by Safetee
The Berkshire feasibility study is a typical consultant attempting to please clients special report with information derived to paint a picture that sez yes we can do a train from nyc to pittsfield all based on a series of whatifs, thisses, thatses, not to mention a trainload of swags and graphs.
The initial premise is to compare the "successful" operation of the weekend Cape Cod Flyer between Boston and Hyannis to the proposed Berkshire Flyer from NYC to Pittsfield. The Cape Cod Flyer isn't exactly a sro operation either but, ................there are many people in the city of Boston who are heading to the Cape who actually do want to go to Hyannis by train.
The same logic doesn't work for the Berkshire Flyer because the bulk of the folks who want to go to Berkshire County do not in fact want to go to Pittsfield. Which is to say that while Hyannis is in fact an actual desirable destination for would be rail travelers, Pittsfield is not.
The report also highlights the success of trains going to Freeport Maine from Boston. Make no mistake, I know Freeport Maine, and Pittsfield is no Freeport.
In fairness, the Berkshire report does address the needs for success by looking at providing additional services, changes in infrastructure, possibility of eliminating stops on the empire route, adding transfer transportation services at Pittsfield etc etc. But the bottom line still is the fact that at the end of the ride just about nobody wants to go to or stay in Pittsfield.
As many of us know, if in fact the powers that be In Pittsfield really really want a rail economic lifeline from NYC, then maybe they ought to be looking at talking Mass DOT into working with ConnDOT into rebuilding the line from Danbury to Pittsfield with stops at Great Barrington, Lee, and Lenox. They might not end up with a run away winner with direct service from GCT to Danbury to Pittsfield but at least they wouldn't be betting on the current run away loser on the old B&A.
The initial premise is to compare the "successful" operation of the weekend Cape Cod Flyer between Boston and Hyannis to the proposed Berkshire Flyer from NYC to Pittsfield. The Cape Cod Flyer isn't exactly a sro operation either but, ................there are many people in the city of Boston who are heading to the Cape who actually do want to go to Hyannis by train.
The same logic doesn't work for the Berkshire Flyer because the bulk of the folks who want to go to Berkshire County do not in fact want to go to Pittsfield. Which is to say that while Hyannis is in fact an actual desirable destination for would be rail travelers, Pittsfield is not.
The report also highlights the success of trains going to Freeport Maine from Boston. Make no mistake, I know Freeport Maine, and Pittsfield is no Freeport.
In fairness, the Berkshire report does address the needs for success by looking at providing additional services, changes in infrastructure, possibility of eliminating stops on the empire route, adding transfer transportation services at Pittsfield etc etc. But the bottom line still is the fact that at the end of the ride just about nobody wants to go to or stay in Pittsfield.
As many of us know, if in fact the powers that be In Pittsfield really really want a rail economic lifeline from NYC, then maybe they ought to be looking at talking Mass DOT into working with ConnDOT into rebuilding the line from Danbury to Pittsfield with stops at Great Barrington, Lee, and Lenox. They might not end up with a run away winner with direct service from GCT to Danbury to Pittsfield but at least they wouldn't be betting on the current run away loser on the old B&A.