March 24, 2025 • 20 mins
Come and hear my experience at the Amtrak passenger train briefing for the Lehigh Valley and important information about bringing rail service to connect Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton with New York City.
• Presentations from key rail advocates including Brett Webber, David Peter Allen, Joyce Marin, and Jim Matthews and more
• Discussion of planning, funding status, economic benefits, and environmental impacts
• Importance of community engagement in making passenger rail service a reality
• How the train would provide safer travel alternatives and take cars off the roads
• Personal stories highlighting the complex travel challenges faced without rail service
• Environmental benefits including reduced emissions and improved air quality
• Potential economic development around permanent train stations
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Hi, my name is Sherri and welcome to my podcast,
silver Teen Media.
Hi, my name is Sherry andwelcome to my podcast, silver
Team Media.
This episode is about my dayspent with Brett Weber for the
(00:31):
Amtrak passenger train briefingand I am going to say there was
a lot of information that wasbeing shared and I really want
to use my platform to get thatinformation out.
In case you're you're missingit or you just don't, you don't,
you're not aware of it, I wantto bring some awareness to it on
(00:54):
this platform.
So on that day it was aThursday morning, I got there a
little late, but I got there.
I didn't realize the drive wasthat long and scandalous in my
car, so I was like, wow, I'm notgoing to get there by seven,
but I was there to actually sitdown and enjoy all the
(01:17):
information.
We had a lot of great presenters.
We had presenters like DavidPeter Allen.
He's a contributing editor forthe Railway Age.
We had Joyce Merring.
She's been a part of thismovement for quite some time.
We have Meredith Richards.
She was the chair for the RailPassengers Association and I'm
(01:42):
going to just read off some oftheir names because I didn't um,
it was just, it was a lot, butI know they have more
information on the website.
We had Jim Matthews, thepresident and CEO of Rail
Passengers, the.
We had Joseph Barr, thedirector, networker, planner for
the east of for the east Amtrakand we had Brian Licari, the
(02:05):
vice president, consultant forESI, the e-consulting solutions.
We had a lot of people thereand I just really wanted to give
them their due because theytook the time to come out.
They're taking the time to helptry to get this project up and
(02:25):
running.
So they talked about a lot ofstuff.
They talked about theimportance of this rail, this
passenger train, because I mean,there's not a lot of stops, a
lot of stops.
I would say there are no stops.
Just going into the LehighValley, like Allentown,
(02:48):
bethlehem or Easton, it's justall a roundabout way to get into
there.
You have to take this train andthat bus, this taxi cab, walk
down the block.
It's just too much.
So this passenger train will bevery vital for people that's
trying to do business in LehighValley.
(03:11):
So let's talk about some of thethings that they talked about.
They talked about the planningand I'm just going.
I just really want to just getthe topics out there.
Get the topics out there.
You can go check out moreinformation on the all aboard
lehigh valley dot org and getmore information there.
(03:32):
So I just want to just justmention, just really quickly,
some of the topics that werementioned in this briefing.
So what was mentioned?
So let me just give you thatthey talked about planning, the
planning of this whole thing.
They talked about funding.
They talked about when, wayback when, those 20 odd years
(03:53):
ago, they said hey, we need apassenger train to run through
the lehigh valley and they said,well, what's the budget?
They told them the budget saidno, too much money, goodbye.
So they put this passengertrain on the shelf and let it
collect dust and Brett and theother people here, the other
(04:15):
presenters.
They started breathing lifeback into the possibility of
bringing these passenger trainsback into Lehigh Valley.
So they talked about theplanning.
They talked about the funding,some of the funding that they're
getting and I think I'm sorry,remember I think they said they
(04:37):
have half the funding, so theystill have to work on the other
half of the funding.
They talked about the economicpart of it, how it's going to
impact people, the community, onan economic basis.
They talked about theenvironmental part of it.
What is the impact forenvironmental?
(04:57):
I thought that was a greatgreat one.
They talked about taking carsoff the street.
So instead of five carstraveling one way to go to the
same place, they'll have apassenger train that can take
you there and less emissions,and you won't have all this,
(05:17):
this pollution in the air.
So now we're gonna have freshair, we're gonna have take that
nice, nice deep breath and weget some nice, fresh air, not
full of emissions.
So they talked about theytalked about using it.
People like to use these trainsto go to plays, because this
(05:38):
passenger train is going to beleaving from Allentown,
bethlehem and Easton and it'sgoing to be going into New York.
And what do we like to do inNew York?
There's so much to do in NewYork so you can go to a play,
you can do some shopping, youcan meet up with friends.
Business is to be had.
(05:58):
So this passenger train willprovide a lot of well-needed
service to people that want todo business or they want to go
and see a play people that wantto do business or they want to
go and see a play.
