ation is the plan to elevate the museum and its collection of historic rolling stock and re- locate it on higher ground. A collection is be- ing taken up for the purpose of moving the museum. If you are interested in this cause, and our readers should be, the address is Branford Electric Railway Association, 17 River Street, East Haven, CT 06512. The telephone number is 203/467-6927. By com- puter, use
www.ShoreLineTrolley.org. If you call, try to get a copy of the Branford Electric Railway Journal that explains what hap- pened as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
Transit Financial Needs All over the U.S. there is concern about the need for infrastructure spending for trans- portation projects. Secretary of Transporta- tion Ray LaHood has been preaching the gospel of the importance of investment in fa- cility upgrade and expansion. The U.S. Con- gress is a good example of the old saying “you are never too old to learn something stupid.” The point is not aimless spending for the sake of spending, but investment to meet the needs of today and the soon-to- come tomorrow. Other countries are way ahead of us in investment. Even little Portu- gal has high speed rail but the U.S. appears to be plagued with naysayers rather than transportation progress. On the state level, some of the transporta- tion demands appear to be formidable. Such is the case in Massachusetts concerning the funding of the expansion of commuter rail service to New Bedford and Fall River. A caveat for rail transit is the lifespan of rolling stock, which is about 35 years. Many transit properties have rolling stock approach- ing that age and replacements must be sought or service will deteriorate significantly. It is more than time for Secretary LaHood and key members of Congress to get together and figure out a good plan to help finance the transportation needs of the nation. State and local governments must do likewise.
Improvements in the Hoosier Holy Land Indianapolis has the worst public trans- portation of any large U.S. city. This fact is regularly reported in the papers and other news media serving central Indiana. It is not a problem of bad management, but a lack of money. It should be recognized that local government can do little in Indiana without the blessing and action of the state General Assembly. There has been pressure since 2009 to do something and plans have been generated. Several of the ten central Indiana counties around Indianapolis have an interest in transit improvement and have sought permission from the General Assem- bly to conduct a referendum of their citizens to see if they wish to tax themselves in order to improve transit. As I write, the 2013 Gen- eral Assembly has not acted on the issue. The proposals so far are quite modest. In
essence, the parties involved would like to, at least, double the amount of bus service provided. Here in Bloomington, we enjoy ex- tensive service by Bloomington Transit and intensive service on the Indiana University Bloomington campus by the I.U. Campus Bus Service. Despite losing about 34,000 residents during summer break, the combi- nation of Campus Bus Service and Bloom- ington Transit generates a little more than seven million rides a year, about a million rides less than Indianapolis, a city of over a million in population.
Despite many railroad and utility corri- dors that would seem to be good places for rail or express bus service, the likelihood of light rail or commuter rail service in the near future is apt to be remote. The price tag for rail is high and would probably take the bloom off the prospects of improvement un- less expanded bus service proves to be high- ly successful in attracting patronage. Hold- ing back that success will be the sprawling nature of the development of the urban re- gion. I have recently visited Greenwood, im- mediately south of Indianapolis, and it is a classic example of urban/suburban sprawl without the density that can generate high levels of transit patronage. To the good, many local business and gov- ernment leaders have given strong support to transit improvements. Perhaps someday there will be a rail line from Fishers through downtown Indianapolis and west to the air- port, but don’t hold your breath.
Flashes Beginning with Safety Gates The threat of being pushed off a subway platform in front of a train is a disturbing thought, so the issue of using platform gates has once again arisen. The NEW YORK CITY Transit Authority is committed to a pilot program to test gates and get an idea of cost. The test operation would likely be tried on the L line that runs from 14th Street in lower Manhattan to Canarsie in Brooklyn. The ballpark estimate for installing plat- form doors in the New York system is one billion dollars. This is not a small problem, because 141 people were struck by subway trains in 2012; 55 died, 54 tripped or fell onto the tracks or into a train, 33 were suicides, 15 were pushed or bumped, four had medical problems, nine leaned too far over the plat- form edge looking for a train and 33 inten- tionally entered the tracks primarily to re- trieve property. Many of those involved were affected by alcohol or drugs. Thanks to Har- ry Ross for the information. It appears that Philadelphia & West
Chester Traction car No. 85 will be acquired by the NATIONAL CAPITAL TRANS- PORTATION MUSEUM. Most people to- day think of it as a Red Arrow Lines Brill- built lightweight car constructed in 1932. I rode on that car along West Chester Pike in the late 1940s. I could see the speedometer in a Plymouth convertible that was pacing the trolley. The speedometer showed 75 m.p.h. and the trolley was pulling away from the Plymouth. Thanks to Charlie Bogart for the news.
Many readers will remember the wooden elevated cars that were operated by the Chicago Transit Authority well into the 1950s. Charlie Bogart sends news that ACF 1907 graduate No. 1797 has been restored and will soon be in service at the ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUMat Union. Riding on a wooden car was and is an experience differ- ent from a ride on a steel car that is not to be missed with its subtle sound of the twisting car fabric. In PHOENIX, the Northwest Light Rail extension got underway with a ground- breaking on January 12, 2013. The 3.2 mile extension is expected to be ready for revenue service in 2015 or early 2016. With the ex- tension planned, it is expected that Phoenix will have a system of 57 miles by 2032. Thanks to Carl Edd and Don Dowd for the news.
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