Long distance trains now sold out, NEC still burning cash..

[ehbowen]

My point is that the 750 mile rule is asinine when the NEC gets federal money when it needs it. The feds fund highway improvements between DFW and Houston, why shouldn't trains be on the menu unless you can make a line that goes all the way to Kansas City at minimum?

Agreed. "Interstate" 45 never leaves the state of Texas, and it's been a sponge for federal dollars since Ike signed the paperwork (and before)!

 

[Qapla]

The same with I-4 It is only in Florida and runs from Tampa to Daytona

There are also several I-295 "beltways" that wrap around cities but never interconnect with each other.

If only we could have just as many trains doing the same thing

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The same with I-4 It is only in Florida and runs from Tampa to Daytona

There are also several I-295 "beltways" that wrap around cities but never interconnect with each other.

If only we could have just as many trains doing the same thing

I-295 and I-495 are just that - beltways to get around cities that I-95 runs through.

When an interstate hits a major urban area, beltways around the city carry a three-digit number. These routes are designated with the number of the main route and an even-numbered prefix. To prevent duplication within a state, prefixes go up.

I-395 is a spur off of I-95

https://kurumi.com/roads/3di/3di-primer.html

 

[Qapla]

I know how the Interstate numbering system works.

That does not change the fact that each of these beltways are contained in a single state even though they are called "Interstates" and supported with federal $$ I-295 in Jacksonville carries the hidden designation as State Road 9A by the Florida Department of Transportation

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I know how the Interstate numbering system works.

That does not change the fact that each of these beltways are contained in a single state even though they are called "Interstates" and supported with federal $$ I-295 in Jacksonville carries the hidden designation as State Road 9A by the Florida Department of Transportation

Of course beltways are contained in a single state, but they're still part of the interstate highway.

 

[Mailliw]

IIRC so is Alaska's ferry system and that's not even a road.

 

[Lonestar648]

Amtrak had an opportunity with the Sleeping Cars to market a safe way to travel LD during COVID, but Amtrak decided to do the reverse. If so not market your product there will not be any revenue. Now, traveling coast to coast is next to impossible to schedule, what is there to market?

 

[railiner]

Of course beltways are contained in a single state, but they're still part of the interstate highway.

Not all beltways are contained in a single state. There are several that cross state lines...

 

[Ziv]

I flew two United flights and they kept the middle seats open for the entire aircraft DCA to DEN. Economy Plus forward was keeping the middle seats open as well, but the Basic Economy was 3 abreast from DEN to Bozeman. I did not like to see the middle seats in use, my last 8 flights this year have had middle seats empty, 4 of the flights were in May and 4 flights were in August.
DCA was still pretty clean and careful, Denver was a zoo. Bozeman was clean and quiet but it was 10 pm at night when I got there.
Sorry for taking the thread in a different direction!

I believe Delta is the only North American carrier still blocking seats. The others have returned to full planes and some have made seat and tray-table cleaning the passengers' responsibility, handing out wipes on boarding.

 

[joelkfla]

IIRC so is Alaska's ferry system and that's not even a road.

No, the ferries also go to Bellingham, WA.

 

[Mailliw]

Right, what I meant was that an Interstate highway need not even be a highway or road.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

In reference to one of the posts above this is the most current information I have for the airlines that are currently blocking seats for increased separation between unfamiliar passengers (as of October 8th).

• Alaska Airlines: Through November 30
• Southwest: Through November 30
• JetBlue: Unspecified end date, but guarantees 70% or less capacity through the holiday season
• Delta: Through Jan 6, 2021
• Hawaiian Airlines: Through December 15

American Airlines is not limiting capacity on their flights. However, passengers may be reseated after boarding is complete to allow additional distancing if there are seats available. On full flights, travelers can optionally request to move flights at no charge.

United Airlines has not instituted capacity restrictions for their flight and passengers should be prepared for the possibility of completely sold out flights. However, if there are more than 70% of seats booked, passengers can move to another flight instead.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adviso...s-airline-seating-and-mask-covid-19-policies/

 

[me_little_me]

Because of Prime Days most likely.

What if Amtrak did that? You pay $12.99 a month and can get on a train within 2 days at a lower bucket? And on Prime Day, they offer special discounts on certain cities (Slidell to Tuscaloosa)? Nah! They'd do it all wrong and lose more money.

 

[MARC Rider]

Some of us wanting a fairer means of funding passenger rail outside of the NEC isn't hating the NEC. It would be nice to have more NEC like corridors around the country, but that would mean Congress accepting that they would need to pony up money for it like it does with the NEC. And that means spending money in states that may not want to deal with Amtrak. There is no reason why getting more frequent service between cities like Dallas and Houston would mean having the trains run all the way to Kansas City just to comply with the 750 mile rule and therefore be eligible for federal funding. Or put states in a position where they have to scrounge for money to keep a federal route like the Southwest Chief going when it is a federal concern. Arguing for a fair and rational system is not hating the NEC.

