Subways as another world

We are going to go away from the US for this month's movie, Kontroll (Hungary, 2003) a movie that creates its own world out of the fictional lives of ticket inspectors in the Budapest subway. The main character lives in the subway, and within the movie it is the world above ground that seems to be fictional. This is an accomplishment because the Budapest metro is not that big.

Someone should make a movie about the Paris metro as its own world. You could actually live there.

The movie is not available for streaming anywhere (legally), but the DVD is available for rent from Netflix.

Happy New Year!

Chicago-St. Louis high-speed line is actually under construction

In September, the state of Illinois started upgrading a ninty-mile stretch of track between Alton and Lincoln. Earlier this week that state, the US Department of Transportation, Amtrak, and the Union Pacific Railroad announced that they had come to an agreement that would allow the trains to run on time AND allow significant freight traffic in the corridor. The next phase of construction will start in the spring when the track between Lincoln and Alton will be upgraded. All upgrades should be done in the spring.

I-70 Collaborative Effort (???)

The next meeting of the I-70 Collaborative Effort is going to be on Friday, December 3 from 8:30 to noon in Silverthorne.

Now I am a board member of an organization that is supposedly a part of this effort, and I don't really know what this is. It appears that the members might get to decide what happens to the I-70 corridor rather than CDOT doing what the public wants. It is at the Silverthorne Pavilions which actually would be a good place for a protest. I might see if I can get a couple of people to go up with me and we can ask the shoppers at the outlet malls what they would like to see happen with the area.

Here are the details:
I-70 Collaborative Effort Meeting
8:30 am - 12 pm
Silverthorne Pavilions
400 Blue River Parkway
Silverthorne, CO

The public can comment sometime between 11 am and noon.

Example of a Car-Free Life - "They Live"

Starting in a freight yard full of moving trains, John Carpenter's "They Live" is a told from the point of view of people who live without a car. From the beginning of the film when a policeman gets out of a car to silence a street preacher, cars are connected with oppression and with power. In fact, the one working class hero of the film who owns a car loses it in the process of learning the truth. Nada, the film's hero, walks throughout the film.

Jonathem Lethem recently put together a slide show analysis of "They Live" on Salon.com based on his book. In it he notes that the movie obviously takes place in Los Angeles, but that L.A.'s car culture is absent. Mr. Lethem may not realize that 25% of Angeleno households are car-free. In fact, the transportation profile of Los Angeles makes it an ideal setting for a movie based on class-conflict as most households that are car-free because the people who live in them are too poor to afford a car. This is different from many other large US cities where many people choose to use transit even though they can afford to buy a car.

And now I have made this movie sound like a serious exploration of Marxism or something when in fact it is a kick-ass action movie. With cheesy aliens. Watch the clip below for one of the best lines in movie history. (WARNING: SPOILERS)



"They Live" is available through Netflix and is showing on AMC on Friday, December 10 at 11 pm.

ColoRail Member Meeting

The Colorado Department of Transportation has a new Rail and Transit Division, and of course that division has a new director, Mark Imhoff, who was instrumental in getting Denver's first light rail line built.

Mr. Imhoff is coming to the next Colorado Rail Passenger Association Member Meeting. Yay! We might even have the chance to give him suggestions.

We are meeting on Saturday, November 20 at 10:30 at the Englewood Community Center and Library. Mr. Imhoff's section starts at 10:45. At 11:45 the Board will ask the members what they would like us to be working on.

The Englewood Community Center is on light rail line D. Bus routes 0, 12, and 27 come right next to the center.

Comments on the plans for I-70.

It looks like the plan for I-70 is to build a monorail/maglev on a raised track from Eagle County Airport In Gypsum near Glenwood Springs to the intersection of I-70 and C-470 in Morrison and to widen sections of the highway and some highway intersections. No mention of buses. No mention of possible ways to get people out of the I-70 corridor.

At the public meeting that I attended, fourteen peoplespoke. A majority spoke in favor of improved bus service. I believe only two people supported widening the road in any section.

I am concerned that the raised structure that will be carrying the monorail/maglev is being referred to as an "Advanced Guideway System" when in fact there is nothing inherently advanced it.

Here is the comment that I submitted to the I-70 team:

I am concerned that the rail portion of the I-70 project is being designed for looks rather than usability or even modernity. What makes a train modern is not necessarily the track (rail on steel vs. maglev). A modern train has modern signals. A modern train has a modern dispatch system. A modern train has operators, both on the train, and in the operations offices, who are both well-trained and well-paid. In the last ten years, we have seen new kinds of engines and new kinds of wheels. There are trains that look exactly like the trains of fifty years ago that are wonders of modern engineering. And there are trains that look very modern that in fact don’t work very well and are in fact quite primitive.

As rail systems across the USA are being modernized, Colorado is falling behind. People in Colorado are still being forced to drive as train ridership across the country increases every year. We need a rail system that connects into the nation’s system, and we need a system that serves Colorado’s citizens.

Today is the last day to submit comments.

Why Don't People Take the Bus?

Sometimes because they don't know there is one available.

On his blog Justin Nelson tells about seeing a bus that he could have taken home from Las Vegas during his drive back. His post is a good source for people who are looking for alternatives to Greyhound for intercity bus service from the Los Angeles area.

Water Pollution: Cars vs. Transit

Everyone knows that cars produces air pollution, but many people are not aware of the amount of water pollution that they produce. Cars pollute the water ways buy grinding up roads and their own tires; the dust produced runs into waterways when it rains. In addition, the oil used as lubricant is constantly leaking out. In addition, some irresponsible car owners dump used oil directly into storm drains. Overall, more oil is dumped into our nation's waterways than was spilled following the Deepwater tragedy in the Gulf.

Doesn't most of this apply to buses also? Yes, except that most buses transport many, many more people compared to the surface area of their tires and the amount of oil that they use compared to cars. People who maintain buses professionally are much less likely to dispose of used oil improperly.

Trains cause even less water pollution. Train tracks take up less space than roads, and the tracks themselves are made of less toxic materials than asphalt. Train tracks are more water permeable than roads. Permeability matters because this keeps pollutants from pooling in one area. There are many chemicals that are harmless or even beneficial in small quantities are toxic in large concentrations.

For example, if one hundred people take a supplement with 10mg of iron every day, their health may improve. But if only person takes that entire amount, 1g , it would eventually kill them. Covering a large percentage of our cities with concrete and asphalt encourages rainwater to pool in limited areas and for pollutants to also pool in those areas, allowing chemical concentrations to reach dangerous levels.

Public transit not only uses oil more efficiently than cars do, buses and trains use space more efficiently as well. Using space more efficiently leaves us more places for parks and open space.

I-70 to be widened? get a monorail? better bus service?

Right now the Colorado Department of Transportation is deciding what to do about traffic congestion on I-70. Should we widen the highway, add more bus service, increase the number of trains, build a monorail? Links to the various parts of the actual plan for I-70 can be found at 2010 Revised Draft PEIS. The sections that I read were not written in any known human language, but when they added the Denver meeting maybe they added actual English. Right now it seems that CDOT is proposing to widen I-70 in some places, add bus service, and build a monorail.

As of today (Monday, October 4) there are four public meetings. All meetings start at 5pm with an Open House and an opportunity to submit written comments. At 6pm a presentation starts. After 6:30, the public can submit verbal comments until 8pm. Current information is available at I-70 Mountain Corridor. I will list each meeting as I learn about it along with information about how to get there on public transit.