(06:18):
So I really think it's greatthat we are trying to get this
information out because thenumber one thing about this
whole thing is communityengagement.
I had the opportunity tointerview Joyce Marin about the
passenger train and she did talkabout the importance of
community engagement andinitiatives.
(06:41):
So I'm going to run that clipright here on that train and be
stress free and let somebodyelse worry about all the
decisions of stopping going, andyou can read a book or you can
take a nap.
I mean right, what do you thinkabout this passenger chain
train?
Is it going to happen soon now?
Since it's been so long, are wegetting a little fatigued from
(07:03):
talking about it?
Speaker 2 (07:04):
no, we're not tired at all.
We need more of the citizens toget involved, because there's
not been a region in the countrythat restored passenger rail
without a vibrant citizen group.
So that's what this meeting isabout is to update people, get
the word out, pull them togetherso that we can stay connected
and we're going to have continueto have meetings.
I think there's a summit thatbrett is planning for the fall.
(07:27):
Yeah, and just we.
As I mentioned, one of theworkshop too right one of the
committee members said we needto start collecting train
stories.
Why?
You know like I had theexperience of playing with
trains as a small child?
Because my best friend was aboy, or I loved it, or I lived
in Spain in 2010 and I rode theAcela, the high speed train.
(07:49):
That must have been fun.
It was fun, and you get veryaddicted to very short travel
times fast travel times.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Oh, I you know what, when I was my.
what I do full time is I am a, aengineering designer, so um,
when I would be yeah, so when Iwas traveling from New York to
because sometimes I have to goto the New York office and they
will have that cellar or theywill have the just Amtrak.
(08:19):
But it was more money to get onthat cellar, so I always got on
Amtrak.
But I would see, like, thedifference in the time that it
would get.
I'm looking like, wow, that'slike a 30 minute.
So I never taken it, so I maybeI will, because we got a new
office.
Just have the experience.
Okay, just once, yeah, justonce.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Just once.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Okay, good.
So you were in Spain and joineda seller.
I didn't even know they have aseller in Spain, so you just had
a good time.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
In 2010,.
They had it and it gets youthere fast.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay, hmm, okay, good .
So the community got to getinvolved, so we got to get more
in community engagement, right?
So that's one thing you'relooking for.
So is this what we're doingtoday trying to get more
community engagement?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Yes, and then people just need to continue to educate
themselves about what it takesto have vibrant communities,
communities.
The investment in passengerrail will benefit the cities
because it will bring peopledowntown and people will not
have to own a car, depending onwhere they work and where they
live.
They can get there by train.
(09:23):
And so they're freed from allthose costs and headaches and
the insurance et cetera.
And then the point I made wasthat train travel is infinitely
safer than getting in the car.
And particularly in the trip toNew York.
Many people in this region willgo to see a play or some other
cultural event in New York andwhen you come back you're tired.
(09:46):
It's not safe to be that tired.
What if you could fall asleepand just?
It will benefit the region somany ways, and of course that's
from my experience working incommercial real estate lending.
I saw as soon as thattransportation, the investment
in public transportation,especially trains, because you
(10:07):
can put a bus in but you canalways move the stop.
But if you put a train stop in,the investment is so great that
the real estate investors knowthat it's not going to be moved
away, and so they really.
It's a thing that would do alot toward economic development
for the region, especially forthe cities.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I mean, how would that with the train we get this
passenger train?
Would that impact theenvironment?
Would that be a?
Because I know you and I aretalking about how we both love
ourselves yeah, yeah so.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
So one of the advantages of the train is is
especially if it's electrified.
Okay, and many are.
In the west, it's very commonthat the trains are electric,
then there are no emissions, soyou get a lot of cars off the
road and then you are notcreating any emissions.
Now that's going to improve theair quality, the air quality in
(10:59):
this region.
Because it's a valley andbecause we do have so much car
and truck traffic, the airquality is not great.
So that would be a significantthing we could do to cut down on
greenhouse gases.
But just, I have a friend whohas asthma and when they have
those ozone red days she livesin allentown she says I can't
breathe.
But she comes to where I liveout in the country then she's
(11:22):
like I got a lot of trees, yes,a lot of oxygen, and it's
cleaning.
you know there's less traffic,so people are literally feeling
it, and especially urbanchildren in the urban school
districts.
They have much higher rates ofasthma in the school district
and so it's little vulnerablechildren that are feeling the
(11:44):
worst aspect of our poor airquality in this region.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
And I think, like you said, it will be
environmentally better for us.
Also will it be better for thecommunity as far as because when
I was talking to interview andBrett we talked about will it be
expensive.
I mean, how would somebody wantto get on this train?
