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Strickland goes to D.C. to lobby for Ohio rail service

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By Jessica Wehrman, Staff Writer 3:41 PM Tuesday, June 9, 2009

WASHINGTON — If all goes well, Ohio passengers could be riding the rails between Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati as soon as the first quarter of 2011, Gov. Ted Strickland said Tuesday, June 9.

Ohio’s governor was in Washington to try to ensure that all goes well. He met with the Secretary of Transportation and the president of Amtrak as part of his bid to garner $400 million in economic stimulus dollars to redevelop passenger rail service between the four cities.

The last time the state had passenger rail service between those cities was in 1971, according to the state’s transportation director, Jolene Molitoris.

The “Three-C” corridor, which Strickland called the “Three C and D” corridor, has already been selected by the Federal Railroad Administration as one of the nation’s designated high-speed rail corridors. Strickland said current best estimates indicate it will cost $400 million or less to relaunch passenger rail between the four cities. Amtrak is currently studying the cost and interest in such a corridor. The economic stimulus bill set aside about $8 billion nationally for passenger rail, and Strickland hopes that fund will foot the bill entirely for the development of the rail corridor.

Currently, Amtrak operates passenger rail between Chicago, Toledo and Cleveland. Strickland said Tuesday he’s working to expand that service as well.

He’s also been working with Norfolk Southern and CSX about using their right of way.

On Tuesday, Strickland met with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Amtrak President Joseph Boardman.

Strickland has already talked to LaHood about the proposal. He said he’s also talked to President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden about passenger rail service in Ohio.

Molitoris, who served as the head of the railroad administration during the Clinton administration, said operating costs are $11 million or less annually in 12 of the 14 states with passenger rail service.

As for the high-speed: Molitoris said passenger rail initially would top out at 79 miles per hour. Over time, the state hopes to be able to ramp up to higher speeds, she said.

State officials are hopeful that development of passenger rail could spur additional economic investment in the state. Ohio is among the states in competition to have passenger rail cars manufactured in Ohio, Molitoris said.

Strickland said a handful of states are clamoring for stimulus dollars to develop passenger rail. Ohio, he said, can’t be left behind or it will be an “island.”

“The fact that Ohio is largely devoid of passenger rail service is intolerable,” he said.

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On the occasions when I’ve had business in Toledo or Cleveland, I’m usually required to make more than one stop in the destination city. So I take the train to Cleveland and then what, city buses? Or rent a car to get around town in a quick and efficient manor? What's the state of public transportation within Ohio's major cities? Is it like RTA in Dayton? Guess I’ve been a car culture queen my whole life, and it’s hard for me to visualize an alternative.

kls
11:57 AM, 6/10/2009

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People will ride these trains! Why just have car and highway for transportation? These trains are wonderful and they have resturants on them! People are now going to take Ohio much more serious now!

karon
11:50 AM, 6/10/2009

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The way businesses and the population along with it are quickly disappearing from the state, what is the point? There won't be anyone left to make use of the rail system. I agree with "same old stuff" and"stupid is as stupid does"

sue
11:38 AM, 6/10/2009

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We've needed this for soooo long, but the lobbyists for GM always shot it down. I'm so glad all those people have left this area.

Tom
11:32 AM, 6/10/2009

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Why are my comments always deleted by DDN? I guess they just want to leave comments from idiots and don't like to have someone speak sensibly
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I think, they go into that 'SHOW ALL' section. Even USAToday does that. It's probably a 'page load' thing.

Tom
11:31 AM, 6/10/2009

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