Tuesday, October 5, Silverthorne
Silverthorne Pavilions
400 Blue River Parkway
Silverthorne Pavilions is two blocks east on Fourth of the Silverthorne Transfer Center. Hourly free buses run around downtown Silverthorne and to Frisco, Dillon, Keystone until well past the end of the meeting. There does not seem to be any bus service to most of the residential areas of Silverthorne.

Wednesday, October 6, Clear Creek County
Clear Creek County High School
185 Beaver Brook Drive
Technically, this is in Evergreen, but it is nowhere near what people think of as the city of Evergreen, and is far outside of the RTD's service area. There is no bus service to this location. (Poor kids)

Thursday, October 7, Eagle
Eagle County Fairgrounds
0426 Fairgrounds Road
ECO Transit provides bus service within Eagle County. I am not sure which bus stop is the closest, but it is possible to walk to the meeting location along 5th Street from the Eagle County Building stop. Buses run through downtown Eagle to Vail, Avon, Edwards, and Gypsum. A roundtrip costs the same as a day pass ($8), so I recommend getting the pass just in case. In the evening, buses run more frequently to Gypsum (hourly) than to Vail, Avon and Edwards (every two or three hours). You have to call 970-328-3520 two hours in advance for pickup from some locations, but not for any downtown stops.

Thursday, October 21, Denver
CDOT Headquarters, Auditorium
4201 East Arkansas Avenue
CDOT Headquarters are located one block east of Colorado Boulevard between Louisiana and Arkansas Avenues. On Google Maps it looks like you can enter from both Louisiana and Arkansas, which is good because the 40 stops on Louisiana. The 79 runs along E. Florida to both the University of Denver and Nine Mile Light Rail Stations. This bus also stops on Colorado, although Bellaire may be a closer stop for people coming from the east. The 46 runs along Birch Street. Be careful, though. The last buses for this route come within the half hour after the meeting ends.

Comments can also be submitted online until November 8 at I-70 Mountain Corridor Contact Form.

Does Senator Michael Bennet support funding trains?

I just read on the California High Speed Rail Blog, that Senator Michael Bennet opposes infrastructure spending. I support him if he opposes widening more highways, but it seems that he may oppose stable long-term funding for rail as well.

I think the we as citizens of the US need to invest in jobs. The more people who are working, the higher our tax revenues will be. And if we end our addiction to oil, we won't have to spend billions on wars to get it.

RTD (Denver Metro) is having public about the budget shortfall

Denver Metro area transit needs $18 million just to keep the service that we have now. Meanwhile, a $20 billion project to widen one area highway looks like it will get federal dollars. Luckily, we do have an opportunity to make our voices heard. RTD is holding public meetings about the proposed fare increase. Perhaps together we can figure out a way to come up with the money.

Here is the schedule by date:

Monday, September 13 - all 6 pm

Aurora

Aurora Center for Active Adults

30 Del Mar Circle

Bus Routes: 6 (hourly at night) and 121 (every half hour)

Littleton

Ken-Caryl Ranch House Recreation Center

7676 S. Continental Divide Road

Bus Routes: 401 (last bus at 8:18 going east, last buses at 8:59 and 10:29 going west)

Westminster

City Park Recreation Center

10455 Sheridan Boulevard

Bus routes: 104 (last bus at 7:20 going east, last bus at 7:13 going west) Usually, I would not recommend a bus that stops so early, but the 51 stops serving this location even earlier. There are no other choices.

Wednesday, September 15 - 6 pm

Englewood

Englewood Civic Center (right next to Englewood Station)

1000 Englewood Parkway

Light Rail: D (every fifteen minutes)

Bus Routes: 0 (every fifteen minutes), 12 (hourly), 51 (hourly)

The 27 and 35 also stop here, but may stop running too early to be useful.

Thursday, September 16 - 6pm

Denver

Park Hill Golf Club

4141 E. 35th Avenue (May actually be on Colorado Boulevard.)

Bus Routes: 40 (every fifteen minutes), 44 (hourly), 24 (every half hour until 8:24, last bus at 9:24)

Denver (again)

RTD offices

1600 Blake Street (above Market Street Station)

Bus Routes: all that go downtown, take the free downtown shuttle from light rail

Northglenn

Northglenn Recreation Center

11801 Community Center Drive

Bus Routes: Depends on whether or not this location is walkable from the Wagon Road ParknRide. According to Google Maps, the nearest bus route is the 7. I will need to research further.

Monday, September 20 - various times

Boulder - 6pm

West Boulder Senior Center

909 Arapahoe Road

Bus Routes: JUMP (every half hour). The B, SKIP, DASH, 204, and 203 all stop within walking distance.

Lakewood - 7pm (note that this meeting starts later than most of the others)

Clements Community Center

1580 Yarrow Street

Bus Routes: 16/16L (every fifteen to twenty minutes), 76 (every half hour)

There is a short walk from the bus stops to the community center.

Longmont - 6pm

Longmont Senior Center

910 Longs Peak Avenue

Bus Routes: As far as I can tell, the only bus that runs in Longmont in the evening is the Boulder/Longmont bus, the BOLT. It runs hourly.

Wednesday, September 22 - 6pm

Arvada

The Apex Center

13150 W. 72nd Avenue

Bus Routes: none?

Aurora (Second Meeting)

Heather Gardens Community Center

2888 S. Heather Gardens Way

Bus Routes: none? Is the 130 in walking distance?

Littleton

Douglas H. Buck Community Recreation Center

2004 W. Powers Avenue

Light Rail: D (every fifteen minutes). You have to walk out of the station area and then across the tracks.

Bus Route: 66 (every half hour) This is the route that runs closest to the center, but any route that runs to Littleton Station is within walking distance. Just remember that most buses stop south of the station and that the center is north and east of the tracks.

Thursday, September 23 - 6pm

Denver

Quigg Newton Senior Center

4430 Navajo Street

Bus Routes: 6 (every half hour until 7:58, hourly until 10:58), 52 (hourly) Both buses stop on W. 46th and on Lipan, two to three blocks away.

Parker

Parker Recreation Center

17301 E. Lincoln Avenue

Bus Routes: none?

Friday, September 24 - noon

Denver

RTD Offices (second meeting)

1600 Blake

Bus Routes: all that go downtown. Take the free downtown shuttle from the light rail.

Well, we now know that the RTD planners are not taking the bus to these events.

Movie: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

This movie starts by showing someone being trained how to operate a train according to international standards, something that is more rare than it should be in the US. The recent remake leaves this part out, only one of the many ways that the first version is superior to the second.

This movie is more of a character study than an action film although the fact that this how people actually act makes the action more realistic. This movie is not for the overly sensitive, especially in its depiction of racism and sexism. It is all realistic, unlike the remake.

I especially like the part where the subway managers from Tokyo reveal that they understand everything that has been said around them, insults and all.

A DVD of this movie is available through Netflix. It used to be available for streaming through Hulu, but now Hulu only has clips.

Chicago

Of Interest: downtown Chicago which includes the theater district, the Chicago Board of Trade, museums, and several universities

Hotels: Of course, at all prices and qualities

Grocery Store: Several small markets downtown. A Whole Foods is visible from the tracks, but not from the station.

Other Transit: City buses run by the station. Buses in Chicago run in a grid pattern. An El station is a short walk to the north. The loop is across the bridge. Just walk straight ahead. Besides the "L", multiple bus lines also end at the loop

ATM: in station

Lockers: yes, but $3.00/an hour

Chicago's original downtown is the to east of the station. Many commercial offices have moved north to the Golden Mile, but the futures market, the Chicago Board of Trade, is still here. Most of this area is now devoted to shopping. Chicago's theater district is to the northeast of the station while bars that serve the student population are to the southeast. The lake, and the park that runs along it, is a 30 minute walk to the east.

