The recent, and ongoing effort by Richmond’s airport authority to cow residents into flying on the discount carriers who serve the city, or risk losing them, may have hit an unforeseen snag: the arrival of an ultra-low cost bus service.
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Megabus will have seven daily departures from Main Street Station with direct routes to DC, Charlotte, Baltimore, Philadelphia and elsewhere. And the teaser fares start at just $1. And there’s WiFi and electric power outlets for your gadgets onboard, too.
All that and no TSA groping…sounds like Richmond International Airport may have to re-think its scare campaign.
The story would end there, except for a couple of lines buried inside the RTD story:
That kind of acceptance has implications for the region’s efforts to develop the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor through Richmond, said city transportation planner Viktoria Badger.
“We can show the need for rail service,” she said, through the parallel demand for Megabus’ services.
Excuse me? How can a low-fare bus service possibly show the need for high-speed rail?
It can’t, particularly if you’re bold enough to consider costs. Early estimates on the cost of bringing high-speed rail into the same Main Street Station Megabus uses for its pick-ups and drop-offs top $600 million – and that’s before a single passenger buys a ticket (and well before the inevitable and inconvenient overruns crop up).
As matters stand now, if Megabus can’t make money, it closes operations and that’s that. High-speed rail, though, would continue, costs be damned, because someone else would be stuck with the bill.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board – the same people who can’t seem to set priorities at VDOT – has already cast its lot with rail The CTB anticipates its dream line from Hampton Roads to Richmond and beyond will carry nearly a million people a year in high-speed comfort. And that’s grand…assuming those potential passengers are willing to wait six to eight years after the environmental impact statement is done before the new rails are ready to carry them to their destinations.
Even with all those obstacles, though, the local political class will continue to pine for its over-sized train sets…and they will be sending us the bill for it.
