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Thank you for the information. This is certainly great news for the region.

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Thank you so much for attending the presentation. We hope you enjoyed the discussion, and we look forward to the Colora Civic Association having us back again in the near future. Thank you for your kind words.

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Thank you for your kind and encouraging comments.

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Thank you so very much for your comments and observations. You raise several very important questions which need to be addressed.

First and foremost, where is the money going to come from? The simplistic answer to this question is that the money has already been acquired from you and I and all of the residents throughout the region and the rest of the country. Every year, the Treasury of the Government of the United States, through its Internal Revenue Service, receives hundreds of billions of tax dollars from each and every one of us every year through employment taxation, gasoline taxes, and excise taxes. This money is then apportioned by Congress to fund the various agencies and departments which make up our government as we know it today. Among these agencies and departments is the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), which oversees the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

Under Title 49 USC § 5300, and through the S.A.F.E. T.E.A.-21 L.U. Act, the FTA is granted the authority by Congress to disburse its apportioned share of monies earmarked for infrastructure (highways, fixed guideways, bridges, airports, etc.), 'Intelligent Transportation Systems', 'Reverse Commute' subsidies, Elderly and Disabled Transportation, and Rural Transportation, along with 'New Starts' and 'Small Starts' programs, in the form of grants to projects that are either currently ongoing or proposed. The Octoraro Rail Line Revitalization Project, we believe, falls into several of these § 5300 categories. (For further information, please feel free to visit the FTA's web site at http://www.fta.gov/.)

However, this does not mean that there are unlimited funds available for every proposed or ongoing project that crosses the FTA's desk. The process of applying for and acquiring these grant monies is a very difficult, time-consuming, costly, and competitive endeavor, with no guarantee that the monies will be forthcoming. In order to successfully obtain the grants necessary to accomplish our goal of revitalizing this historic and vital rail line, we must be able to demonstrate the need (versus a "want"), sustainability, viability, and return-on-investment (ROI) such a line has to offer. We believe that we are well on our way to achieving this, thanks to input such as yours and from others. Your voices will ultimately decide whether or not this project is worth funding.

In summary, where is the money going to come from? We've already paid for it. It is now up to you to decide whether your money gets spent locally or elsewhere.

Secondly, your description of the current state of the Right-of-Way (ROW) of the Octoraro Line through Cecil County, Maryland, is exceedingly accurate. However, the vast majority of what is possibly the most costly of fixed-guideway infrastructure is still intact - the ROW itself. It is certainly less expensive to refurbish an existing railroad ROW than to establish a new ROW for a railroad, highway, or other transit-oriented modality. For example, it has come to our attention that most of the major arterials in western Cecil County have been recently reclassified as "E"-type highways; that is, at or exceeding capacity. To alleviate congestion on these roadways, these existing arterials would need to be widened by at least one lane in each direction, or other "feeder"- and "rural"-type roadways would need to be widened and converted into an arterial. This equates to the County or the State spending billions of taxpayer dollars to acquire the land necessary to widen these roadways (at current prevailing market value), just so that they may spend billions more on the engineering and construction of widening projects which will probably be inundated and overwhelmed with new traffic in an unbelievably short period of time. Please keep in mind this simple rule-of-thumb: One can build eight miles of rail line for every one mile of highway built.

And finally, but most surprisingly, many of the "locals" you may be referring to who either live along or very near to the existing ROW in Rising Sun, Colora, Liberty Grove, and Rowlandsville have expressed overwhelming support for this proposal. Comments such as "...it's about time..." and "...it can't happen soon enough..." appear to be a recurring theme among these local residents and have been made not only within the survey and "Contact Us" portions of this web site, but also in person during our drive-through "tours" of the area and at the Colora presentation.

In this current economic and political climate, the government is seeking to "reinvest" in this country's infrastructure. Which projects get funding is ultimately determined by you, the taxpayer. This is not "our" project --- it is "your" project; the benefit is solely yours.

Hello !

You are doing a great job... You continue to generate a large support group out here.

We will continue to distribute your web page info to everyone we know and have them spread the word from Philadelphia to Aberdeen and Wilmington to Coatesville.

Again, keep up the good work.

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Thank You! As the public support base for this proposal continues to grow, the easier our task becomes in terms of providing justification to all the various local, county, state, and federal agencies we have been, and continue to be, in contact with. Please feel free to leave additional comments, or generate a discussion thread on the "Discussion Blog/Forum" page of our website, and be sure to check back with us in the very near future for (what we believe will be) some exciting news.

