“The employees could be productive (by doing work) on the train,” he said.
Passenger rail service should draw a good mix of business travelers and commuters, potential users predicted late last week.
The basic outlines of the service say the downtown Dayton stop will be a newly built station at Sixth and Ludlow streets located beneath overhead train tracks. Three trains a day will leave Dayton for Cincinnati or Columbus and two will go on to Cleveland with estimated fares of about $7 for the one-way trip from Dayton to Cincinnati and about $10.50 one-way to Columbus.
Mark Donaghy, executive director of the Dayton Regional Transportation Authority, said the train stop is a half-block from bus service every 15 minutes most of the day. The buses connect to the Wright Stop Plaza where connections thoughout Montgomery and part of Greene County can be made.
“We’re thrilled and excited about it and can’t wait to work with the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Rail Commission to get this running,” Donaghy said.
Steve Greenblatt, owner of an advertising agency in Centerville, is a Boston native accustomed to big city mass transit and eager for the option of city-to-city rail service.
“We are a one-car family. I hate driving and wasn’t born with a commuting gene. If I have an opportunity to take public transit, I’ll do it every time. To be able to commute and sleep and commute to work, as opposed to driving everywhere — it’s welcome.”
Area taxi cab companies also are anticipating the arrival of rail travel.
Mohamed Abas, owner Dayton Express Cab, was delighted with the announcement. “It will bring more business,” he said. “You’ll have more traffic to the city and a lot of customers. Anything that helps the city will help the cab drivers.”
Anthony Smith, who employs 34 workers and 20 cars at Anton’s Cab Service, is taking a more philosophical attitude. “It can’t hurt. Anything can help,” he said.
What matters most is not so much the train, but what local residents make of it, he added.
“What people make of the train stopping in Dayton is on them,” Smith said.
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