We have talked about Peak or Rush Hour commuting and Reverse Commuting...but how about inter regional commuting. In the 30's I am told my grandfather took the LIRR from Jamaica and the PRR from NYP to Philadelphia and back everyday for almost a year; a more extreme case than I am speaking of here, though. For instance, I knew a neighbor in Denville, NJ who commuted to Hoboken on the DL&W then Tubes to 33rd St. and the LIRR out to someplace on the Island (eaiser to do today with MidTown Direct, of course). It is comprehensible that such commuting from NJ to LI, Westchester, or CT is possible as is commuting to either side of the Delaware River in the Philadelphia/Camden Metropolitan area, Balitmore area, D.C. of course MD to VA and vice versa, and Chicagoland stretching north and south along Lake Michigan or east/west or west/east. Does anyone know to what extent this may be being done in these locations or others?
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henry6We have talked about Peak or Rush Hour commuting and Reverse Commuting...but how about inter regional commuting. In the 30's I am told my grandfather took the LIRR from Jamaica and the PRR from NYP to Philadelphia and back everyday for almost a year; a more extreme case than I am speaking of here, though. For instance, I knew a neighbor in Denville, NJ who commuted to Hoboken on the DL&W then Tubes to 33rd St. and the LIRR out to someplace on the Island (eaiser to do today with MidTown Direct, of course). It is comprehensible that such commuting from NJ to LI, Westchester, or CT is possible as is commuting to either side of the Delaware River in the Philadelphia/Camden Metropolitan area, Balitmore area, D.C. of course MD to VA and vice versa, and Chicagoland stretching north and south along Lake Michigan or east/west or west/east. Does anyone know to what extent this may be being done in these locations or others?
“Things of quality have no fear of time.”
There was an excellent technical article in a British publicaton about 14 years ago about the opening of the center city connecting tunnel in Glascow, which tied together the electrified suburban system that had been electrified mostly preWWII and previously had two disconnected operations, like the "T" "Purple Lines" in Boston. It showed how auto usage and traffic congestion were reduced and additional empoyment opportunities opened. Of course, PHiladelphia followed this approach, and so did Tel Aviv with the Ayalon connector rail link. Boston is way behind the times, of course. (Ditto Jerusalem) In Philadelphia there are Bryn Mawr students that commute regularly from places like Jenkintown that involve a ride on both the former Reading and PRR lines.
In New York, through PRR-New Haven service would be easy to arrange, and both NJT equipment and the new Metro North M-8's could run through atarting nest week! LIRR service should be extended through Penn Station and up the Amtrak west side line (former NYCentral west sie freight line) to connect with Metro North in Riverdale, also easly done. (There is space for two LIRR tracks to the west of the Metro North tracks on the RoW Spuytin Dyvil - Riverdale). Business would be gained and commuting time reduced for students and workers at Lincoln Square and the Columbia U. - Union Theological Sem., Jewish Theological Sem. - Interchurch Center complex.
daveklepperThere was an excellent technical article in a British publicaton about 14 years ago about the opening of the center city connecting tunnel in Glascow, which tied together the electrified suburban system that had been electrified mostly preWWII and previously had two disconnected operations, like the "T" "Purple Lines" in Boston. It showed how auto usage and traffic congestion were reduced and additional empoyment opportunities opened. Of course, PHiladelphia followed this approach, and so did Tel Aviv with the Ayalon connector rail link. Boston is way behind the times, of course. (Ditto Jerusalem) In Philadelphia there are Bryn Mawr students that commute regularly from places like Jenkintown that involve a ride on both the former Reading and PRR lines. In New York, through PRR-New Haven service would be easy to arrange, and both NJT equipment and the new Metro North M-8's could run through atarting nest week! LIRR service should be extended through Penn Station and up the Amtrak west side line (former NYCentral west sie freight line) to connect with Metro North in Riverdale, also easly done. (There is space for two LIRR tracks to the west of the Metro North tracks on the RoW Spuytin Dyvil - Riverdale). Business would be gained and commuting time reduced for students and workers at Lincoln Square and the Columbia U. - Union Theological Sem., Jewish Theological Sem. - Interchurch Center complex.
There are dual service LIRR locomotives, and their push-pull trains are the ones that could run through to Riverdale NOW. But I am referring to electrifying the west side line with overruning LIRR third rail and then using entirely separate tracks west of the four Metro North tracks on the six-track RofW between Spuytin Duyvil and Riverdale. There were (perhaps are) two freight tracks in this area for many years.
The Penn-West Side single track connection is in the middle, not all the way on the South Side. The south side tracks are mostly stub-end, and used by NJT.
Also, don't forget that the FL-9's originally had a double-sprung third rail shoe that worked on both underruning and LIRR overruning third rail. Poor maintenance of both third rail and shoes brought on the problems.
Running trains up the west side instead of into Carpenter Yard doesn't require additional track capacity, and people who now crowd the platform to find local transportation to Lincoln Center and Columbia U can stay on the train, reducing platform crowding.
In Socal, there are a lot of rail commuters from San Bernardino and nearby areas to downtown LA. That is certainly long enough to be inter-regional.
I know a businesswoman who commutes from Pasadena to Fullerton by rail. That is not quite inter-regional but it would be a nasty trip by car due to traffic.
And there are some rail commuters to LA from south of San Juan Capistrano. That is definitely inter-regional.
I used to work with a guy who drove from Bakersfield to Woodland Hills and back every day. 97 miles one way over a major mountain range.
Jack
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