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Because the cost is determined by the entity who
becomes the sponsoring entity.
So they obviously want it to beexpensive enough to pay for the
operating costs, but then itcan't be too expensive that
nobody wants it.
So we don't know right now whatit's going to cost, but they
(12:26):
will make that rate related tothe market for how many people
are going to ride it.
Okay?
Speaker 1 (12:34):
So what did you think about that?
Joyce has been a part of thismovement for a very, very long
time and she has a lot ofexperience and she really talked
about how this is important.
She even talked about somethingyou don't really think about.
So people are driving andthey're tired, and they had a
(12:56):
long day, and how dangerous thatis to be driving and being
tired.
So why not have a passengertrain taking you from the Lehigh
Valley to New York or New Yorkback to the Lehigh Valley?
I mean mean that sounds byitself is a lifesaver.
I want to move on to.
(13:18):
We had another presenter, davidPeter Allen.
He talked about why he couldnot make it to this briefing,
because he said that he wouldhave to go through five buses
(13:39):
three and I'm just exaggeratingand embellishing, but it is all
very, very, very real.
He had to do a lot just to getto the lehigh valley just for
this briefing.
So he had to call in on zoomand he talked about it.
I I'm not like, I'm not gonnaeven tell you what david had to
(14:01):
go through.
I'm gonna let you hear what hewould have to go through or
would have had to go through ifhe would have taken the train in
to join this briefing in person, so take a listen to this clip.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
I think it would be great.
I can tell you what I have togo through personally, as a
non-lobos living in New Jersey,to visit your area.
I have to be on aMorrison-Essex line train at
6.13 am from South Orange whereI live.
That gets me to Hackettstown ifit's on time, about 7.25, or,
(14:49):
excuse me, about 735 or 740.
From there I have a two-milewalk.
I'm in pretty good shape so Ican do it in 40 minutes To a
mobile store on Mountain Avenuewhere I can get a van sponsored
by Warren County.
This is community transportationto the town of Washington where
(15:10):
I can transfer to another bankthey sponsor.
That goes from Washington toPhillipsburg.
It drops me in downtownPhillipsburg five minutes and
ten and then comes the easy partI can walk over the bridge and
I am on North Hampton Street inEaston.
I must leave North HamptonStreet by about three o'clock,
(15:35):
whatever else I do in your area,so I can get the last shuttle
from Phillipsburg that willeventually get you to
Hackettstown where I will have atwo-hour wait for a train to
take me home.
That's how I get to your area.
I could not have gotten to thisconference to present live
(15:59):
without staying in a hotel thenight before.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Now you're certainly not going to get motorists to
make a trip like that as adiscretionary trip.
So what do you think?
I know I have been insituations where I missed the
connecting train because one itwasn't a direct.
(16:27):
There's not a direct.
Ok, let me back that up.
I have missed the connectingtrain because the train that I
was on trying to get to theconnecting train was late.
So now I was missing the trainonly by one or two minutes and I
had to sit and wait about anhour for the next train.
(16:51):
Now, if that train is late, Iain't happy.
Let me tell you right, I'mgonna tell you right now.
But I did prepare by bringingeither work I would go over some
work drawings that I had to goover or I would listen to a good
book, because I mean, I loveAudible Audible, make the time
(17:12):
go by fast so that that that waswhen I also I would read.
There was always some readingto to be had, because there's so
many authors out there, just somany good books to listen to,
or there's so many good books tolisten to or read.
So I was always prepared foranything to happen because I had
(17:36):
things that would consume mytime for hours on end, so I
would not be noticing.
So I would not notice that I ampissed off about I'm having to
sit here for an hour, ok.
So, david, kudos to you forreally bringing that to our
attention, because it issomething that we need to know.
(17:57):
This is something that thatwill bring attention to to the
community and and to whoever thepowers to be that will say, hey
, we need to get this, thefunding, so we can get this
train out there for these people.
They want to go places, theywant to travel, they want to
(18:19):
have a scenic route from ABE toNew York, from New York to ABE.
They want to do business, theywant to shop, they want to see
their families.
So I really, really like whatthey're doing be, they want to
do business, they want to shop,they want to see their families.
So I really, really like whatthey're doing.
So I will use my platform toget this information out.
I hope to bring brett back onso we can talk about what is
(18:41):
next for that passenger train.
So, all aboard, everybody, thetrain is coming.
So until my next episode, youknow what I always say, because
this podcast is about livingyour new norm after surviving
breast cancer, and my new normis everything.
(19:04):
It is gardening, it is gettingthe word out about this
passenger train, but mostimportantly it's about breast
cancer awareness and you can beon that train after going
through all of your breastcancer and radiation and being
on that train stress-free,enjoying the view and taking in
life.
