AAB Encouraged to Expand, Form AABBB Auxiliary!

     

We all know and adore the good ladies of All Aboard Brunswick, members all of the carriage set who act as arbiters of what’s best for our ‘community.’  We take them to be objective, fair minded folk, who only want what’s good for us, and hold no special affinity for one civic advance over any other.

     

Which is why we’re expecting them to ‘get aboard’ the emerging proposal that the Metro Breez add Brunswick, the northern terminus of the Amtrak Downeaster, to their growing daily service between nearby towns and Portland.

We’ve posted on the subject in the past here:  http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/2015/10/all-aboard-freeportbut-not-on-downeaster.html

Reports on the origination of the Metro Breez service have been glowing:

http://news.keepmecurrent.com/its-a-breez-metro-kicks-off-its-new-bus-service-with-first-day-fete/

We’re so sure our good ladies will be supportive that we’re suggesting they form an auxiliary to support this new offering, and call it “All Aboard Brunswick’s Breez Bus.”  We’re so excited about the plan that we won’t even charge them for coming up with this inspired name.

Funny; terms like “AAB” and “AABBB” almost make one think we’re talking about bond ratings or some such. 

Last week’s Town Council meeting featured a presentation by the head of the Portland Metro Bus operation.  We watched the replay on community cable TV, and it appears our officials are largely in favor of the proposal, which could start service in a matter of a few months, with no need for tens of millions in capital ‘investment.’  And with ten trips every weekday!  That should give some serious travel flexibility.  And lots of alternatives to the Downeaster, mon Dieu!

Yesterday’s big city newspaper carried this story on the proposal: http://www.pressherald.com/2016/12/11/brunswick-mulls-link-to-portland-to-freeport-breez-bus-service/comments/

                      

We’re counting on our friends, who have staked so much of their reputations on introducing and sustaining Downeaster service, to stand just as strongly behind this proposal.  We’ve tracked down the documents used with our town officials, and made them accessible to you via these links.

https://www.scribd.com/document/334106895/Portland-Metro-Breez-schedule

https://www.scribd.com/document/334107065/TM-memo-to-Town-Council-re-Metro-Breez-proposal

https://www.scribd.com/document/334106755/Portland-Metro-Breez-Presentation

If you wish to view the discussion at the Town Council meeting, you can find it here:

http://tv3hd.brunswickme.org/Cablecast/Public/Show.aspx?ChannelID=1&ShowID=3617

According to our records, the discussion begins at time point 38:00 in the video.

     

Camera angles for the meetings don’t really suit our purposes and interests, but we did note a definite lack of pom-poms in the public gallery.  Perhaps candidates for AABBB nomination were out uniform shopping.  We certainly hope so.  We’re looking forward to their display of emotion when the bus service begins, as we’re sure it will.

Every nown and then, even a perfect little town like Brunswick has to make room for common sense, unsettling as it can be.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,MetroBus,Breez

Other Side Alert: BOLO for BBT of TNE

                    

We’ve just heard from trusted sources in the transportation sector that an alert is about to be issued for two widely known suspects living on the fringe of this sometimes dark and shadowy sector of our economy.

The alert reads: “Be On the Look Out for Brunswick’s Bobbsey Twins of TrainRiders NorthEast.”  The suspects, code named Emily and Jeff, are known to be belligerent in demeanor, are often spotted making hyperbolic statements at town council meetings and state legislative committee hearings, and are considered irritable.  They’ve also been known to submit angry and accusatory letters to local print media outlets.

      

The alert warns that the suspects can be difficult to identify because of their expertise in disguising their appearance in public settings.

Our sources claim the alert stems from a news story appearing recently in The Ostrich.  Dated August 12th, it was titled “More public input sought on bus service to Freeport,” and was written by Rosanna Gargiulo.

It featured a photo of an odd transit vehicle that looked like the one below, which bears an uncanny resemblance to a ‘bus,’ those big things that operate on the same streets and highway infrastructure used by automobiles, trucks, and other everyday vehicles.

