Nearly a year ago these baby’s made big news!
And back on Sept 12th 2017 Vermont visionary David Blittersdorf had bad news and good news.
The bad news, he says, is that the nation and world will run out of oil and face catastrophic collapse at local, national and global levels. The good news is that a combination of conservation and renewable energy sources can avert a crisis, but it will require a concerted effort — and commitment — to do so.
Blittersdorf’s latest pitch on the renewal energy front is to bring back passenger rail service in central Vermont with 1950s-era self-propelled diesel rail cars. It’s his latest salvo that has included pioneering progress in wind and solar energy programs in the state. For Blittersdorf, the writing is on the wall, but he hopes to help rewrite the dismal history of the future.
More than once, he described his plan as “Back to the Future” that will transform the way Vermonters travel while helping to cut the state’s dependence on fossil fuels and combat climate change in an effort to become 90 percent net-zero carbon free by 2050.
But on March 12th of this year Mr. Blittersdorf had this to say…
Commuter rail service isn’t returning to the Granite City anytime soon and a man who has bet big on a railroad renaissance in Vermont said Monday his 12 stainless steel trains are at least a year away from leaving any station.
David Blittersdorf, of AllEarth Rail, had hoped the first of the two-directional, self-contained Budd Co. cars he purchased from Dallas Area Rapid Transit for $5 million two years ago would be carrying passengers this year. However, he told members of the Barre Area Development Corp.’s Board of Directors that was an overly optimistic projection.
Blittersdorf’s revised estimate can be summed up in three words: maybe next year, though he conceded that is far from certain and bringing the service to Barre is more of a dream than a priority.
As Kermit the Frog would say “It’s not easy being green”
Last time I checked here they set in back of the old Bombardier rail car factory.
But maybe the solution isn’t ‘Budd’ but ‘Budd light’.
The city of Montpelier has applied for a $250,000 grant to study launching a light rail service in central Vermont….
the grant application followed a declaration by Montpelier in 2014 of its goal to become carbon neutral by 2030. In 2016, the Montpelier Energy Action Committee partnered with NetZero Vermont on a design contest to advance the vision of a low-carbon future for the city and the region.
All in the name of of “saving the planet”.
Commuter rail cannot operate without massive subsidies of taxpayer money. Even in big cities with large populations.
Back to the 1950’s ? Let’s try for 1900.
Forward into the past!
