United Rail Passenger Alliance

The project is a proposed trolley and/or light rail line on the former roadbed of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, now CSX. This former steel highway of commerce and passenger transportation was the main line of the Seaboard into and out of downtown Jacksonville, leading to Jacksonville Union Terminal, which is now the local convention center (Amtrak has hemmed and hawed about coming back into this magnificent facility for the last 20 years or so, and nothing much ever seems to get done.).

The piece of former Seaboard roadbed in question runs just less of five miles, and is a full 60 feet wide. It meanders through several “economically challenged” neighborhoods, industrial areas, and some up-and-coming residential areas experiencing an inner-city rebirth. What is important about this route is that it directly touches (we’re talking about measurements in feet, not blocks or miles) many major employers, shopping areas, and the city hospital. Every ingredient is present that would make this a viable, and inexpensive project to create a trolley (or light rail) line that would not only serve a deserving existing population (which is notoriously under-served by city planners, and is beginning to squawk about that), but would have the natural benefit of being a huge boon to redevelopment, which has been proven time and again in successful projects of this foresight.

A model which proponents of this project are using is Seattle, where a 65 foot right of way was available in a similar area. It is now a combination jogging area and trolley line with heavy landscaping.

Almost all of the length of the right of way is owned by the City of
Jacksonville; today’s CSX turned the land over to it when the track became redundant after the merger of the Seaboard and the Atlantic Coast Line back in 1967.

What does the city want to do with this land? Why, of course, turn it into a jogging trail. There is currently a proposal to do just that pending in front of the city council.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority, an independent agency which is in charge of our area’s transportation planning, construction, and operation, has received suggestions this valuable piece of land be turned into the proposed trolley line. “No, thanks,” the JTA has said with a straight face. “We’re in love with busses.”

In fact, the JTA is working on a long range plan to bring a bus rapid transit system to far-flung Jacksonville, the largest city in land area in the country. The proposed BRT plan, now in the early planning stages, is expected to cost around $1 billion in today’s dollars, and reach less than half way to the edges of the city in each direction from downtown. Oh, and the plan won’t finish construction until 2030, too. The piece of the proposed BRT that will serve some of the same area as the proposed trolley line (no part of the BRT will cover all of the area) is expected to come in at cool $100 million, and, again not be ready until 2025. No one has fully identified where all or parts of this expected $1 billion total expenditure will come from, since it is beyond the scope of present city financing.

The proposed trolley line, if approved now, is expected to in place and running in 36 to 48 months, and cost less than $40 million, money which the city has in place right now. The trolley line will also intersect with the city’s existing Skyway Express, a pie in the sky monorail project that is now more than a decade old, and has been nothing short of a spectacular failure, attracting a total of less than 4,000 riders a day, at a cost (thanks to you, the federal taxpayer) of hundreds of millions of dollars. While the trolley connection won’t be the savior of the Skyway Express, it will help boost ridership because of the natural laws of the matrix theory and hubs and connections.

This is not rocket science to figure out what is the best solution for Jacksonville. What is important about this saga is the crucial aspect of selecting the right rail projects for the right conditions. Too many have always wanted rail as any answer to any problem. Many of those projects have become expensive failures, which have only served to tarnish the image of rail in general (whether it’s local or intercity), and make the overall process even more difficult for good projects to move forward.

Supporters of rail, be it those in government, private industry, or the public, need to have the courage to back away from projects which are unlikely to succeed. Florida has some exciting projects underway right now, including the expansion of Tri-Rail in South Florida, and the creation of an entirely new transit system in Central Florida to serve the Orlando metropolitan area. Jacksonville has the opportunity to join that club with a small investment (by government standards) that has enormous proven benefits, not hopeful benefits. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority needs to understand the gift it has in front of itself and get off of the bus bandwagon.

By William J. Lindley

Taking three steps back for a view of the big picture:

In a discussion on California’s high speed rail, I ran across the statistic that of about 300 million persons in these United States, only around 191 million have a driver’s license. That’s one-third of Americans who can’t drive. That includes our youth and our elderly, and those who cannot afford, are physically incapable of, or who simply choose not to drive a car. One-third. Gentle readers of this column will likely find that among their personal friends and acquaintances, the ratio will be similar.

Slicing these statistics differently, we find that among the 240 million aged 15 and over, about 80% are capable of driving. That still means one in five persons depends on walking, public transit, or getting a ride with a friend. Some may say this means the “vast majority of Americans prefer cars” — and this is precisely the sort of misconception that makes bad policy.

Around 80% of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Should we base public policy on the assumption that everyone is Christian? Just over 90% of Americans are not vegetarian. Should we base public policy on the idea that everyone should eat meat? If 80% of Americans are capable of driving a motor vehicle, should we assume that sidewalks and public transit are useless?

Meanwhile, recently in the United Kingdom, the Daily Mail ran an article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=462091

about how today’s parents don’t let their children walk and play outside. Instead, they are not permitted out of Mommy’s eyesight, and must be driven everywhere — even from the garage to the school-bus.

We also read that children who are not permitted to play outside never develop their immune system from touching dirty things. When we sit inside and do nothing, we become sickly and fat. We grow unprepared to interact in society. We grow too scared to confront our fear of going out into the big room with the blue ceiling.

It is not crime, but the fear of crime that is the problem. There is certainly far less crime in London today than in the 1800s, when gentlemen carried walking-sticks for defense, not for style.

