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Started By
Message
re: Dedicated passenger train from Baton Rouge to New Orleans "3-5 years away"
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:11 am to SouthOfSouth
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:11 am to SouthOfSouth
quote:Think about where the train stations are in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. How are train passengers going to get to and from the stations? There are not adequate parking spaces for the volume of daily commuters to drive to the stations, and public transportation is inadequate to allow for commuters to have ultimate destinations outside of walking distance from the stations. Would you walk in the neighborhoods around the New Orleans and Baton Rouge train stations in the dark?
It would be utilized more than most can probably imagine right now.
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit system and Washington, D.C. Metro system require significant taxpayer subsidies to operate rail systems that are much more convenient for riders than the proposed rail system for Baton Rouge-New Orleans with much greater population densities. It is ridiculous to think that Louisiana is going to develop an economically viable rail system with less desirable circumstances.
1
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:14 am to Old Sarge
quote:
150 miles cost my wife and I almost a $100 each. But I'm sure if you had a rail pass and rode more frequently it affects your pricing.
But it sure was nice to comfortably cruise along at 180mph
In Chicago, people buy monthly passes that cuts the cost by 30-40% if memory serves correctly. In Europe, rail passes are very common for young tourists.
To be fair, high speed rail costs a lot more than commuter rail. A train from Florence to Rome will cost you around $50 each way but the train takes less than an hour.
I have taken commuter trains throughout Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, et al. and they are not nearly as expensive as high speed (of course, distance is the major driver of cost).
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:17 am to lynxcat
I knew there was a cheaper train and it was around 50 euros but I had to do the premium cabin on the high speed train 
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:18 am to Poodlebrain
quote:
Think about where the train stations are in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. How are train passengers going to get to and from the stations? There are not adequate parking spaces for the volume of daily commuters to drive to the stations, and public transportation is inadequate to allow for commuters to have ultimate destinations outside of walking distance from the stations. Would you walk in the neighborhoods around the New Orleans and Baton Rouge train stations in the dark?
So build stations in better areas? If you can't figure out an issue as simple as parking, then I think you are looking for reason to say 'no'.
Rail is something I would hope the federal government would support. I want a damn spider web of rail options in this country
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:19 am to lynxcat
BR to NOLA is short enough that even commuter is acceptable.
High speed would be required for Houston. You could make that trip is 1 1/2 hours (271 miles at 180 mph)
Baton Rouge >> Shreveport >> Dallas is 439 miles and at 180 mph takes ~2 1/2 hours (assuming limited stops).
The amount of time saved with this sort of thing is tremendous. Unless you are traveling 1,000+ miles, high speed train is almost always better than air travel.
You could take a "day trip" theoretically from Baton Rouge to Austin, TX. And, it would only cost $50-80 to do it. Leisure travel would explode with a network of cities connected by rail.
ETA: Last post on page
High speed would be required for Houston. You could make that trip is 1 1/2 hours (271 miles at 180 mph)
Baton Rouge >> Shreveport >> Dallas is 439 miles and at 180 mph takes ~2 1/2 hours (assuming limited stops).
The amount of time saved with this sort of thing is tremendous. Unless you are traveling 1,000+ miles, high speed train is almost always better than air travel.
You could take a "day trip" theoretically from Baton Rouge to Austin, TX. And, it would only cost $50-80 to do it. Leisure travel would explode with a network of cities connected by rail.
ETA: Last post on page
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:21 am to lynxcat
quote:
And, it would only cost $50-80 to do it
Airline tickets could cost 50 bucks a piece too if the govt. subsidized them.
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:27 am to TigersOfGeauxld
If it were a high speed bullet train (monorail) and then circled to Lafayette and back to NOLA, it would be a great success, but that won't happen.
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:32 am to lynxcat
quote:
So build stations in better areas?
This. New Orleans's rail station is in the CBD next to the Superdome, right?
BR's is 5 blocks from downtown, but if they really wanted it in a nice area, they could put it near Perkins and Acadian. However, there are lots of plans to gentrify that midcity area in the next 5 years. I've seen them. I live in the neighborhood, I attend the meetings (actually will be at one tonight #OTGT!).
The stretch of "bad" neighborhood there is only about half a mile long (from Park to East). I've already started seeing sizeable numbers of hipsters moving into Old South Baton Rouge between Park and I-10 south of Government.
The Redevelopment authority is partnering with private companies to develop the north side of government to at least North Boulevard.
Developers are pushing north from LSU along Highland and East from Nicholson. Areas that looked like war zones 4 years ago now have every little crack den either torn down to make room for some massive complex or fixed up and renovated.
Lawyers and young professionals have been continuously pushing south as well, completely gentrifying Beauregard Town.
The Bottom is being closed in on from all sides. Much of it won't be a bad neighborhood 10 years from now, especially if these transit projects are a "go".