           

Officials are worried that the article may easily elevate the twin’s nominal agitation level to Knickers in Knots, or even worse, Hair on Fire.  Random outbursts driven by their angst could easily cause the two to go ‘off the rails’ in public appearances and media submissions.  Members of the public are advised to keep their distance, and be prepared for unexpected sprinkler system activation in public settings.

                     

TNE officials could not be reached to comment on the threat to civil public discourse posed by Emily and Jeff, but we understand they take the position that the carbon footprint of smoldering hair is less than one nano-% of that from an idling Amtrak diesel locomotive, and therefore is no cause for alarm.

Herewith some highlights of the article, which is structured around Freeport considerations:

A JUNE PILOT PROGRAM concept report from Metro sketched out a route and fares for a Portland North Inter-City bus route that would serve Falmouth, Cumberland, Yarmouth and Freeport.

“Due to the inexpensive nature of (the pilot program), we’ll have a chance to have public transport that’s not the train, for a cheaper fare,” said James Hendricks, chairman on the town council, during a phone interview Monday with The Times Record.

“We don’t really know how it would work, but we’ll get to see if it’s a viable option for Freeport, and it seems like it’s a good deal,” Hendricks said, noting that after the pilot program, the council could decide based on ridership numbers if service should be continued.

A June pilot program concept report from Metro sketched out a route and fares for a Portland North Inter- City bus route that would serve Falmouth, Cumberland, Yarmouth and Freeport.

“With the potential availability of federal grant funding,” the report states, “there is an opportunity to implement a three-year pilot project aimed at demonstrating the potential effectiveness of commuter-oriented transit service along the I-295/Route 1 corridor.”

Aimed at commuters between Freeport and Portland, to proposed bus service would depart at a 30-minute frequency between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., and then again between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., for a total of 20 southbound and northbound trips per day.

A zone-based fare structure would mean a ticket from Freeport to Portland would cost $4, from Yarmouth to Portland $3, and Falmouth to Portland $2.

The local investment sought from Freeport for the pilot project is $19,667 for year one, $26,443 for year two and $36,008 for year three — with matching local investments from Yarmouth and Cumberland.

“It’s a good proposal, it’s well thought out and it has a lot of promise,” said Councilor Sarah Tracy, “but my concern is that we’re talking about spending $90,000 over the course of three years, it is not clear in the proposal what need it is serving and we haven’t gotten a lot of public feedback yet.

Kristina Egan, vice chairwoman of the town council, said that she had heard from several constituents who were in favor of expanding public transportation to Freeport.

“I think it’s great to start it as a commuter service because that can attract nonwork trips,” said Egan, noting that her background is in transit planning. “The only thing I would ask for is to see if we can add more midday trips and evening trips to help some of the shift workers” who aren’t working a typical 9 to 5 schedule.

“They’re trying to figure out why we would commit to spending over a five-year program a quarter of a million dollars on a wing and a prayer,” said DeGrandpre. “During budget time, we have argued as a council over $1,000.”

After the initial three-year pilot program, the projected local investment from Freeport would increase to $77,742 for the fourth year and increase again to $80,288 for the fifth year, for a total investment of $240,148. However, Metro stipulated that projections for the fourth and fifth year are not fixed.

============================================================

Interestingly, the ‘investment’ in Downeaster service to Freeport and Brunswick, all things considered, including the plans for service ‘optimization,’ are in the range of $100 million, including interest.  NNEPRA also requires perpetual operating subsidies of $2-3 million per year to keep the trains running on the Brunswick extension.  Add to that the $100,000 or so that each town has to cough up to subsidize operations, and you have to wonder about the questioning of bus service expenses.

We contacted our good friend Davis Swain, CEO of the fledgling Bus Riders NorthEast organization, to see what he knew about the alert and the proposed metro bus service.

First, he said his correct title is “Prospective CEO of BRNE,” and we asked why the equivocation.  He told us that processing of the group’s application for 501(c)3 status has inexplicably been delayed at IRS HQ in Washington.  Swain, shown below, said he spent endless hours on the phone trying to find out what’s going on, only to hear excuse after excuse, with no forward progress.

