 |
Re: Wow, without Amtrak in rural America, it sounds so bleak.....?
Author: BOB2
Date: 05-10-2019 - 13:25
Comrade, this is not beloved "mother" Russia, they actually have most of those things in rural America, postal service, internet, Walmart, hell even Amazon delivers. And, in many towns, there are doctors, even without Amtrak service, believe it, or not...?
The question seems to be, is Amtrak service on long distance routes a "vital" need of some kind for any of the very "tiny" fraction of rural American communities that actually have it...? Is Amtrak service a nice thing to have up in Montana, if you're sending your kid off to college in Spokane, in the winter? Yeah, sure it is. But, most of Montana ain't got no service at all, and they seem to be doing just fine.
Are there rural areas or towns along the line of the proposed Colorado "front range" service that would benefit from intercity service between the big cities in the I-25 corridor? Yeah, sure there are, and some of them would want service. They'll be able to get to Denver more easily, to access "big city" things (like say the airport or like more advanced medical care?), without dealing with the traffic congestion.
So, there are cases, like in CA's central valley, where service between major population centers, can also provide rural service, and can generate ridership. But, for most of rural America, that is neither a realistic thing to expect given the costs and the benefits, nor is it a "vital" service that makes or breaks the local economy.
The question seems to be, is Amtrak service on long distance routes a "vital" need of some kind for any of the very "tiny" fraction of rural American communities that actually have it...? Is Amtrak service a nice thing to have up in Montana, if you're sending your kid off to college in Spokane, in the winter? Yeah, sure it is. But, most of Montana ain't got no service at all, and they seem to be doing just fine.
Are there rural areas or towns along the line of the proposed Colorado "front range" service that would benefit from intercity service between the big cities in the I-25 corridor? Yeah, sure there are, and some of them would want service. They'll be able to get to Denver more easily, to access "big city" things (like say the airport or like more advanced medical care?), without dealing with the traffic congestion.
So, there are cases, like in CA's central valley, where service between major population centers, can also provide rural service, and can generate ridership. But, for most of rural America, that is neither a realistic thing to expect given the costs and the benefits, nor is it a "vital" service that makes or breaks the local economy.
