Titled: 315 Construction Article Is Missing Something
Hello,I couldn’t help but notice that your Sunday article about the Route 315 construction (“Rt 315: Getting There From Here“) was missing one vital piece of information: the price tag. ODOT is spending $24 million (that’s $8 million per mile) on minor repairs and short-term maintenance. Whenever any article is written on proposed passenger rail projects, the cost is always prominently displayed. It’s easy for people to take for granted that roads are expensive and that we all collectively pay for those, whether we use them or not.
In 2006, Nashville was able to build a 32-mile passenger rail line for $41 million (that’s less than $1.3 million per mile). It’s time for the citizens of Columbus to consider our transportation options on a level playing field, and evaluate the real taxpayer costs associated with highways and roads.
thanks,
Walker Evans
B R A V O !
Well done Walker.
I agree Walker. My question is how does a mind shift happen in a region where cars and highways are the norm? I grew up in the Willamette Valley in the Portland, Oregon area and I know this takes time…years. As I remember; first there were sidewalks, bike paths, adequate bus routes and schedules, light rail then street cars and now a tram that take OHSU employees up Marquam Hill. This shift happen in a 40 year or more time span. We’re still working on the sidewalks.
Indeed!
Well-written and makes a good point. Hope it makes it into publication and opens the Dispatch up more to mass transit.
Amen. When was the last time 315 posted a profit as our Statehouse Republican Caucus kept demanding of high speed rail and light rail proposals… answer – never. The advantage of rail is efficiency, both in fuel and amount of people it can move. In addition to all the cars that are taken off the road and emissions prevented.
PS: Just got a call from the Dispatch to confirm my LTE. Not sure if it will appear in print, or just online, but they are running with it in one format or another.
Published today: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2009/06/18/Evans_.ART_ART_06-18-09_A14_D0E6UNT.html?sid=101