If you are walking to the South Loop are, Van Buren is the southmost street you can walk east without having to deal with a highway or a major road. All "L" trains meet at the Loop. The red subway line runs underneath.

Amtrak and Metra trains run from Union Station to neighboring states and the rest of the country.

Chicago is the transfer hub between trains heading east and trains heading west. Daily Amtrak trains run to New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Dallas, and New Orleans and all major locations in between. Amtrak also runs multiple trains within Illinois and to neighboring states. A daily train runs to Indianapolis, IN in six hours. Also daily is train that takes four hours to get to Grand Rapids, MI. Running to the other end of Michigan, a daily train takes seven hours to get to Port Huron while three trains a day run to Detroit in five and a half hours. These two lines split at Battle Creek which is three hours from Chicago.

Trains run twice daily to Quincy, IL (four and a half hours). Along the way they stop in Galesburg where Illinois service splits from the California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief. Lincoln Service runs four times a day along the Texas Eagle route to St. Louis, five and a half hours away. The last stop within Illinois is Alton. Carbondale is also five and a half hours away, although this train runs less often, three times a day, and follows the route of the City of New Orleans.

Probably the most frequent interstate train coming out of Chicago is the Hiawatha which runs seven times a day in each direction, taking an hour and a half to get between Chicago and Milwaukee. This route parallels the Empire Builder and Metra's Milwaukee District North Line.

Metra operates eleven train lines into Illinois suburbs to the west, south, and north of Chicago. The last stop of one line, Union Pacific North, is in Wisconsin at Kenosha. Metra does not run to anywhere in Indiana. Six of these lines run from Union Station while another three run from Ogilvie Transportation Center, a short walk to the north. The other two run from stations that are just south of downtown.

Most lines do not connect. Exceptions are the Rock Island and Heritage Corridor lines which both end in Joliet, a little more than an hour away. Only Rock Island runs from Union Station and it is peak hours only in the direction of commuter traffic.

Take action to put more buses and trains on our streets

A previous post mentioned the Public Transportation Preservation Act (S 3412 and HR 5418) which would provide federal money to restore bus and train service that has been cut throughout the nation.

Cars get a subsidy from every tax that we pay. We pay for cars through property taxes, income taxes, sales taxes, and miscellaneous fees. Buses and trains deserve the same level of support. Some car people who want to widen a single highway in my state are looking for $20 billion in subsidies. The Public Transportation Preservation Act would restore bus and train service throughout the country for only $2 billion.

Also, to show that people in the US will ride trains, we need to actually run them. Cuts create declining ridership which gives a weapon to train opponents.

I hope that you will all send letters to your Representatives and Senators through the online petition at Change.org.

Tell Congress to pass the Public Transportation Preservation Act

Southern California by Transit

Wondering what you can see or do in southern California without a car. Riding in Riverside has three guides to help you. Most destinations are in Orange or Riverside Counties.

Amusement Parks

Beaches & The Outdoors

Museums, Zoos and Other Attractions

Riverside is the second stop after Los Angeles on the Southwest Chief. It is also on three Metrolink lines that run to Los Angeles, Orange County, and the beach. In fact, if you are at the beach and it rains, you might be able to use this site to to visit one of southern California's historic towns.

(Remember, it is almost always good when it rains in southern California.)

Amtrak and the ADA

You have may have noted that many train stations in the US are not handicapped accessible. In addition, many trains are not handicapped accessible either. You may have wondered if Amtrak is aware of this problem. According to the public relations office in Chicago, they do know that this is a problem.

Amtrak is legally supposed to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but they have not actually gotten any money to bring achieve that compliance. This the first year in my memory that Amtrak has come close to being fully funded, and they are spending that money on new train sets. These train sets should be much more accessible than the ones they have now, but it will take a few years before they are actually in service.

There are two things that you can do to promote accessible train stations. If you are concerned about a particular station in your state, you can your representatives of the state legislature. If you concerned about the overall problem, you can contact your Senators and Representative and ask them to vote to fund accessible train stations.

Movie: The Station Agent

An example of a car-free life. With trains watching.

You can get the DVD through Netflix.

High Speed Rail Funding is Safe

The NARP has been hearing reports that certain Republicans would be trying to eliminate high speed rail from the current Appropriations bill. Luckily, this has not happened.

Pittsburgh

Of Interest: downtown, multiple theaters, Pitts Fort, PNC Park, Andy Warhol museum

Tourist Office: no

Restrooms: cleaned with bleach just before the first train arrived at 5 am

Hotels: multiple

ATM: several banks are a 15 to 20 minute walk away

Groceries: There are a couple of small markets downtown. There is a regular-sized grocery store is back along the tracks across a highway. This may or may not be walkable.

Other transit: Bus bay parallel to the tracks. Regional and local buses stop here. Greyhound is across the street from the station exit. There is a subway stop within walking distance, but it is not easy to find.

An amazing number of people are awake early in the morning in Pittsburgh, but there are not many businesses open early. If you are looking for a place to eat after getting off the early morning train, walk down Liberty Avenue to Smithfield. Walking further down Liberty will take you further into downtown. Liberty Avenue ends at Point State Park which is the location of Fort Pitt, where Pittsburgh was founded.

PNC Park, the home of the Pirates, is just across from downtown via the Roberto Clemente (6th Street) Bridge. The Andy Warhol Museum is on the same side of the river.

Two daily Amtrak routes pass through Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvanian leaves early in the morning and then returns late in the evening. This train takes five and a half hours to arrive at Harrisburg, seven and a half to get to Philadelphia and finally ends in New York City, nine and a half hours later. Pittsburgh is in the middle of the Capitol Limited. This train takes five and a half hours to arrive at Harrisburg, seven and a half to get to Philadelphia and finally ends in New York City, nine and a half hours later. Pittsburgh is an intermediate stop on the Capitol Limited route. Going north and west, the Capitol Limited is an overnight train to Chicago that stops in Cleveland and Toledo during the night. Going the other direction, it leaves very early in the morning to go to Washington, DC, eight hours away. The train coming into Pittsburgh from DC arrives in the evening.

Rockville, MD to Silverpring, MD

If you are going between Rockville, MD and Silver Spring, MD during rush hour, it my be quicker to take a MARC train than the metro. These stops are more than forty-five minutes apart by metro train, but only fifteen minutes by MARC.

(Just a note based on my research for Washington, DC post for those of you from out of town.)

Washington, DC

Of Interest: Our nation's Capitol, The Smithsonian, historic buildings

Hotels: yes, all expensive

Tourist Office: no, but there is a traveler's aid station

Accessible: Sort of. The station is confusing for people with visual impairments and elevators are sometimes poorly placed, especially for someone getting off a train

ATM: Citibank has a branch in the mall building

Restrooms: clean with multiple locations in the station itself

Grocery store: Some groceries can be bought at a store in the mall, otherwise there is a grocery store in the neighborhood to the left and behind the station.

Other transit: There is a bus bay on top of the station. The downtown circulator stops here. City tour buses stop out front. The Greyhound bus station is to the right, behind the station. Please note that some Greyhound buses stop on top of the train station and that multiple companies provide intercity service to DC. There is a subway station in front.

An entrance to the street will be straight in front of you when you come up from the tracks, you just have to go around the store in between. Most of the station building is taken up with a mall, and exits are not clearly marked. The station management wants you to spend money.

