STEWARDS of the
POTOMAC
HIGHLANDS
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PotomacStewards.com
Rails and Roads
Americans spend a lot of energy and time moving ourselves and our goods around. The way things are now, we end up using a lot of petroleum (a limited resource), creating a lot of air pollution, and covering a lot of ground with ugly, lifeless pavement.
www.CountryWhispers.com has the thought that what's mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved.
Are there alternatives to driving in the Potomac Highlands? Yes! We provide some useful links at the bottom of this page.
January 2008: I-81 Rail Solutions Chugging Along Slowly But Surely
After two years of citizens advocating that the obvious solution to the congestion on I-81- is to put some of the 40% truck traffic on trains, railroad companies and government have gotten down to some serious proposals. Norfolk Southern, whose tracks parallel I-81, has come up with the idea of an enhanced rail corridor all the way from Harrisburg, PA, through Knoxville, KY (where I-81 ends), all the way to Memphis, TN. They would work on scattered sections at a time. However, the citizens group Rail Solution wants a program where the I-81 section, all 600 miles, is built as a pilot project so the public can see how many trucks are taken off the road. Also, they want to make sure the railroad’s method of operation appeals to the small truckers which are the bulk of I-81’s traffic.
At the same time, CSX Transportation has unveiled a proposal for a streamlined north-south rail corridor between DC and Florida with capacity for both freight and 110-mile-per hour passenger freight trains. They propose to finance this with government help by way of tax breaks for rail expansion. The public benefits are obvious: faster and more energy efficient shipping for business, and taking a lot of cars and trucks off the road. Details available at RailSolution.org.
January 2007: I-81 Expansion Halted for Rail Study, Safety Improvements
With more than 1,300 volunteers organizing, coming to hearings, writing letters, and donating money during 2006, the Rail Solutions citizen group managed to stop a damaging 10-lane expansion of I-81 in its tracks. In October 2006, the Commonwealth Transportation Board ordered further study of a rail alternative. Norfolk Southern, the railroad paralleling I-81, has said it is willing to get involved in helping take some of those trucks off the road and onto the rails. Alerted by Rail Solutions, mayors of the towns and communities in the Shenandoah Valley pushed the state General Assembly for a bill to study alternatives.
Studies by the Virginia Department of Transportation show that 37 percent of I-81 currently needs one additional lane and the entire highway will need additional capacity by 2035. Instead of agreeing to a toll road addition of 8-10 lanes as proposed by the contractor conglomerate Star Solutions, VDOT will begin a program of adding truck climbing lanes and extending on-off ramps at dangerous I-81 bottlenecks within two years, VDOT says. A study on rail improvements, in consultation with Norfolk Southern, is to begin next summer. Rail Solutions plans to monitor the process to make sure the momentum does not erode. During the battle it came to light that the proposed contractors for the project design had not been investigated for financial instability or conflicts of interests.
To jump on the bandwagon (or train) visit RailSolution.org.
I-81 Rail: A Steel Interstate Alternative to the East Coast Truck Bypass
How will freight be shipped along the eastern U.S. for the next century? I-81 was designed for 15 per cent truck traffic, but heavy trucks now regularly exceed a treacherous 35 per cent. Worse, the growth rate of truck traffic is astounding. Vehicle counts in Rockbridge County increased 139 to 220 per cent in just four years between 1997 and 2001.
Two proposals would turn I-81 into a toll road with 6 or 8 lanes for $1.8 or $7.8 billion (three times VDOT's annual budget). The cheaper alternative depends on paving much of the current 325 miles of green median to build two lanes down the middle exclusively for cars. Tolls would be $10 for cars, and $30-90 for trucks.
Should we trade the safety and serenity of a green median for concrete barriers? How will emergency services, hazardous-materials services, and law-enforcement have access to lanes enclosed by miles of barriers? Imagine the frustration of navigating construction delays and the resulting accidents for at least eight years.
By contrast, Norfolk-Southern estimates $2.4 billion would up-grade the railroad paralleling I-81 from Harrisburg to Knoxville. Maintenance needs drop 5 cents per truck mile when loads switch to rail.
According to Norfolk-Southern figures, 40 per cent of freight between New York City and Chicago travels on the rails, 80 per cent from Chicago to Los Angeles goes by rail, but only 5 per cent in the east-coast corridor is carried on trains.
