More people are on the MARC

[Note the article states that MARC has no plans to extend service in any direction.]

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sectio ... ryID=61966

More and more Marylanders are taking the train to work.

The Maryland Transit Administration said this week that ridership on the state's MARC trains has increased 2.4 percent over the past year. The trains carry an average of nearly 31,000 passengers per day.

The Brunswick line, which passes through Frederick County, carries more than 7,100 people per day, a 0.8 percent increase from this time last year.

Personally, I'd like to be able to hop on the train in the morning, since I'm finding the commute from Gettysburg every day a little hard on the pocketbook. However, MTA's Cheron Wicker said the state has no plans to expand train service north of Frederick (or anywhere else). Maybe someday. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd appreciate it.

The issue of improving public transit options between Gettysburg and Frederick, or more generally along the US 15 corridor between Harrisburg and Frederick, is something I've thought about a bit recently. Honestly, I'm not sure if passenger rail is a viable option north of Frederick at this point; heck MTA-MD does not appear to be interested in instituting rail service north of Baltimore to York, and that corridor would almost definitely have higher demand than Gettysburg-greater DC via Frederick. Likewise, though many people in Adams County/Gettysburg area commute into Harrisburg, the demand for options between York and Harrisburg is much greater than between Gettysburg and Harrisburg.

One possibility to fill the void on this corridor would be to have a Trailways provider or charter/tour bus operator start commuter-oriented service between Harrisburg and Frederick, with the service primarily serving the Gettysburg-Frederick (to/from the Frederick and/or Point of Rocks train stations to meet up with the MARC Brunswick service) and Gettysburg-Harrisburg market pairs. I know in Harrisburg at least there are already providers that do this kind of service; Capitol Trailways (Reading/Lebanon), Fullington Trailways (State College/Lewistown), Hegins Valley Lines (northern Dauphin County), and R & J Tours (Schuylkill County) have trips specifically oriented for commuters into Harrisburg. Perhaps a Wolf Bus Lines or some other provider in the Gettysburg area could be convinced to operate some kind of commuter bus service from Adams County to Frederick and/or Harrisburg.

I'll note the Frederick County transit provider, TransIT, has a daily, commuter-oriented bus route from Emmitsburg and Thurmont to Frederick.

I don't think we'll see passenger rail between Gettysburg and Frederick (or Gettysburg and Harrisburg) for many, many years. (I'd estimate something like 40-50 years.) That's in large part because US 15 between the greater Harrisburg area and Frederick is nowhere near capacity at this point. Also, the need/demand for a Harrisburg-York-Baltimore-Washington rail service is/would be much greater than the need/demand for a Harrisburg-Gettysburg-Frederick-Washington rail service.

RE: your comment on MARC not being interested in expanding Baltimore service to York, PA.

There was an article in the Baltimore Sun several months ago which detailed a meeting in Annapolis (MD State Capital) with some legislators from York and York County re: just this subject.

Specifically the York folks were advocating re-instating service on the North Central right of way. The bottom portion (Hunt Valley, MD to Baltimore Penn Station of this is the Baltimore Light Rail (Light Snail as it's known here) and the top is the NCR Rails to Trails trail. Obviously there was a howl from the bikers and anyone who lives along that ROW.

Anyone aware of any experience where a rails to trails trail has reverted? I would think the public's opposition would be fierce.

The MTA is not expanding service because it doesn't have the money to expand service. We have standing room only on some trains and there are trains who can't board passengers they are soo full operating on the penn line. With whatever money they could receive, there priorities would be the Penn line. They also need additional storage space, Amtrak wants to see track work done before they allow more trains to run.

MARC needs about 400 million over the next 10 years in order to be in a position to consider expanding service. Unfortunately, in a recent article, the state has chosen to fund roads over transit, which means MARC will most likely not get the money it needs.

Remember too that in order for heavy rail to operate over the light rail trackage, all LRV's must be safely behind derails and in order for an LRV to cross the Amtrak mainline into Penn Station, the Amtrak mainline would have to be protected.

One interesting facet of this is that it would open up the prospect of a local train stopping at Cocksyville/Lutherville then going strait to Penn (sort of an express light rail)

I know this because I'm writing a report on getting MARC up to code for Sec. Pocari. Cheron Wicker is also my boss, she's a nice person.

I was a MARC/ARTK commuter between BAL and WAS for about 10 years and definitely saw the traffic building (not a horrible problem to have, still a problem though.

I agree that MARC's priorities should be to build on its success by enhancing the quality of service (no storage, enough cars to meet demand) and expanding the reach of the corridors where it currently provides service (ex. taking the Penn line out to Elkton).

Did I see that MARC was getting funding to purchase the Riverside yard from CSX? Not sure if that solves the storage problem in any way; I think I remember there being no access to the Penn line from there.

I'm not wild about a light rail line to York, PA; personally I think MARC should confine itself to heavy rail service and leave light rail service to the MTA. I think I recall that the numbers of passengers projected to use the service were relatively for such an undertaking, and were, perhaps, lower than the numbers of recreational users utilizing the NCR trail (who would scream!!!). If one feels funny about the justification for light rail, one would have to hate the heavy rail (commuter rail) numbers.

While I don't love the idea, I'm still wondering whether there is ANY precentent for a rails-to-trails trail reverting to railroad use?

Thoughts?

Yes, I did read they are trying to aquire the Riverside line. They also are looking at building a facility on the NEC near Perryville for Penn Line trains.

MARC is a modal of the MTA so they are one in the same.