OHIO train Killed by Newly Elected Republican Governor

[FayeforCure]

As was widely predicted............electing Regressives is a Rail Killer . See here:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,10110.0.html

and here: Party of NO is a Rail Killer http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,9887.msg180883.html#msg180883

It only took Kasich 12 hours to kill Ohio train project- 8000 jobs gone

"Passenger rail is not in Ohio's future,'' the Republican said at his first news conference after Tuesday's win over Gov. Ted Strickland. "That train is dead."

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/11/4/917592/-It-only-took-Kasich-12-hours-to-kill-Ohio-train-project8000-jobs-gone

[vicupstate]

Ideally, the Federal funding will go to a different project/state in this event.  Not doubt, that wouldn't be Floriduh though.

[Jumpinjack]

Since Rick Scott has already promised death to Florida's HSR, we can expect it to go next.

[JeffreyS]

I doubt sunrail and Miami's metrorail are feeling very safe either.

[acme54321]

Is there any background on this project?  How much was it estimated to cost?  Who was funding it? 

[thelakelander]

Which project?  Ohio's or Florida's?

[acme54321]

Sorry Ohio's.  I was just wondering what the circumstances were.  Was the state funding a large portion of it?  Just wondering what the motivations were to cancel the project.

[Clem1029]

This is entirely off the top of my head...some of the details may be off.

The rail plan was to connect the 3Cs - Cleveland, Columbus, Cincy (currently connected by I-71 all the way through). Not entirely sure on the funding, but I wouldn't be surprised if the majority was coming from federal funding with Ohio's previous budget issues.

Also, if I recall, the plan was pretty much completely unpopular, if for no other reason than the plan indicated that taking the train for any leg would be longer, more expensive, and far more inconvenient than a car alternative.

[Bativac]

This is entirely off the top of my head...some of the details may be off.

The rail plan was to connect the 3Cs - Cleveland, Columbus, Cincy (currently connected by I-71 all the way through). Not entirely sure on the funding, but I wouldn't be surprised if the majority was coming from federal funding with Ohio's previous budget issues.

Also, if I recall, the plan was pretty much completely unpopular, if for no other reason than the plan indicated that taking the train for any leg would be longer, more expensive, and far more inconvenient than a car alternative.

That's what I read. A combination of that and some annual operational and maintenance fees (though those were something like $17m and really not much considering their overall state budget). But the fact that it was longer and more expensive than driving really didn't help their cause any.

'Snail rail' criticism dogs supporters of Ohio's 3C passenger rail plan
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/04/snail_rail_criticism_dogs_supp.html

[FayeforCure]

"With today's historic announcement by President Obama, Ohio takes a major step toward modernizing our state's transportation infrastructure," said Governor Strickland. "The 3C Corridor will create economic development opportunities and serve as a model of environmental sustainability. Most importantly, it will put thousands of Ohioans to work over the next few years."

  The $400 million stimulus investment in the 3C "Quick Start" is expected to result in at least 255 immediate construction jobs over a two year period. According to job-creation formulas by the U.S. Department of Commerce, this investment in Ohio will generate at least 8,000 spin-off jobs and could add at least $1.2 billion to Ohio's economy.

Ohio's 3C corridor is the most densely populated area in the country devoid of passenger rail service and could serve 6 million people as a linchpin in a national rail network, said Strickland and Jolene Molitoris, director of the Ohio Department of Transportation. She accompanied the governor to Washington.

"If we don't do this we will be left behind," Strickland told Ohio reporters at the state's Washington office before his meetings with the federal officials. "Ohio will be an island in the middle of this nation without passenger rail service -- we will not be appropriately connected to a system that will be broad-based, and it would be intolerable for us."

Amtrak is studying how many passengers the rail service would likely attract and how much the state would need to subsidize it. The study is due in August.

The $400 million figure is up from the previous estimate of $250 million for Ohio's corridor, but Strickland said that depending on the Amtrak study's findings, the cost could wind up well below $400 million. A spokeswoman for the governor said the state hasn't yet submitted a formal proposal for money.

The rail corridor would use existing freight tracks but would require new signals, construction of parallel tracks and grade separations in congested areas, as well as passenger terminals.

Strickland also said that he thinks a 3C corridor could be up and running by the first quarter of 2011, a slight delay from initial estimates of the end of 2010, and that freight-train companies CSX and Norfolk & Southern are backing Ohio's initiative.

Ohio is likely to face stiff competition for the federal cash. Although the 3C corridor is on the U.S. Department of Transportation's top 10 list

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/10/3C_RAIL.ART_ART_06-10-09_A1_FOE4PO9.html

The Party of NO just KILLED 8,000 jobs!!!

[CS Foltz]

Party of "NO" has started allready! Glad I don't live in Ohio..............Rick "I plead the Fifth" Scott has said he will kill that HSR Project............maybe Jacksonville can get it instead?

[acme54321]

I don't get it.  If the ride is going to take longer than driving a car no one is going to go through the hassle of riding a train.  What's the big deal here?  Even if the feds pay for construction it's still a waste of money if it won't be utilized.

[fieldafm]

Florida has an ally in the rail game...

From Jax Biz Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/trade_trucks_trains/2010/11/mica-ill-speed-up-infrastructure.html

Mica: I'll speed up transport projects
Jacksonville Business Journal - by Mark Szakonyi
Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 3:08pm EDT - Last Modified: Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 3:25pm EDT

Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, said he will speed up the approval of infrastructure projects and free up “idle” stimulus funding if he is picked to chair the transportation and infrastructure committee in the next Congress.

“Among my top legislative priorities will be passing a long-term federal highways and transit reauthorization, a long-overdue Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, a new water resources measure and a long-term Coast Guard reauthorization,” Mica said in a news release.

Mica, a strong critic of Amtrak, said he will push for a more efficient passenger rail system, including “a better directed high speed rail program.” Mica, who is the ranking minority member of the committee, is expected to replace Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn, who lost his seat to Republican Chris Cravaack Tuesday.

[Ocklawaha]

Since Rick Scott has already promised death to Florida's HSR, we can expect it to go next.

Florida's HSR project is so poorly concieved, this would be the greatest gift he could give us. Consider if our professional opinions are worth anything, this thing will fail so gloriously as to automatically kill every other HSR idea from Nome to Tierra Del Fuego.

Florida needs rail, al la the Florida East Coast project, it won't use flying trains that only serve FREEway rest-stops and Mice.

OCKLAWAHA

[Clem1029]

Since Rick Scott has already promised death to Florida's HSR, we can expect it to go next.

Florida's HSR project is so poorly concieved, this would be the greatest gift he could give us. Consider if our professional opinions are worth anything, this thing will fail so gloriously as to automatically kill every other HSR idea from Nome to Tierra Del Fuego.

Florida needs rail, al la the Florida East Coast project, it won't use flying trains that only serve FREEway rest-stops and Mice.

I think this is the right idea, applies to Ohio as much as Florida. It isn't a case that all rail is good rail. Bad rail projects need to be killed. Kasich is doing my home state a major favor. Hopefully Scott can do the same for my adopted state.