[PRCo] Re: [Fwd: Pittsburgh---PA---Trolleycar---Body---Repair] - does rail have any chance?

[Boris Cefer]

It wasn't an economics lesson, Harold, it was a history of economics in
Pennsylvania!

I doubt that rail transit in the US shall ever play important role. I see
the problem in quite high living standard of many people and low price of
gasoline in the North America. The difference between costs for trip by rail
and by own automobile doesn't seem drastic to me (yes, except for the first
cost - you have to buy an automobile), but most people decide for automobile
to save time. And because of indolence. Why should I vaste five minutes by
going to a rail station when my car rests in garage 15 feet aside my
bedroom? Blunder - you will lose twenty minutes in congestion. Or why should
I ride my wife to her office and then driwe two miles to my office when each
of us can have own automobile!

But we are starting to see the same also here - our streets are crowded by
lots of large EMPTY automobiles.

The only chance for rail transit is that gasoline runs dry once a day. A bit
primitive calculation. And rather drastic... But people can learn only from
mistakes they do.

Boris from Overseas

----- Original Message -----
From: "Harold Geissenheimer" <transitmgr2 at earthlink.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 1:34 AM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: [Fwd: Pittsburgh---PA---Trolleycar---Body---Repair]


> Fred
> Thank you for your economics lesson.  I understand the history
> but do not believe in the result.  I have a BS degree in transportation
> economics.  I believe that public transit and passenger railroads
> should be owned by the public like the highways and airports and rivers
> and streets and sidewalks and parks, etc.
>
> Privatisation of rail and transit does not work.  The UK experience
> proves this.  British rail is now a joke
>
> In their day Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, etc worked well to the benefit
> of the rider. ( So did PRC in receivership)..  It is the rider who
> should have
> good service.  PRC flopped when the bottom line was applied.
>
> We can not and should not have a profitable AMTRAK or transit system
>
> Thats where I stand.  Col Harley Swift who did the merger in Pgh was a
> trolley man, an ATE exec, and did the condemation of PRC.  We discussed
> this many times and he believed the days of private transit were over.
> I agree..
>
> The public must now vote for transit.  We are being fooled by the
> politicians who
> hate rail, favor SUV's and now BRT.
>
> PRC was adequate in receivership but the decline after 1950  was not
> inthe best
> interest of the public.
>
> Harold Geissenheimer
>