Why America needs rail (the beginning)

As public transportation popularity grows, the importance of investing in the upgrade of America‘s public transportation network seemingly is still not obvious. Therefore here is my take as to why America needs to invest in rail and its derivative thereof.

America needs rail because current transportation options are inefficient. The options for transportation in America are currently the following: driving, airplane, rail, bus and boat (boat will not be counted in my analysis).

Today’s post is concerning the cost to the consumer per travel.  Admittedly there are a lot of variable that can determine the expense of transportation to the consumer.  However, in this post, I have taken the most pertinent cost factors of each transportation mode in order to determine an overall cost to the consumer.  Again, I stress that the figures presented here can change based on circumstances specific to each consumer (for example: If a consumer owns his own car, leases, or rents the figures may be slightly different accordingly).

In order to start analyzing the cost of transportation to a consumer, I decided to use a long trip as a base catalyst in order to see how each mode reacts to the trip on a financial scale.  In other words, how much is a person actually paying to take a long trip on each mode respectively?  I decided to use as a catalyst a trip from Gainesville, FL to Austin, TX using the capital as my final destination.  Based on the figure from Google maps, this trip is 1,015 miles long.

NOTE:  Any destination can be used to determine costs.

With the origin and destination determined, I proceeded to calculate the corresponding costs per mode.

CAR

The Automobile is the most complex mode for the consumer to calculate since all of the cost associated with the automobile is the consumer’s responsibility.  This analysis does not take into account environmental impact costs.

I analyzed two options.  Car styles vary and depending on the car type and style, different gas mileages can have a different cost association.  Therefore, in order to come about an agreeable average I looked at two car options.  The first car (Mitsubishi i-MiEV Electric Vehicle) is considered to be the most gas efficient vehicle according to www.fueleconomy.gov.  Here are its stats:

Car: (2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Electric Vehicle MSRP 29,125 – 31,125) Most Gas Efficient

According to http://www.fueleconomy.gov

Cost to drive 25 miles = $0.90

I also looked at the most popular vehicle according to http://www.edmunds.com

Most popular vehicle (2012) Toyota Camry According to www.edmunds.com

Vehicle MSRP=23,220 according to  http://www.toyota.com/camry/

Cost to drive 25miles= $3.00 (according to http://www.fueleconomy.gov)

Gas national Average: Regular $3.388 according to fuelgaugereport.aaa.com (July 13, 2012)

With these two cars in mind I proceeded to calculate the cost for a consumer to make this trip on these cars given that it takes 17 hours 2 minutes non-stop (According to Google map) on car to make this trip.

Moreover, I took into account cost associated with other aspects of the vehicle:

NOTE: these are national averages:

Cost for car: (according to commutesolutions.org)

Fixed cost (insurance, registration, motor vehicle taxes) = 11.9 cents per mile

Maintenance and tires = 5.3 cents per mile

Accidents (personal costs of injury and property damage) = 10.9 cents per mile

Finance charge = 6.3 cents per mile

Depreciation = 27.9 cents per mile

English: Mitsubishi i-MiEV in Spain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mitsubishi total energy (gas/electric) cost: trip  = $36.54

Insurance   = $120.79

Maintenance   = $53.8

Accident   = $110.64

Finance   = $63.95

Depreciation   = $283.20

Total        = $668.92

2007-2009 Toyota Camry photographed in College Park, Maryland, USA. Category:Toyota Camry (XV40) Category:Silver Toyota sedans (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Camry total trip:  trip = $121.8

Insurance = $120.79

Maintenance = $53.8

Accident = $110.64

Finance = $63.95

Depreciation = $283.20

Total         = $754.18

Note:  Please understand that when you purchase an airline ticket, they take into account (according to http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/storysupplement/airline_costs/ ):

1. Labor
2. Fuel
3. Aircraft rent and ownership
4. Non-Aircraft rent and ownership
5. Non-Employee labor
6. “Misc” which include
   1. Food and beverage
   2. Landing fees
   3. Maintenance supplies
   4. Insurance
   5. Agent commissions
   6. Communications
   7. Advertising
   8. Office supplies
   9. Payment to regional partners and agents
   10. Interest
   11. Other airline expenses
   12. Federal Taxes
   13. And of course profit

The airline makes you pay for any expense they incur + their profit, therefore, the above car analysis is not unrealistic.  It is a standard analysis that all transportation agencies do.

Airplane

Flight time (time the plane is actually in the air): 3hours and 40 minutes (according to Delta)

Boarding trip time (trip including layover): 5hr 5minutes (According to Delta)

Total time (including 30 minute recommended early arrival, 1hour for international flights): 5hr 35 minutes nation 6 hours 5minutes international

Ticket prices: As of 6:11 pm 7/13/2012 for travel dates 07/20/2012 return on 07/27/2012 the

prices ranged from $473.20 to $848.00 at Delta.com

NOTE: Ticket prices are tricky to determine since you can use sites like priceline.com or Kayak to get lower priced tickets.  It also depends on time and date.  However, an average for ticket prices is $364 according to Air transport association (check out the report here http://www.airlines.org/Pages/FINAL%20A4A%201Q12%20Review%20and%20Summer%20Outlook.pdf)

This price does not include food bought on the plane.