Oh, sure, I also believe that they should scrap the 750 mile rule and appropriate federal money to help build up NEC-like corridors outside of the NEC. And I also think that the long distance trains serve a useful purpose, even if for a significantly smaller number of people than the corridor trains. However, under the current political reality those appropriations aren't happening, and neither is Federal funding to keep the current system in place. Amtrak has to make these cuts, as revenue has cratered, and it does make sense to make the fewest cuts on the parts of the system that are actually a significant part of the overall transportation system.

It's also been pointed out elsewhere on AU, that although the NEC trains aren't directly state-supported, the state-funded commuter agencies along the NEC do make substantial contributions in maintaining the infrastructure. So it's not like the NEC states are getting a totally free ride.

 

[MARC Rider]

Agreed. "Interstate" 45 never leaves the state of Texas, and it's been a sponge for federal dollars since Ike signed the paperwork (and before)!

Let's not forget Interstate 97, which is solely within Maryland, and Interstate 99, which is solely within Pennsylvania.

 

[ehbowen]

Let's not forget Interstate 97, which is solely within Maryland, and Interstate 99, which is solely within Pennsylvania.

True dat, but the highways ending in '0' (east-west) or '5' (north-south) were intended to be the "major", trunk-line Interstates. I-45 runs from Galveston Island to Houston and then to Dallas and then...stops. I suppose the road builders could continue it north...but why?

 

[MARC Rider]

True dat, but the highways ending in '0' (east-west) or '5' (north-south) were intended to be the "major", trunk-line Interstates. I-45 runs from Galveston Island to Houston and then to Dallas and then...stops. I suppose the road builders could continue it north...but why?

I knew about the odd interstates being N_S and the even being E_W, but I didn't realize that there was a hierarchy of numbers with those ending in 0 or 5. And what about I-81, which runs from the Canadian border to Knoxville, Tennesee? I'd consider that one to be a "trunk-line" interstate.

 

[Maglev]

Don't forget Interstate's H-1, H-2 and H-3 on Oahu. H-3 may also hold some records for construction cost per mile.

 

[tgstubbs1]

I think they started off with tge conventions but eventually had to compromise. Some road's travel SW to NE for example.

 

[sttom]

Oh, sure, I also believe that they should scrap the 750 mile rule and appropriate federal money to help build up NEC-like corridors outside of the NEC. And I also think that the long distance trains serve a useful purpose, even if for a significantly smaller number of people than the corridor trains. However, under the current political reality those appropriations aren't happening, and neither is Federal funding to keep the current system in place. Amtrak has to make these cuts, as revenue has cratered, and it does make sense to make the fewest cuts on the parts of the system that are actually a significant part of the overall transportation system.

It's also been pointed out elsewhere on AU, that although the NEC trains aren't directly state-supported, the state-funded commuter agencies along the NEC do make substantial contributions in maintaining the infrastructure. So it's not like the NEC states are getting a totally free ride.

The reality for those of us outside of the NEC is one of cuts that may not be restored any time soon. The NEC will be fine 2 years post COVID, the rest of the country might take a decade to recover, if we ever see a full recovery at all. We've been patient and we've gotten little to show for it. We're well within our rights to be angry about our services getting cut when we've been short changed for the last 10 years and now are living through devastating cuts that Amtrak's management and a small contingent of Congress has been looking for an excuse to go through with for the last few years. Also, if you want to bring "the political reality" into this, Congressional leadership torched any aid package that could of avoided this just to try to swing the election in their favor. The reality is one of our so called leaders not giving a damn about the country and letting it burns while they hope for political capital. This could have been avoided and it wasn't, but guess what, the NEC will always get it's money. It's the rest of the country with tri-weekly service that suffers or state corridors which have cut their services by 2/3 that suffers. And who cares about us? We're in flyover country.

 

[me_little_me]

I think they started off with tge conventions but eventually had to compromise. Some road's travel SW to NE for example.

And cross? Like I-75 and I-85 that cross in Atlanta. Politics, pure and simple. But spend money on trains? No way!

 

[cuppb001]

I recently rode the SM from Jax-ORL-TPA (Thruway) I must say the train and the bus were very very well patronized. The demand is definitely there especially in the Florida marker.

 

[tgstubbs1]

And cross? Like I-75 and I-85 that cross in Atlanta. Politics, pure and simple. But spend money on trains? No way!

I can't find either I-30 or I-50. I wonder why?

 

[railiner]

I can't find either I-30 or I-50. I wonder why?

I-30 runs between Little Rock and Fort Worth.

They decided not to use I-50 or I-60 numbers, because they would run too close to the older US 50 and US 60 routes, and perhaps be too confusing.

 

[McIntyre2K7]

I recently rode the SM from Jax-ORL-TPA (Thruway) I must say the train and the bus were very very well patronized. The demand is definitely there especially in the Florida marker.

It's crazy because I think a little over 8 million people live within a 30 minute drive of I-4 and there's no train system to connect two of the biggest cities along I-4.

I wouldn't mind a Florida West Coast Rail route as well. Something that could start at the Brightline Miami Station and then go along I-75 up to Tampa. Stops would be in Naples/Ft.Myers/Sarasota/Bradenton/Ruskin(Amazon TPA-1) warehouse and Tampa.