http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/regulatory/stb-urged-to-halt-princeton-dinky-cutback.html?channel=55\
Now this will be the first time in a very long time that the ICC now the STB (Surface Transportation Board) has been asked to intervene in a passenger dispute.....does the "new" STB have any power over passenger?
NO! NJT does not want to cut off the Dinky! They are forced to cut the last 400 or so feet of the line back so that Princeton University can build a new facility...perfroming arts or whatever. NJT and others have fought this but have lost. NJT will still run the Dinky service to Princeton Jct., it will just be a 400 foot shorter ride.
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Well every other time that I go out there the dinky is replaced by a shuttle bus.
and who can blame them- Engineer at BLE union rate and conductor at TCU union rate vs bus driver
henry6NO! NJT does not want to cut off the Dinky!
Well, I sure hope you are right, Henry. But not too many years ago NJT was proposing using buses and paving over the Dinky's right of way. They were also proposing bus rapid transit along Route 1 which could connect with the row to get to Princeton Junction station.
But it is correct that now no one is talking about anything more than moving the station.
John
The sad thing is the ultimate reason the University gives for the cutback, as recorded in the article link:
"University officials have repeatedly rejected alternate plans, insisting the station move is necessary to create a second access road to its large parking garage that currently has limited access."
The news article on TRAINS NEWSWIRE here, indicates that the University says the track will be moved 460 feet. NJT indictes the station move is 700 feet. The article points out that these distances are away from the downtown area of Princeton as well as away from the campus. I my memory is correct it will also remove parking spaces for commuters who use the train. Princeton U, I think, is short sighted and that they should have embraced the station platform as part of their arts and entertainment center in order to accomodate and market to those who would and could ride the train to the venue rather than driving. It is a snub at the commuters who use the station, a kick in the butt to the students who rely on the service to access the campus for classes, and a thumb to the nose to 21st Century use of an over 100 year old service to the community. Do this just to accomodate a single access road to, of all things, a parking lot, spaced being taken away from the users of the rail service!
Does the STB have jurisdiction over a passenger issue? My recollection that STB did not have that and that was done away with in the ICC sunset
The station will be moved about 460 feet down the track. But the path leading to the new station will be closer to 700 feet. And for people with disabilities who have difficulty with stairs the distance will be even longer.
Actually it would be quite possible to build the new arts center and leave the station right where it is. Princeton just doesn't want to do that.
BonasMy recollection that STB did not have that and that was done away with in the ICC sunset
The Surface Transportation Board is still with us, Bonas. I don't know if it has changed since the ICC left us. However, here is a link to it:
http://www.stb.dot.gov/stb/index.html
henry6 a thumb to the nose to 21st Century use of an over 100 year old service to the community. Do this just to accomodate a single access road to, of all things, a parking lot, spaced being taken away from the users of the rail service!
a thumb to the nose to 21st Century use of an over 100 year old service to the community. Do this just to accomodate a single access road to, of all things, a parking lot, spaced being taken away from the users of the rail service!
It seems that just about anywhere else, a grade separated access road would be built to get those cars into that parking garage. End of story. Unless of course the real reason is that Princeton U just wants to be rid of the Dinky. Moving its station further away from where people actually are can help achieve that over time. The rest of the world is catching up to our need for rail transit. Princeton wants to go the other direction with this attitude right out of the 60's or 50's.
CJtrainguy henry6 a thumb to the nose to 21st Century use of an over 100 year old service to the community. Do this just to accomodate a single access road to, of all things, a parking lot, spaced being taken away from the users of the rail service! It seems that just about anywhere else, a grade separated access road would be built to get those cars into that parking garage. End of story. Unless of course the real reason is that Princeton U just wants to be rid of the Dinky. Moving its station further away from where people actually are can help achieve that over time. The rest of the world is catching up to our need for rail transit. Princeton wants to go the other direction with this attitude right out of the 60's or 50's.
"Princeton U" got rid of the Dinky many years ago, when the track was cut back from below Blair Arch to its present location.
A few more hundred feet is not a particularly significant distance, and better parking (for commuters) promises to improve rather than detract from the convenience of the "PJ&B" service. They aren't talking about cutting back to eliminate the existing Range Road grade crossing, are they?
The title of the post implied, to me at least, that a supposedly cash-strapped NJT was going to abandon the Princeton branch entirely. THAT would be cause for concern...
NJ transit has been wanting to do that for a long time and do bustitution....If I recall this branch line was supposed to go much farther then Princeton when it was built
This stuff wouldn't be going on if Woodrow Wilson was still running the school!
Or the Reverend John Witherspoon for that matter!
Does the STB have jurisdiction over a passenger matter that is in one state? If they rule that they do this could have interesting effects over discontinuance of commuter trains and regional state supported Amtrak trains like the Pennsy.
Bonas Does the STB have jurisdiction over a passenger matter that is in one state? If they rule that they do this could have interesting effects over discontinuance of commuter trains and regional state supported Amtrak trains like the Pennsy.
I just looked at the STB website, and under items of interest they had a decision on the California HSR system. It involves building a passenger line in one state. I presume they would also have authority in passenger line track abandonment.
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