From: nilknocgeo@earthlink.net   
      
   "Glen Labah"  wrote in message   
   news:gl4317-2CF7C3.21333224042014@mx05.eternal-september.org...   
   > In article ,   
   > "conklin"  wrote:   
   >   
   >   
   >> Adding parking to the old station would not cost much.   
   >   
   >   
   > Add parking where?  There is a small triangle of trees on the lot at the   
   > station, but those won't yield much parking.  You would have to take out   
   > a structure to the south or west, and have people cross a street to get   
   > to the station.  Better than some cities, but not really the best   
   > solution.   
   >   
   > Adding parking does not address the issue that the station only sits on   
   > one side of the wye, nor does it address the fact that one train   
   > obstructs the other if two happen to be there at the same time, or if a   
   > freight has been sent through on the track closest to the station.   
   >   
   > Adding parking does not address the fact that the tracks are a bit of a   
   > barrier between the station and downtown.  Its on the wrong side of the   
   > tracks, quite literally.   
   >   
   > If you look at the numbers:   
   > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh_(Amtrak_station)   
   > it shows ridership at the station having dropped about 2.5% recently,   
   > even while North Carolina ridership   
   > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piedmont_(train)   
   > has increased ridership every year it has operated the Piedmont, and   
   > some years that train has seen 40%+ increases in ridership.   
   >   
   > These numbers in this last paragraph indicate to me that there is a   
   > particular problem with this station location.  Here in Amtrak Cascades   
   > land, there aren't stations that are reporting drops in ridership while   
   > at the same time the trains serving them are increasing in ridership.   
   > The station as it exists, just doesn't seem to be working for people.   
   >   
   >   
      
   Downtown is not where most of the people who ride the trains are going.   
   They are going home, which is not downtown.  They can drive, walk or take a   
   bus from the station to their destinations.   Say 100 people get off the FL   
   train. How will that affect "downtown" much?  That station is a good example   
   of why passenger rail is hopelessly expensive to provide.  Huge sums of   
   money for minimal impact on the city.   
      
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