The same goes for finding the Capitol area. It is not clear where it is, but it is basically straight ahead when you come out of the station, maybe a little to the left. Go toward the greenest place you can, and you may come upon something you recognize. There is a circulator bus that goes to all the major DC locations and neighborhoods that leaves from the bus bay on top of the station.

The Smithsonian has a location just to the right of the station and several are within walking distance. The Smithsonian is actually a collection of museums, so not all locations are within walking distance of the station.

Washington is on multiple train routes run by multiple companies. The Union Station website has very little transit information other than that the station is on the red Metro line and a list of the train companies. Management encourages you to drive. (?????)

So if I miss anything, let me know.

As I said before, Union Station is on the red line of the Metrorail system. The red line forms a U shape that begins and ends in Maryland. It takes about forty minutes to get to Shady Grove, MD at one end and 25 minutes to get to the other end at Glenmont, MD. Rockville, MD is one stop from Shady Grove. Several trains do not run from one end to the other, but run between Grosvenor-Strathmore, MD and Shady Grove, MD, a forty minute trip in total.

Union Station DC, Rockville, and Shady Grove are all stops on the MARC's Brunswick line. Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) runs three train lines from West Virginia and Maryland to Union Station DC. All lines run workdays only. Check schedules carefully, especially the farther you get from DC. It appears that each train has a unique set of stations that it stops at so times are approximate.

The Brunswick Line takes two hours to get to Martinsburg, WV, an hour and forty minutes to get to Frederick, MD, an hour and a half to get to Brunswick, MD, an hour to get to Germantown, half an hour to get to Rockville, and twenty minutes to get to Silver Spring. All trains stop at Germantown, Metropolitan Grove, Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Silver Spring. There is a small surcharge for traveling into or from West Virginia. This line runs into DC in the morning and away in the afternoon. This line connects with the red line at Rockville and Silver Spring.

The Camden Line runs both ways during rush hour. This route takes an hour to an hour and twenty minutes to run between DC and Baltimore's Camden Station. All trains stop in Dorsey, Savage, Laurel, and Muikirk (about half an hour away). This line connects with the green line at Greenbelt and College Park.

The Penn Line starts at north of Baltimore in Perry, MD (an hour and 25 minutes) then runs to Baltimore's Penn Station (one hour), continues on to Baltimore-Washinton International (BWI) Airport (forty minutes) and then heads south to Union Station DC. Trains run all day from early morning to late evening. There is work being done on the tracks right now, so times may change with very little notice.

Both of Virginia Railway Express (VRE)'s line also run to DC and also only run on work days. Unlike the MARC, VRE trains stop twice in DC, once at Union Station and once at L'Enfant. Both trains also serve Crystal City and Alexandria, VA (King Street Station). L'Enfant, Crystal City and King Street are all stops on the yellow metro line The last two are also stops on the blue line. Notice that some stops on some trains are get on or get off only. VRE multitrip or pass holders can use those passes and tickets on Amtrak trains that run along VRE's routes.

The Manassas Line takes an hour and fifteen to get from the Manassas area to DC. Morning trains into DC stop at all stops, the two afternoon trains only stop at select stations. One Amtrak train runs in each direction a day. All trains stop at Manassas, Alexandria's King Street Station, L'Enfant, and Union Station.

The Fredericksburg Line takes and hour and a half to run between Fredericksburg and Union Station. As of July 17, 2010, only one morning train skips some stops. Trains run into DC in the morning and back out again in the afternoon. Four Amtrak trains run along this route daily in each direction. This line connects with the blue line at Franconia/Springfield.

Which brings us to the company that runs the most trains, Amtrak. If you are traveling on Saturday or Sunday, you are going to be taking Amtrak. Also, if you are going to be traveling long-distance. Destinations served both by Amtrak and by commuter rail include Manassas, Alexandria, Fredericksburg, Baltimore, and BWI Airport. Long-distance trains from DC go to Lynchburg, Richmond, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Charlotte, Raleigh, Tampa, Miami, and Chicago. There is even a train that heads north to Vermont. Part of this list is the Acela Express, America's high speed train.

Right now many more people take the train between New York City and Washington, DC than fly. Expect these trains to be crowded and buy early to get a good price. Right now the base price for the Northeast Regional is only $49.

Yay for the Trinidad City Council

They are rebuilding the bathrooms at Trinidad Station. Good for them knowing what is important.

Estimating transit travel time in Boston

Are you traveling to the Boston area and are wondering how long it takes to get from one neighborhood to another? Like pretty pictures? Well, there is a website that can give you both. Dan Tillberg has created a visual representation of travel times by bus and train on the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority). Even though the site falsely assumes that everything always runs on time, the site gives you a good idea of what a trip is going to be like. In fact, you can often figure out if you have to transfer from the location of the drops.

Also, the site is fun to play with even if you are not going to Boston.

I originally got this link from Transit Boston.

A Way to Support Local Transit

Senator Chris Dodd recently introduced the Public Transportation Preservation Act (S. 3412) . So far only Senators from states with good transit are co-sponsoring this bill. This act would give local transit agencies money to maintain basic bus and train service, something that we are losing now.

The companion legislation in the House is HR 5418.

So please call your Senators and Representatives and ask them to co-sponsor this legislation.

An Unique Guide to the NY Subway

Ever gotten off the train or subway and then realized that you were actually a couple of blocks from where you thought you already were. If you are in New York City there is an iPhone application that can help you with that. ExitStrategyNYC can tell you where to stand on every subway platform in the city so that you are right next to your exit when you get off.

The app has also incorporated Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s neighborhood map to make a continuous, transit-oriented map of Manhattan. This is good, because the maps are too big to print, and may not be that useful for someone who is not already familiar with NYC. The app also includes bus maps.

ExitStrategyNYC for the iPhone gives information for all of New York City. A smaller version of this app is also available for BlackBerry and Android phones and also works on Amazon's Kindle. The lite version does not have subway or bus maps and Manhattan is the only borough with full coverage. The iPhone version costs $4.99. The lite versions cost from $3.99 to $0.99 depending on the platform you buy it for.

I have sent the company a message asking if this app is useful for handicapped riders who need to be use elevators or ramps. (Update: the app includes the location of elevators.)

Now someone needs to make something like this for the Seoul subway. Also, something to tell riders which escalators and elevators are not working in the DC metro.

USDOT Strategic Plan

The US Department of Transportation has posted their Strategic Plan for 2010 to 2015 online. This link leads to a starter page which has a link to the plan and a link to the comment page.

Please note that the plan is in PDF format, so it may automatically download to your computer.

You can login to comment with a variety of ID's, but if you have any privacy concerns, you register for this site only. Also, the comments are set up as a sort of popularity contest. If you feel strongly about something, you may want to check and see if there someone else has said something similar and vote for that comment.

Preventing Future Oil Spills

The best way to prevent future oil spills is for Americans to use less oil. We have a hard time politically regulating oil companies because we need so much of what they produce.

You can use less oil by:

Walking, biking, or taking transit when you travel.

Drinking tap water. (Buy a filter if your tap water is not drinkable)

Avoid plastic containers.

Buy local foods.

Eat less meat.

Of course, we here like transit (buses and trains) for other reasons.

Guide to Businesses near Light Rail

The Light Rail Network website has maps of businesses around light rail stations in multiple cities. There are also links to rail related news stories.

RTD-Denver is having public meetings about August service changes

The proposed changes are at http://www.rtd-denver.com/PDF_Files/Service_Proposals/currentReport.pdf.

