I used to work downtown w/a girl who was on the train 3 hours from Portage(?)Indiana. That's how much difference the pay was back then. But IN real estate taxes are getting to IL levels, they're building everywhere.

Not saying that gas prices don't have some bearing on this, but do you live in the Chicago area, OJ?

1. NW Indiana and South Suburbs of Chicago are experiencing big time growth.

2. Major reconstruction on the entire road system on the south side. In two weeks, the Dan Ryan's lanes are being cut in half for about a year's worth of work. Driving downtown will be a nightmare.

I would suggest this has a lot more to do with the growth in train ridership than gas prices.

dread:

I did in the mid-90s--driving was always a nightmare. I took the bus or train or walked.

For a supposed conservative blog I'm continually amazed by the resistance to the possibility that the invisible hand might work with fuel prices.

Now that's an excellent argument for cutting gas taxes. We can get people off the train.

The invisible hand will drive them lower--we need them higher.

Riding those old 1920s era Ingersol cars in the 1970s was a surrealistic experience. So was the time I got stuck in the Gary station waiting several hours for the last train east. I still don't understand why people drink stuff like Thunderbird.

But the worst sin was CSX, when they bought the CSS&SB, getting rid of the "Little Joes" that worked around the Gary steel mills and going diesel on the freight service.

Raoul:

Especially when MD-20/20 costs the same.

I remember the old jingle from the mists of my youth.

"What's the word? Thunderbird.
What's the price? Forty twice."

Nasty stuff.

As quaint as the old railcars can be, new rolling stock does tend to attract more passengers. Riding the 1908-vintage MP-54s on the Long Island Railroad in the early 1970s was also a trip back into time, and something of a riders' nightmare during the summer months (the LIRR is already phasing out their replacments, the M-1s, but from what I've heard, the new M-7 cars are their own sort of nightmare, especially for anyone trying to sit down in the three-across seating, if they're over about 5-7 and 120 pounds).

jd:

What's the action? Satisfaction.

It's all well and good for more trips to move to rail, but if the fare is subsidised (and almost all are) isn't it a net financial loss to the region?

It has nothing to do with finances, but trips by car are more heavily subsidized.

Et tu OJ? As the price increases the hand moves buyers to seek other alternatives. The reverse proves the rule.

Increases require the visible hand.

Don't remember that one, OJ.

Trips by car are not subsidized.

jd:

That's how it ended.

David:

Ah yes, the road and gasoline fairies make it all possible....

No, drivers subsidize the rest of government by paying more in taxes than driving costs.

Non-drivers are still paying for roads, policing of same, pollution costs, the wars for oil, etc.

Non-drivers? There must be all of 11 of them. Not counting under-16s and hippie college professors.

What Pete says. And how do these non-drivers think that their organic food gets to the market, or their Nouveau Beaujolais gets to the wine store, or their Birkenstocks get to the shoe store? The inventory fairies?

And even if we accept your lefty fantasy that we're fighting wars for oil, it is Europe's oil and Japan's oil that we're fighting for.

"We are at capacity now"

Haven't ridden the South Shore in forty years. Hope for the sake of those who must that it's a lot better.

Can't wait to see how they'll upgrade to absorb all that traffic from the Dan Ryan. Three hours from my son's house at North Avenue and Western to Springfield, if you travel non peak hours (I-55). The trains are totally unreliable. Even if you get to Springfield, no trains or trolleys to my little town. The railroad tracks were torn out long ago. Bike paths. Guess we'll all be staying home in OJ' Brave New World.

OJ, I was afraid that was the case. Guess my misty memories are already 1/3rd gone. Must have had too much Ripple back in college. :)

The thought that oil has nothing to do with why the U.S. are involved in the Middle East is likewise a fantasy.

Posted by: Michael Herdegen at March 22, 2006 11:28 PM

jd - take heart, it won't be that bad, you can see video cams of your grandchidren as you watch them grow up.