                                       

“Until we get that approval, I can’t call myself the CEO,” Davis told us.   He’s made quite a reputation for himself as the star of numerous fashion photo shoots in OGQ, the well known national magazine.  Self-effacing as ever, he added that ‘looks alone can’t make unreasonable dreams come true.’

At this juncture, we can’t resist a petty personal digression.  We’ve never thought of ourselves as ‘visionary,’ but we do consider that from time to time we merit a “CornerSewer of Common Sense” label.  As proof, we refer you to the posts you’ll find here: http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/search?q=piloting+train

We have some other points we’d like to make on this subject, fully aware that doing so may raise the alert level associated with the twins to heights unknown.

For starters, wouldn’t it be the answer to a dream if someone instituted bus service from Portland to Boston, and Brunswick to Portland?  Oh wait….somewhere we read that such a service has been going on for years.  Check.

We hope the twins don’t hear about this, because it could cause them to go trainal.  So don’t tell them about plans to build a bus station at Exit 75 of the Maine Turnpike in Auburn, and to pilot a commuter bus service to Portland and Lewiston.

More importantly, we’d like the twins, and their handlers at TRN, to respond to this simple thesis:

The bus is simply more versatile and cost-effective than the train.  It represents relatively modest vehicle investment, operates on existing public infrastructure, can turn at any intersection, stop anywhere along its route, and provide far greater frequency than a train, with less noxious emissions and attendant noise.  Even more, it requires almost no specialized capital investment, especially when compared to the train.

We’d like as well an answer to this related question:

Why do we need a train to do a bus’s job, and how many buses would fit in a 60,000 sf building?

                       

By now, if the suspects (the twins) are following our report, they’re probably grabbing for emergency breathing apparatus or worse.  We hope they didn’t see the articles we posted earlier today, or their condition could be far worse than we know. 

That said, we know some of our readers support the twins unequivocally, and for you, we offer this ‘cut-out’ play kit.

                       

For the general readership, we have some late breaking news, which can be summarized with this graphic;

                   

Something has clearly set off the alarms at TRNE headquarters, and we don’t know what it is.  When we find out, we’ll let you know.  For now, assume that sprinklers are spraying, various garments are in knots, and all sorts of body hair are aflame.  Witness this broadcast message:

http://www.trainridersne.org/

Published on Thursday, 21 August 2014 19:47

Written by TRN Webmaster

ACTION ALERT!  ACTION ALERT!  ACTION ALERT!

It’s time to add your voice as a Downeaster supporter.

Phone calls are still preferred – [Governor Paul LePage] and simply identify yourself and your town and say that you are calling to have your name added to the list supporting the position of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) to construct the Downeaster Layover Facility in Brunswick on the site authorized by the Federal Rail Administration (FRA).
You can leave the same message for the Commissioner of Transportation, David Bernhardt.

Thanks for whatever you can do.

Wayne Davis, Chairman 
TrainRiders NorthEast

We’re hopeful that Wayne doesn’t run the Downeaster’s central time clock, since the alert appeared in the 4 pm hour, but has a time stamp in the 7 pm hour, beyond the posting time for our commentary.

Ever considerate as we are, in the spirit of civil discourse, we offer these items for Wayne’s use in upcoming missives:

                   

           

We figure it’s the least we could do, other than send a tanker full of kool-aid to TRNE offices to replenish their supply.  And at the same time, warn our protagonists that they need to take care in tiptoeing their way around.

                           

You know the old saying: one man’s tulip is another girl’s stinkweed.

Happy tip-toeing, kiddies!

Technorati Tags: NNEPRA,Amtrak,TrainRiders,buses

The wheels on a bus go blank blank blank…

You may remember that a few months ago, in this post:

http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/2014/08/other-side-alert-bolo-for-bbt-of-tne.html

we mentioned emerging discussions about Metro Bus service running from Portland north to Freeport, with a number of stops in between.

We speculated that the very thought of such service could easily cause hyperventilation, or worse, by our favorite Downeaster supporters, the Brunswick Bobbsey Twins:

                     

As Phate would have it, Chance led us to discover a related new development that could, prepare yourselves, reach as far north as BRUNSWICK!!  Shirley, the very thought of such a possibility must cause palpitations of the most troublesome sort among the choo choo chognoscenti (sick.)

