would be a huge bargain. (And yes, note the time for posterity - I just said something nice about Bob McDonnell & Thelma Drake. Given how much the McDonnell administration is bungling Metro's Silver Line, don't get used to it.)

Meanwhile, the Virginian-Pilot editorializes in favor of a fresh look at light rail in Virginia Beach:

People in Virginia Beach have been talking about light rail since the 1970s. In 1999, the last time they were asked whether to bring it to the city, about 42,000 voters said no. But that didn't stop the discussions, arguments, affirmations - or the second-guessing - for a dozen years.

In November, the issue is back on the ballot. The City Council wants to take the pulse of the citizens, hundreds of thousands of them this time, on whether to pursue an extension of Norfolk's light-rail line, The Tide, to the Beach. [...]

If voters approve of extending The Tide, it'll be years before trains are rolling to Town Center. If they reject light rail, city leaders must come up with other solutions to traffic problems that are only getting worse.

Virginia Beach failed to research light rail thoroughly before its voters rejected the idea 13 years ago. The city has a chance to do it right this time.

Done right, light rail can spur development, save commuters money, reduce the need for expensive parking, cut traffic and slash air pollution. What's not to like?

Why Do We Subsidize Roads But Expect Profits From Amtrak?

Federal, state & local governments spent nearly $193 billion on highways in 2008, recouping only about $30 billion of that in toll revenue. That means highways lost $160 billion, money we spent with no expectation of ever getting it back.

Yet when Congress spends a little over $1 billion on Amtrak, why do Republicans expect it to turn a profit?

If Amtrak is expected to turn a profit, shouldn't highways be expected to do so as well? Why should Amtrak be asked to compete on an uneven playing field? It's like asking Starbucks to turn a profit if Dunkin Donuts is handing out free coffee next door.

Amtrak Northeast Corridor > Flying

Flying in post-9/11 America is a unique combination of boring, stressful, and submission to authority. Taking the Amtrak from Providence to DC hasn't just been relaxing, it's been interesting. Today I've seen:

• A fire at an industrial plant in (or just outside) New York City, with smoke pouring from the building & fire trucks out front
• A play at the plate in a softball game (safe), which took place 300 yards from the fire
• Four osprey fishing, likely while on their way south for the winter
• Half a dozen people fishing, which relaxes me just watching them

Yes, it takes longer. But I've gotten a ton of work done & had a pretty good time doing it. The only downside: Amtrak's cafe car remains unfriendly to my reusable mug, but then again airline flight attendants aren't any friendlier.

Quick Train Tip for Wildlife Watchers

After a weekend in Massachusetts visiting family, The Green Miles is riding the Amtrak Northeast Corridor Regional train from Providence to DC today. It's about twice as long as flying and just as expensive, but I like the relaxing ride, the ability to get up & walk around, and the view of the shore as the train hugs the Atlantic coast.

I decided to try riding the cafe car this trip. Not only has it given me extra room to spread out my laptop & assorted gadgets, but it gives a much more wide-open view of the shoreline & wetlands to the east. Just this trip, I've spotted:

• Ospreys
• Egrets
• Night herons
• Mute swans
• Cormorants

And of course the usual assortment of crows, Canada geese, sea gulls, etc.

All Aboard for Organics on Amtrak

Just a couple of quick notes from the train ride home. Amtrak not only serves Green Mountain Coffee, they have a wide selection of organic snacks available. Very nice to see and makes me want to keep riding Amtrak (though it would make me want to ride even more if they had free WiFi).

It was also nice that the cafe car server accepted my reusable mug. The last time I took an Amtrak train, the server refused to take my mug, saying, "I don't want my bosses to accuse me of stealing." I guess he wanted to make sure he gave out a paper cup for every cup of coffee sold?

My reusable mug also came in handy at Amtrak's tiny water dispensers. The only way to get water out of them is by filling miniature paper cones that hold about one gulp of water. So kept refilling the cone and dumping the water into my mug, it saved me quite a few trips to the water dispenser.

Riding Rails, Saving Cash, Easing Headaches

I'm on the Acela heading up to Boston today to catch the Red Sox-Indians game at Fenway Park (named this spring as one of The Green Miles' Green Diamonds).

I deliberately planned the trip to minimize cost and maximize convenience. I'm taking the Acela to Boston's Back Bay Station, which is walking distance from my hotel, which is walking distance from Fenway Park. This weekend I'll be staying with my dad in Quincy, MA, on an MBTA bus route that runs at least twice an hour, much more during peak times. So instead of spending $125 for three days of a compact rental car ... plus gas ... plus parking ... I'll spend $20 on fares via a Charlie Card, the T's version of a Metro card.

And oh, I almost forgot, I'll be slashing the carbon footprint of my trip. Here's one (admittedly inexact) graph of carbon dioxide emissions per passenger by transportation source. The flight emissions are actually much worse than ground-level transportation because planes deliver their pollution directly to the upper levels of the atmosphere, where they can do the most damage.

Sure, the train takes a bit longer. But I have my laptop and wireless card and I'm getting work done. I'm enjoying the great views of the Atlantic coast. And I'm avoiding having to deal with airport security and cramming my items into a quart-sized Ziploc bag and squeezing my 6-foot self into a seat made for someone 5-10 or under and the labyrinthine Escape from Logan. What kind of a price tag can we put on those savings?