SCHUMER ON THE RAILS

New York’s senior Senator, Charles Schumer, will be making a big announcement that could help the economy in Ulster County. He is happy to say that the MTA has committed $2.7 million needed for a crucial study to create a one-seat ride from Stewart International Airport to New York City.

It is assumed that the slow moving government process of allocating funds for such a study would be a waste of everyone’s time, so the MTA pumping the remaining $2.7 million needed to jump-start this thing, avoids much delay and continued political rancor over additional federal appropriations.

The extension of Metro-North Railroad’s west coast line from Salisbury Mills, to the airport itself would create a direct link south to New York City through New Jersey.

Anyone who has followed my previous posts will notice I like trains and subways. The Metro and Amtrak on the east side of the river have had been tremendous boost on the economic and residential growth in Dutchess and Columbia Counties. Sure, we’ve got the thruway, but rates and gas prices have had a financial squeeze on all commuters from the Catskills region.

I applaud Senator Schumer on this quest to stimulate the upper Hudson region and adding Stewart Airport to a larger travel network for the metropolitan area.

I would suggest to Chuck, please consider a continuation of the rail service to Exit 19. Every dollar invested in mass transit, returns ten-fold. A direct rail link to NYC would greatly impact our residential property values while decreasing the travel expense and carbon footprint of Ulster County residents who work in the city.

More on CSX rail upgrades throughout the state coming soon!

Chuck’s site: http://schumer.senate.gov/

METRO NORTH RATES WENT UP

A fair percentage of Kingston area residents travel to Dutchess County workday mornings to take the trains to NYC. Those of you, who use Metro North, have noticed the increase in the fares as of March first. These increases apply only to passengers getting on and off the train in New York, not
Connecticut. Someone want to tell me why? We don’t pay enough in commuter taxes?

Monthly and weekly tickets are now about 4 percent more, and one-way and round-trip fares will grow by as much as 7 percent. This comes at a time when gas prices are rising and we should be giving an incentive to commuters to use public transportation.

It used to cost about 11 cents a mile to commute by train and 31 cents a mile to drive, the cost of driving goes up reflecting the price of gas, so why hike the rail cost? To cover pay raises for the top officials?

Economically and ecologically, mass transit has always been the better choice. The rate hike will have a negative impact on working class people who use the line. It's not just rich people going to investment banking jobs on Wall Street.

My Dream would be public rail service to Kingston. I witnessed the passenger cars of Ringling Brothers Circus heading north on the CSX line last summer, so its not a safety issue. But as serious as I am, it will be decades before we witness any plans for Metro North to serve the west side of the Hudson River above Newbergh, if ever.

This is one of the major economic roadblocks that Albany refuses to address for Ulster & Greene Counties. Economic growth on the east side of the river is enhanced by the commuter rail, we deserve the consideration ALBANY!

But until then, we will feel the financial pinch even as we do the right thing by using mass transit. Question: Whatever happened to the Kingston/Rhinebeck Ferry Plan?