Sitting in traffic on the bus on Interstate 93 makes me wonder how can we not have rail service from at Concord (to Manchester to Nashua to Lowell) to Boston?

I recall excuses such as "surveys show ridership would be too low" or "it's too expensive." I propose that the Monitor lead a study and then have people "vote" on the newspaper website for rail service and how much they would be willing to pay for a ticket. Since it costs 50 cents per mile to drive (gas, maintenance, depreciation), a roundtrip to Boston where I am guaranteed by train to not be stuck in traffic would easily be worth pulling out a $20 bill for a RT ticket. Plus, like on the bus I can relax (when not stuck in traffic which makes me late).

If the companies that "own" the tracks do not want to put in commuter rail service, then we should take them over by eminent domain and give them to a company that will. Is this not the way by which the rail companies got the land in the first place?! And how about our Democratic Congress showing some backbone and insisting that as long as troops are overseas, a significant portion of any defense appropriation include funds for building public transportation (e.g., railroads).

I look forward to the Monitor helping to lead the way!

ALEX SLOCUM

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