Over the past week or so the politicians have been lining up to take credit for bringing back train service from New York City to Montreal.
All it took was one call from Rep. Elise Stefanik.
At least that’s what her press release said.
She went on to describe how “Families through Upstate New York and the North Country rely on the Adirondack Line for transportation, and it serves a significant economic driver, connecting tourists and our Canadian neighbors to our region.”
I had no idea.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Sen. Chuck Schumer said they had been working on the issue for months. Schumer said it would pump vital tourism dollars into Main Streets across upstate New York.
Rep. Paul Tonko also pushed the importance of rail service to the region.
Chamber of Commerce leaders reminded everyone that it was one of the most scenic rail routes in the country and integral to tourism.
State Sen. Dan Stec said getting the service back was “a major priority” for the region.
Assemblyman Matt Simpson told the Press-Republican the news a “great day” and said the re-opening “will result in increased economic activity and growth” and more tourists.
The question that needed to be asked of all these politicians was simple: Have you ever been on the Adirondack Line?
If you were going to take a trip to Montreal, would you pack the family into an Amtrak coach and take in the scenery?
Because the Adirondack Explorer noted in their coverage that the trip from New York City to Montreal is 10 hours by train. It’s only six hours by car.
None of the politicians seem privy to that information.
The line attracted 117,490 riders in 2019.
That’s averages out to 321 people a day.
The reality is that most of those passengers are going to New York City or Montreal. They are not getting off in Fort Edward, Whitehall, Ticonderoga, Port Henry or Westport to go see the sights.
Those 321 passengers are fueling any increase in the local economy.
None of our elected leadership mentioned that either.
A few years back, Fort Edward invested a few hundred thousand dollars into renovating its train station. The belief was that this might become a bustling hub for commuters to New York City.
When I stopped by the station one afternoon to see how many passengers got on, I found one woman waiting with a suitcase. And the train was more than an hour late.
Here’s something else the politicians didn’t tell you.
The Adirondack Explorer reported this week that the rail line that Amtrak uses between Rouses Point (right on the U.S. Border) and Montreal has deteriorated so much that the trip takes three hours to complete.
It takes three hours to complete a 50-mile trip by train. That means the train must go approximately 16 miles per hour. At that pace, there is no problem catching a glimpse of the scenery.
It was encouraging to hear that all these political leaders were so enthusiastic about the impact the Adirondack Line will have on tourism, but it shows that none of them seem to know the communities they represent.
When Adirondack Line starts on April 3, I hope all the politicians line up and buy their tickets so they can enjoy the scenery. They will have plenty of time.
By noon on Saturday, Stefanik had issued a heated statement calling the indictment “unAmerican” and example of the “Radical Left” reaching “a dangerous new low of Third World countries.”
The question she needs to answer is are former presidents against the law?
Until she answers that,she should let the courts do their job.
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It was a great atmosphere at the MVP Arena in Albany as Saint Mary’s toppled Virginia Commonwealth and UConn beat Iona in the afternoon doubleheader.
March Madness
It was exciting to experience March Madness in Albany this weekend. I had not been down to the MVP Arena in a long time. The parking lot near the arena where I parked in the past was now a building with a parking garage that charged $30.
Once inside the arena, I found that cash was not to be used at the concession stands. One of the big affects since the pandemic is few arenas take cash at sporting events anymore.
The payment screen does allow you to tip. Maybe I’m being cheap, but I wondered why a tip was needed for handing me a hot dog and a beer?
As a bonus, actor Bill Murray was courtside behind the UConn bench. Apparently, his son is an assistant coach for the Huskies.
That’s actor Bill Murray behind the UConn bench during the NCAA Tournament in Albany on Friday.
Proctor’s parking
Managed to score tickets to see “Hamilton” this past week and was pleasantly surprised that parking cost me just $10 in Schenectady.
It was my fourth time seeing the musical. It was awesome as usual.
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The Cool Insuring Arena was looking great as usual for the final two games of the State Basketball Tournament on Sunday.
State Tournament
I caught the final two games of the State Basketball Tournament Sunday and got to see Catholic Central play.The Section II Class B champion ended Glens Falls’ season a couple of weeks ago.
Despite a late rally, Catholic Central came up short against Westhill to end its unbeaten season.
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Another big week
For the first time this week, I will be doing a doubleheader.
I’ll will be speaking to the Plattsburgh Rotary Club’s noon lunch on Wednesday, then driving out to Potsdam to speak to the St. Lawrence County Democrats in a new speaker’s series call “Elevate the Conversation.”
In their press release, the group said the series “is a response to the negative and polarizing tone of discussion about serious subjects that directly affect all the residents in St. Lawrence County, regardless of political affiliation.”
It’s a great idea for a speaker series and I’m honored to kick it off.
“The proliferation of social media and the manipulation of disinformation are driving a wedge between neighbors. Elevate the Conversation is an attempt to remove that wedge by promoting civil conversation on serious subjects between neighbors,” the release said.
“Elevate the Conversation is one step toward bridging the gaps that have grown between members of the St. Lawrence County community. It is an experiment with hopes of solving problems in our little corner of the world. Sponsored by the St. Lawrence County Democratic Committee, the event is open to all, and we invite you to suggest future speakers in the series.”
I’ll be talking about my 40 years of experience in journalism and how newspapers brought communities together to solve issues and discuss problems.
And I hope the group’s next invitation is made to Rep. Elise Stefanik.
I love trains, but had a miserable experience on that Adirondack line several years ago. My family was camping in Paradox Lake at the state campground and I was coming up to join them from NYC. The stop was Ticonderoga, which I was told was a recent reroute; the politicians thought it would bring tourism to the fort. :-)
We had to pull over to a siding a super short distance from the Ti station - for a couple of hours- to wait for an empty freight train to pass. The freight company owned the rails, so even an empty train had right of way over a passenger train (usually the passenger train has dibs, I think). Nothing could persuade me to take that line again; I would walk first.
In contrast, the Acela line along the Northeast Corridor is fabulous for anyone traveling from DC to Boston and points in between. Way more civilized than flying and you don't actually lose much time when you factor in getting to the airports and all of the waiting around once there. They should make all lines like the Acela. You would have thought after 9/11 the country would have invested a little in rail travel.
I love trains, but had a miserable experience on that Adirondack line several years ago. My family was camping in Paradox Lake at the state campground and I was coming up to join them from NYC. The stop was Ticonderoga, which I was told was a recent reroute; the politicians thought it would bring tourism to the fort. :-)
We had to pull over to a siding a super short distance from the Ti station - for a couple of hours- to wait for an empty freight train to pass. The freight company owned the rails, so even an empty train had right of way over a passenger train (usually the passenger train has dibs, I think). Nothing could persuade me to take that line again; I would walk first.
In contrast, the Acela line along the Northeast Corridor is fabulous for anyone traveling from DC to Boston and points in between. Way more civilized than flying and you don't actually lose much time when you factor in getting to the airports and all of the waiting around once there. They should make all lines like the Acela. You would have thought after 9/11 the country would have invested a little in rail travel.
I love train travel but never use it going to Montreal. Way too long and unreliable. US train travel complete embarrassment compared to Europe.