October 2006 - Posts

#77, Yellow Line, & Streetcar Cruisin'

This morning I decided I was going to take a trip via Trimet transit.  I haven't really ridden anywhere during commuting hours in a long time.  My goal was two fold; one to ride on the MAX at least part of the trip, two to grab some breakfast Read More
posted Monday, October 30, 2006 11:54 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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Southern Crescent

In 1971 when Amtrak took control of the Passenger trains under the precent of turning a profit with passenger rail in America there where a few stragglers that didn't give up the fight.  One of those proud and noble railroads was the Southern Railroad.  Read More
posted Sunday, October 29, 2006 1:14 AM by adron | 4 Comments
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A Little Further, A Long Way To Go...

So with the idea of decreasing the imbalance of the transportation system in this country and re-introducing pricing equilibrium and actual supply/demand and market demand motive and success I've been reading several books, one of them is Street Smart, Read More
posted Saturday, October 28, 2006 12:50 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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Amtrak Chief Executive Officer - Alexander Kummant (TAC-PDX)

So on the south bound #507 south bound Amtrak train I get treated to the presence of the Chief of the railroad.  As I boarded I noticed right off that some of the leather seat upgrades have been completed in the car #2 of business class.  Who Read More
posted Friday, October 27, 2006 6:51 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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Along with the Streetcar Gibbs Extension Opening...

Tri-Met also begins on the commuter rail construction between Wilsonville and Beaverton. Check out the article here and Tri-met's notification here. Looks like the commuter rail (as things are with heavy rail) will get built rather quickly.  Read More
posted Friday, October 20, 2006 10:50 AM by adron | 0 Comments
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Market Demand Cascades Service - ROUGH DRAFT

ROUGH DRAFT Please note, I've only completed the first phase of this research with a lot of the pricing general yet very "conservative" so that there are not any surprises.  What I have here is already representative enough of the point, passenger Read More
posted Sunday, October 15, 2006 11:26 AM by adron | 11 Comments
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Attachment(s): http://adronbhall.com/files/16/research_projects/entry960.aspx

Kazakhstan of All Places!!!

So General Electric is going to supply 310 of the new cleaner freight diesels it is producing to Kazakhstan.  Again this is an interesting an awesome scenario where globalization is again starting to drastically assist the United States.  GE Read More
posted Sunday, October 15, 2006 10:47 AM by adron | 0 Comments
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The Bicycle

Commonly overlooked, the bicycle is the most reliable, fuel efficient, clean transportation mechanism besides walking. ...and I'm about to break down and get bike number 2 finally. I believe Bike Gallery will serve the purpose. Read More
posted Thursday, October 12, 2006 11:55 AM by adron | 2 Comments

Portland Streetcar Peculiarity

So the Streetcar is testing the South Waterfront Extension today?  I guess so from what I read on the destrination reader board on the front of the Streetcar pulling into the 21st and Lovejoy stop today. As I was walking for coffee time at Coffee Read More
posted Thursday, October 12, 2006 11:20 AM by adron | 0 Comments
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Tri-Met's Portland Mall Site and goals for the Green Line

So Trimet released a new site related to the big project downtown to redesign and rebuild the Bus Mall downtown.  This of course is going from purely a bus mall to a light rail and bus mall.  Whether it turns out to be a good idea, or a Read More
posted Thursday, October 12, 2006 10:38 AM by adron | 0 Comments
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Portland's Downtown Light Rail & Bus Mall Project

So Trimet released a new site related to the big project downtown to redesign and rebuild the Bus Mall downtown.  This of course is going from purely a bus mall to a light rail and bus mall.  Whether it turns out to be a good idea, or a dumb Read More
posted Thursday, October 12, 2006 10:14 AM by adron | 0 Comments
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Transportation Costs

So a lot of people blabber on day in and day out about how there is no passenger train system in the world that isn't socialistic operated.  i.e. heavily subsidized. I've of course pointed out that Britain's rail system rarely receives more than Read More
posted Wednesday, October 11, 2006 9:30 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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Extra #507 South Bound Tacoma to Portland

Ok, so the train really isn't an extra, but to me it is.  I've decided for band practice I was gonna head out a little early on Wednesday and hit up the respective band practice of the evening.  With a beautiful sunny day and blue skys overhead Read More
posted Wednesday, October 11, 2006 9:16 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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Feasible Transit Options to Tacoma

134 Miles.  That is the distance between Portland, Oregon and Tacoma, Washington on Interstate 5.  Travel time:  3 hrs, 2 mins according to the legal speed limit.146 Miles.  That is the distance between Portland, Oregon and Tacoma, Read More
posted Monday, October 09, 2006 1:33 AM by adron | 0 Comments
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Amtrak FY06 Strategic Reforms Initiative

So while riding the train I decided what better time to see what the Amtrak Executive Management has in store for the strategic alignment of Amtrak's Future. While reading the document I find it very important to note that whoever compiled this document Read More
posted Friday, October 06, 2006 8:54 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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Amtrak Solutions

Almost any or all of these could be applied, but it is ridiculous that they aren't all applied already, especially with the meager funds Amtrak actually has at hand. Union renegotiation for smaller train staff, smaller station staff, and less horrendous Read More
posted Friday, October 06, 2006 7:41 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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This is Stupid (TAC, PDX)

So theoretically the #509 south bound Amtrak Cascades train was sold out today.  Which obviously from the lack of an available seat for myself (except for the backwards handicap seat) proved it to be sold out.  In addition to that I suspect Read More
posted Friday, October 06, 2006 6:50 PM by adron | 1 Comments
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Awesome Amtrak

So I just went in and cancelled three of my weekly round trips to Tacoma from Portland.  I cancelled them because I wanted to reschedule my return trip to Portland from the 6:10pm Tacoma departure to the 3:05pm departure.I must say I really dug the Read More
posted Friday, October 06, 2006 2:41 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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Transit Interest

So in the last 3 months I have spoke to people willing to personally invest million in transit and transit infrastructure of a substantial type.  i.e. rail related services - jitneys - real solutions to real problems that are actually viable that Read More
posted Friday, October 06, 2006 1:27 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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NAFTA has had no effect on Trade really! :o

"Surface transportation trade between the United States and Canada and Mexico totaled $55.9 billion in July, a 12.6 percent increase compared with July 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.The Read More
posted Thursday, October 05, 2006 2:32 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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Streetcar Debate

George, Justin, referenced that Streetcars where subsidized solely, or almost solely by "public" utilities which is not particularly true.  Also mentioned was that the old Streetcars only moved at 10mph.  (Which is about 4-5mph faster Read More
posted Monday, October 02, 2006 3:59 PM by adron | 2 Comments
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Washington County Commuter Rail - The Beginnings

So I went down to check out what is going on with the right of way and track between Wilsonville to Beaverton.  I mostly just checked out the streets and area around Beaverton Transit Center to see where and imagine what it will Read More
posted Monday, October 02, 2006 3:05 PM by adron | 1 Comments
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Spawn Point

So I decided that I would finally make one of those endeavors to actually go do something at night and use public transit to get to and from where I go.  There is a certain amount of complication to this being that I wasn't going to leave until after Read More
posted Sunday, October 01, 2006 11:55 PM by adron | 0 Comments
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