There are no public meetings in most of the areas that are actually seeing service cuts. If you can make it to one of these meetings, please go.

Here is the schedule:

Friday, May 28

Downtown Denver - 2 meetings - 12 pm and 5 pm

RTD Administration Offices, Room T&D

1600 Blake

This meeting is right next to Market Street Station. Almost all Denver local buses go downtown as well as most regional ones.

Westminster - 6pm

Westminster Recreation Center

10455 Sheridan Boulevard

The 51 and the 104 serve the Rec Center, although be careful of the time if you are taking the 104. The last bus runs by Sheridan at 7:13.

Tuesday, June 1

Denver Tech Center - 12pm

Hyatt Regency DTC

7800 East Tufts Avenue

The 65 goes by the Hyatt.

Wednesday, June 2

West Denver - 5:30 pm

Cowell Elementary School

4540 W. 10th Avenue (10th and Vrain)

The 9 goes near the school, but the last bus passes at 7:40, and buses may not serve the nearest stop after 6:26.

Thursday, June 3

Green Mountain - 7 pm

Green Mountain High School

13175 West Green Mountain Drive

The 21 goes by the high school.

Louisville - 7 pm

Louisville Recreation Center

900 Via Appia Way

The 228 goes by the rec center which is also a 5-10 minute walk from the DASH.

South Federal - 7 pm

Athmar Recreation Center

2680 W. Mexico Avenue

There are no bus stops near this location. The nearest bus is the 30 which is about a ten minute walk away. The 14 may also be within walking distance.

Stapleton - 6:30 pm

Stapleton Foundation

7350 E. 29th Street, Suite 300

The 28 is the nearest bus. Tthe 38, 40, 43, 65, 73, 88, 105, AB, and AS all stop at the Stapleton Park-n-Ride which is within walking distance.

Friday, June 4

North Federal - 7 pm

Escuela Tlateloco, Community Room

2949 Federal Boulevard

The 29 and the 28B stop close to here. The 32 is also within walking distance. (Note: The 28 crosses Federal at 23rd Avenue.)

Monday, June 7 - note this meeting was added later

Longmont - 7 pm

Longmont Senior Center

910 Longs Peak Avenue

The Longmont Senior Center is on the 327, the route that is scheduled for cuts. The last bus of the day passes at 6:20. If you are taking the bus, your best bet is to take the bus to Main Street and then walk. Longs Peak Avenue would be 7th Avenue if it was numbered

Restore the North Coast Hiawatha

The North Coast Hiawatha ran from Chicago through Minnesota, southern North Dakota, and southern Montana to Seattle. Amtrak estimates that this route would have over 350,000 riders a year and is currently looking for sources of funding.

Among other places, this route would bring service to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. Students there have created a petition, and if you are in one of the states that would be served by this route, you can sign here:

Petition to restart the North Coast Hiawatha

The Bring Back Amtrak website has a map of the proposed route and proposed actions. As more and more people leave cars for other forms of transportation, we need to start moving those subsidies as well.

Federal Railroad Administration is holding public meetings

The Federal Railroad Administration has issued its Preliminary National Rail Plan. You can download the plan at http://www.fra.dot.gov/Downloads/RailPlanPrelim10-15.pdf. The FRA is accepting comments until June 4, which also happens to be the date of their last public meetings. You can submit comments online at http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#docketDetail?R=FRA-2010-0020.

Here is the schedule of meetings that I have so far:

19 May - Kansas City, MO

20 May - Atlanta, GA

26 May - New York, NY

3 June - Salt Lake City, UT

4 June - Portland, OR - at the Benson Hotel, 309 SW Broadway from 1-5 pm

If anyone has any more specific information, I will publish it here.

I hope that someone from each city monitors the comments and makes sure that Congress and the FRA takes them into account. I may be able to go to the Salt Lake City meeting, if I can find out where it is.

(I am depressed about the state of the world today.)

More ways to reuse old tickets

Here is another idea for a fun way to recycle your old transit tickets from The North by Northwestern, a blog about student life at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. This is for those of us who have a lot of old tickets or transit cards.

52 old tickets. Julia Gang suggests making a deck of playing cards. She used CTA (Chicago) cards, but Washington, DC transit cards actually would actually work better. For those who are also readers of my Asian Trains blog, so would Korean train tickets.

You can also make an UNO deck. I think you may be able to do this with only 40 cards.

Julia even has a clever idea for keeping your deck together.

How do I define accessibility?

So far, I have been saying that a station is accessible if someone who with mobility limitations (such as a wheelchair) can get to the trains from outside the station. I look to see if the elevators are maintained and easy to find. For people with other mobility issues, I look to see if there are escalators and if the path to the trains is straightforward.

None of the stations that I have been in have benches near the tracks which reduces the accessibility of the overall system.

I base my evaluations on the experiences of the people that I have known and what they consider difficult to overcome. I also assume that if I can't walk some place, that someone who has difficulty walking cannot either.

I have not been evaluating accessibility for the visually impaired, but I was recently reminded that I should. I think that, like the lack of benches, this may be a system-wide problem.

This also reminded me that I need stories from people with disabilities to find out what worked for them and what didn't.

Accessibility Standards in My Posts

So far I have been thinking about people in wheelchairs and people who have difficulty walking when I have been evaluating accessibility of stations. However, I have noticed that visual impairments cause problems for some people. I will try to extend what I research.

Longterm I need to connect with accessiblity advocates to bet some stories of their personal experiences.

Carfree Visits to our National Parks

Parks in you backyard is Amtrak's new service to tell its customers which rail lines are near national parks. Unfortunately, Amtrak assumes that you are going to be driving, and the site seems to be more an ad for a car rental company (which I shall not name) than for Amtrak or our national parks.

I am supporting the restart of the Pioneer line. If this restarts, several national parks will offer bus service from various trains stations. I am disappointed that Amtrak is not promoting this kind of information.

More on airplanes vs. trains

On my recent trip, I came home on the California Zephyr which is not the most pleasant train in the Amtrak system. In particular, it was not very clean.

While we were starting to head toward Denver, I heard a woman talking on her cellphone to a friend. She said that she was pleasantly surprised because the train (and its bathrooms) was so clean!

Apparently, the airlines are throwing giant pigpens through the air.

So take the train because it will never be as disgusting as flying.

Everett, WA

Of Interest: buying carpet?

Tourist Office: no

Book Rack: no

Other transit: This also the local bus station and Everett Greyhound

Accessible: yes

Downtown is probably within walking distance,  but you have to cross and interstate to get to it. The station is located in an industrial area. It is not possible to walk to most businesses in the area.

Everett is the place where the Empire Builder line meets the Cascade train. The train running north to Vancouver leaves six minutes before the Empire Builder comes in. If the scheduling was changed by fifteen minutes, this would be a great place to change trains for a trip to Vancouver.

Vancouver is three hours away. There is one morning train and one evening train in each direction. Seattle is an hour to two hours away, depending on the train that you take. There are three trains a day. The Empire Builder is the third train. Its time is likely to vary as it is coming the end of a multi-day trip, but it is actually pretty on time. Going the other way, the Empire Builder takes seven hours to get to Spokane, Washington. That line continues on through Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin before ending in Chicago.

Vancouver, BC

Of Interest: Chinatown, old downtown
Tourist Office: no, but there is an interactive screen with phone numbers you can call for information
ATM: yes, but does not accept international cards
Restrooms: yes, cleanliness so-so
Accessibility: ?

Safe at night: no, but there may be lots of people. I advice walking directly to the Skytrain or the tramway.

