T heres a possible gas shortage due to short age of tanker truck drivers for gasoline. Amtrak should promote rail as an alternative to driving! Discount at first than increase if demand goes up.
Amtrak has golden opportunity this summer
- Thread starter MIrailfan
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
Trains use diesel, which is also hauled by tanker trucks, so I'm not sure where you're going with this?
The trains operate no matter passenger load. If people who drive ride the train, that train uses same gas but the cars of the people wouldn't use gas.
I think commuters are the larger concern.
Coaster, Met rolink, Sounder, Metra, etc.
So what do all of the commuters who don't live in major metropolitan areas do?
What are we supposed to do in Michigan, for example?
Rail and light rail is always promoted as an alternative to driving where it's available.
The golden opportunity you are seeing, has been a golden opportunity for a long time.
It all depends where you live.
The golden opportunity you are seeing, has been a golden opportunity for a long time.
It all depends where you live.
drive. theres no big commutetrafficin michign.
Having been through these cycles several times I can tell you that there are both good and bad points.
The good points are the consequent political support for alternative modes and additional revenue for transport providers that have fuel. The bad points are that customers who are forced to switch modes have a bad attitude and the reservation system gets overloaded.
The good points are the consequent political support for alternative modes and additional revenue for transport providers that have fuel. The bad points are that customers who are forced to switch modes have a bad attitude and the reservation system gets overloaded.
Here's a balanced discussion of the gasoline trucking situation:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/summer-scramble-for-gasoline-on-tap-amid-tank-truck-driver-shortage
The problem that the article doesn't cover is that when random outages occur, people keep topping their tanks up. During the (1972) 1973-1974 (1975) Energy Crisis we informally calculated that Oregonians had doubled the inventory of gasoline stored in their gas tanks. Even without the 'help' of social media there were rumors of ships offshore holding back petroleum. Actually, it was motorists doing the hoarding.
When people saw a green flag station (one that had supplies) they would get into line to top off their tanks. This photo from my neighborhood back then shows the other traffic tied up due to a loss of a lane occupied by gas-seekers.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/summer-scramble-for-gasoline-on-tap-amid-tank-truck-driver-shortage
The problem that the article doesn't cover is that when random outages occur, people keep topping their tanks up. During the (1972) 1973-1974 (1975) Energy Crisis we informally calculated that Oregonians had doubled the inventory of gasoline stored in their gas tanks. Even without the 'help' of social media there were rumors of ships offshore holding back petroleum. Actually, it was motorists doing the hoarding.
When people saw a green flag station (one that had supplies) they would get into line to top off their tanks. This photo from my neighborhood back then shows the other traffic tied up due to a loss of a lane occupied by gas-seekers.
I've been caught in lots of traffic jams in the Detroit area. Last time I heard, that was part of Michigan.
Actually, with the exception of the long-distance service, Amtrak service today is far superior to the passenger rail available in 1971. And at least today, there's strong political support in Congress for at least maintaining the existing long-distance network, unlike 1971, when everybody was expecting long-distance rail travel to just die.
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
- Messages
- 4,893
Let me tell you a secret. I used to drive my own car out to southeast Michigan for work trips before I discovered that renting a car was cheaper. Let's just say that when I drove my own car out there, it wasn't the only Honda running around on the local roads.Those weren't traffic jams. Those were parked GM and Ford cars that never sold.
Speaking as someone who used to commute in Metro Detroit, I can say, with confidence, that you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
Also, you may want to check out 94 between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek and 131 between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.
ive livedin sandiego. Detroits is Sunday driving compared to there. GRand rapids to Kalamazoo is slow Iadmit but it Moves. And has 3 lanes eachway inseadof 5 wach way in cali.
Yep, I'm in the LA area .Traffic get's bad
Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids could use commuter rail.
MBTA service is restored in Boston to pre-pandemic levels, which is good because in 2019, there were several studies that concluded that Boston had the worst congestion in the country. Such a shame given the city's extensive transit network.
MBTA is great (for the US), but the current much needed projects like new Orange Line cars, and Green Line extension is really good. Getting across the river is tough, and nobody wants to sit in traffic. Summer in cities is going to be crazy. Everyone is going to want to get out and do stuff, and transpo needs to be ready!
MBTA is great (for the US), but the current much needed projects like new Orange Line cars, and Green Line extension is really good. Getting across the river is tough, and nobody wants to sit in traffic. Summer in cities is going to be crazy. Everyone is going to want to get out and do stuff, and transpo needs to be ready!
It's possible that whatever is causing the truck driver shortage will also affect Amtrak.
And as SarahZ mentioned upthread, Amtrak locomotives (most of them) use diesel, so that has to be accounted for.
And as SarahZ mentioned upthread, Amtrak locomotives (most of them) use diesel, so that has to be accounted for.