Bus

According to Greyhound.com

Travel Time 24-26 hours (this includes one layover)

Price for Ticket: Standard round trip fare as of 6:25pm 07/13/2012 is $382.00 for travel dates 07/20/2012 return on 07/27/2012. This price can be lower or higher depending on the type of fare or discount you get.

Train in America (Amtrak)

English: Amtrak Downeaster conductor standing in Amfleet car doorway, as the Downeaster train leaves Durham, New Hampshire. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to Amtrak.com they do not service Gainesville.  Therefore, I had to use Jacksonville Fl, for this analysis. for travel dates 07/20/2012 return on 07/27/2012:

Travel time: 72hours and 22 minutes

Ticket price $525.00

High Speed Hypothetical 

With the above statistics completed I wanted to pose a hypothetical.  A “what if” if you will.  The fact is, we do not have a high speed rail service from Florida to Texas therefore I had to use the given information and calculate what the statistics for a high speed rail could be.  It’s a hypothetical based on my reasoning.

According to Eurorail. The Alta Velocidad Española’s (AVE) train top speed is 300 km/h or 189 mph.  Using this as a model train for my hypothetical analysis calculated how fast the train would make the trip from Florida to Austin.  I divided the total miles of the trip by the top speed in order to get the time it takes for the train to cover that distance (1015 miles/189mph = 5.37 hours). Granted realistically the train would not travel consistently at 189 mph however for the entire duration of the trip. However, for analysis sake let’s say it does. Thus if the train travels non-stop from Gainesville to Austin, it would take the train 5hrs to get there.  That’s as fast as the total travel time of a plane!

However, we know that there are areas where trains will have to slow down.  Moreover, trains will have to stop and train stations to load and unload passengers along the way. Therefore lets say, there is a total of 20 stops between Gainesville and Austin TX.  At 15 minutes per stop, that would add 5 extra hours to the travel time, that’s 10.37 total hours of travel (and this is a very conservative figure, normally high speed trains don’t stay for more than 10 minutes at a minor station in Europe.)

Cost?: This is hard to determine on a hypothetical situation.  However, if we look at the current train ticket prices of Amtrak for a similar trip (Jacksonville, to Austin).  It can be said that, per hour, Amtrak charges $7.30 (525/72= dollar per hour).  If this is the case than10x7.30 = $70.30.  To check I found a trip that is roughly 10 hours on train. A trip on Amtrak from New York city to Charlotte NC takes 13 hours and costs $162 according to Amtrak.com as of 07/13/2012 at 7:29 pm. This trip has a total per hour cost of 12.46.  Nevertheless even at 12.46 dollars per hour, the train option would be the most economical option available.

Keep all these figures in mind since I will come back to them on the next post (next Friday).  This is to lay the foundation of how I am going to tackle this question.

A few things are obvious.

1. No matter where you live the car is just expensive. No matter how economical it is.

2. The car takes more time than other modes.

I have laid the ground work for my coming arguments, tune in next week for the second post on this “Why America needs rail” series.

Related articles

• To Drive or Not to Drive (A Response to A Friend’s Dismisal of the Need for Public Transportation) (facesofurbanplanning.wordpress.com)
• Spain I Roald Smeets (iroaldsmeets.wordpress.com)

Train Rail Hypnosis

Train Tracks (Photo credit: FullyFunctnlPhil)

What is it about a train rail that hypnotizes me so?
Could it be the steady rhythm of the wooden planks juxtaposed with the steady consistency of steel?
The way its chromed polish catches the fiery sunset light setting these line a blazing?
Or is it it’s rigidity?
The lack of fluidity negates options,
Creating simplicity within its complex context
Maybe its the severe nature of the tracks
Laid in an urban landmark as a permanent marking
Forever scaring the nature of its environment
Yet creating a subtle tertiary scale
Further emphasizing direction and movement
Whatever the reason
I like this hypnosis.

 

Juan Castillo Jr.

A Qualitative View of a Soggy Commute (we need sidewalks)

As I reach my office I look down to see soaked black boots and almost as equally soaked army green cargo pants.  Not an appealing

CSX

sight (both in clothes selection and clothes condition, however, this is what happens when you wake up at 5am in the morning to get ready to catch a 6:20 am bus who has a tendency to arrive at the bus stop at 6:10am).  I muse at the fact that I just walked .5 miles from the last bus stop on the 8 Route to my office (approximately a 15 minute walk).  Normally, I don’t mind the walk.  In fact, I look forward to it since it gives me a reason to be active and to enjoy the outdoors (and also because sometimes, there is a CSX train parked on the tracks that I have to cross to get to work….I love trains).  However, on mornings like today, I am reminded why at times I would not mind owning a car.