Grocery Store: in Chinatown

Other transit: Skytrain and tramway

Minneapolis, MN

Of Interest: deserted warehouses?
Hotels: yes, but the walk is not safe
Tourist Office: no
Restrooms: yes, but in very bad condition (3 of 4 toilets were clogged when I was there.)
Accessible: if you can get driven to the door, maybe. Do not expect the staff to know how to help with anything.
Safe at night: no
Other transit: nothing meets the evening train

If someone on a city council somewhere who thought that the rate of diabetes was not high enough got together with someone who thought there just weren't enough rapes to design a station area, it would be Minneapolis Station.

Fortunately, only the daily westbound train stops at night. Unfortunately, you may be stuck here for up to an hour. The eastbound train passes through early in the morning.

Minneapolis is six and a half hours from Milwaukee and eight hours from Chicago. Heading west, it takes the train four hours to get to Fargo, ND. The train continues on through Montana before splitting in Spokane more than twenty-four hours later. Part of the train continues on to Seattle, while the rest goes to Portland. Usually the section headed for Seattle is the more crowded

Galesburg, Illinois

Of Interest: downtown, railway museum, children's museum

Restrooms: yes, cleanliness so-so

Tourist Office: no, but brochures in station. Also, bus map on bulletin board.

Other transit: inter-city buses

Hotels: no, all the hotels are out by the interstate.

Galesburg is are car-oriented town that promotes its free parking while letting its sidewalks deteriorate. Predictably, people in Galesburg complain that there is no parking in Galesburg. There is a good bus map in the station, but bus stops have no markers. There are sidewalks along all streets. Unfortunately, there are not maintained. Even so, Galesburg is small enough that a lot of it is within walking distance. Hotels are near the interstate, about an hours walk from the station.

There is a Dollar General store that has a real grocery store with bulk beans, milk, flour, and other things that you can actually cook with. There are two local theaters. Not cinemas, but real live theater. There are multiple banks, so an ATM should not be hard to find. Galesburg also boasts a wide variety of restaurants. There is health foods store a couple of blocks from the station.

Intercity buses stop at the train station and announced before hand. Like I said, there is a good bus map of the local buses, but they do not stop at the station, and there is no sign to tell you where the nearest stop is.

Three different train routes intersect in Galesburg, the Southwest Chief, the California Zephyr, and Illinois Service to Quincy, IL. Chicago is about two and a half hours away by all routes. There are four trains a day to Chicago, but the Southwest Chief and the California Zephyr are both scheduled to go through Galesburg at approximately the same time. Tickets on the California Zephyr to Chicago cannot be booked online, probably because this train is often late.

Two trains a day go to Quincy, an hour and a half away. The Southwest Chief goes south once a day. It takes this train four and a half hours each evening to get to Kansas City before continuing on through Kansas and southern Colorado to Albuquerque, NM (23 hours) and, eventually, downtown Los Angeles (40 hours).

The California Zephyr also passes through once a day on its way south. Trains are usually still on time at this point. They pass through Iowa before arriving at Omaha, NE, six hours later. The train continues on to Denver(16 hours), the Rocky Mountains, Salt Lake City (32 hours), Nevada, and ends near San Francisco at Emeryville, CA (49 hours).

On Station Design

Lost in Penn Station by Julia Turner starts with "Penn Station is a confusing place." Her opinion is not unique. Most people consider Grand Central the better of New York City's two major stations. Ms. Turner's article also mentions that Penn Station serves four times as many people than Grand Central.

Which leads to the point of this article: People will use a station if the trains from that station take them where they need to go at the times that they want to travel.

A good station will help people find their train, and provide services that travelers need. A good station is safe. Poor station design makes it difficult for people to find ticket windows and the trains themselves. Poor station design makes people walk across unlit areas and encourages people to walk on the tracks. But the trains are always the most important element. A poorly designed station with many trains will always have more passenger than the best station that only serves one or two routes.

Good station design can help ensure that people who are not used to train travel can successfully buy tickets, print out tickets they have bought online, and get to their trains on time. Good signs can make a well-designed station better and make a poorly designed station tolerable.

One problem is apparent in the photos of the signs in Penn Station, but not discussed in the article. The signs are for the companies that run the trains, not the destinations or type of train. If you don't know what "LIRR" stands for or that Amtrak runs inter-state trains, these signs are not helpful. This reflects the tendency in the US to market bus and train companies rather than buses and trains themselves.

As a previous post mentioned, this a problem for stations in Canada as well.

Warning for visitors to Toronto

The management of Union Station in Toronto have decided to take down the signs that tell you how to get to the different kind of transit services that they provide. Here is guide to the signs.

TTC = subway

VIA = trains

I am sure that there is some other acronym for buses.

(From comments at Slate.com.)

More on the Northwest Rail Corridor public meetings

I am following up on an earlier post.

I went to the meeting in Louisville. There were posterboards with various information on them, and a lecture with followed by questions. The people there were asking for public comments, but I am not sure that they will do any good. It turns out that the comments may not be read by the people actually planning the project. RTD has hired a private company to run their meetings. That private company is the one who is going to read the comments and prepare the final report.

I have been researching how this company got this contract, but I haven't found much out yet. I think a lot of FasTracks has been privatized. The more research I do, the more I think that FasTracks money is going to non-transit.

GO Boulder is looking for Commuter of the Year nominations

GO Boulder, a public agency of the City of Boulder, is looking for nominations for the 14th Annual Commuter of the Year awards. One award goes to the Bike Commuter of the Year, one goes to the Transit Commuter of the Year, and one award is for the All Around Commuter of the Year, someone who walks, bikes, and/or takes the bus.

Nominees must live or work in the city of Boulder. They should use alternative transportation to get to work and to go shopping and to go out, etc. Go Boulder is looking for good stories.

You can nominate yourself. You can nominate someone you know. (Just click one of the links.)

Nominations are due by March 12.

Northwest Rail Public Meetings

There are going to be three public meetings about the draft Northwest Rail plans. This is the commuter rail line that is proposed to connect downtown Denver to Longmont, with stops in north Denver, Westminster, Flatiron/Broomfield, Louisville, and two stops in Boulder.

All meetings will have an open house that will be ongoing throughout the meeting and two presentations followed by question and answer sessions at 6:30 and 7:30. (How they are going to fit the Q&A sessions into less than an hour, I don't know. They will probably ignore everyone they don't agree with, as they usually do.)

Thursday, March 11

Longmont at the Civic Center at 350 Kimbark Street

The Civic Center is one block east from Main Street.

Regional buses J,L, and Bolt run down Main Street. Get off at the bus stop near the wear the road widens near the Used Book Emporium. Local bus 323 also serves this stop.

Local buses 326 and 327 also run close by.

Wednesday, March 17

Louisville at Louisville Middle School at 1341 Main Street.

This is near the intersection of Main Street and South Boulder Road.

There is a DASH stop in front of the school. It is also possible to walk to the school from the final stops of the 228 and Lynx buses by walking north along Main Street.

Thursday, March 18

North Denver at Hodgkins Elementary, 3475 W. 67th Avenue

The meeting is in Denver near the border with Westminster, so this is the meeting for Adams County folks.

Both the 31 and 72 buses stop nearish to this meeting. The closest stop on the 72's route is near W. 68th and Lowell. Walk east on 68th to get to the school. The closest stop via the 31 is between 66th and 67th. Walk west on 67th. The entrance to the school may be on Irvine, based on the google map on the area.