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Thank you.

MessageType: Praise
Subject:
SubjectOther: Project
Username:


Comments:

Oh please, oh PLEASE get this going. I live in West Grove and was recently laid off as well. The only problem with this area is that I am now faced with horrible automobile commutes because of a lack of useful public transportation. I don't go into Philly as much as I would like for the same reason, and hate the thought of having to drive there for work. I hate sitting in the car... but I love sitting on a train. My world would open up with train service to Philly.

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Thank you so much for your interest and your comments. Please be sure to check the results of the Web Survey to see how other people feel about the current state of Transit in the region.

MessageType: Suggestion
Subject:
SubjectOther: Date of article
Username: Mike R.


Comments:

The following article which appears on your site came from the Oxford Press....I have also provided the date for you.
Oxford Press March 1, 1882
An additional passenger car for the Peach Bottom Railway arrived in Oxford on Saturday. It is the car formerly used on the road.

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Thank you for the update. We will be sure to make the necessary corrections.

MessageType: Praise
Subject:
SubjectOther:
Username: Jason S.
 

Comments:

[removed for confidentially] I have watched this railroad be underutilized by one company after another for the last 15 years. I [removed for confidentially] have been interested in developing freight traffic on this line for years. In my view, the potential for economic development on this branch has been sadly overlooked in the past. Your organization is doing what I have wanted to do for years but never had the financial resources to do. I am interested in the possibility of offering some assistance with this project.

Sincerely,
Jason S.

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Thank you so much for your interest. We look forward to seeing this proposal become a reality, and we would appreciate any help you would be willing to offer us.

MessageType: Praise
Subject:
SubjectOther:
Username: Paul C.
 

Comments:

As a boy, I used to ride on the old Wawa and Concordville Railroad between the two namesake towns on the eastern most portion of this branch. My friends who are slightly younger are amazed that a railroad existed so close to Route 1 and hardly anyone knows it is there. My one friend Marc has said time and again, why can't they bring it back.....well, you gentlemen are the closest anyone has been in almost 40 years.

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Thank you for your kind comments.
 

MessageType: Praise
Subject:
SubjectOther: your concept
Username: larry f.


Comments:

born and raised in Kennett as we were, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
what an idea, something progressive that is not 2x4's and sheetrock.
Keep up the good work.

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Thank you.

I just wanted to send a "thank you" for the vision and leadership that you are bringing to the Southern Chester County area. The United States needs entrepreneurs like yourself to restore the infrastructure which we have let go to waste. I grew up in Media near the R3 and, in addition to Octoraro Service would also like to see West Chester service returned.

Please let me know if there is anything you need in the future.

Chris C.
(frequent contributor to railroad.net)

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Thank you so very much for your kind comments.

MessageType: Praise
Subject:
SubjectOther:
Username: Jim S.
 

Comments:

Great website. The rail line is a fantastic idea, particlauly in light of current economy trends.

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Thank you.

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Thanks!

MessageType: Suggestion
Subject:
SubjectOther: service
Username: Christina K.

Comments:

Will there be any connections to Paoli and the Great Valley Industrial Corridor?

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Hi!

Thank you for your interest.

The potential exists for a connection to Amtrak's Keystone Corridor at Coatesville (north of the old Lukens Steel plant) via the ex-Reading Railroad line which passes through Chadds Ford and connects to the Octoraro Line. The Keystone Corridor currently has a stop at Paoli. Realistically, the only option at this time would be to transfer to Amtrak or SEPTA at Coatesville; it is still too early to begin considering trackage rights agreements that would allow a commuter train from southern Chester County to operate directly to Paoli, but it is not outside the realm of possibilities.

There has been a recent study (completed in April, 2008) entitled "Phoenixville Main Line Passenger Rail Assessment", submitted by Gannett-Fleming of Philadelphia to the Phoenixville Main Street Community Development Corporation, which addresses the potential for commuter passenger rail service in the Commons of Great Valley / Paoli area. This route could potentially provide a connection from Oxford to Great Valley; however, this appears to be 3 to 5 years away, at best. If you wish, we can provide you with an electronic copy of the study which we can email, or you may request a copy from the Chester County Planning Commission (see the link on the www.oatrains.org website).

I hope this satisfactorily answers your question.

If you should have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

 

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Thank you.