FLASH BACK TO 15 MINUTES BEFORE I REACH THE OFFICE

I hop off the bus and quickly open my red umbrella.  The sight must have been comical to some motorist as they fly by a decently sized guy wearing a black and grey sweater, army green cargo pants, black boots, and a brown book bag all the while holding a bright red umbrella.  I have to admit, its comical just even thinking about it.  I start my journey by crossing my first street, which is the same street that the bus has just dropped me off at.  In front of me now resides a discreet building which officially belongs to the fire department yet somehow seems too small for its function.  I continue down the shoulder of the streets walking more on grass than on paved ground (purposefully.  I do live in Florida after all.  Even though Florida is notorious for dependable rains; something that has not been the case this year; the fact that Floridians don’t know how to drive in the rain is a fact I take very seriously).

OBSTICLE 1

Cars fly by at speeds that seem too fast to be safe on a wet oily road.  I make my way to cross the right turn lane with the aim to reach the little concrete island about 10 -15 feet away.  I succeed, only to wait until all lights are red for oncoming traffic (I have to depend on the street lights since there are no pedestrian signals to inform me of an opportune time to cross this 6 lane major highway).

OBSTICLE 2

Finally the lights are red, and I cross the street, walking at a quick pace.  I hesitate to run since the highway has deep groves on the asphalt; a clear sign of high and constant use of fast traveling, heavy vehicles.  It’s possible that In the process of running I could trip over one of these groves, fall, and get ran over by a speeding turning vehicle.  I cross the first set of 3 lanes to land in the grass median.  Thank God it’s wide enough to provide a clear area of rest from this busy and obviously dangerous highway.

OBSTICLE 3

I check to make sure that the incoming traffic is far enough to provide me time to walk (not run) across the second set of 3 lanes. I make my move, noting the amount of oil on the road.  This is a very real (and obvious) danger to speeding vehicles that don’t have the ability to see the rainbow flow of chemically enhanced run off on the street; a tall (very tall) sign of the presence of oil.

OBSTICLE 4

I make it across the second set of 3 lanes only to land in the shoulders of the highway, greeted by knee high grass.  My red umbrella can’t help me here.  From my torso up I have remained dry due to the protection of my umbrella.  From my torso down; well, that’s a different story.  As the grass part ways in utter complaint of my uncaring stomping, they release heavy sacks of water filled ammunition directed to make my crossing as wet and miserable as possible.  I accept the challenge, moving forward through the forest of weed and wild flowers, coming to a brief clearing where I am greeted with a pleasant sight; rail road tracks; and an even more pleasant surprise on it; a train engine.  I take in the beautiful sight as I cautiously cross the track, making sure that the engine is indeed parked, and not in the process of moving.

OBSTICLE 5

Four obstacles down, and now it seems I’m home free.  On this side of the rail road tracks, the grass is not nearly as tall, and there is somewhat of a makeshift path along the street.  That is where the grass is not as tall as its surroundings to the point where a clear delineation of a path is seen.  Even though the path is there, the grass still protests my clear stomping assault upon it by counter attacking with stickers and bombs of water.  My boots and pants are bearing the evidence of a very heavy and brutal battle. Sidewalks would be advantageous to me right now but I remind myself that I live in Florida….they don’t believe in sidewalks here in Florida.  I continue my walk.  The rain has now ceased, allowing me to fold my red umbrella and make my sight a little less comical.  As I bring my umbrella down to finalize the closing procedure, my eyes meet a very solemn reminder of the predicament I’m in.  The body of a very large…very large….very large, snake.  The clear marking on its skin tells me that this probably was a rattle snake (the rattler was gone thanks to the body’s ghastly dismemberment).  The reminder comes as a bit of shock; but a stern warning that yes, there are wild animals living in these high grassy planes and yes, they can harm me and yes, they are very…very…very real, oh and yes, they are big.  I have no option but to keep walking.

Rattle snake penticton (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

These grasses are tall enough that a snake like the one I just finished observing could easily hide in, and I would not even realize of their presence until I was right over them.  A slightly frightful thought, all I could do was pray and move forward.  Sidewalks definitely would be a welcome addition to this road.

OBSTICLE 6

I turn into the street that my office is on.  A sigh of relief escapes my mouth due to the fact that lawns here are mowed, not wild and overgrown as the one I just finished trudging through.  My journey is not over yet.  I still have a bout a 3 minute walk in which I battle huge 18 wheelers speeding across this street as they come to their industrial destination.  I stay clear of the puddles of water on the street noting the sheer splash factor from these huge vehicles.

SUCCESS

Finally, my trip ends at my office where I now stand; musing over how wet I am, but thankful for arriving safely.  I have been on a mini adventure.  Kind of like a Lord of the Rings type of adventure, where I had to face dangerous swamps, mystical creatures (dead snake) and behemoth dragons (18 wheelers).  Ok maybe not as exciting as Lord of the Rings, but definitely and adventure.  All this to say, FLORIDA, WE THE PEOPLE NEED SIDEWALKS!!!

Juan Castillo Jr.