The draft Environmental Evaluation for the Northwest Corridor is being released tomorrow. It will be available at libraries in the northwest metro area and online through the FasTracks website.

I hope a lot of people go. I especially hope that people ask to have the stops be accessible to walkers, bikers, and bus riders. Sometimes it seems that FasTracks is being oriented to car owners who occasionally take the bus.

Some History of the Fight for Pay Equity

Lucy Randolph Mason was an early supporter of pay equity. During her tenure as the General Secretary of the National Consumer's League, she lead a protest against discrimination in federal jobs. The 1935 Recovery Act stated that women who worked for the government were to be paid 25% less than men doing the same job. The people who thought up this legislation probably thought they were being progressive as 75 cents on the dollar was better than most women did in non-government jobs at the time. In fact, it was better than most women did until quite recently.

The National Consumer's League thought differently. They thought that slightly less crappy was not good enough. They thought that the government pay should only be based on merit and on the work done, not on race or sex.

RTD, Denver area's transit agency, used to have one of the best records when it came to hiring women of all the transit agency's in the US. Which is to say it was pretty dismal, but not completely ridiculous. I wonder what it is now. Most people in RTD's planning department, like most transit planners in the US, are white men. This limits the experience that the planning department has to draw on, and it indicates that there are limits on the jobs that women can reasonably pursue.

(Since this blog is supposed to present a feminist perspective, I thought that I would write something overtly feminist.)

Why do trains in the US have higher status than buses?

Or Why Some People Don't Like Trains

Yesterday I read a book that helped me understand why trains in the US are considered to be higher status than buses.

It explained that back in the 19th century when there were few methods of transportation available to people, the railroads in the West deliberately did not build enough capacity so that they could keep prices high. They marketed themselves to the wealthy and the upper middle class. People in the middle class traveled by stagecoach, in some areas until the 1920's, with some rare long-distance trips by train.

I want to repeat, for some people the car replaced the stagecoach, not the train.

In addition, the main train company in the southwest competed agressively to put local businesses out of business. They prohibited local companies from advertising in their stations, in some cases lobbying for laws that prohibited local advertisements within sight of their stations. The Harvey company took care of train travelers and charged hefty rates for doing so. Harvey Hotels were clean and comfortable and Harvey Restaurant meals were produced in clean kitchens and were fast and filling. Both cost many times their nearest competitor.

This started to change after World War I as the railroads lost more and more of the upper middle class. But the railroads could not change fast enough, and in many regions people simply did not like the railway companies.

More on Why This Blog

Lack of information is a serious barrier to people using public transportation.

Especially since so many transit stops are badly designed. Browne Molyneux is putting together a list of all the bus stops in LA, evaluating them for safety and ease of use. She has already posted about a dangerous stop and documented LA Metro's tendency to put bus stops between the exits and entrances of drive throughs.

Madison, Wisconsin might be a stop on a high speed train line. The station for the that line might be downtown and it might in the "Eastside", where ever that is. Hopefully, Madison gets a train, and hopefully the people taking it know where they are going to end up. (From a comments on a Political Environment post.)

People are more less likely to use transit if they know about the downsides ahead of time. But those people who start to use transit are more likely to keep using transit if they know the challenges ahead of time, and have a plan to overcome them. Also, citizens are more likely to put pressure on transit agencies and politicians to fix obstacles that have been documented.

Side Effects of Riding the Train

My mother's uncle became a dairy farmer after seeing dairy cows from the window of the train from New York to New Haven. He then convinced my grandfather (his sister's husband) to start raising dairy cows too.

The train, now called the Northeast Regional, still runs from New York to Boston.

Taking transit opens us up to new possibilities.

Diridon Station, San Jose, CA

Of Interest: downtown San Jose, historic San Jose, HP Pavilion

Lodging: yes

Tourist Office: no

Safe at Night: so-so. Lots of people get on and off here, so you won't be alone. However, the surrounding parking lot creates lots of deserted space to walk through, and I wouldn't describe San Jose as a low crime area.

There is a good map of the area on the Transit Unlimited Wiki. Map of Diridon Station

The station is close to two hotels, both locally owned. The Arena (to the west) is a locally owned budget hotel while the Hotel de Anza is more upscale and dates from 1931. Both are on the same road, although this road is called The Alameda to the west and Santa Clara Street to the east. There are also hotels to the southeast of the station.

Santa Clara Street will take you into the heart of San Jose which itself is the heart of Santa Clara County. The current downtown is to the south of the street while the area where San Jose started is to the north. The downtown is made up of office buildings and public spaces. There is a farmer's market every Friday from May to December. Its route starts at Santa Clara and connects the modern business centers with the old San Jose.

The VTA, San Jose's light rail system, runs through downtown. There is also a light rail station near Diridon Station. The system connects most of the area, including Silicon Valley. Local planners think that there would be more riders if the trains went a little faster, but I the distances in a car-oriented environment are more of problem. One of the busiest stops was within easy walking distance of a supermarket near stops that serve residential neighborhoods.

Diridon Station itself is a major rail hub. Amtrak, Caltrain, and ACE all serve this station.

Amtrak's Capitol Corridor starts here seven times a day. It takes one hour to get to Oakland and three hours to get to the terminus at Sacramento. The Coast Starlight runs through here in each direction once a day. This line starts in Los Angeles, 10 hours away and runs right along the coast before arriving in San Jose. From San Jose it follows the route of the Capitol Corridor to Sacramento before heading on to Portland (20 hours) and Seattle (24 hours).

Caltrain goes north from San Jose to San Francisco which is two hours away. Caltrain connects with the BART if you need to get to the airport. One train in the morning comes into San Jose from Gilroy (forty-five minutes away) and one train goes back in the evening. If you need to get to Gilroy at other times, you can there are buses. Trains are frequent during rush hour, hourly at other times.

The Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) runs a two hour commuter route to Stockton. Three trains come into San Jose in the morning and three trains go back out in the evening on workdays.

San Jose Station was named the Diridon Station in 1994 in honor of former Santa Clara County Supervisor Rod Diridon, a long-time California rail supporter.

Sacramento, CA

For the first time, I am moving a post from my old blog that has a picture. Yeah!

Of Interest: downtown Sacramento, old Sacramento

Lodging: yes

Tourist Office: yes, in old Sacramento

Safe at night: yes, but watch out for traffic

There are two hotels close to Sacramento Station, but the city makes it a little hard to walk their direction. The hotels are in front to the station to the right, but to cross the street in front of the station, you have to go left from the station. In fact, just to start going in the general direction of the hotels, you have to cross the street three times. You need to cross the street in the crosswalk because the street in front of the station is an entry way to the highway. The cars drive fast, so you need the lights and the crosswalk to keep from dying horribly.

The two hotels nearest the station are to the south of the west part of the station area. Old Sacramento is to the west on the other side of the highway. There is a pedestrian underpass to the south near the Holiday Inn. The historic buildings of Old Sacramento mostly contain restaurants and shops, but the California State Railroad Museum, the Sacramento History Museum, and the Schoolhouse Museum are also on these historic streets. Other museums are located in downtown Sacramento.

Downtown Sacramento's buildings are not as old as those in old Sacramento, but many have some history and are quite attractive. The Capitol is in this area as are multiple office buildings. There are several hotels in this area, the closest of which is about a half an hour's walk from the station.

Luckily, the hotels.com page is accurate for Sacramento. Just look for the Amtrak link under Landmarks.

One of Sacramento's light rail lines stops at the station. Unfortunately, not many people in the area seem to know where it goes.

