A ride on D.C.'s Metro shows what Ohio could have
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👋 Tyler here. Our Axios company retreat doesn't start until tomorrow, but I got to Washington, D.C., a few days early strictly for professional reasons.
- By that I mean to watch baseball, eat a dozen panini and generally solve the nation's problems.
🚄 It only took a few hours to prove my axiom about being an Ohio traveler:
Between the rail lines: For several years, I've written about Ohio's lack of passenger rail connecting our biggest cities.
- Numerous Columbus residents and activists have told me variations of: I would love to take the train to a Cleveland Browns/Cincinnati Reds game, have a few drinks, then head back home that night.
Driving the news: My trips to and from Nationals Park this past weekend convinced me those people would follow through if given the option.
The ride into town: Our train gradually filled with fans sporting the Nationals' red, white and navy blue.
- Then came the mass exodus at the Navy Yard-Ballpark station, a mere quarter-mile walk from the stadium.
Afterward, my train car back to the hotel included a few passengers who … enjoyed the park's refreshments as much as the Nationals' 13-6 win over Houston, let's just say.
- They were boisterous, but I didn't mind. It sure beat any of them driving home drunk.
Catch up quick: The national bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law last year includes billions of dollars toward passenger rail expansion.
- Amtrak has proposed a "3C+D" line connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati, along with a new link between Toledo and Detroit.
- A proposed spot for the local station is the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
What's next: This project is in the early planning stages and Gov. Mike DeWine has asked the state rail development commission to analyze its cost and feasibility, we reported last month.