This town is way too cynical about Big Ideas, and if we keep it up, we'll stay mired in our little backwoods swamp.
So let me suggest that we suppress our cynicism for a bit and embrace the potential of the newest big project before us: high-speed rail.
Unfortunately, the possibility of high-speed rail from Albany to Buffalo has gotten entangled with the controversy of the day, Renaissance Square. Reasonable people can disagree about whether Ren Square's bus station should be built a few blocks north, at the train station. But some of Ren Square's supporters are hooting not only at that idea but at the very idea of high-speed rail.
Their argument: It's simply not going to happen. It'll take forever to get the right-of-way for a high-speed track. It would need not only some of CSX's land but also private property along the line. That could require condemnation, with all of its risks and delays. High-speed rail is just another big dream being promoted by the usual fluffy-headed dreamers.
So is high-speed rail just the latest Grand Scheme? Not to Representative Louise Slaughter, who put together a bi-partisan coalition of Upstate members of Congress. And not if you talk to state DOT officials. Both insist that: 1) The Albany-to-Buffalo high-speed track will cost about $3 billion; 2) we stand a good chance of getting $1 billion from federal stimulus funds; and 3) high-speed rail could be coming through Rochester in three to five years.
Slaughter and DOT Communications Director Skip Carrier say the high-speed track needs only part of the CSX right of way. CSX once had four tracks; it has abandoned two, so there's plenty of land available. A CSX representative has been at the meetings with federal and state officials and members of the House, at which planning is developing, and Slaughter and Carrier say they believe negotiations with the rail company will be successful.
"Clearly they want to be a part of what's taking place," is how Carrier puts it.
"Never in my years here have I seen anything go as well," says Slaughter.
Slaughter's critics, noting her early opposition to Ren Square, say she and Duffy are using high-speed rail to try to kill the project. Slaughter says she doesn't care whether Ren Square gets built or not. She says she's been talking with Canadians about an Albany-to-Montreal rail line and another from Montreal to Toronto and Buffalo. "That would give us the biggest economic development area in North America," she said. "I'm not doing that to stop Ren Square."
Comments for "URBAN JOURNAL: Fast-tracking fast trains" (2)
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Jeffrey Lewis MA said on May. 21, 2009 at 12:00am
I am candidate forthe Monroe county legislature from the 29th Legislative District. I support high speed rail because of the jobs and trade it will bring to this depressed community. We badly need green collar jobs. I have seen the other intermodal stations in Syracuse and Utica, and they are beautiful. Everything is well coordinated. It is time for rochester to stop shooting itself in the foot.
Harry Davis said on May. 21, 2009 at 1:47pm
I say Ren Square Must Make Way for Trains. As a Democratic candidate for an At Large City Council seat, our campaign calls for supporting President Obama's nationwide high speed rail network, particularly the Empire Corridor from Buffalo to Albany. Rochester needs to drop the unfunded ten year old Renaissance Square boondoggle and go where the federal money really is: high speed rail from coast to coast. President Obama wants our support to make this change happen. Let's give it to him!
As an avid President Obama supporter and Democratic candidate for Rochester City Council, I want to work together with the unions who are out of work and need to practice their life-long-learned skills to build something we all want to look at and use for generations to come. We do not want them to build 1,000 fast ferries at Main & Clinton. I want to work with other leaders in the region towards an inter-modal transportation facility that benefits all taxpayers.
We can't risk the rail running along the thruway with no stop downtown, but that is exactly what will happen if Republicans like Maggie Brooks keep playing politics and the train runs through the south suburbs like Victor and Henrietta.
Data that shows the benefit to those municipalities along the thruway, such as their retail and housing development over the past half century, I am convinced that we must not make the same mistake twice. In this week's City Newspaper, Mary Anna Towler laments:
"Unfortunately, the possibility of high-speed rail from Albany to Buffalo has gotten entangled with the controversy of the day, Renaissance Square. Reasonable people can disagree about whether Ren Square's bus station should be built a few blocks north, at the train station. But some of Ren Square's supporters are hooting not only at that idea but at the very idea of high-speed rail.
"Their argument: It's simply not going to happen. It'll take forever to get the right-of-way for a high-speed track. It would need not only some of CSX's land but also private property along the line. That could require condemnation, with all of its risks and delays. High-speed rail is just another big dream being promoted by the usual fluffy-headed dreamers."
According to Towler: Representative Louise Slaughter insists that:
"1) The Albany-to-Buffalo high-speed track will cost about $3 billion; 2) we stand a good chance of getting $1 billion from federal stimulus funds; and 3) high-speed rail could be coming through Rochester in three to five years.'
"Never in my years here have I seen anything go as well," says Slaughter.
"Slaughter's critics, noting her early opposition to Ren Square, say she and Duffy are using high-speed rail to try to kill the project. Slaughter says she doesn't care whether Ren Square gets built or not. She says she's been talking with Canadians about an Albany-to-Montreal rail line and another from Montreal to Toronto and Buffalo."
"Rep. Louis Slaughter then goes onto state the obvious: "That would give us the biggest economic development area in North America," she said. "I'm not doing that to stop Ren Square."
Our campaign has been using this tag line for two months now:
"High speed rail is the biggest economic development for upstate New York in 150 years, since the Erie Canal."
It seems that our campaign is in sync with one of the most powerful members of Congress. So why were the Dems so resistant to our calls for change during the recently ended nominating caucuses? We were not nominated but we plan to make our views known during the current primary season now beginning and ending with the September 15 Democratic Primary. Four years ago, we ran this same argument about the 1,000 fast ferries on Main Street and we gathered enough signatures to create the Red, White & Blue Party. With Chris Maj as the candidate for Mayor of Rochester, our independent campaign for City Council garnered 550 votes, all against Ren Square in 2005! Can you believe it is deja vu all over again?
Economic growth and job creation follow transit development. The federal money is being created out of thin air. Why waste it on Renaissance Square when we can turn that funny paper into infrastructure gold for ours and future generations?
We need 1,000 Democratic signatures on our petitions beginning June 9 to appear on the September 15 Democratic Primary ballot. If we win in September, then November will be easier. After November, the real work begins to transform Rochester into a true world class city that it can be. A city that people like John Nugent who created the Rochester International Jazz Festival already believe in.
High speed rail is the biggest economic development for upstate New York in 150 years, since the Erie Canal.
It is not enough to HOPE for CHANGE. We must WORK for CHANGE.
To volunteer for our campaign, go to Harry Davis for Rochester City Council: www.Harry2009.com.
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