by Gilbert B Norman
Somehow, I am starting to see that "light at the end of the tunnel".
Likely that is in great part to that I have now had VAX-1 and with no apparent side effects, as well as a daily graph The Times prints of the seven day average of reported COVID cases. That graph is "heading in the right direction".
But of concern to me, and I'd dare say to many others around here, is will rail travel EVER fully recover?
With the distinct possibility that WFH - work from home - will become a "new normal" for White Collar workers, I must wonder if commuter rail will ever see the same ridership as they did in December '19. Many more "10 rides" will be sold as a result of the perhaps weekly "summoning" to the office that will continue to be part of White Collar work-life. "Monthly" ticket sales will simply never recover. Further, not helping the cause will be the relocation of corporate offices away from the high cost areas like New York, San Francisco, LA to the low cost "Valhallas" of Austin and Tucson. Here the mass transit systems, particularly light or heavy rail, have never been built to the extent of the localities getting the "bye-bye" - and despite all the consultancies and advocacies, will never be.
I am fearful that Amtrak's Northeast Corridor "yield" will also likely never recover - especially the premium services like Acela. This will be for the same reasons that even if there are "fannies in the seats", air transport yields will not soon recover. Amtrak could "give it away to fill 'em up" but will that again make the service profitable to the extent it was during Dec '19?
The Locally sponsored and funded "Corridors" will simply continue at the will of their political benefactors; same applies to Amtrak's "National System" (still the LD's in Forumese).
Thoughts, anyone?
Likely that is in great part to that I have now had VAX-1 and with no apparent side effects, as well as a daily graph The Times prints of the seven day average of reported COVID cases. That graph is "heading in the right direction".
But of concern to me, and I'd dare say to many others around here, is will rail travel EVER fully recover?
With the distinct possibility that WFH - work from home - will become a "new normal" for White Collar workers, I must wonder if commuter rail will ever see the same ridership as they did in December '19. Many more "10 rides" will be sold as a result of the perhaps weekly "summoning" to the office that will continue to be part of White Collar work-life. "Monthly" ticket sales will simply never recover. Further, not helping the cause will be the relocation of corporate offices away from the high cost areas like New York, San Francisco, LA to the low cost "Valhallas" of Austin and Tucson. Here the mass transit systems, particularly light or heavy rail, have never been built to the extent of the localities getting the "bye-bye" - and despite all the consultancies and advocacies, will never be.
I am fearful that Amtrak's Northeast Corridor "yield" will also likely never recover - especially the premium services like Acela. This will be for the same reasons that even if there are "fannies in the seats", air transport yields will not soon recover. Amtrak could "give it away to fill 'em up" but will that again make the service profitable to the extent it was during Dec '19?
The Locally sponsored and funded "Corridors" will simply continue at the will of their political benefactors; same applies to Amtrak's "National System" (still the LD's in Forumese).
Thoughts, anyone?