All aboard! Gas prices boost Amtrak

Brad Nettles
The Post and Courier

Glenn Phillips (from left) and his wife, Robin, along with their sons Tyler and Sawyer, board an Amtrak train bound for New York. Phillips said it was cheaper to take the train than to drive.

Gas prices. Gas prices. Gas prices.

They're awful and the media has gotten a lot of mileage from them, myself included. When I signed on at this paper, a gallon of regular was a scandalizing $1.50. In the five years since, I've written roughly 10 articles about rising fuel prices.

Last week, in an effort to get a new perspective on the issue, I drove out to the Amtrak platform in North Charleston, on a hunch that I might find a few folks seeking respite from the pain at the pump.

The place was packed. It reminded me of a platform where I used to live in Brussels (minus the palm trees and 95-degree heat). Amtrak ridership is up 11 percent so far this year, and May was the biggest month in the operation's 37-year history

Amtrak even has a route called the 'auto train.' It loads passengers and their cars in Washington D.C. and zips them nonstop to the outskirts of Orlando, one of the nation's top tourist destinations. Not surprisingly, that service has booked 5 percent more business this year.

If ticket sales continue hurtling along on the current pace, almost 74,000 people will get on and off the silver tubes in North Charleston this year. That's no small figure — roughly equal to the number of peninsula hotel rooms rented in the average month.

Those in the hospitality industry who don't consider the train in their marketing may want to reconsider. Uncle Sam is certainly starting to pay attention. Last week, the House overwhelmingly passed a $15 billion spending bill for Amtrak (the outfit is still a federal subsidy). A similar measure already has breezed through the Senate.

Local governments should consider stepping up to the plate as well. The North Charleston Amtrak station is functional and certainly cleaner than a subway platform in Queens, but it could stand a few coats of paint while the region waits for a long-talked-about replacement. More importantly, the roads winding back to the terminal could use some patching and bigger signs.

I'm not saying we need a pineapple fountain out there, but given Amtrak's momentum, its facade here shouldn't be third-class.

Dollar days

The weak dollar is a powerful thing. It has continued to pay dividends to U.S. tourism.

In the first quarter of this year, overseas visitation to our fine nation increased by 10 percent, as 5.4 million foreigners had their passports stamped 'U.S,' according to the federal Commerce Department. At the same time, there was a 21 percent increase in arrivals from Canadians, folks who have a particular fondness for the Palmetto State.

Unfortunately, the folks in D.C. and Columbia still do a shabby job of figuring out how many of those travelers are finding their way to South Carolina.

Reach Kyle Stock at kstock@postandcourier.com or 937-5763.