Discover Smith Mountain Lake
SUMMER 2016
43
42
As Featured on
Saturday mornings from 9 to 10 AM
WSLK
Lake Radio 880
The Music You Remember...
...At A Place You’ll Never Forget!
For complete schedule, Go to
Ophthalmologist and Optometrist
When it comes to
customer satisfaction,
the eyes have it!
“Providing Comprehensive Eye Care With Compassion and Excellence”
OTHER LOCATIONS
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE
13295 Booker T. Washington Hwy
540-721-4433
BLACKSBURG
110 Professional Park Drive
540-552-4573
BOTETOURT
33 British Woods Drive
540-992-6768
ROANOKE
1960 Electric Road
540-772-7171
year to conduct a study of the feasibility
of passenger train service to Bedford.
Wendel was the firm that conducted
a similar study on the proposed
Roanoke service.The study, which was
completed in March, was paid for by
the Town of Bedford, Bedford County,
Franklin County, Bedford, Lynchburg
and Smith Mountain Lake Chambers
of Commerce, and the Region 200
Business Alliance.
Much to the delight of all concerned,
Wendel’s analysis confirmed what
most residents and business people had
suspected: a Bedford station will likely
generate an additional 26,000 (net)
boardings and alightings each year.
“The net economic benefits would be
immediate,” Kolakowski said.
The study, which is currently being
reviewed by the State, includes a
conceptual design for the station,
which will likely be located behind
the Bedford County Courthouse. It
will feature convenient, same-level
parking and boarding, in an area the
town already owns and has committed
for such a train station. The price tag
for the project is expected to be $1.5
million, but could be as high as $2
million, depending on how much work
must be done.The bulk of this expense
would be shouldered by the State of
Virginia. If approved, theWendel study
anticipates a 2019 starting date for
service to Bedford, with a construction
period from March 2018 to October
2018.
Currently, local folks who opt to take
the train on trips instead of driving can
take a shuttle bus from the Visitor’s
Center in Bedford to Kemper Street
Station in Lynchburg for a fee of $4.This
service will be available to Roanoke
as well once the service expansion is
complete in 2017. However, the bus-
to-rail shuttle service does not operate
on Labor Day,Thanksgiving, Christmas
Day, New Years, memorial Day or
Independence Day. Passengers also
need the correct change when using
this service.
If Bedford is approved as a stop on the
rail service, the site for the proposed
station at the intersection of Court
and Plunkett Streets must be approved
by Norfolk Southern. Phase I would
consist of building a 450 feet long, a 14
feet wide platform with shelters and
benches, a ticket vending machine and
a passenger drop-off area, a bus bay, and
a parking area of 50 spaces.
If the project is successful, Phase II
would be put into effect, which would
include a station with a passenger
waiting area and restrooms, a second
bus bay, and additional parking.
Data employed by the Wendel report
included population and employment
demographics, existing rail and bus
usage, socio-economic data, highway
network commuting zones, and rail
stations and proposed service. During
its first year, a Bedford station is
anticipated to increase passengers by
24% without increasing the cost of
operating the route. No significant
environmental impact is anticipated.
The Bedford station is expected to
provide more Amtrak patronage in
its first year than nine other current
Amtrak stations in the Commonwealth.
Most Franklin and SML residents would
be 30 to 40 minutes from the Bedford
Station.
According to information found
Online, the Amtrak service in
Lynchburg includes the Crescent
which runs daily between Pennsylvania
Station in New York City and New
Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in
New Orleans, with a stop at Kemper
Station in Lynchburg. The Crescent
passes through more states than any
other Amtrak route. It carried more
than 300,000 passengers in 2011.
In October 2009, Amtrak’s Northeast
Regional, a higher-speed rail service to
Boston, was extended fromWashington
DC to Lynchburg. Prior to the
extension, the train’s southernmost
stop was Washington, DC. It is the
Northeast Regional that will service
Roanoke in the extension plan, and
hopefully Bedford as well.
Once the extension to Roanoke is
complete, local residents who are
willing to use alternate modes of
transportation (such as buses) between
trains will be able to tap into Amtrak’s
network of some 500 destinations
nationwide. Officials are hopeful that
the train service will not only open the
Roanoke area to additional commerce
and economic growth, but will relieve
congestion on I-81, Route 29, I-95 and
Route 460.
You can support the Bedford station
by signing a petition which is available
at the Visitor’s Center at Bridgewater
Marina or Online go to the SML
Regional Chamber of Commerce
website,
.
com
