Pdxrailtransit Wrote:
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> ODOT has spent bazillions on widening and
> straightening this widow maker...all of the people
> I saw in Astoria getting back on the train...

Let's see. 200 riders on the train. Not a single car of revenue freight in over two decades.

U.S. 20 carries 5,000 vehicles a day over the Coast Range summit, including loaded freight trucks in both directions, buses, and private vehicles.

If I only have X number of dollars, where should I spend it...a rail line that has received numerous grants of assistance and has been an utter failure (zero freight prospect for Astoria, failed ethanol plant upriver, insufficient population for passenger rail service, very limited tourism season, buses provide essential transportation without subsidy), or to a highway that has a clearly defined economic benefit and need (supports hundreds of jobs in Newport and Toledo that export goods, allows shipment of needed goods into Lincoln County)?

Think of it this way: When the Tillamook Line shut down, zero jobs were lost. In fact Hampton shut down its Willamina and Fort Hill (now dismantled) mills (which had rail access) at the depth of the economic recession but kept the Tillamook mill (sans rail service) open. When the Coos Bay Line shut down, there were a handful of lost jobs but no business closures related to the line; it could be argued that due to the economy those jobs would have been lost anyways.

If U.S. 20 shuts down, do you think Georgia-Pacific would remain in Toledo?

Astoria has attracted visitors from cruise ships - far more people contributing to the local economy at one time than the train. Imagine if Oregon made a concerted effort to attract a cruise line company to make port stops in Astoria, Newport and Coos Bay - all of which would need only minimal investment as they already have deep-draft ship berths. We could attract some of the money currently flowing north to Alaska and B.C., with only a small outlay and virtually no ongoing operating losses to worry about.