Why Not Ohio? Comprehensive rail plan for Minnesota unveiled

[Towntalk]

What do you expect when you know full well that not only is there the CCC corridor in the works, but also a route that will connect Cleveland to Pittsburgh coming through Youngstown.

[irishbobcat]

no yelling from the Peanut Gallery!

[Towntalk]

GIVE US A BREAK DENNIS ... Ohio already has a comprehensive rail plan and you darn well know it. It's been discussed here on this board plenty of times, and on television, on the radio and in the newspapers.

[irishbobcat]

Why Not Ohio? Comprehensive rail plan for Minnesota unveiled

another news report where now Minnesota is planning to begin work on a comprehensive rail plan:

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A statewide plan calls for investing anywhere from $6 billion to $9 billion in the next 20 years to upgrade and enhance Minnesota's ability to move freight and passengers by rail.

The proposal, the first comprehensive rail plan Minnesota has ever tackled, was presented at a public hearing last Wednesday that was aired via videoconference to Minnesota Department of Transportation district offices across the state. It will be submitted next month to the Federal Railroad Administration for approval, a move that will put Minnesota in line to receive stimulus money for its rail transportation system.

The plan calls for two phases: a first tier of priorities to be accomplished between 2010 and 2030, and a second tier in the more distant future, after 2030.

An enhanced railroad system in the southwestern part of the state also will open the door to improved rail transportation northward to important hubs in Dilworth and Fargo, N.D., he said.

Steve Ahmann of the Willmar City Council called the comprehensive rail plan "very forward-thinking."

But he too asked for a higher priority for the Willmar rail corridor. Not only is the city a regional hub with the potential for business and industrial growth, but it also serves a surrounding region rich in agricultural production and ethanol manufacturing, Ahmann said.

"Throughout the process we've had extensive public input," said Dan Krom, co-project manager and passenger rail director with MnDOT's Office of Passenger Rail.

Among the priorities set forth in the final plan: development of high-speed passenger rail service to Chicago, Duluth and Rochester, and enhancement of conventional passenger rail service to St. Cloud/Moorhead, Mankato and Eau Claire, Wis.

Freight corridors also would be maintained and upgraded to increase safety and reduce bottlenecks.

"A coordinated regional/national system would be the goal," Krom said.

The estimated cost for the first phase: $6.2 billion to $9.5 billion, with the passenger system accounting for more than half of these costs. The annual operating cost is estimated at $143 million to $182 million.

The tradeoff would be a reduction in highway and traffic congestion and a more environmentally friendly form of transportation. According to MnDOT's study, fuel efficiency on rail systems is three times better than highway vehicles.

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Ohio must do more than just build the 3 C's corridor. We need mass transit rail service from Cleveland-Youngstown-Pittsburgh, Cincinnati-Dayton-Toledo, as well as other corridors in the state. We need to improve fuel efficiency in Ohio as well. We can not let Ohio sit back and watch the rest of the midwest pass us by.