BOB R Wrote:
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>
>
> What needs to be done is convincing the other 95%
> of Americans that having rail and other mass
> transit alternatives is both good transportation
> policy and effective gummint. The trouble is that
> the successes of our commuter rails and public
> transit in removing cars off the road and
> improving the overal traffic situration has only
> recently been studied by ecoonmetric methods.
> Anecdotes from the past to now are fine but hard
> data is only recently being collected. The
> analysis is certainly supportive of our point of
> view, but still only an inch wide and and inch
> deep.

Studies would be fine, but, I think you'd find them disappointing. Data may show x numbers of riders using mass transit from point a to point b, but, they may not show the variable social costs and impacts caused by these systems.

Chicago installed commuter rail in the 1850's and urban elevated railroads in the 1890's. The effective result of these systems was/is urban sprawl.

If you live in the Chicago, have easy access to the cta's el, and desire to travel to another point in the city that is near the cta's el, then the el is an effective, relatively inexpensive way to go. However, if your destination requires use of the cta's buses, you drive. For no other reason than it's faster. Maintaining a POV in the city is an expensive chore, but you do so anyway.

Likewise, Metra has reduced the number of vehicles traveling from the suburbs to Chicago, to the city's relief, but, it has greatly increased the traffic congestion in the suburbs. For all practical purposes, feeder bus service is non-existent, hence commuters flock to stations in their POVs, causing local congestion.

And, Metra installed a station and outlying yard at Elburn, IL. The citizens of Elburn suffer from the orange glow of yard lights and the endless drone of idling locomotives, yet derive no practical benefit from the yard, nor really, the station. Most users of the station arrive in their POVs from points well outside Elburn, causing congestion within the town, without adding value.
>
> When it gets deeper, then we can sing the tune and
> it will resonate with taxpayers and taxing
> authorities.

It really doesn't resonate, well, actually it resonates, till the social/economic bills come due. See examples above. Note the case of the congestion caused by the lack of feeder buses. This lack is due to the cost of the services that society just can't/won't afford. And note the potential loss of property values suffered by those who live near a commuter facility. I could hear those idling Metra engines at my house 5 miles from the yard.

>
> There's no advantage to treat anti mass transit
> people with disdain, unless you want to turn them
> off forever.

Rather than treating anti-mass transit people with disdain, you might want to look at the situation from their point of view. Mass transit, while effective, isn't wine and roses, there is a very large social/economic cost involved, and not necessarily for the good.

Have a good afternoon.