Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Pennsylvania > Pittsburgh
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 10-20-2010, 10:40 AM
 
1,782 posts, read 2,084,369 times
Reputation: 1366

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey View Post
Haha , your joking right? Probably not alot of tourism $$$ , lets ask those towns along the Appalachian trail how much tourism $$$ they rake in......

Here's some advice, don't comment from the peanut gallery out in jersey unless you have a clue what you are talking about. There have been countless post-gazette articles highlighting the huge amount of tourism money that this trail is already generating for small towns along the route.

Little towns that have been stagnating for years due to limited investment and population drain are coming alive again thanks to this trail. You would be amazed at how many people from not only the country but around the world now come to ride this trail and bring all of their private money with them to invest straight into local businesses. I wouldn't even be surprised if the trail had already paid for itself by now and it isn't even finished yet!

Also, comparing the GAP to the appalachian trail is like apples to oranges, rail trails have the ability to attract a much larger diversity of people like day crowds and foreign tourists who are willing to spend money and take their time seeing the sights, since the difficulty is manageable to most people. Serious backpackers and thru-hikers trying to manage their carrying weight and move quickly to finish a 3000 mile, very remote hiking trail before winter will carry their food and lodging with them.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 10-20-2010, 10:45 AM
 
1,782 posts, read 2,084,369 times
Reputation: 1366
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey View Post
Well i didn't make myself clear enough , Libraries enhance our Populations Education that is not a waste of public $$$. Rail Trails , do nothing , they might appear to bring tourism but not really. Rail Trails do not bring development , they do not bring income to the city thus the state or city should not be investing in them. Part of the line might be converted back to an Active Railway to lessen the strain on a different line. There not permanent trails......... Bike trails are not a form of Transportation.......

I already addressed your points in the post above, I do think its funny though how every joe blow on the internet thinks that they are an expert on rail trails, ect. or whatever they chime in about. Is there even a single respected source on the planet where someone agrees with your bolded opinions?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-20-2010, 11:13 AM
 
20,273 posts, read 33,003,811 times
Reputation: 2911
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey View Post
I don't think any Public $$$ should go to Rail Trails , its not like it generates any profits like Railways or Toll Roads or developments.
It has already stimulated a bunch of new development along the trail, and it isn't even complete. In general, it is a public means of transportation and recreation, and just as worthy of public contributions as any such project.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-20-2010, 11:18 AM
 
20,273 posts, read 33,003,811 times
Reputation: 2911
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey View Post
I'm a Rail Fanner , Rail Trails are a threat to me and most Rail Fanners dislike them. Of course , in 20 years this will probably be converted partially back to a Railway. . . . I have no Problem , with Public Libraries , State Parks , or Preserve.... they bring in Tourism and enhance the education of our country.... For the record i'm against any Rail line that will be used by less then 6,000 daily.....
Oh, I get it--you think this is competing with possible rail use.

Not a chance, not on this route, which is why the relevant rail companies have happily supported it (we may well eventually want to add more and better rail capacity from DC to Pittsburgh, but it wouldn't have used this path). In fact, if anything this will help stimulate rail demand--as I believe I noted above, Amtrak is already planning to add roll-on/roll-off capacity to their DC/Pittsburgh trains in order to serve people who want to ride only a portion of the trail.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-20-2010, 11:21 AM
 
Location: On the Rails in Northern NJ
12,380 posts, read 26,842,423 times
Reputation: 4581
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianTH View Post
It has already stimulated a bunch of new development along the trail, and it isn't even complete. In general, it is a public means of transportation and recreation, and just as worthy of public contributions as any such project.
Name projects , biking outside Major cities is not considered a form of Transportation more like Recreational device.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-20-2010, 11:25 AM
 
Location: On the Rails in Northern NJ
12,380 posts, read 26,842,423 times
Reputation: 4581
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianTH View Post
Oh, I get it--you think this is competing with possible rail use.

