Move Amtrak from Elyria to Loraine?

[Phil S]

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/amtrak/news/Sen-Brown-calls-for-relocating-Amtrak-service-in-Ohio--33605

Someone explain to me the logic here? and the logistics of doing it?

 

[Ryan]

The logic seems to be that it would be better to stop at a recently refurbished station with connections to local transit, as opposed to at the current stop which is not ADA compliant.

The two locations are only about 1/2 mile apart.

 

[fairviewroad]

The thread title is misleading because the station would not actually move from Elyria to the separate (but adjacemnt)

town of Lorain. The new station would remain in Elyria. Seems like a logical move to me, though it should be noted that

the 4 Amtrak trains that stop in Elyria each day do so between midnight and 5 a.m., which I suspect makes the proximity to

local transit connections somewhat of a moot point.

 

[savoirfaire]

The logic seems to be that it would be better to stop at a recently refurbished station with connections to local transit, as opposed to at the current stop which is not ADA compliant.

The two locations are only about 1/2 mile apart.

It makes a lot of sense, actually. Why put good money after bad—the proposed ADA upgrades at Elyria—when those funds could be redirected to a location where better amenties and connections to other transit methods exist? How much difference will it really make to most people? Not much, probably, but I would rather arrive or depart from a nice, newer transit center than from an old AmShack at O'dark-thirty anyday. Isn't the Lorain location the old NYC station?

 

[Ryan]

You are correct:

http://www.loraincounty.us/getdoc/da820fe6-d185-4a83-93fc-a7960c56221e/Transportation-Center.aspx

 

[savoirfaire]

Looking at the proposed station on Bing, looks like they'd need to add back in a track to come up to the station and a platform, without needing an extended walk out to the main line. Don't know how much that costs vice upgrading the other location, but depending on how much the ADA upgrades were supposed to cost, maybe this is still a cost-effective idea.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Looking at the proposed station on Bing, looks like they'd need to add back in a track to come up to the station and a platform, without needing an extended walk out to the main line. Don't know how much that costs vice upgrading the other location, but depending on how much the ADA upgrades were supposed to cost, maybe this is still a cost-effective idea.

Or they could just put up with the extended walk.

 

[Ryan]

If I'm looking at the right building, the extended walk is all of like 50 feet.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

It dosen't look like that much from the screenshot in comparison to the track. They could also just pave over the old ROW, extending the platform. Would be cheaper than a new track.

 

[looshi]

From what I understand one of the big hold-ups are the under-track pedistrian underpasses. NS has been unwilling to allow passengers to cross under the tracks using the old NYC connections. And they certainly won't let people cross the main to get to that second track.

Beyond getting approval from NS, these underpasses will need to be restored and new ADA complient elevators installed to get to track-level. That's what they want to use the money for, instead of refurbishing the current Amshack.

 

[afigg]

Seems like a logical move to me, though it should be noted that

the 4 Amtrak trains that stop in Elyria each day do so between midnight and 5 a.m., which I suspect makes the proximity to

local transit connections somewhat of a moot point.

However, if there is a better station in Elyria with local transit connections, that would be useful if a Chicago to Cleveland daily corridor service were to someday happen. Obviously won't happen under Gov. Kasich, but if CHI-STL and CHI-DET are successful, in a successor Ohio administration, there could be interest in supporting a daytime corridor service to Cleveland. Improved and fully ADA compliant stations on the route, along with improvement projects such as the Englewood Flyover and Indiana gateway project, should make it easier to someday add a corridor service.

 

[Phil S]

The logic seems to be that it would be better to stop at a recently refurbished station with connections to local transit, as opposed to at the current stop which is not ADA compliant.

The two locations are only about 1/2 mile apart.

Thanks. That's wat I was missing. I Googled Earth but the only rail line I could find was all the way north by the Lake Shore. I'll look again. Still, given the 3 AM timing for all but one train.....how many people actually board or detrain at ELY?

 

[Phil S]

The logic seems to be that it would be better to stop at a recently refurbished station with connections to local transit, as opposed to at the current stop which is not ADA compliant.

The two locations are only about 1/2 mile apart.

Thanks. That's wat I was missing. I Googled Earth but the only rail line I could find was all the way north by the Lake Shore. I'll look again. Still, given the 3 AM timing for all but one train.....how many people actually board or detrain at ELY?

Found it. 1/2 m west along the same line. Makes more sense now. But why on earth is it called the Lorain station? It's in downtown Elyria!

 

[Lakeshore]

It's the Lorain County Transit Center. Elyria is in Lorain County (along with the town Lorain)

 

[Ryan]

Because it's the Lorain County Transit Center, which is the hub of "Lorain County Transit".

Elyria is the county seat of Lorain County.

 

[looshi]

Thanks. That's wat I was missing. I Googled Earth but the only rail line I could find was all the way north by the Lake Shore. I'll look again. Still, given the 3 AM timing for all but one train.....how many people actually board or detrain at ELY?

6,408 last year (up 27%).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elyria_%28Amtrak_station%29

 

[Ryan]

Roughly 17 people per day.

Not bad for 3 in the morning.

 

[fairviewroad]

However, if there is a better station in Elyria with local transit connections, that would be useful if a Chicago to Cleveland daily corridor service were to someday happen.

Perhaps, but local transit connections in Elyria probably won't make or break the corridor...it'd be just a little gravy on the top. The vast majority of

Elyria passengers would still arrive and depart the station in a private automobile, I'm sure.

Roughly 17 people per day.

17 people divided among 4 trains. Hardly robust. Obviously that number would be far higher if there was a daytime train, but it's a bit of a

chicken-egg thing. Hard to justify spending tons of money to upgrade a station that serves so few people. Yet with current service options

the station will continue to remain relatively un-critical.

 

[Phil S]

It's the Lorain County Transit Center. Elyria is in Lorain County (along with the town Lorain)

Simultaneous sends, Lakeshore and Ryan! But thanks. I do like the idea now that I understand it. I think it provides mainly leverage for daytime service CHi/Cleveland (or even CHI/Pittsburgh) which would I think eventually have a huge ridership.

The first LD toll road was NJ/PA/Ohio/Indiana Turnpike, no?. Don't know the order or the dates as I was still a kid when they were built. But it's a huge transit corridor.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Getting better transit connections to the Amtrak station would be useless because no transit over there operates when Amtrak arrives. You would need a CHI-CLE corridor to justify that, which would also be a great alternative to the expensive Turnpike. Right now I have to use Greyhound 200 because the train has horrible times.