This post was edited on 7/16/15 at 10:33 am
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:51 am to ELVIS U
quote:
If it were a high speed bullet train (monorail) and then circled to Lafayette and back to NOLA, it would be a great success, but that won't happen.
This. Could you imagine a 200 mph monorail between the 3 cities with one stop in (or near) the downtown of each?
You could get from Lafayette to NOLA in just under an hour.
BR to Nola or Lafayette in just under 30 minutes.
The entire loop would take about 2 hours with stops. It would be an absolutely incredible resource, but it will never happen.
We need these types of trains between most every city. The sky is getting too crowded, roads are getting too crowded. People need more options.
Posted on 7/16/15 at 9:20 pm to lynxcat
quote:Where are you going to build train stations that are more convenient for mass transportation system users in metropolitan New Orleans and/or Baton Rouge? You need to run rail lines to the stations that will not interfere with existing roadways, have sufficient land for parking and are proximate to people's ultimate destinations. How are you going to lay rail lines to these new stations that do not interfere with existing roads and traffic?
So build stations in better areas?
quote:Please tell me your simple solution to the parking issue. I've seen the parking solutions at the New Orleans and Baton Rouge airports, the Superdome, and LSU when crowds attend sporting events. The passenger level necessary to make a train system economically feasible would require better parking solutions for which there is no vacant land available. Give us your simple solution.
If you can't figure out an issue as simple as parking, then I think you are looking for reason to say 'no'.
Posted on 7/16/15 at 9:26 pm to TigersOfGeauxld
How many people a day would really ride this thing? You'd need at least 2000 passengers a day with ticket prices at $25 each (one way).
Posted on 7/16/15 at 9:32 pm to Poodlebrain
quote:
Where are you going to build train stations that are more convenient for mass transportation system users in metropolitan New Orleans and/or Baton Rouge? You need to run rail lines to the stations that will not interfere with existing roadways, have sufficient land for parking and are proximate to people's ultimate destinations. How are you going to lay rail lines to these new stations that do not interfere with existing roads and traffic?
That's a huge issue to solve. You'd need the rail station to be downtown, and there isn't much open space there for either parking or rights of way. (Although you might be able to do something on Poydras a few blocks lakeside from the Dome.)
Posted on 7/16/15 at 9:38 pm to Poodlebrain
quote:
are proximate to people's ultimate destinations
This doesn't have to mean downtown, it can be to an area that is a 5-10$ cab ride or 1-2$ bus ride away from most end destinations.
Posted on 7/16/15 at 9:40 pm to lynxcat
quote:
You could take a "day trip" theoretically from Baton Rouge to Austin, TX. And, it would only cost $50-80 to do it.
I'd like to see the math behind that.
Posted on 7/16/15 at 9:45 pm to Old Sarge
quote:
This doesn't have to mean downtown, it can be to an area that is a 5-10$ cab ride or 1-2$ bus ride away from most end destinations.
Like the airport and somewhere in Ascension Parish?
Only problem then is you take the time to drive to MSY, make sure you arrive early so you leave room for error, find a cab or rental car at the other end, drive to your destination in Baton Rouge...by the time you do all that you might as well have driven the whole thing in your car.
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:46 pm to Asgard Device
quote:
How many people a day would really ride this thing? You'd need at least 2000 passengers a day with ticket prices at $25 each (one way).
Why does this thing need to be self supporting? No other public services (roads, bridges, tunnels) are held to the same level.
This post was edited on 7/16/15 at 10:46 pm
Posted on 7/16/15 at 10:49 pm to Bestbank Tiger
quote:
by the time you do all that you might as well have driven the whole thing in your car.
This is the thought process that will always hold up these projects. Mass transit is usually the same speed and a hell of a lot cheaper, but most ignore the high cost of operating a car for the marginal advantage of getting there a few minutes early.
This post was edited on 7/16/15 at 10:51 pm
Posted on 7/17/15 at 8:08 am to Old Sarge
quote:If there are not concentrated end destinations the amount of buses and cabs would have to be enormous during commute hours and practically idle all others. How many buses and cabs will have to stack up for arrival times? Can you schedule buses to all arrive at the train stations before scheduled departure times, you have to get them to all of the places needed to pick up your train passengers and get the passengers to the train station on time? How easy do you think it will be to get a cab back to the train station to catch your return ride? Do you think that will be easy? If not, then people are going to have delays that will extend their commute times, and the inconvenience will decrease ridership.
This doesn't have to mean downtown, it can be to an area that is a 5-10$ cab ride or 1-2$ bus ride away from most end destinations.
San Francisco is geographically tiny. It has a variety of public transit options that cover practically all parts of the city, and taxi cabs are plentiful. Despite those advantages public transportation fares do not pay the costs for the system. They require special sales taxes and other subsidies to keep the system operational. There is just no way that a rail system connecting New Orleans and Baton Rouge is going to be economically viable. The cost per passenger to make it work will be so great that driving will be much cheaper, and more convenient.
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