In readying ourselves for a brief statement to the town council this coming Monday, we discovered that the agenda includes this item:

135. The Town Council will discuss the possibility of the Greater Portland METRO Bus providing commuter rides to and from Brunswick, and will determine if any future action is needed. (Chair Pols)

You’ll find the agenda and the associated ‘packet’ with detailed backup info here: http://www.brunswickme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Agenda-Packet-November-17-2014.pdf

Once you open that document, go to page 64 and the pages that follow, and you’ll find all the exciting details.  Including the fact that without ‘free money’ from elsewhere, the service could cost Brunswick (we taxpayers) $200,000 a year, or about $4,000 per week.

That may sound like a lot, but as you know from being a loyal reader, that’s roughly the amount we suspect Amtrak pays Brunswick Taxi for shuttling crews back and forth between Brunswick and Portland twice a day.  Peanuts, that is, among the governing class.  Come to think of it, why hasn’t Brunswick Taxi submitted a proposal of their own?  BDC stands ready, we assume, to provide whatever ‘seed capital’ is required to make the dream come true.

Note when you read the material how carefully everyone tip-toes around the issue of possibly competing with the Downeaster.  We wouldn’t want market demand and competition to enter into the equation, would we?  Better we should let our betters decide how to serve us, than we ourselves.

          

On the other hand, it’s just a damn bus, for guards sake!

As for us, we immediately take off on flights of fancy when such news surfaces.  Taxpayers are already subsidizing the Downeaster (and Amtrak overall) with vast sums on an annual basis.  NNEPRA’s service alone runs at an operating loss of around $8 million per year.

Under the circumstances, we wonder why the town council isn’t considering $4,000 in weekly subsidies for the gasoline costs of residents.  Or perhaps the construction of a municipally operated carwash to service resident’s vehicles, with a subsidy of the same amount.  We’d really appreciate $2 weekly car washes, courtesy of our benevolent overseers.  Shirley that’s a worthy benefit of choosing to live here in the wealthiest little town in America?  We’d even be willing to drop off our pay per bag trash at the carwash, to save the cost of picking it up.  Synergy; we’re all over it.

We look forward to great frugality and perspicacity being displayed in Monday’s discussion; it’s our right.

Just like $2 car washes and having someone else pay for most of our train or bus ride are our right.

Right?

                             

By the way, the smoking lamp will not be lit at the council meeting, or on board the transit service, no matter who makes THEIR wheels go round with YOUR money.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,transit,buses,trains

All Aboard Freeport….but not on the Downeaster!

   

Anyone who is anybody in Cape Brunswick knows the esteemed members of All Aboard Brunswick prefer to travel with the dignity befitting their stature.  Accordingly, they prefer the Downeaster, even it it’s no match for the Coach once used by Queen Victoria.

          

Which is why we like to think of AAB as the local Carriage Set.

Comprised of various retired diplomats, high ranking bureaucrats, and other careerists from various branches of the ruling class, AAB membership would faint away at the very idea of having to ride upon common carriage like a bus.

As Chance would have it, we posted three items a year ago on the possibility of a bus service going into competition with the Downeaster.  You can review our efforts here http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/search?q=metro+bus

Now comes news that such a service between Freeport and Portland could be starting very soon.

The story is running in this weeks Coastal Journal on Page 3.  

Incredibly, they plan to have four stops in Freeport, and run nine trips a day from Freeport to Portland.  And for a one way fare of $3.

Pshaw we expect the AAB elite to say.   How can that compare with two trips a day made by the Downeaster, which has one stop in Freeport?  And costs a darn site more than $3 to ride?

                       

We have a hunch, though, that the little people of Freeport may just find it to their liking.

And just think; the service can begin with a simple agreement reached at a town council meeting.  No need to complete a multi-million dollar infrastructure upgrade, or build special boarding platforms before it can get under way.

We don’t expect the new bus service to have any noticeable effect on the Brunswick – Portland ridership count, even if it does expand to 6 round trips per day as the NNEPRA ED stated last week at the Rally for Rail.

