(Utica, NY – Feb. 2013) The Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce Board passed a resolution Feb. 12 in support of the rehabilitation of the Adirondack Railroad.
The Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce has previously sponsored the Adirondack Scenic Railroad North Country Regional Economic Impact Analysis, which analysis strongly sets forth the positive economic impact that would be achieved by using the railroad as a primary corridor alternative.
The Adirondack Railroad from Remsen to Lake Placid is a unique and singular transportation asset, providing the last remaining rail access into and out of the central Adirondacks and protected on the National Register of Historic Places.
The rehabilitation of the remainder of this infrastructure would be of great economic value to this region through the creations of jobs, increase in tourism, the opening for the future green movement of individuals and goods into and out of the region.
The Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce does hereby express its support for the retention and restoration of the Adirondack Railroad from Remsen to Lake Placid.
Truer words have not been spoken! When will the fact that this railroad is on The National Register Of Historic Places sink in with the trail-people in Lake Placid. Does history matter in this case? The rail line, which is in effect, the lone remaining railroad into the heart of the Adirondacks needs to be on the endangered list, not the chopping block.
Trails are everywhere in the Adirondacks, creating one more isn’t going to invite more people into the Adirondacks anyhow. They come already since it’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth!!! If you want to see the beauty of her, where it is accessible to all, from the infirm to toddlers, there is no better way then on a train!
Long live the Golden Chariot Route!
Gino DiCarlo
Finally, somebody who believes as we do. Trail people snear at the money we’ve already put into the rails to get it where it is. They nearly scoff at the number of volunteer hours literally thousands each year. Act like we are fools for “playing with our backroad toy railroad”. As is pointed out we are soon going to be needing that railroad. We need to haul goods and services in and out. We can build no more roads. My concern is relying on tourism only to sustain the area. The commerce possible with the railroad would help a great deal.
Rusty Russum Sr. conductor North end.
Abandoning the ASR, a tangible personification of the vision of our 19th Century forefathers, to 21st century short-sightedness would indeed, be tragically disappointing, at the least, and more probably…? Public/private malfeasance.
“This is a true ‘field of dreams’ moment folks.”
And, I’m not talking about (just) increased passenger loads here. Or, freight. I’m talking about upgrading the route by ‘pulling’ a new loop of fiber optic capacity into the heart of ‘dark territory’ along the ASR, burying the cable while upgrading the RR line and sharing the costs w/ pvt telecom interests AND Iowa Pacific.
In an era where ‘digital natives’ (a generation of Americans who grew up in an age of ubiquitous cellular and WiFi access) are becoming THE dominant economic demographic, if you don’t have ‘signal’ you don’t get visitors.
America’s Most Accessible Wilderness (The ADKs), while still an enviable ‘retreat’ from the ‘always on’ digital world for some, for 18-34’s it’s a ‘no signal/bars’place to avoid. NOT exactly a #winning proposition for passenger ridership, annual visits #’s, or anemic local economies.
I’m talking about combining passenger & freight service, fiber optic bandwidth supporting ‘end-to-end’ cell/WiFi access, intersecting w/ our particular commercial interests (expanding craft beer brewing and distillation in/around the 14 ANCA counties of N NY, AND expanded side-by-side trail systems too.
If you (re)-build it, they WILL come. IF you don’t ‘disconnect’ them, you have decent food and drink available, and pick up and drop off points (w/ real-time scheduling via the bandwidth NOW available thru the entire corridor) for x-country hikers, skiers, snow-showers, paddler/canoe fans, fisherman, hunters, etc.
‘IF’…