Sacramento is the last stop for most of the Capitol Corridor trains. The city is three hours from San Jose (7/day) and a little less than two hours from Oakland (16/day). Once a day the train continues on to/comes back from Auburn, an hour away. There are regular thruway buses to Roseville, Rocklin, and Colfax as well as Auburn.

The California Zephyr (to Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver, and Chicago) and the Coast Starlight (Los Angeles to Portland and Seattle) stop here once going each direction daily. Both these trains cover the Capitol Corridor route, although neither stops in Auburn.

Practical Information about Traveling in the Seattle area

The Seattle Transit Blog has a lot of practical information about using transit in the Seattle area.

One post is about traveling from Seattle, WA to Vancouver, BC by municipal bus including how to walk from the the bus on the US side through customs to the bus on the Vancouver side. Even if you would never take this kind of trip, it gives the reader a sense of the kind of bus service available in northwestern Washington state.

(Note: There is an Amtrak bus and an intercity bus that makes this trip, although they are both more expensive.)

Today's post is about changes in the morning schedule of Sound Transit trains, improving service in the morning. Notably this change is happening in between printings of the train schedules. So currently the online schedules are correct, but the printed brochures are slightly off.

I think that it is good that Sound Transit is flexible enough to make changes as needed, but visitor and new residents should be aware that they need to check online if minor schedule variations could cause them problems.

The comments can be as interesting and informative as the posts. One poster pointed out that the first train of the morning runs slow because it is checking for obstructions and problems with the track. Of course, the site has at least one resident curmudgeon. (I don't want me tax money going to any line I don't personally ride. Grr.)

Reno, Nevada

Of Interest: Casinos, river walk, University of Nevada, downtown Reno
Hotels: yes, cheap during the week if you can avoid the temptation of gambling
Tourist Office: I got a very good map somewhere and I don't think that I got it at the hotel

Safe at Night: There are no night trains, but the area should have lots of pedestrian traffic at all hours. The station itself is well-designed, pedestrian-oriented without spooky corners.

The first time I took the train from San Francisco to Denver, I stopped in Reno. I like trains, but I don't like to spend days on a train. The California Zephyr has started to run on time lately, but in 2007 you never knew when you were likely to get to your destination.

Hotels.com has gotten much more accurate in the last couple of years, but at the time the website told me that the Sands was the closest hotel to the Amtrak station. They are not, but they are cheap and they have a really great traditional diner on site. The station is in the middle of the casino area which is like a little Las Vegas. One of the fancier casinos is right across the street from the train station.

Reno is cool because you can walk out of the little Las Vegas to the downtown of a nice Western town or to a funky university area. Everywhere I went was very walkable. The Truckee River runs through downtown Reno and is accessible to bikers and pedestrians.

If the California Zephyr ran a little faster and more than once a day or if the Capitol Corridor extended out further, Reno Station would be a good transit center for people in the area.

As it is, one west-bound and one east-bound California Zephyr stop in Reno each day. All trains are scheduled to stop during the day. Sacramento is five hours away to the west. There are also thruway buses that connect to the Capitol Corridor. Those buses get to Sacramento in three and a half hours. (The crappiest trains in Korea go about the same speed as cars and buses if not faster.) The route continues on to the coat of the San Francisco Bay area and ends at Emeryville.

Salt Lake City is ten hours away to the east. In that direction, the train continues on to Denver, Omaha, and Chicago.

You can check recent on-time performance of the California Zephyr at Amtrak Delays. Train 6 is eastbound; train 5 is westbound. If the train is running on time, it is a cheap and pretty trip coming from the west, and cheap and saves you a hotel night coming from the east.

"A response to why cars and planes are better than trains" by George Robertson

1. Airports are single pupoose expensive and quite dangerous (9/11), Freeways aresingle purpose, expensive and quite Dangerous 40,000 fatalities annually (As if Al Quaida succeeded a little over once a month)

2. Planes go where they want but landing is mainly done at airports,  we call it crashing when it is not at an airport.  Cars, Trucks and Buses mostly confine themselves to roads.

3. Flying before or after your scheduled flight is very expensive, very energy intensive, or very very tiring. 
Cars do leave when they want, but they are very energy inefficient, and you have to drive.  You cannot read or work or relax and have dinner with four interesting people you just met on the train while you travel.

4.  Getting off the plane between airports is generally fatal.  
You can get out of the car where ever you want, but they are very energy inefficient, and you have to drive.  You cannot read or work or relax and have dinner with four interesting people you just met on the train while you travel.

5. But trainsets are modular and as a result they can be easily sized to fit their load, unlike both planes and cars.

Furthermore.... Did someone propose having only trains?

Buses are more flexible....but they get stuck in traffic, , are much much smaller and carry a tiny fractionn of the number of people and and much less freight, They cannot reach half the speed that modern trains can for longer trips.  they are handy for getting to the train however and you don't have to park.

Cars are more.....but they are very energy inefficient, and you have to drive.  You cannot read or work or relax and have dinner with four interesting people you just met on the train while you travel.

Why not make a better automobile engine....yes why not do that? you get right on that.  I'm going to take the Train to LA while you work on that and  I'll read a couple of novels. meet and dine with about twenty strangers on the way and have a thoroughly wonderful trip.

(Reposted here because the original disappeared from Ideas for Change: Rebuild American's Rail System. George Robertson has his own blog, Khyimo.)

Buses vs. Trains (unfortunately)

Obviously, I love trains. I would not have started this blog or my Asian one if that was the case. However, I am disturbed by the attitude exhibited by some train supporters in the US, particularly the way some people look down on bus riders. A good transit system serves walkers, people who take the bus, bikers, and people who take the train. In fact, some people do all four.

In most successful transit systems, buses carry many more people than trains. Buses are more flexible and can be used to carry people to and from dispersed locations. Trains are a cost effective way to carry large numbers of people who want to along the same route.

It is especially interesting that some Americans think that trains are inherently more classy than buses because in Korea the opposite is the case. The chattering classes take buses, especially the intercity kind, while trains are for people trying to save money, the disabled, and environmentalists. The truly rich drive.

National Association of Railway Passengers

Curious about how you can support rail in the US? The National Association of Railway Passengers offers ways to take action with other people. The NARP is also a great source of information.

Here is a short video that NARP put together to inform people about the benefits of rail.

another bookstore

Someone commented on my original post about Denver which told readers about the Tattered Cover bookstore in downtown Denver. This commenter mentioned another bookstore that is accessible by rail, the Eliot Bay Book Company in downtown Seattle, Washington. The King Street Station serves this area. Amtrak and Souter Commuter Rail stop in two parallel stations.

What are smoke stops?

Smoke stop

You cannot smoke on any Amtrak train, but some people, including some Amtrak employees, are smokers. And some of Amtrak's routes last multiple days. So every so often on the longer routes, there are stops that are longer than the others, so people can get out of the train and walk around and, yes, smoke. Always stay within earshot of the train, in case there is something wrong with your watch or you heard the wrong time to come back.

There is one exception to the rule that you should never be out of earshot of the train station. That is if the train is early. The longer routes have extra time built into their schedules in case something goes wrong. But some routes, such as the Southwest Chief, are running on improved track and with improved overall operations and they have fewer delays than they used to. The trains will not leave a stop early, so passengers sometimes get to explore places like Albuquerque. You should be back in the station area ten to fifteen minutes before the scheduled departure or when the conductor has told you to be back, whichever is earlier.

Do not ever get off the train at a regular stop. Ever. They will leave you behind. (By the way, this is true in France, and Korea, and Japan and every other country that has trains.)