The beautiful people of Brunswick will always have need of a proper mode of transport upon which to ride in style.

Bon Voyage, fair ladies and gentlemen.  And make sure you keep your ties in order.

Technorati Tags: Amtrak,Downeaster,AAB,Metrobus,Brunswick

PS on yesterday’s posts……

First, on this one about the eyes of the school board opening to some of the realities many of the rest of us have been aware of for years, and looking like they may actually grab the bull by the tail, as it were.

We neglected to make a point on this passage from the Forecaster article:

A repair plan proposed by Facilities Director Paul Caron last month called for a $2.5 million annual investment in school buildings.

As we noted, it is not within the realm of possibility for the school board, or the Department, to cut elsewhere to ‘find’ that money to ‘invest.’  Invest, as you know, simply means spend in these circumstances.

So in all likelihood, the Department, with board approval, will propose a $2.5 million increase in the annual budget for this purpose, along with the other usual increases.  At today’s going rate,  $2.5 million a year equates to about an 8% increase in the property tax rate.  Add that to the other increases always in the hopper, and you can’t help but be really excited!

                                   

Right?

Then there’s the second PS, attendant to the post on the Metro Bus possibility.

We wondered to ourselves what $200,000 a year is equivalent to if it was a payment on a bond issue.  So we checked with a competent authority in such matters, and here’s what we can tell you.

Depending on the interest rates, and the amortization term (10, 15, 20 years), $200.000 would ‘service’ bonded debt somewhere in the range of $1.5 to $3.0 million.  So $200,000 is nothing to sneeze at.

As we pondered this, we also wondered why consideration isn’t being given to chatting with Concord Coach, which already runs bus service between Portland and Brunswick (and points north and south of those two end points), to see if they might find interest in expanding their service to meet the same needs.

                         

Hell, who knows; they might even have a way to approach it that doesn’t require direct public subsidy. 

Not that anybody would find merit in such an idea.  After all, community is the name of the game, right?  Shared sponsorship, shared indebtedness, shared payments.

                                                

Gotta love it!  Even the shared pride part.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,schools,buses,budgets

Post-script on the Crumbling Cookie….

We posted this item two days ago.

   

Take a look at the details provided below, and ask yourself how the new Metro Breez compares to the Downeaster in providing ‘public service.’  Check the fares, the schedule options, etc.

   

Anybody wanna bet that Brunswick, and especially the “All Aboard Brunswick” ensemble, won’t go to the mat to see that the service DOES NOT EXTEND TO BRUNSWICK?  Their options for Razzle-Dazzle will be a bit more limited than in the past, we think, though they could contract with MSMT to come up with a new song and dance routine to fool the jury.

You should begin your study here: http://gpmetrobus.net/index.php/metro-news/yarmouth-freeport-bus-service

Here’s a preview:

   

That’s right, the public can ride from Freeport to Portland, including the PTC, for anywhere from $3.00 to $1.35.

You’ll find the route map and schedule here: http://gpmetrobus.net/images/stories/route-maps-pdf/Breez-REVISED.pdf 

Take a look at these schedule options, and compare them to the Downeaster.  The train, of course, is not capable of taking you anywhere convenient in Portland; it can only take you to the train/bus depot at the Thompson’s Point area (“A” in the below.)

            

And our betters and elected officials want us to believe the Downeaster is a wonder?  It may turn out Brunswick area residents would be well advised to drive to Freeport and take the Metro south, whether to enjoy various points between Bean Town and Portland, or to connect to buses (or trains) to the Boston area, or both.

Talk about long shots!  This may be your last chance to get rich!

Now that we think of it, Brunswick could become a bookie’s paradise.   Besides the wager just mentioned, there’s the equally sure bet that the revaluation now underway won’t end up raising your property tax bill.

Technorati Tags: Public transit,good bets,AAB,razzle dazzle

Could the cookie be crumbling?

             

Yes, you’re correct.  Your correspondent has been derelict in keeping up a decent posting tempo.

Such is the curse of being an aged observer of issues and events which hold less and less interest as the years advance.  Not to mention a growing sense of futility as to the value of posting opinions on these items.

