Dear Group, Public transportation is never far below the surface with this group. The following was just posted: __________________ Ronn Ferrell:
"Spending millions for a train running through Madison from Middleton to Sun Prairie will do little if anything to resolve transit problems," he said in comments to the League of Women Voters. "The train will never pay for itself or improve transportation." ___________________ Of course the question should be why times "might have changed?" Remember that fifty or so years ago, trains actually covered all these areas. They went broke because people did not ride. Isn't that the story of rail passenger service generally? And what should these new railroads do? Should they just run trains when the people are numerous? Should they only operate during "rush hours"? Probably even the well meaning people reading this go-around would only ride when their destination is rather near the rail? Would they then transfer to busses and maybe wait twenty minutes to an hour at some bus stop? Well maybe this group would bring along a bike for part of the trip. But with half the population being obese, average people would not be likely bike riders or even people standing long at transfer points. Until I was in college, Ripon had trains in two directions. But by then nobody rode the train and yet the railroads were forced to continue service. And I would expect that most of the bike and nature trails now follow old rail beds. Eric Westhagen _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
