Sunday Train: Leveraging Pittsburgh / Cleveland for Canton/Akron | 21 comments (21 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Sunday Train: (4.00 / 2)

In the southwestern part of the state, Oxford has Miami University, part of the Ohio state university system. The town is a typical college town, with a small downtown area, a beautiful campus, surrounded by corn fields. There's a perfectly good train station (now used as a flower store) and Amtrak runs through, daily at about 3:00 am.

The funny thing is, all of the students have cars. Why? Because there is NO OTHER WAY TO GET THERE. There's no train, no bus, and no regular taxi service. You can use a private guy who gives rides, but it's crazy expensive. It would be a perfect setup for a passenger train, particularly on weekends and school holidays. The retired people in town would probably like to be able to get over to Cincinnati once in a while, or even to Dayton or Columbus.

But without a car, you are stuck. It's nuts.

by asdf on Mon Oct 26th, 2009 at 11:33:36 PM EST

Re: Sunday Train: (none / 1)

When I was going there, there was a bus. AFAIR, it ran once out and once in for the fall break, Christmas break between semesters, and spring break. I have no idea if it ran in at the beginning of the school year or out at the end, but I expect not, since travel demand would have been more spread out at those periods.

But shame to hear that they lost there three runs each way per year intercity bus service. It was mega useful.

You forget the kicker - its supposedly a no-car campus for students residing in dorms on campus, and mandatory residence in dorms for the first year or two unless you come from within a set radius (I think 50 miles).

^_^

But, yes, it would seem to be an setting to at least have a train from Dayton to Cincinnati and back once or twice a week.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Tue Oct 27th, 2009 at 05:18:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Train: (none / 1)

Hogwarts express.

by njh on Wed Oct 28th, 2009 at 05:47:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Train: (none / 0)

Ah, no, that's Ohio University where you've got the people who fink they're wizards - Miami University is more beer and Frats (at least, that was main campus back when I was there). There was Western College, but they closed it down.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Wed Oct 28th, 2009 at 02:50:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Train: (none / 1)

It still is.

I'm getting my PhD here at Miami. They've got a new rule this year that makes the 2nd year undergrads stay in the dorms. As a consequence, there's an excess of apartments, good for grads. Oxford is nice because most everything is in walking distance, and there's a bus system in town run through the university.

Sad story, the buses are contracted out to First Student, which has its international HQ in Scotland. The drivers unionized last year. First Student fired them.

Back to trains. There's been a push with locals and students to get a stop on the new hi-speed passenger rail in town. We could use it. Right now, there's a circutous way to get to Cincinatti without a car. Take the Oxford-Hamilton Campus bus, and then take a taxi or try public transport. For the most part people stay in town.

BTW Western College still exists, its just an integral part of the university now, and has no seperate programs.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Fri Oct 30th, 2009 at 12:18:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Train: (none / 0)

Also, the school's museum has a terrific collection of Leica cameras. If you care about that sort of thing...

by asdf on Fri Oct 30th, 2009 at 11:34:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Say that Western College still exists ... (none / 0)

... there just isn't any Western College program would seem to be a longwinded way of saying that Western College no longer exists ... though I had vaguely understood that it had been re-invented inside Arts and Sciences, if its been re-invented without actually having any program, that seems like "Western College barely exists".

As far as the High Speed Rail, that seems an unlikely alignment for the Triple-C, but its on one of the more direct corridors from Cincinnati to Indianapolis, which is in the MWRRS Midwest Hub. And on the that alignment, its a reasonable distance from Cincinnati to have a stop. Hamilton's a bigger town, but with the University, Oxford's likely to be a bigger transport market.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Fri Oct 30th, 2009 at 11:51:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Train: (none / 0)

What new high speed passenger train? Last time I was in that area (two years ago) it was only diesel pulled amtrak, and it averaged 70km/hour.

by njh on Wed Nov 4th, 2009 at 04:47:45 PM EST
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Re: Sunday Train: (none / 0)

The proposed one ... though its anything but high speed in terms of getting the project going (see "new" AVE line comment)

The Triple-C corridor is the backbone of the proposed Higher Speed Rail "Ohio Hub", and there is a mooted alternative alignment that swings out to pick up Oxford and Miami University, which would result in the initial Columbus/Cincinnati route being slower than the equivalent driving time according to Google Maps.

My suggestion is that its a more appropriate stop on the Cincinnati / Indianapolis corridor in the Midwest Hub.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Fri Nov 6th, 2009 at 07:40:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Train: (none / 0)

So too little too late, and badly designed. And then it will still perform better than expected by the media. Why can't America make anything any more?

by njh on Sun Nov 8th, 2009 at 04:30:18 PM EST
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Re: Sunday Train: (none / 0)

Why can't America make anything any more?

Just one of the many reasons cited in the soon to be published tome, "Rise and Fall of the North American Empire". Along with, Why can't 14 - year - old Johnny spell? And, Why is Johnny now named Jose?

They tried to assimilate me. They failed.

by THE Twank (yatta blah blah @ blah.com) on Sun Nov 8th, 2009 at 04:37:46 PM EST
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Re: Sunday Train: (none / 0)

I look forward to it. When are you publishing?

by njh on Tue Nov 10th, 2009 at 04:19:55 AM EST
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Why is it badly designed? (none / 0)

It would be better if we could have built these Regional HSR corridors in the 80's, and then starting putting in Express HSR corridors junctioning with the Regional HSR corridors in the 90's, so we would already have them running, sure, but except in the eyes of the juveniles who are more focused on top speeds than transport services, there's no serious flaws with the Ohio Hub network plan.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Fri Nov 13th, 2009 at 12:06:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why is it badly designed? (none / 0)

If would be better if you were France, too.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Nov 13th, 2009 at 12:17:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why is it badly designed? (none / 0)

With my talent for languages? Bloody hell, I'd have to learn English.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Fri Nov 13th, 2009 at 04:31:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Sunday Train: Leveraging Pittsburgh / Cleveland for Canton/Akron | 21 comments (21 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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