Oh well, enough whining for now.

 

We’re here tonight to pass along the latest step forward in public transit, which if local authorities have any sense, should be a cause for concern.  Especially as it relates to Brunswick.

We refer to this fresh article in The Forecaster:

http://www.theforecaster.net/commuter-bus-breezes-into-freeport-yarmouth/

If you want a perfect example of the difference between passenger rail and passenger coach service, especially as to how long and how much it takes to get service underway, it’s all right there in plain sight.  Especially if you’ve followed our reports and comments over the years.

We couldn't help but think of this item we penned elsewhere in May:

The First Law of Public Surface Transportation:

There is nothing passenger rail can do that contemporary Motor Coaches can't
do more immediately, more economically, more flexibly, more cleanly,
more efficiently, more effectively, more safely, more reliably, with vastly superior
point to point service, and with little or no front end investment, no need
for new infrastructure, and no need for government
involvement/intervention.

Take a look at the number of stops, the frequency of trips, and the costs mentioned in the article.

                  

Then consider this passage:

"METRO General Manager Greg Jordan said Brunswick may be added to the service by next summer, with discussions taking place over the next year. METRO had extended the offer to Brunswick in 2014, but the Town Council and Town Manager had concerns about the cost."

Concerns about cost?  Oh sure!  What about the 80-100K we put into ‘Departure Center’ operations for the Downeaster?  And the various hidden costs associated with TIFs, Brunswick Taxi, and who knows what all, including the failure by JHR to build out the Station complex?

The real concern the council and TM should have, we might suggest, is the embarrassment this commuter bus service will expose them to for joining the ‘All Aboard Brunswick’ foamers in going ga-ga over the Downeaster, which has failed to deliver on even one projected benefit to our local economy.  Unless you're a retired Ambassador and his wife.

             

When some actual ridership and public response data for the Metro begin to accumulate and surface, we expect there to be a good deal of growth in the egg-wash business in town.

Maybe someone will build a face-cleansing business over at “Brunswick Landing.”  Or make use of the vacant space in the Maine Street Station.  Once locals become fans of convenient buses, should service be extended here, that space should be a fine location for a “Facial Spa.” 

Proximity to the Brunswick Town Hall should provide a steady supply of ‘walk-in’ customers.

PS:  If you happened to attend the special performance at MSMT last night featuring their performance interns in a production called “A Grand Night for Singing,” you enjoyed a very special treat.  They were all brilliant, and the special ticket prices made the show all the more incredible.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,Downeaster,buses. public transit,cost

Calling “AAB” stalwarts: you want US to spend $22.3 million for how many riders???

We happened to find ourselves in an old record shop (remember what they are?) last week, and came across what we suggest should be the Theme Music for NNEPRA’s handling of the Downeaster Portland North Service Expansion Project. 

        

We listened to both sides, and we liked their beat.  And we think you can dance to both.

   

Don’t believe us?  Look at these AAB’ers proving it, in their earlier days, we presume.

We were stimulated to think in this direction because of a thought piece we received from our Transport Professional friend, George Betke:

Representatives of “All Aboard Brunswick,” the local cheerleading affiliate of passenger-rail advocacy group TrainRiders/Northeast, regularly attend the public sessions of Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority board meetings. Their recent agenda has focused on support of the 52,000-square-foot maintenance and layover facility proposed to be situated off Church Street to provide irrefutable evidence that the presence of Amtrak “Downeaster” service to Brunswick does in fact stimulate real estate development.

That industrial building, originally estimated to cost $12.7-million, would enable indoor overnight storage of three full four- or five-car train sets, such that a third daily round trip could be added to the present Brunswick-Boston schedule. The obsession with spending taxpayer money on a luxury enjoyed in few other places begs the question, “What evidence is there of demand for additional service?” A NNEPRA official actually has stated a goal of running six daily turns to Brunswick, making it the small-town railroad capital of all New England.

