 |
Re: Restoring PAssenger Rail Service To Monterey
Author: Carol L. Voss
Date: 08-12-2013 - 15:01
Gary Hunter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Carol, I have entertained a similar vision of rail
> service to Monterey for years. The idea which I
> entertained was to use conventional rail to an
> intermodal and park/ride facility on the onetime
> Fort Ord property, and make the remainder of the
> line into Monterey proper a light rail line. The
> most important part, with which you seem to agree,
> is that the MBA be served.
I hate to get back into this writhing can of politically charged worms, but since you address me directly I will respond by saying that the idea of a park/ride facility on the Ft. Ord property has already been roundly denied by the powerful Coastal Commission and the very vocal environmental protectors of the Snowy Plover, some years back. It would take some hefty bribery to get this even discussed once more. IT makes sense to put such a facility there but what makes sense and what becomes reality often don't match.
As to serving the MBA, I was a volunteer guide there for 11 years and am all too familiar with the role the MBA plays in the tourism industry. Were you to run lite rail to the MBA, you would have to run it either on Cannery Row itself which is far too narrow to accommodate both light rail and auto traffic, and if you remove auto traffic etc you will light the fuses of all the merchants along the way--------or you would have to run it down the old ROW which is the highly utilized rec trail. As of now, there is a trolley car bus which runs a circuit from the wharf in Monterey to Pacific Grove with stops at the MBA and many other places. This runs from May to October, IIRC.
This does not
> absolutely preclude freight, either. It would
> just require compliance with similar rules of
> operation that allow freight on the San Diego
> line. Where this concept becomes very interesting
> is when you consider connecting to the Santa Cruz
> County rail line. This connection could be either
> by adjacent track addition along the UP Coast, or
> operational agreement. Being able to "ring the
> Bay" seems like a very plausible tourist magnet,
> as well as offering commute-time relief.
See above reference to the Coastal Commission. And if you are going to involve the UP from Castroville to WVJ, then you have just opened another can of worms because UP has made it abundantly clear to the JPB that any thought of extending the commutes below Gilroy to Salinas (which makes sense) will involve considerable cash outlay to upgrade their system, double tracking, CTC and etc. to allow more trains on their tracks. Connecting to the Santa Cruz branch at WVJ also makes sense but there is the small matter of major bridge repairs between WVJ and Capitola which make px travel rather problematic, particularly in view of the current rather bad news about the financial health of the Iowa Pacific etc.
If
> Monterey Co. ever chose to pursue such an idea, it
> seems that a rail or bus connection to Laguna Seca
> and a relocated fairgrounds could add to the
> attraction. Being able to host large events and
> tourist numbers without automotive congestion
> would seem to be a formula equally applicable to
> Santa Cruz and Monterey.
Where might they relocate the fairgrounds?? To Fort Ord? With 33+ govermental agencies involved with the management of that acreage, one could just get in line with all of the current warfare activities of the Veterans for the cemetery, the horse people for the racetrack, the hotel developers for etc. etc. etc. and above all, the KEEP FORT ORD OPEN SPACE people who want absolutely NO more development there, just hiking and biking trails.
All of your ideas are laudatory----and yes, it would be wonderful to once more board the Del Monte and be served in the lounge by the legendary Eddie Elkins, but it would seem that civilization as we know it today in Monterey county has encroached too far to return to "the old days" with any ease or without any monstrously sizeable cash outlay by the already beleagered tax payers of Monterey County.
Nice talking to you! :-)
C.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Carol, I have entertained a similar vision of rail
> service to Monterey for years. The idea which I
> entertained was to use conventional rail to an
> intermodal and park/ride facility on the onetime
> Fort Ord property, and make the remainder of the
> line into Monterey proper a light rail line. The
> most important part, with which you seem to agree,
> is that the MBA be served.
I hate to get back into this writhing can of politically charged worms, but since you address me directly I will respond by saying that the idea of a park/ride facility on the Ft. Ord property has already been roundly denied by the powerful Coastal Commission and the very vocal environmental protectors of the Snowy Plover, some years back. It would take some hefty bribery to get this even discussed once more. IT makes sense to put such a facility there but what makes sense and what becomes reality often don't match.
As to serving the MBA, I was a volunteer guide there for 11 years and am all too familiar with the role the MBA plays in the tourism industry. Were you to run lite rail to the MBA, you would have to run it either on Cannery Row itself which is far too narrow to accommodate both light rail and auto traffic, and if you remove auto traffic etc you will light the fuses of all the merchants along the way--------or you would have to run it down the old ROW which is the highly utilized rec trail. As of now, there is a trolley car bus which runs a circuit from the wharf in Monterey to Pacific Grove with stops at the MBA and many other places. This runs from May to October, IIRC.
This does not
> absolutely preclude freight, either. It would
> just require compliance with similar rules of
> operation that allow freight on the San Diego
> line. Where this concept becomes very interesting
> is when you consider connecting to the Santa Cruz
> County rail line. This connection could be either
> by adjacent track addition along the UP Coast, or
> operational agreement. Being able to "ring the
> Bay" seems like a very plausible tourist magnet,
> as well as offering commute-time relief.
See above reference to the Coastal Commission. And if you are going to involve the UP from Castroville to WVJ, then you have just opened another can of worms because UP has made it abundantly clear to the JPB that any thought of extending the commutes below Gilroy to Salinas (which makes sense) will involve considerable cash outlay to upgrade their system, double tracking, CTC and etc. to allow more trains on their tracks. Connecting to the Santa Cruz branch at WVJ also makes sense but there is the small matter of major bridge repairs between WVJ and Capitola which make px travel rather problematic, particularly in view of the current rather bad news about the financial health of the Iowa Pacific etc.
If
> Monterey Co. ever chose to pursue such an idea, it
> seems that a rail or bus connection to Laguna Seca
> and a relocated fairgrounds could add to the
> attraction. Being able to host large events and
> tourist numbers without automotive congestion
> would seem to be a formula equally applicable to
> Santa Cruz and Monterey.
Where might they relocate the fairgrounds?? To Fort Ord? With 33+ govermental agencies involved with the management of that acreage, one could just get in line with all of the current warfare activities of the Veterans for the cemetery, the horse people for the racetrack, the hotel developers for etc. etc. etc. and above all, the KEEP FORT ORD OPEN SPACE people who want absolutely NO more development there, just hiking and biking trails.
All of your ideas are laudatory----and yes, it would be wonderful to once more board the Del Monte and be served in the lounge by the legendary Eddie Elkins, but it would seem that civilization as we know it today in Monterey county has encroached too far to return to "the old days" with any ease or without any monstrously sizeable cash outlay by the already beleagered tax payers of Monterey County.
Nice talking to you! :-)
C.