Not a chance, not on this route, which is why the relevant rail companies have happily supported it (we may well eventually want to add more and better rail capacity from DC to Pittsburgh, but it wouldn't have used this path). In fact, if anything this will help stimulate rail demand--as I believe I noted above, Amtrak is already planning to add roll-on/roll-off capacity to their DC/Pittsburgh trains in order to serve people who want to ride only a portion of the trail.
Which Rail Companies i need names to verify that....I haven't heard any Capacity adding things Amtrak is doing.....then again that might be in a few years when the new cars come. As for the Pittsburgh - DC HSR line that will be built between 2025-2040....
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-20-2010, 11:28 AM
 
20,273 posts, read 33,003,811 times
Reputation: 2911
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey View Post
Name projects , biking outside Major cities is not considered a form of Transportation more like Recreational device.
Not considered transportation by whom? It is people moving from one place to another--that makes it transportation.

Now of course the purpose of these trips will mostly be recreation/tourism (although parts of the trail will also likely be used for commuting, such as in Pittsburgh). But I don't see people eliminating recreational/tourist trips from the ledger of airports, or highways, or . . . dare I say it? . . . TRAINS.

So trips for the purpose of recreation/tourism are still valid uses of public transportation infrastructure in these other contexts, including your favorite one. Hence, there is no valid reason for excluding bike trails from that analysis.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-20-2010, 11:30 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh area
9,912 posts, read 24,645,588 times
Reputation: 5163
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey View Post
Haha , your joking right? Probably not alot of tourism $$$ , lets ask those towns along the Appalachian trail how much tourism $$$ they rake in......
Spoken like someone who has no idea what they are talking about. There are trail towns in various spots all along the Appalachian Trail encompassing quite probably hundreds of businesses that exist mostly or solely to serve the folks hiking the trail. In fact, one of the unique things about the trail is that apart from the segment in the Great Smokies (TN/NC) and the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine, you're never more than 3-4 days from a town within a couple miles of the trail, close enough to resupply. You can hike 2100 miles all while carrying just a few days worth of food and other supplies.

Also, you do realize that little if any of the Appalachian Trail is on former railway alignments, right? The trail was first laid out over 70 years ago. Not all of it is on the original alignment of course, but it's a hiking trail, not a rail trail at all. The trail towns are even more necessary along the AT because people are always on foot.

A long distance trail like the Great Allegheny Passage, anything that invites a day-long or multi-day bicycle ride, will in turn result in the rise of trail-related businesses. There are already some developing along that route. It does, in fact, bring in $$ from the trail users. The entire trail system in question here allows riding between Pittsburgh and DC, although only part of that is a new rail trail. The Cumberland MD to DC segment is the C&O Canal towpath which has been used for walking and cycling for decades.

There's already a routing for current Pittsburgh to DC passenger rail, so in this case I can't see what is lost even from a rail fan perspective by putting a trail on this old alignment. I don't believe it would have been useful in a high-speed rail alignment really. Is that the argument? I don't know. I'm all for rail transport (passenger and freight), but the argument against this trail is not making any sense to me. There is more economically to be gained by the towns along the route with the trail use than there would be with any kind of train use I can think of.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-20-2010, 11:30 AM
 
Location: Lake Arlington Heights, IL
5,479 posts, read 12,257,268 times
Reputation: 2848
Default How'd you like it if I put down your railroading hobby?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey View Post
Name projects , biking outside Major cities is not considered a form of Transportation more like Recreational device.
And with the obesity epidemic, we certainly don't need anymore recreational "devices". I use the Madison Co., IL trail network when work brings me to Metro East area of St. Louis. The hotel within short, safe biking distance gets my business. The restaurants and coffee shops near the trails get my business. I respect what appears to be your railroading hobby. But to have the unused train line remain "fallow" is pointless. And your disrespect for cyclists is also. Cycling is actually one of the largest hobbies/sports in the country from a participation stand point. AND there is plenty of money going to local, county, state and national parks for recreation and this is an extension of that. Also plenty of public money going to highways, with too many of them not being built with a wide enough shoulder for cyclists to use-thus the joy when we get a recreational "device" we can use without the danger of inattentive drivers.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-20-2010, 11:34 AM
 
20,273 posts, read 33,003,811 times
Reputation: 2911
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey View Post
Which Rail Companies i need names to verify that....
CSX was the big one.

Quote:
I haven't heard any Capacity adding things Amtrak is doing.....then again that might be in a few years when the new cars come.
Here is an article on the subject:

Better Amtrak service for bikers still around the bend

Quote:
As for the Pittsburgh - DC HSR line that will be built between 2025-2040....
I hope you are right. In any event, nothing about this trail would conflict with a new HSR line.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Pennsylvania > Pittsburgh

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:45 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top