How about first producing more riders for the two existing trips in each direction before making another major financial commitment to more trains? Proponents are fond of citing the fact that ridership “exceeded projections by 50%” in the first two years of operation without noting that the bar was set very low. Combined patronage for Freeport and Brunswick was forecast at 36,000, an average of roughly 100 daily passengers, or just 25 per train. That’s half the capacity of an inter-city motor coach, which doesn’t require a dedicated single-purpose infrastructure.

After nearly three years of testing potential demand, the “Downeaster” route extension to Freeport and Brunswick seems to be leveling out at about 120 daily riders, predominantly at Brunswick. Because of the Boston-oriented schedule, at least two-thirds use the 7:05 a.m. morning departure and the 8:20 p.m. evening arrival. The second, off-peak train is very lightly patronized. Why would additional off-hours trips be expected to expand the market rather than further diluting the average number of riders per train? How much would the “AAB” crowd be willing to spend (in capital and subsidy) to assure that folks would have a choice of six times to depart for Boston and return?

NNEPRA pays operator Amtrak by the trip, regardless of the number of passengers aboard. The need therefore is for a higher average count per train, not a lower one. Can “AAB” contend with a straight face that six trains would attract three times the ridership of the present two?

Betke’s piece caused us to review some things.  First, the most recent number publicized for the Brunswick MLF is $13.8 million, though we understand from the NNEPRA web site that the contract price has not been finalized.  Second, NNEPRA’s 2015 TIGER Grant Cycle Application, submitted earlier this year, says the estimated cost of the Royal Junction Siding needed to “optimize” the Portland North Service is $8.5 million.  You can find the info here: TIGER 7 Grant Application - Royal Junction Siding Project | Amtrak Downeaster

   

Those two numbers add up to $22.3 Million, a rather princely sum, even in these days of printing money when it suits our needs.  We’re confident the REAL costs will be substantially higher, but this is big enough to make our point.  That point being $22.3 million to do WHAT???

“Portland North” service consists of service to Freeport and Brunswick.  Betke, in his note above, estimates this service is carrying about 120 riders a day, or an average of 30 per train.  Considering the average rider goes round/trip, this amounts to effectively carrying 60 riders per day, the majority at Brunswick.

We have some data of our own:

You can see our takeaway; even before the numerous problems with track repair this year, an average of 34 riders per day travel between Brunswick and ALL points to the south.  And for Freeport, an average of 10 (rounded) per day travel between that shopping mecca and ALL points to the south.  And no one can prove that these are new travelers, instead of travelers diverted from using other alternatives (auto, bus).

When we think of spending $22.3 million to support this ridership, we can only ask what it is NNEPRA, AAB, and the others who support this idea are thinking?  Even allowing for excessive Kool-Aid consumption.  But perhaps there’s another conclusion.

                                       

We note from NNEPRA Board Meeting minutes that AAB members frequently attend those meetings, including the Dunbars, the Knoxes, soon to be town Councilor Alison Harris, and our frequent detractor Ms. Boochever (“the Booch.”)  Which, oddly enough, rhymes with “pooch…”

                       

So in all earnestness, we hereby call upon said AAB members to respond to Side with an explanation of how they can justify the expenditure of $22.3 million (not including ongoing operating deficits) in public moneys to make capital improvements for slightly over half a busload of riders between Brunswick and points south on a daily basis.  They might even enlist the assistance of the loyal supporters currently sitting on the town council.  You/we/they know who they are.  We’ll publish their offering here.

They can probably ignore the Freeport riders, because most will likely shift to the Metro Bus once it begins service (http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/2015/10/all-aboard-freeportbut-not-on-downeaster.html)

If the carriage set finds it unseemly to submit to our picayune publication, we’re sure The Ostrich would be glad to run their explanation for area wide consumption and edification.

Either way, we think it’s incumbent upon them to forthrightly address The Other Side of what appears to be a wholly unwarranted and wasteful plan.

    

Oh…and one more thing: we read in the NNEPRA Board Minutes that NNEPRA’s 2016 budget calls for $9.658 million in operating revenue against $22.575 million in total operating expenses, for a projected operating deficit of nearly $13 million, or 57% plus. 

So you can understand why nobody involved thinks spending $22.3 million in capital to ‘optimize’ Brunswick Service is a big deal.

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