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Commuter rail to Cape Cod creates a buzz
So, any intelligent planner or politician (which species is on the endangered list?) may land on the grand conclusion? One possibility is this: run a whole bunch of trains and see what happens. Still unknown is the eternal question: which came first, the hen or her layabouts? Back in the days, the rr guys fried a lot of eggs…just look at the C,M,StP&P. Which, by the way, if still here, would be booming on the lines west.
When I was a trainman on the Cape Cod & Hyannis in the eighties our daily summer round trip out of Braintree to the cape was full. (Other runs at off hours were not)
Isn’t this interesting. There may be opposition to this proposal because it could succeed and it’s success is what some may fear. Well, we could talk about an issue such as this at some length.
A question asked and answered in one sentence: one official said that his town might need 600 to 1000 additional parking spaces.
Objecting to instituting commuter service…outlandish…absurd…
my niece and her wife, both doctors, live and work in the Boston area…knowing that thinking exists nearby…worry, worry…
Might I be so audacious to point out to the official of that town that yes, that many parking spaces might be needed at the station – but it would take that many vehicles off the roads into Boston. Which are, for those of you who’ve not experienced them, traffic nightmares…
I’d rather be on the train.
It’s up to the people on Cape Cod to decide whether they want the service – and are willing to pay for it, not up to NIMBYs in Idaho.
I am afraid that that type of thinking is alive and well throughout the land, Mr. Carlin. Yes, there might be change, as if, not doing the proposed commuter line, would let thing be as they are. When places don’t grow, they die. The trick is to manage growth in such a way that it is sustainable. That is one reason that commuter rail should be considered.
I like my NIMBY heaven just the way it is!
“one official said that his town might need 600 to 1000 additional parking spaces.
Objecting to instituting commuter service”
What’s the name of the town? I don’t subscribe to the CCT and I’ve already used one of my 3 clicks in vain trying to find out.
The MBTA needs more funding and most importantly less politics and more visionary management. Daily commuter service should be reinstated to the Cape and NH. Congestion Pricing along with I93 North/South Tolls should be implemented to help fund and further improve commuter and train service overall to get more off the roads. This based on 20+ years of living and commuting in and around the Boston Metro environment and witness to the rampant stupidity that typically governs the transportation policy of this state/region.
“Success”, using who’s yardstick? Most of these commuter lines do not cover their costs and only move a fraction of the total daily commuters. Are they saying that perhaps more than 10 people rode it so it justifies hundreds of millions of dollars down the drain?
I’d be happy if the MBTA would replace all of their Orange and Red line cars, get all new commuter rail engines, institute commuter rail service to Fall River/New Bedford, reinstitute weekend service on the Old Colony lines and fix up their rapid transit stations and get a connection for passenger trains between South and North Stations before adding commuter rail to Cape Cod.
Everyone remember Boston’s “Big Dig” many billions boondoggle with no provision for tracks?
It seems that many folks in this land, including Matthew Nichols, have no concept of the term “service to the public”, which is what commuter services - trains, light rail, subways, bus, carpools - do, even if operating and maintenance costs are not fully covered. Oh yeah, down in Missippi they probably do not have ANY of those services, certainly not any commuter trains which do carry people by the hundreds.
How much the do the roads cost in that area, Matthew? I’ll bet you the cost are a lot more than that rail service you so villify. You must enjoy being stuck in traffic! Also consider all the fumes coming out of idling vehicles; of course that doesn’t mean squat to you. Get high on exhaust fumes if you will!
I would use this line, the traffic down there is horrific. They could use a line to Fall River too, the Market does exist…
There would seem to be some benefit to Boston proper by keeping those “600-1000” cars out of the city, along with thousands of others. Maybe they would chip in a little.
As a side bar the state is looking at putting a third bridge over the Cape Cod canal to try and cut back on the 10 to 15 mile backups you get from Friday to Monday. The trouble is it would still have to connect with the two existing main roads on either side and it will be a toll bridge. I expect to see even better load volumes on this summers trains.
Boston - Hyannis and probably New York - Hyannis probably has the best potential of any potential passenger rail route in New England. Cape Cod has grown dramatically and there are way more year round residents than in 1959 when the trains came off. Still it is linked by two bridges over the Cape Cod Canal built in 1935 or so and only two lanes of traffic in each direction. The traffic tie ups on these bridges is legendary especially on a summer weekend but other times too. Service out of Hyannis should be number ONE.
Noel Weaver