Amtrak station needs replacing
Well, here we are amid the hoopla over Gov. Mark Sanford rejecting money he wants to use to pay down state debts, and our own local CARTA officials decide to use federal stimulus money to buy new buses that have to be built in another state, thus creating zero jobs in the Charleston area. Where is the logic in that decision?
The perfect answer was to build the intermodal facility that would have replaced the rundown Amtrak station in North Charleston and would have brought all forms of transportation into this location, all the while creating hundreds of local jobs.
Has anyone been to the Amtrak station lately? In my entire life of living in Charleston, I can't believe this is what we want people who come to our area to see. How do we let this facility exist? The station is totally embarrassing.
Replacing buses is an ongoing issue that will repeat itself over and over. That is something that should be funded with local dollars that are generated through revenues from CARTA, not federal stimulus money. We are just using the stimulus money to do whatever politicians decide to do with it.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was designed to create jobs now, not build buses. I personally do not use the bus system; however, I see the urgent need to build the intermodal facility today, not tomorrow. The way we build roads and bridges in Charleston, I doubt I'll live long enough to see this facility built. In another 10 years, we are going to need new buses again, then what? It's time to think logically. Thank you, Paul Thurmond for opening my eyes.
Bruce D. Mullen
Bainbridge Drive
Charleston
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Comments
hooveryankee (anonymous) says...
I agree 100% with Mr Mullen and would like to take it one step furthur. Why not build a new bus station/train station with some restaurants and retail shops to really welcome visitors to our area. How could this not stimulate the local economy? What we have now, I'm surprised anyone would even feel safe at our present stations. Use this money wisly.
March 28, 2009 at 4:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Paulie (anonymous) says...
I also agree 100%.
Thank Mayor Riley for the insane interpretation of the "Stimulus" bill for out of state jobs.
March 28, 2009 at 7:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
commonsence (anonymous) says...
I wholeheartedly agree with this letter...CARTA continues with bad decisions.
March 28, 2009 at 11:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rollnwflo (anonymous) says...
I'm afraid the chances of the stimulus funds being used wisely, either in this area or elsewhere, is slim and none. People are still pretending this is free money and will never have to be paid back. My children will have to shoulder the burden of the poor performances in our government and the greed of the poor performing CEOs.
March 29, 2009 at 9:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
martin (anonymous) says...
I hope Joe Biden will be looking at this.
March 29, 2009 at 10:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
newbattleaxe (anonymous) says...
Has anyone priced train tickets lately? Round trip from Charleston to Boston, bought six months in advance, will cost you $234 before taxes. Buy your tickets the week before, and you'll pay $458. You'll also spend about 20 hours in transit each way.
On the other hand, a plane ticket bought 6 months before will cost you around $200 . Buy your ticket the week before, and you'll still spend around $300. You'll spend about 10 hours TOTAL in transit.
AmTrak is a government monopoly. The trains run every day, regardless of passenger load. They run chronically late. CARTA is a government monopoly. The buses run every day, regardless of passenger load.
While AmTrak pulls cars and locomotives off a route to economize, I don't see CARTA switching out the large buses for 8-15 passenger vans or buses to economizes. I do see both monopolies losing tax money regularly.
March 29, 2009 at 2:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Time4action (anonymous) says...
newbattleaxe, you forgot to mention airlines consistently over book. Just because you bought a ticket doesn't guarantee you a seat.
March 29, 2009 at 3:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zoomru (anonymous) says...
Well, well, well....
BRUCE....!?!?!
Its time for you to "SPRUCE" up your way of thinking..!!!!
MY BACKSIDE.....!!!!!
Bruce, do we here need to remind you that OBAMA is president and he wants ...CHANGE !!?!?!
Well,....."BRUICE", I highly suggest you squeeze some more brain cells and check out WHO is partnering with NASA on OUR next form of TRANSIT !!!
Have you sir ...EVER ...heard of www.unimodal.com ?? It pays for itself, uses existing easements, and most of all...is "CHANGE" !! It also is NEW JOBS..!!
I agree that point to point mass high speed RAIL is needed ..BUT ...more buses and AMTRAK payoffs are killing US..!!!
There is no ONE solution but an integration of different NEW technology ...REALITIES !!!
AMTRAK sees the writing on the wall....
Bus manufacturers see the writing on the wall.....
Diesel suppliers see the writing on the wall......
March 29, 2009 at 9:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
newbattleaxe (anonymous) says...
Ah, yes, Time, the airlines overbook, but, look at the deals they offer you when they do - an upgrade on a later flight, free ticket(s), reimbursements, etc.
What does AmTrak offer you when they are delayed? A friend of mine was trying to get home to NYC by train. The train got as far as Florence, and then everybody was BUSSED to DC to catch another train, due to bad weather in NC and VA. Refunds? Free meals? She had booked a sleeper from Charleston to DC so she could get some rest. Instead, she was hours late getting to NYC and went straight to work, with no rest, as the engineer on a Metro-North commuter train.
zoomru, thye US does not have the infrastructure to support high-speed rail service. Consider how much freight is moved DAILY by freight trains. We do not enough sidings to switch these trains to for high-speed trains to go through. Too many miles of rail are single-track throughout the US.
March 31, 2009 at 8:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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April 8, 2009 at 12:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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