Bedtime musings.......people oblivious to Amtrak

[Devil's Advocate]

Amtrak doesn't think about parking lots because it hasn't got the money to build them.

That's no different than saying mall tenants don't worry about parking because they haven't got the money to build their own mall.

Anyway, parking lots are usually the property of local governments if not the freight railroads, and often the stations are, too.

In my experience there is no such thing as "usually" in the case of parking lots. They can be owned, leased, subleased, and shared by almost any type of entity depending on the situation.

No use bashing Amtrak for things it can't control.

If you really think pointing out basic logistical problems is the equivalent of "bashing" then maybe you should let it go and move on to another topic.

It surely wouldn't cost much to put up on their website info about what sort of parking is available at each station

Amtrak does put info about what sort of parking is available - by station - on it's website.Pick a station:

https://www.amtrak.com/midwest-train-bus-stations

Click on the Parking tab of the selected station:

https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=am/am2Station/Station_Page&code=OTM

That information is often impractical, outdated, or just plain incorrect. If anything it gives people a false sense of security thinking that parking is available when in reality it's either too far from the station, far too expensive for more than brief use, far too dangerous for your car, or simply too full to be useful.

 

[HenryK]

I am so very sorry.

 

[andersone]

I am with Henry,,,, at least on this one

 

[jis]

Yeah. I think what Henry said makes perfect sense.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I am with Henry,,,, at least on this one

Yeah. I think what Henry said makes perfect sense.

Thirded

 

[railiner]

A different point of view.....

When I lived away from New York, in places like Nebraska and Colorado in the seventies and eighties....I would sometimes have visitor's from back home.

When the subject of public transportation options came up for discussion, they were amazed that the options were so limited...

 

[tricia]

It surely wouldn't cost much to put up on their website info about what sort of parking is available at each station

Amtrak does put info about what sort of parking is available - by station - on it's website.

Pick a station:

https://www.amtrak.com/midwest-train-bus-stations

Click on the Parking tab of the selected station:

https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=am/am2Station/Station_Page&code=OTM

Thanks for the link. Unfortunately, the combination of "parking fee may apply" and no phone number listed for the station isn't enough info for me to feel comfortable driving to an unfamiliar station and expecting I'll be able to leave my car there.

 

[PRR 60]

I have to agree that the station parking information provided by Amtrak.com leaves a lot to be desired. Philadelphia is a case in point. Amtrak owns the parking garage at PHL (run for Amtrak by a parking management company). As stated on the website, the PHL garage has 1700 long-term spaces. However, the website shows the generic "parking fee may apply." You bet it does - to the tune of $28 per day. Now, that might be a nice piece of information to provide to customers before they pull up to the entrance and see the posted fees. Imagine heading out for a three day weekend and finding out you are going to get hit up for $84 to park when it's too late to do anything about it?

The PHL airport website lists all official airport parking options, the full rate chart for each, and even the current availability of spaces in each garage and lot (updated every 15 minutes). Showing availability on the Amtrak website would be great, but giving the current parking fees for those stations with dedicated lots and garages should be the basic info provided on the parking tab of the Amtrak station pages.

 

[Greg]

Living near tallahassee, I unfortunately have to drive to Hammond Louisiana to catch the city of New Orleans to head to chicago. Regarding parking, it always delights me when I asked the station agent where to leave my car and he replies "just leave it under that tree out there, it'll be alright"... ( and it always is)

 

[jis]

That is pretty much the reason that I like to use Kissimmee instead of Orlando when I have to leave my car

 

[Bob Dylan]

Ditto for Austin where the UP owned Amtrak leased Station has the only Free, Lighted and Paved Parking in downtown Austin.( Taylor, aka Austin NE also has the same setup!)

I've left my car as long as long as a month while using a Rail Pass and not had any problems.

 

[jis]

Actually, the only time I use Orlando to get on/off Amtrak is when I have to leave my car at the airport (MCO/OIA) since the outbound or return journey is by plane.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I am so very sorry.

I am with Henry,,,, at least on this one

Yeah. I think what Henry said makes perfect sense.

Thirded

I think we can all agree that Henry is sorry. About what I have no earthly idea. Apparently he removed whatever profound nugget of knowledge was previously found in his post. In any case let's revisit Henry's original response and consider precisely where I think it falls apart.

The core of Henry's case is that Amtrak doesn't have enough money to unilaterally resolve the problem with cash on hand. Which is undeniably correct, but it's also a lazy by the book deflection that has become a routine catchall response used to explain nearly everything Amtrak does or doesn't do. Amtrak most certainly does not have enough money to go around buying up real estate and building parking lots just for Amtrak passengers.

The thing about parking lots is that unlike passenger rail they are generally revenue positive. This is especially true in high traffic downtown locations where Amtrak is likely to be found. Out of five hundred odd locations where Amtrak has a physical presence there should be several locations where Amtrak can identify unrealized opportunities, coordinate needs and goals with other nearby tenants, and lobby on behalf of additional funding for a combined use parking facility that grants safe and easy access to ticketed passengers for a reasonable rate.

A project like this potentially helps increase customer access to Amtrak's primary service and could also help Amtrak's bottom line with parking revenue if developed with adequate foresight. Not every city is going to have an actionable parking solution and even if they did Amtrak has no chance of affording more than a handful of developments at a time. Luckily parking lots can exist almost anywhere that's reachable by road. In cases where Amtrak cannot bring parking to the station they may chose to identify dormant parking lots or suitable development areas elsewhere along their routes and lobby to move their operations to where the parking is.

