Mass transit plan

[Geoff]

Originally Posted by kingslug

I have taken those bus trips to Killington and Mt.Snow and they are the best value. I also recently discovered a ski club in my area that charters buses for weekend trips further north, even to Maine. This will probably be the most cost effective way to go now and in the future. It costs me almost $100.00 in gas just to get to the Catskills and back now, insane!!!! It's one reason why I love Utah so much, they have the best bus system, no car needed.

Yep. Trains sound wonderful but the reality is that charter bus service is the thing that is easy to implement and gets people from the 'burbs where they live nonstop to the ski resorts. If gas really does break the $5.00/gallon barrier, it starts making sense. The resorts will need to combine long haul bus service with reliable local loops to navigate between lodging, the ski area, and the various drinking, dining, and shopping establishments. Killington is big enough that they have a set of bus loops that run fairly frequently. It's still nothing like what you see at a Steamboat, Aspen, or Park City where a car ends up being completely unnecessary and there isn't any parking even if you had a car. I use the bus at Killington when I'm doing a bar crawl. It's a little inconvenient but it sure beats spending the night in jail.

[ckofer]

The busses are clearly the next logical step. Trains would be great if they could travel much faster than cars. Ski resorts would be well served to sponsor the busses and make a bus/ski/lunch package.

I do my best thinking on the bus.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Originally Posted by ckofer

The busses are clearly the next logical step. Trains would be great if they could travel much faster than cars. Ski resorts would be well served to sponsor the busses and make a bus/ski/lunch package.

I do my best thinking on the bus.

As long as there's not a sketchy toe-sucker like in the movie road trip..lol..I won't be using a bus to the ski area..I like to drive..even if gas is 10 bucks a gallon..

[kingslug]

Originally Posted by GrilledSteezeSandwich

As long as there's not a sketchy toe-sucker like in the movie road trip..lol..I won't be using a bus to the ski area..I like to drive..even if gas is 10 bucks a gallon..

When you get a heli....let me know...but I doubt I could chip in for the gas.
10 bucks a gallon...I'd be riding a horse!!!

[ts01]

2 rumors to drop:

1 - I have read news stories on and off about a ski train up to Gore or nearby, from NYC. That could work and should be more politically palatable than other ski trains since it's to a state-owned resort.

2 - In Quebec, they are planning a train from Quebec City up the St Lawrence River connecting first to Mt Ste Anne (Beauprey (sp)? about 40 miles and then to Le Massif about 60 miles. Details (sketchy) on Le Massif web site. From a great city with plenty of nightlife, restaurants, shopping, culture, a reasonably short ride up a beautiful riverway to two of the best mountains in the east. Croissant and coffe in the a.m.; a glass of wine as you return. Stay tuned on this one, it will be the holy grail of ski trains.

Oh and I think there's a train from Denver to Winter Park but that's a little far from the east coast.

[bigbob]

I don't think that the tracks are still in place north of Ossipee Sand & Gravel to North Conway for the Dover to Conway run.

[ckofer]

The most likely thing to happen is carpooling.

[MadPadraic]

Originally Posted by shadyjay

Again, how much is too much to pay for gas before the average driver gets out of his SUV in Worcester, for example, and gets on a commuter train to Boston? Does that person make an ungodly amount of $$$ that the price is not an option, unless getting interviewed by the news? Sad to say, that is the same person who is driving up to VT and staying at base area lodging and wouldn't even think twice about paying $5-$6/gal gas.

I don't think its a function of gas as much as a function of parking and schedules. The MBTA's worcester/framingham line does NOT suffer from a lack of ridership. In fact, every seat is full on just about every rush hour train (and typically by people who would be able to shrug off $6 gas).

A ski train or nicer ski bus (think Limo Liner, but a lot bigger) out of Boston would instantly decide my season pass choice.

[dropKickMurphy]

Originally Posted by ctenidae

Unfortunately for trains, the vast majority of track is owned by freight operators. Amtrak gets side-lined a lot. Laying new track for high speed people movers would be great, but very expensive and very exposed to NIMBY-ism. The problem becomes less a lack of support than a surplus of opposition.

The NIMBY-ism is a huge factor.

In MA, it seems like everone is in favor of expanding commuter rail service. However, any concrete plans invariably result in a breakout of NIMBY-ism all along the proposed route. The Greenbush line was delayed for years, and the cost skyrocketed, due to the opposition of people in the wealthy towns the line would be passing through. They actually ended up having to build an expensive tunnel under Hingham to satisfy the locals. Meanwhile, the efforts to bring commuter rail to New Bedford and Fall River have been stalled for years by local opposition to running the lines through their towns.

Hell, in our area I've seen the NIMBYs defeat things like dog parks, skateboard parks, and bike trails! We're even seeing NIMBYism creeping into ski resorts; such as the opposition by some condo owners to night skiing at SR.

[tjf67]

You can take a bus from just about anywhere to LP. From there we( local taxpayers) provide two shuttles. One from the town to the mountain and one that takes people around town. I never notice people getting off the bus with skiis. I do notice people using the shuttles around town and to the hill but never at more than half full.

Put some stippers on the bus and they will fill up. Heck a little hooking to save the environment is well worth the trade off IMO anyways. It a sausage fest at mountains anyways so give the guys what they like. Beer, skantly clad women, skiing. What esle could you ask for.