Rail freight involves less air pollution trapped in the Shenandoah Valley, fewer greenhouse gases, less cost, less land, fewer businesses condemned for pavement, fewer toxic spills, less fuel, less frustration and time lost in construction delays, fewer trucks clogging local roads evading tolls, healthier children, more free-spending tourists, support for (rather than caps on) industrial growth, more days when our beautiful mountains are actually visible, and better highway access for emergency and law-enforcement crews.
Tennessee's Department of Transportation is actively pursuing an upgraded rail approach to divert truck traffic to rail along the I-81 and I-40 corridors. Twenty-two Virginia counties, cities and towns have signed resolutions calling for serious study of a rail alternative to the proposed destructive widening of Interstate 81.
A group called Rail Solution supports upgrading the existing Nor-folk Southern rail line that parallels I-81 to a modern, straightened double-track. They also advocate removing at-grade crossings for safety and better train speeds. There are potential environmental impacts from running an extra 20+ daily trains through Shepherdstown. Perhaps a re-routing of the rail line would be advisable where it crosses the Potomac, if rail is to move 2-5 million truck shipments annually.
Action: RAIL Solution has people involved in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia, and is seeking concerned citizens in Maryland and West Virginia. Info: RailSolution.org
How You Travel - Tips for More Healthy, Safe, and Fun Ways
- Live near where you work and shop. Walk and bicycle wherever you can; it gives you exercise and puts you in touch with the countryside or the neighborhood. In the city, take public transit if available. If you are disabled, sometimes the occasional cab trips, or paying neighbor to drive, can be cheaper than owning a car. Sometimes a family can reduce the number of cars in the household by better planning for errands.
- Use a fuel-efficient car and keep the engine maintained and the tires properly inflated. There are some new hybrid electric and alternative-fuel cars available.
- Take the train or bus, if available, for medium distance trips. You can take your work along, do handcrafts, nap, or chat with people you meet. It will save wear and tear on yourself and your car.
- Stay home and take care of yourself and your family.No need to rush everywhere all the time. Use your computer to telecommute and find out about the world. Read, work in the garden or on your arts and hobbies, spend time with yourself and your loved ones. We arent here for ever. Stop and smell the flowers. Evaluate prospective jobs and income balanced with the amount of personal time and travel they burn up.
- Speak out! We don't have enough trains and bus lines to get everyone where they need to go. Americans are forced into depending on fuel-wasting airplanes and cars, which are also more accident prone than trains and buses. This is because Congress pumps billions each year into airports and highways, and ohly about $500 million a year for the entire Amtrak national rail sustem. Call, email, or write your Congress members and urge them to invest in national passenger rail!
Public Transporation in the Potomac Highlands
Amtrak's Cardinal and Capitol Limited, plus MARC commuter trains and a few local bus lines run through our area.
Amtrak's web site has schedule and fare information.
The Potomac Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) runs buses between Petersburg, Moorefield, Wardensville, Yellow Spring WV and Winchecher VA. Email: pvta@mountain.net, Phone: 304-257-1414
The Eastern Panhandle Trainsit Authority (PANTRAM) provides bus service within the City of Martinsburg and between Martinsburg and othfer locations in Jefferson County and Berkeley County, including Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown and Inwood.
MARC commuter trains run from Martinsburg WV through Maryland to Washingon DC.
Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter trains run to Washingon DC from the Manassas and Frederickburg, Virginia areas.
Just For Fun: Tourist Trains
The Potomac Eagle runs vintage trains through the spectacular Trough gorge near Romney, WV. See potomac highland civil war era farms, bald eagle nests, and more.
General and Regional Transportation Links
Here's a page that has some road links on Morgan county, WV, and traffic calming.
Alliance For A New Transportation Charter is a national group seeking to make transportation serve people, invest in existing neighborhoods and communities, and improve existing transport systems and roads rather than expansion of new highway capacity.
Train travel is fun, safer, and uses less energy and creates less sprawl than cars or airplanes. Meet people and see the country. Pick up some travel hints at TheTrainTraveler.com.
The National Association of Railroad Passengers has been informing Amtrak passengers on the latest battle in Congress, which may result--finally--in adequate funding for Amtak, or its demise.
The Virginia Association of Railway Patrons is the rail passenger advocate group for both Virginia and West Virginia and has basic information about trains in our area.
Find out about the latest Virginia rail passenger political news at VARP chair Steve Dunham's web site.
The West Virginia Trails Coalition is a nonprofit group of individuals, trail groups, businesses, agencies, foundations and institutions dedicated to developing local, regional and statewide trails. It is developing a statewide trail plan and helping trail groups with networking, mapping, training and volunteer programs. It stresses the value of trails for health, economic development, education, environment, and alternative transport.
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