It is the fear of strangers, of anyone different than you — also known as “prejudice” — that is the problem.

Our purpose here goes beyond having a better balanced transportation system for its own sake. What we do here can make the world a better place by improving our society, our economy, and our ecology. Perhaps we can’t change the whole world, but together we continue to make changes in little parts of it … more trains to more places for more people.

It’s alright to open your eyes, now.

In the imperfect world of today’s passenger transportation by rail, Amtrak is trying to be all things to all people. It wants to be a long distance train operator in some part of the country, it wants to be a regional train operator in other parts of the country, and it wants to run commuter trains in a lot of places.

Amtrak needs to redefine itself as just one type of train operator (which it was originally created to be): a long distance train operator, which owns no real estate, and has a modern fleet of well-maintained equipment.

Take a serious look at some of the trains Amtrak operates, and ask yourself why these trains are being run. The Empire Service, which with the exception of one train to and from Toronto and one train to and from Montreal, operates all of its trains in New York State. (The Lake Shore Limited and the Ethan Allen Express also operate over these tracks, but, like the Adirondack to Montreal, are not considered part of this route for expense and income purposes.)

Ten daily trains (including the Maple Leaf to Toronto) operate along this route between New York City and Buffalo, which has a 33% load factor. The average length of trip is 123.1 miles, and the trains generate 31 cents per passenger mile, based on 113,027,000 annual revenue passenger miles. Just 96 passengers are carried per train mile. The Empire Service generates revenues of $34,683,300 annually, but costs $57,300,000 to operates, for a loss of $20,200,000 annually.

We know Amtrak has been saying state corridors will be its saving grace and the future of the company. Okay, why are 10 daily trains being operated in New York State, but at no cost to the state, even though the trains run an annual loss of over $20 million? We also know Amtrak recently raised the commuter fares to ride these trains, which brought a lot of complaints from riders that don’t understand why their rides to and from work can’t be heavily subsidized by federal taxpayers.

What do these trains overall contribute to Amtrak? Not much, since they operate a such a loss. They do cost Amtrak a lot of money in management and labor overhead, plus, of course, the cost of maintaining a lot of rolling stock just for this service, and the cost of stations, not to mention advertising, etc., etc., etc.

Partially using the California model, would these trains not be better off (and their passengers more comfortable) if these trains were operated by the State of New York, and not Amtrak?

We know Amtrak is always the most expensive operator of short distance trains. Just ask any state legislator or state department of transportation planner about the charges from Amtrak to run local area or regional trains, and the answer will always be that Amtrak loads up state supported trains with all kinds of overhead and other expenses, most at above-market prices.

What difference would an Empire Service commuter notice if their train wasn’t run by Amtrak? There may be a chance at restored food service, the equipment may be newer and more comfortable, and the cost may be lower because the State of New York could independently decide what to charge commuters (just at neighboring Metro-North does), and not Amtrak.

We see a wildly successful railroad run by Metro-North in New York State and Connecticut. On time performance is good, and service level remain high. Equipment is updated or replaced as needed, and the railroad runs for the convenience of its passengers, not the other way around.

So, again, why is Amtrak operating the Empire Service instead of a state agency? Because its always been done that way? Because the State of New York doesn’t want to pick up the tab?

But, wait! you caution, what about so many details, like ticketing and reservations, and showing the flag? Details. Just details.

Before Amtrak, Americans were quite adept at taking trains offered by different railroads, just like today travelers can figure out which airline best serves their needs.

There is nothing wrong with Amtrak serving as a (paid) clearinghouse for interline tickets and reservations, and coordinator of schedules.

If you travel to California today, and board certain trains that are shown as part of the Amtrak national system, you will board equipment that says Amtrak California, and is painted in a different paint scheme than is found anywhere else in the system, and offering some different seating choices and amenities.

Load factors in California aren’t much better than in New York; 33.1% for the Surfliners, 28.5% for the Capitols, and 35% for the San Joaquins.

In other parts of the country, Amtrak operates other trains at the behest of states. One notable train is the Heartland Flyer, paid for by the State of Oklahoma. At a 36.5% load factor, this train single daily train isn’t clearing any loads off of highways over its 206 mile route between Fort Worth, Texas and Oklahoma City.

In Michigan, the Pere Marquette, with a route length of 176 miles, and a load factor of 60%, brings in a contribution of $1.5 million to Amtrak’s coffers, but only because the train is financed primarily by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Other services, such as the Hiawathas, running between Chicago and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on an 86 mile route, and having a 38.6% load factor, deducts $1.1 million from Amtrak’s coffers, even though both the Illinois and Wisconsin DOTs heavily fund the service.

Could not Chicago’s excellent Metra be a better operator of the Hiawathas, and, perhaps some other company operate the Pere Marquette?

Your next question will be, but, who can operate these passenger trains, other than Amtrak? The answer is, almost anyone. Herzog operates Tri-Rail in South Florida quite successfully. Connex (and its successor company) took over the Metrolink system in Southern California.

Has anyone considered the freight railroads? After all, they are in the train business. Does anyone doubt these for-profit companies, if they saw a long range opportunity to be paid 100% of the expenses to operate passenger trains on someone else’s behalf, they wouldn’t be interested?

The old and worn thought that only Amtrak can operate passenger trains is not only narrow-minded, but conceptually and factually wrong.

Too many opportunities exist for Amtrak expansion and movement towards a successful company to let it be hampered by taking expensive, short distance riders to and from work five days a week.