This may sound counterintuitive at first but in cities where the vast majority of residents travel almost exclusively by private vehicle having quick, easy, and reasonably priced parking could potentially trump nearly every other consideration related to the desirability of the location. At least in the minds of the customers who have to find a way to travel there and back again.

I have to agree that the station parking information provided by Amtrak.com leaves a lot to be desired. Philadelphia is a case in point. Amtrak owns the parking garage at PHL (run for Amtrak by a parking management company). As stated on the website, the PHL garage has 1700 long-term spaces. However, the website shows the generic "parking fee may apply." You bet it does - to the tune of $28 per day. Now, that might be a nice piece of information to provide to customers before they pull up to the entrance and see the posted fees. Imagine heading out for a three day weekend and finding out you are going to get hit up for $84 to park when it's too late to do anything about it? The PHL airport website lists all official airport parking options, the full rate chart for each, and even the current availability of spaces in each garage and lot (updated every 15 minutes). Showing availability on the Amtrak website would be great, but giving the current parking fees for those stations with dedicated lots and garages should be the basic info provided on the parking tab of the Amtrak station pages.

You make an excellent well reasoned point.

 

[niemi24s]

. . . tiny Columbus, WI which has a great secure, long term parking lot . . .

Secure? I've left vehicles there several times, but unless something has changed since my trip last Fall I'd describe it as "safe" - but not secure. I think to most folks, especially city slickers, the term "secure" implies an enclosed area with controlled access. I had no qualms about leaving my truck on the boulevard down past the lumber yard for three weeks, but not sure I'd do the same with a new Lamborghini Testosteroni. :blink:

 

[Seaboard92]

One reason I use the Florence amtrak station in South Carolina because the hospital next door is always patrolling the parking lot. And in Clemson I have no trouble leaving my car four days at a time. The police are usually set up waiting for speeders up there.

 

[HenryK]

I am even sorrier.

 

[CCC1007]

Henry, there is nothing that I can see that you should be apologizing for. Please don't feel bad about yourself today.

 

[HenryK]

CCC1007: Wink.

 

[Eric308]

. . . tiny Columbus, WI which has a great secure, long term parking lot . . .

Secure? I've left vehicles there several times, but unless something has changed since my trip last Fall I'd describe it as "safe" - but not secure. I think to most folks, especially city slickers, the term "secure" implies an enclosed area with controlled access. I had no qualms about leaving my truck on the boulevard down past the lumber yard for three weeks, but not sure I'd do the same with a new Lamborghini Testosteroni. :blink:

Agreed....but I'm leaving my new Testosteroni there again next month for three weeks. I've been leaving cars/trucks there for almost 40 years with never an incident. Columbus cops patrol "hourly". Also a big plus is that it's free.

 

[City of Miami]

I think the reason most people are oblivious of Amtrak is that Amtrak simply doesn't meet their needs much less their wants. When you have to drive 3 hours to the nearest station for a once a day train, as we hear frequently on this forum, this does not meet most people's needs, it's not even an option, therefore they don't care about Amtrak....it may as well not exist at all. Here in Charlottesville where we have good Amtrak service, and soon to get another frequency, and the station is located conveniently in the middle of town, my experience is that most people are at least aware of Amtrak service and many people actually use it regularly. It is a definite option that is weighed against driving or flying.

 

[Carolina Special]

The Charlottesville station has the advantage of being within walking distance of the UVA campus for students. Gets the edge over the local airport, which has no public transportation to town.

Parking is $12/day for cash and $16/day for credit, however, which has to be factored in for those taking mult-day trips.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I think Amtrak shoots itself in the foot by not stopping in obvious places.

For example, Princeton Junction has a ready-made Amtrak audience: students/intellectuals/businesspeople who can get to the station quickly and easily from Princeton by free university bus or the Dinky, who are used to taking trains (there is always a crowd getting on and off NJ Transit trains there), and who would be more likely to take a train to, as an example, Mystic, CT, if they could get on at PJC instead of having to go into Trenton (which is going backward to go forward and is also not as nice a station).

Amtrak marketing is always so proud of saying how Amtrak serves more than 500 destinations. But I just looked up the number of "incorporated places" (cities, towns, and villages) in the U.S., and there are more than 19,000 of them! At least 10 or 20 of them should meet the criteria of PJC or of Charlottesville, as mentioned above.

I wouldn't expect the Silver Meteor, for example, to stop at every tiny town on its way to Florida. But, continuing to use Mystic, CT, as a destination example, how about the Northeast Regional that already stops at Mystic and a couple of other small places stopping at PJC?

Amtrak wouldn't have to add a route, a train, or anything else to simply stop at an extra station along the way. Yes, the stop might add an extra five minutes or so to the trip, but honestly, if they are going to run late anyway for all sorts of reasons, five minutes is not a big deal.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Excellent idea Patty, therefore it's DOA @ 60 Mass!

 

[neroden]

Failure to stop at Princeton Junction is a pretty obvious problem. Of course, Princeton U has been trying to kill the Dinky for decades, which certainly doesn't help.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I used Princeton Junction as an example because it's the stop I'm most familiar with in that situation, but there must be other similar situations and places along Amtrak's already existing routes.

Anyone else have similar situations in mind? Perhaps having a list of them could be a starting point in making Amtrak use common sense in where it stops.