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| A view of the Portland & Western's "OE District" track looking north. Eventually this track becomes the WES corridor. |
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| Former Oregon Electric Railway depot - now a bar. |
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| OE District track looking north. Here some newer pre-cast concrete panels have been installed, but that's no guarantee of good track or pavement conditions. Many of these panels have been ruined in Albany. |
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| Want to hit this on a "HSR" train? A major depression in the track - and in the middle of the street. These occur all up-and-down the street running segments. Albany is particularly notorious for this; Salem has some stretches of some very poor street trackage as well. And the powers-that-be want to run high speed trains on this - in the middle of the street! |
5 comments:
The cost to upgrade this track - just in Junction City alone - would be well into the tens of millions of dollars - completely digging the street out, relocating any underground utilities, laying a new track structure (with welded rail and concrete ties), rebuilding the street - of course include new sidewalks, bike lanes, bioswales, lighting and so on. The money spent just to fix this track - without running a single train - could provide buses, bus stops/stations, and operating expense to run a regional bus operation throughout the southern Willamette Valley. Today, LTD runs an express bus to Junction City using just regular transit vehicles, but an hourly, seven-day-a-week commuter service could be started.
Today, Junction City has just three morning and two afternoon buses each weekday, and one morning and one afternoon bus on Saturdays. The Eugene Airport has NO SERVICE!! There's no money for buses...but when it comes to fixing an old, dilapidated rail line - there's all sorts of money.
Never mind...that there's another railroad - just two blocks to the east - that already is good for 79 MPH and hosts six Amtrak trains (and multiple freight trains) a day. It's this reason that I roll my eyes at the folks that harp on "XXX number of railroad lines abandoned..." Some of the railroad lines NEED to be abandoned.
My understanding is that, if they were to use the Portland and Western line, the street running would be bypassed.
And would there be enough demand for hourly bus service to Junction City?
Also, LTD has looked at serving Eugene Airport but found that it wasn't feasible. Remember that the airport doesn't see the throughput PDX does.
Lastly, there are issues with that other rail line, specifically capacity and ownership.
My understanding is that, if they were to use the Portland and Western line, the street running would be bypassed.
Not quite. As you contradict yourself further along regarding the ownership of that other railroad two blocks away.
And would there be enough demand for hourly bus service to Junction City?
Who knows. Unlike an expensive WES or light rail line, stick a bus on it and see. If it doesn't work out, cancel the line and stick the bus somewhere else. Amazing what buses can do...
Also, LTD has looked at serving Eugene Airport but found that it wasn't feasible.
How was it not feasible? Missoula, Montana has a smaller population, a smaller airport, and manages to run buses to its airport. Spokane manages to run buses to its rural airport.
Remember that the airport doesn't see the throughput PDX does.
I didn't say build a light rail line. Surely, with 754,000 annual passengers and the various employees working at the airport, in a city that prides itself probably more so than Portland on low-car/no-car living and is home to a major University, a bus running every 60 minutes to the airport is feasible, doable, and warranted.
Lastly, there are issues with that other rail line, specifically capacity and ownership.
Huh. Imagine that.
Not quite. As you contradict yourself further along regarding the ownership of that other railroad two blocks away.
How so? And I've gone back and read some of the documents, and they do propose not using the street trackage in Junction City.
As for Eugene airport service, you can see the studies here. Just like with Junction City, it's possible to figure out what's probably going to happen and whether it's worth trying something.
Jason, you're too smart of a guy to be a lackey for the local power elite in their obsession with rail. Although you've been inculcated with their propaganda for quite some time, it's never too late for one to see the folly of his ways. If you begin to apply yourself now, you and Eric could soon become a formidable duo who could dual-handedly revive and rejuvenate bus transit in both Eugene and Portland (to the benefit of the "99%"). C'mon Jason, we're pulling for you, this city turns it's blistery feet to you.
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