Greenwich Free Press (https://greenwichfreepress.com/category/opinion/page/22/)
“Even pre-COVID when rush-hour trains were packed, every ride was subsidized — $3.25 on the main line and as much as $50 per passenger per ride on Shore Line East. With ridership down 30%, do the math and you’ll see that the subsidies are unsustainable.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) is getting a new Commissioner. After four years on the job, Joe Giulietti is retiring. Continue Reading →
“Staff shortages for on-board personnel mean that Café Cars may not be in service or sleeping cars can’t be used, despite demand. That means fares will remain high. Like Uber, Amtrak operates on a “surge pricing” model: the higher the demand, the higher the fares. At last check, one-way from NY to Boston on the days before and after Thanksgiving was $309… in coach!” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
By Jim Cameron
Imagine having to replace the George Washington Bridge, in-place, while still handling thousands of cars and trucks each day. The railroad equivalent of that is still underway in South Norwalk, replacing what’s known as the Walk Bridge, a vital rail link in the Northeast Corridor for Metro-North, Amtrak and the occasional freight train. We all remember the woes of this 125-year-old swing bridge that sometimes refuses to close, stranding thousands of riders. The 2017 plan to replace it includes $161 million in Federal Sandy relief money. But the total cost has ballooned from $600 million to over $1 billion (thanks to added rail yards and such) and again seems to be climbing…and the old bridge is still there. Continue Reading →
JIM CAMERON has lived in Darien for over 25 years. He serves on the Darien RTM and is Program Director of Darien TV79. He served 19 years on the CT Metro-North Rail Commuter Council, four as its Chairman. In 2014 he founded a new advocacy group, The Commuter Action Group which speaks on behalf of Metro-North riders. His newspaper column “Talking Transportation” archives can be found at http://talkingtransportation.blogspot.com/ Continue Reading →
“The pandemic was the excuse the railroad used for halting the Quiet Cars, but that’s passed, right? Bring back the Quiet Cars and enforce the rules.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
The railroad’s TrainTime app is a game changer. You can not only check the timetable, and buy a ticket but also see how crowded your arriving train will be (so you can find a seat). The app gets downloaded 6000 times a day and is used by 90% of all passengers. And to their credit, it was designed in-house by the MTA’s IT team. Continue Reading →
Imagine taking a train… a one-seat ride… all the way from Grand Central Terminal to the sandy shores of Mystic, CT. Or connecting there for a quick run up to the Indian casinos. Continue Reading →
“Have you noticed how aggressive drivers have become in the past year? Or how much speeding is going on, unchallenged?” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
By 2025 a quarter of all drivers in the US will be over age 65. And while seniors are involved in more accidents per capita than younger adults, they are far safer than teens. But over age 70, traffic fatalities increase with age; by age 85, drivers have probably outlived their ability to drive safely. Continue Reading →