Ditch that car, hop a train (US)

[Metroland]

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The soaring price of gas has convinced New Jersey resident Eric Scott to trade the comfort of his car for a seat on the train every morning after 17 years of driving to the office.

"It's a huge savings," said Scott., "In today's economy, you know, every penny counts so I'm just glad I made that switch."

Scott, a Senior Trust Administrator with Merrill Lynch in Hopewell, NJ, is saving more than $300-a-month by taking the train instead of driving the 72-mile roundtrip from his home in Willingboro, NJ. His monthly New Jersey Transit train pass costs $77, less than 1/4 of the $400 he had been spending on gas each month.

"I wish I would have done this sooner, it would have been savings in my pocket," said Scott.

Joanne Ralston, an administrative assistant with a medical management company in Hamilton, NJ is saving more than $200-a-month since she began riding a New Jersey Transit train in February instead of driving to the office.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/12/news/economy/dumping_the_gas_pump_chernoff/index.htm

 

[me123]

Americans seem to dislike the train; you never really hear of American rail transportation besides the NY Subway. It's good that there's a swing over there because, let's face it, the sheer population density of the NE combined with all the cars... it ain't good for the O-Zone Layer. Let's hope more people across the pond let the train take the strain.

 

[Harry Douthwaite]

Where I am in Canada, the one railway on the island has only one train a day in each direction, and that's only one or two carriages long, on a 140 mile long line! Still, people are acting now to bring High speed rail to Vancouver Island, and I think I'll join in with them.

 

[gordonthemoron]

72-mile roundtrip from his home in Willingboro, NJ. His monthly New Jersey Transit train pass costs $77

That's cheap

 

[Callufrax]

Americans seem to dislike the train; you never really hear of American rail transportation besides the NY Subway. It's good that there's a swing over there because, let's face it, the sheer population density of the NE combined with all the cars... it ain't good for the O-Zone Layer. Let's hope more people across the pond let the train take the strain.

Commuter railway systems are beginning to sprout up in the United States, whether it's light or heavy rail. This year, alone, two (maybe more, not sure) new systems have started operations. One in Oceanside, CA, and one in Salt Lake City, UT.

 

[Yank 119]

It's not so much that we dislike trains, it's that they aren't available to us in great numbers. Amtrak is a skeleton of a system, with most long distance routes having one train a day in each direction - hardly flexible by any standards. And, with a top speed of 79 mph, intercity diesel trains hardly compete with road travel. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor is a shining example of what rail travel in this country could be, but widespread electrification will probably never happen.

Yes, we have our many state-funded commuter agencies, and most all of them are quite successful. NJ Transit, the agency in the article, is one of the nation's largest and most extensive commuter rail systems, and it really surprises me that the man in question has taken this long to decide to take the train. Taking a car into New York is a terrible idea on any day, and I pity this man for doing it for so long.

In other parts of the country, particularly the South, trains are not even viewed as a viable form of transport. My hometown of Atlanta, Georgia still lacks a commuter railway system. Most people in our city aren't even aware that Amtrak stops there or how to get to the station - a true disgrace. I wish my country were not so ignorant, but I digress...

Be glad with what you have in the UK, just know it could be a whole lot worse. :?

 

[gordonthemoron]

Yank 119, I thought Atlanta had a metro, built for the olympics?

 

[class 313]

It's funny how they are moaning about their *petrol* is getting chingy.

I have one thing to say.

TRY FILLING UP OVER HERE!

 

[Yank 119]

Yank 119, I thought Atlanta had a metro, built for the olympics?

Yes, Atlanta has a metropolitan rail system, MARTA, but is not widely regarded as a viable form a transport by the majority of the city. First constructed in 1979, its acronym quickly became known as "Moving Africans Rapidly Across Atlanta" due to its great numbers of darker skinned clientelle. As the system grew into the '80s, high crime on the system drove many riders away, and it still has that reputation among many suburbanites.

The system was expanded, slightly, for the '96 Olympics. But as far as reaching the public in great numbers, MARTA fails. The bus system, however, is more far reaching.

So think of the MARTA rail system as like the Underground, but with only two main lines, serving a city of 6 million people, with far less frequent service.

Good news, as we're finally getting the ball rolling for a new, loco-hauled commuter service between Atlanta and Lovejoy, which is south of the city on Norfolk Southern's former Central of Georgia line to Macon. There are hopes that in the future, the service will be extended all the way to Macon, making it Georgia's first regional rail service.

Read more about MARTA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marta

Read more about the failure of our state to recognize the benefits of rail:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_Train

And for those confused as to why I don't regard MARTA as commuter rail, it is a completely separate system from our national rail network and is not capable of traveling off of its own dedicated right of way. This, of course, has its benefits and drawbacks.