Secretary Pete

[joelkfla]

Anyone else watch Secretary Pete's confirmation hearing today?

There was plenty of talk about Amtrak and the Gateway Project, mostly in the first hour or so. One senator brought up restoring service along the Gulf Coast.

I hadn't known that Pete was heavily involved in getting funding for South Shore Line double-tracking, as mayor of South Bend.

Pete joked that he was the 2nd most ardent passenger rail enthusiast in the new administration, enjoying both short and long trips by train.

 

[Chris I]

This is probably the best outcome we could have hoped for, as passenger rail fans. It will be nice to have competent, pro-transit administrators back in power again.

 

[oregon pioneer]

This seems very promising! I am looking forward to better times for Amtrak.

 

[bms]

I think Mayor Pete is a great choice. I think it will be important for us citizens to engage as well, by joining local nonprofits, writing letters, or whatever.

 

[SubwayNut]

What's funny about Mayor Pete (he's not confirmed yet) is that he stopped the South Shore Line from continuing preliminary engineering work on the South Bend Airport relocation project after protests from the 10 rural residents that were going to have their homes taken and then wanting an analysis started to bring the South Shore Line downtown instead of ending at the airport.

Right now the South Shore Line takes a very windy route with numerous grade-crossings on an old freight spur to reach the airport from the east. The goal of this project is to decrease travel times with service from the west, although bringing the South Shore Line into downtown south bend wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

What's funny about Mayor Pete (he's not confirmed yet) is that he stopped the South Shore Line from continuing preliminary engineering work on the South Bend Airport relocation project after protests from the 10 rural residents that were going to have their homes taken and then wanting an analysis started to bring the South Shore Line downtown instead of ending at the airport.

Right now the South Shore Line takes a very windy route with numerous grade-crossings on an old freight spur to reach the airport from the east. The goal of this project is to decrease travel times with service from the west, although bringing the South Shore Line into downtown south bend wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

Have you ever ridden the South Shore?

 

[20th Century Rider]

Overall this is... more and more... good news for Amtrak... for both LD and shorter routes.

 

[wwchi]

Plus being from Indiana he knows first hand the congestion we have out here in IL/IN/MI...so many Amtrak routes go through Chicago...hopefully that's something he can start fixing!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Plus being from Indiana he knows first hand the congestion we have out here in IL/IN/MI...so many Amtrak routes go through Chicago...hopefully that's something he can start fixing!

See that’s the problem... a flyover isn’t sexy high speed rail... it’s a boring overpass. But it would do so much to improve OTP for 12 trains per day (and growing hopefully...)

 

[Palmetto]

I understand the concept of intermodality vis-a-vis passenger transportation, but who gets off an airplane in South Bend to get on the train to go to exotic places like Hudson or Michigan City, Indiana? They might just as well end the trip at the former station which is also the Amtrak station, and take a bus into town.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I understand the concept of intermodality vis-a-vis passenger transportation, but who gets off an airplane in South Bend to get on the train to go to exotic places like Hudson or Michigan City, Indiana? They might just as well end the trip at the former station which is also the Amtrak station, and take a bus into town.

Have you ridden the south shore?

 

[IndyLions]

I understand the concept of intermodality vis-a-vis passenger transportation, but who gets off an airplane in South Bend to get on the train to go to exotic places like Hudson or Michigan City, Indiana? They might just as well end the trip at the former station which is also the Amtrak station, and take a bus into town.

This is purely my opinion, from what I’ve read on the subject - certainly with some reading between the lines.

I think they put it at the airport because the politicians in charge at the time (way before Pete) had no interest in improving the area where the Amtrak/South Shore Station was at. It was in a part of town they were prepared to write-off. Moving the South Shore was easier than making an investment in “that part of town”.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The airport has short term and long term parking and rental car options as well as convenient drop off and pick up locations.

I’ve been picked up and dropped off from both the South Bend Amtrak station, and the Airport. I prefer the airport and so did my relatives who were picking me up.

 

[SubwayNut]

Have you ever ridden the South Shore?

Yes I currently live and work in South Bend.

In non-COVID times we would normally try and take Amtrak home 90 minutes instead after trips of over 2.5 hours (2 hours on the weekdays express) on the South Shore Line. On our last trip into Chicago just before COVID we ended up driving to Hudson Lake because of a small car cash on Lincolnway driving towards the airport that we got stuck in. We might drive to Hudson Lake again on a multi-day trip to avoid paying the $9 a day for parking and ease of parking right at the platform in Hudson Lake.

 

[zephyrstar]

I understand the concept of intermodality vis-a-vis passenger transportation, but who gets off an airplane in South Bend to get on the train to go to exotic places like Hudson or Michigan City, Indiana? They might just as well end the trip at the former station which is also the Amtrak station, and take a bus into town.

I live near South Bend and have ridden the South Shore many times. I don't think the purpose of putting the South Shore station at the airport ever had as much to do with interconnectivity as it did with station services like rental cars, taxis, parking, security, etc. These things could be offered much better at the airport than at the Amtrak station.

 

[Old MM]

Hoping for the best, while I'm not a fan of Mayor Pete, if he is knowledgeable, hardworking, and responsibly dedicated to transportation infrastructure (rail transportation in particular) there could be major developments that would far transcend his drawbacks. Sometimes people you disagree with on philosophical and/or political issues are very competent in areas where they are needed to be. Keeping an open mind.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Hoping for the best, while I'm not a fan of Mayor Pete, if he is knowledgeable, hardworking, and responsibly dedicated to transportation infrastructure (rail transportation in particular) there could be major developments that would far transcend his drawbacks. Sometimes people you disagree with on philosophical and/or political issues are very competent in areas where they are needed to be. Keeping an open mind.

Most importantly he is supremely articulate and comes across as highly passionate, qualities that will serve him well in this role.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/poli...-mayorkas-senate-confirmation-vote/index.html

 

[west point]

Both Senators from TN, Al, FL, voted against PB. As well Ted Cruz voted against. It was almost only southern Senators voting against. PB.

 

[Asher]

Ted Cruz, voted against Pete, What else is new, that's all he do.

 

[TWA904]

Sen. Tuberville (R)-AL probably didn't even no what he was voting on. Back in November he said the work of the Senate was dumb.

 

[SubwayNut]

As now a Hoosier and resident of the City Mayor Pete was once mayor of, I was happy to see that both of our republican senators voted to confirm now Secretary Pete.

 

[Night Ranger]

Both Senators from TN, Al, FL, voted against PB. As well Ted Cruz voted against. It was almost only southern Senators voting against. PB.

All of these senators have a lot in common besides their geographic region. Let's just say they all support their bases' worst prejudices. That had as much to do with their negative votes on PB's nomination as anything else.

 

[MARC Rider]

As now a Hoosier and resident of the City Mayor Pete was once mayor of, I was happy to see that both of our republican senators voted to confirm now Secretary Pete.

Well, yes, I'm sure that they're happy to see one of the more prominent Democratic elected officials in their state move away to Washington.