https://fox43.com/2019/10/21/penndot-federal-transit-administration-celebrate-opening-of-new-mount-joy-train-station/
Regards - Steve
Reminiscent of the setup at the 'new' stop in Roanoke.
69 parking spaces. If they want more people to ride the trains they need to provide a heck of a lot more parking.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
zugmann 69 parking spaces. If they want more people to ride the trains they need to provide a heck of a lot more parking.
I read that differently. I read 69 additional spaces along the street. Plus, some long term parking in nearby lot.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
$33M is a lot to spend on what has been a minor stop on the Harrisburg-Philly Keystone service. I haven't used Keystone in several years but I don't remember it being that busy a stop the numerous times I did. I suspect it mainly serves as a western suburb stop for Lancaster. Its about 8 miles west of Lancaster and about 5 miles east of the Elizabethtown stop. So I would be very surprised if the new station generates significant new traffic even with the elaborate overhaul.
alphas I would be very surprised if the new station generates significant new traffic even with the elaborate overhaul.
Can someone with knowledge of the area say whether parking or access to Lancaster station has become difficult or a problem? It might stand to reason that if there is limited expansion possibility, or a problem contending for convenient parking, in Lancaster itself, Mount Joy as an alternative would become attractive (and patronized).
Has there been substantial growth or real-estate development in that area that might be producing higher independent traffic to board at Mount Joy instead of going to Lancaster (or, as you noted, Elizabethtown)?
Perhaps this is an example of a 'funded' project that's intentionally overbuilt to serve perceived future 'opportunity' -- this is not uncommon in road-improvement projects, where overpasses may be built with extra lanes or more elaborate approaches to accommodate "future" traffic without by-then-much-more-expensive new construction. (I don't know if Amtrak is concerned with avoiding a perception of building 'new Amshack alternatives' to conserve money, and is therefore building much more 'infrastructure' than actual demand would warrant, but that might be a possibility...)
I can't really speak to Mt. Joy but the Elizabethtown area has had growth. It also has a smaller university there which could use the trains, especially on Fridays and Sundays if its like most university towns.
All told there's 3 stations between Harrisburg and Lancaster [Middletown, Elizabethtown, and Mt. Joy] which are 39 miles apart downtown to downtown.
I'm presuming that most of the 'traffic' involved is from "bedroom community" commuters to the Harrisburg area, and further presuming there is little or no attraction (over Lancaster) for tourists arriving in the area from the east. The latter issue could be rapidly eliminated with little more than a shuttle bus that meets all the trains...
OvermodI'm presuming that most of the 'traffic' involved is from "bedroom community" commuters to the Harrisburg area, and further presuming there is little or no attraction (over Lancaster) for tourists arriving in the area from the east. The latter issue could be rapidly eliminated with little more than a shuttle bus that meets all the trains...
Also a large commuter contigent to Philly. Still, none of the stations on This end of the keystone line have sufficient parking accomodations. Except maybe HBG with the garages in the city.
Spooky Nook Sports complex in Rapho Twp., near Mount Joy brings in a lot of people to that area now. But the area does have a lot of new growth (business and housing) in addition.
And Mount Joy was such a small station, that not ever train stops there. So I'm sure many commuters from the Mount Joy area drove the extra 15 mins to Etown where every train stops.
zugmannAnd Mount Joy was such a small station, that not every train stops there.
That raises the question 'will Amtrak stop more, or all, the Keystone trains there now?' as a further incentive to use the new station and parking?
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