You know what I always sayearly detection is the best
(19:30):
protection.
So please, get your annualmammograms done.
If you haven't gotten it done,what are you waiting for?
Go out there and get it done,make that appointment.
If you had it done, put it onyour calendar to schedule it for
next year.
So until then, enjoy a nice cupof tea.
Hi, my name is Sherri and welcome to my podcast,
silver Teen Media.
Hi, my name is Sherry andwelcome to my podcast, silver
Team Media.
This episode is about my dayspent with Brett Weber for the
(00:31):
Amtrak passenger train briefingand I am going to say there was
a lot of information that wasbeing shared and I really want
to use my platform to get thatinformation out.
In case you're you're missingit or you just don't, you don't,
you're not aware of it, I wantto bring some awareness to it on
(00:54):
this platform.
So on that day it was aThursday morning, I got there a
little late, but I got there.
I didn't realize the drive wasthat long and scandalous in my
car, so I was like, wow, I'm notgoing to get there by seven,
but I was there to actually sitdown and enjoy all the
(01:17):
information.
We had a lot of great presenters.
We had presenters like DavidPeter Allen.
He's a contributing editor forthe Railway Age.
We had Joyce Merring.
She's been a part of thismovement for quite some time.
We have Meredith Richards.
She was the chair for the RailPassengers Association and I'm
(01:42):
going to just read off some oftheir names because I didn't um,
it was just, it was a lot, butI know they have more
information on the website.
We had Jim Matthews, thepresident and CEO of Rail
Passengers, the.
We had Joseph Barr, thedirector, networker, planner for
the east of for the east Amtrakand we had Brian Licari, the
(02:05):
vice president, consultant forESI, the e-consulting solutions.
We had a lot of people thereand I just really wanted to give
them their due because theytook the time to come out.
They're taking the time to helptry to get this project up and
(02:25):
running.
So they talked about a lot ofstuff.
They talked about theimportance of this rail, this
passenger train, because I mean,there's not a lot of stops, a
lot of stops.
I would say there are no stops.
Just going into the LehighValley, like Allentown,
(02:48):
bethlehem or Easton, it's justall a roundabout way to get into
there.
You have to take this train andthat bus, this taxi cab, walk
down the block.
It's just too much.
So this passenger train will bevery vital for people that's
trying to do business in LehighValley.
(03:11):
So let's talk about some of thethings that they talked about.
They talked about the planningand I'm just going.
I just really want to just getthe topics out there.
Get the topics out there.
You can go check out moreinformation on the all aboard
lehigh valley dot org and getmore information there.
(03:32):
So I just want to just justmention, just really quickly,
some of the topics that werementioned in this briefing.
So what was mentioned?
So let me just give you thatthey talked about planning, the
planning of this whole thing.
They talked about funding.
They talked about when, wayback when, those 20 odd years
(03:53):
ago, they said hey, we need apassenger train to run through
the lehigh valley and they said,well, what's the budget?
They told them the budget saidno, too much money, goodbye.
So they put this passengertrain on the shelf and let it
collect dust and Brett and theother people here, the other
(04:15):
presenters.
They started breathing lifeback into the possibility of
bringing these passenger trainsback into Lehigh Valley.
So they talked about theplanning.
They talked about the funding,some of the funding that they're
getting and I think I'm sorry,remember I think they said they
(04:37):
have half the funding, so theystill have to work on the other
half of the funding.
They talked about the economicpart of it, how it's going to
impact people, the community, onan economic basis.
They talked about theenvironmental part of it.
What is the impact forenvironmental?
(04:57):
I thought that was a greatgreat one.
They talked about taking carsoff the street.
So instead of five carstraveling one way to go to the
same place, they'll have apassenger train that can take
you there and less emissions,and you won't have all this,
(05:17):
this pollution in the air.
So now we're gonna have freshair, we're gonna have take that
nice, nice deep breath and weget some nice, fresh air, not
full of emissions.
So they talked about theytalked about using it.
People like to use these trainsto go to plays, because this
(05:38):
passenger train is going to beleaving from Allentown,
bethlehem and Easton and it'sgoing to be going into New York.
And what do we like to do inNew York?
There's so much to do in NewYork so you can go to a play,
you can do some shopping, youcan meet up with friends.
Business is to be had.
(05:58):
So this passenger train willprovide a lot of well-needed
service to people that want todo business or they want to go
and see a play people that wantto do business or they want to
go and see a play.
(06:18):
So I really think it's greatthat we are trying to get this
information out because thenumber one thing about this
whole thing is communityengagement.
I had the opportunity tointerview Joyce Marin about the
passenger train and she did talkabout the importance of
community engagement andinitiatives.
(06:41):
So I'm going to run that clipright here on that train and be
stress free and let somebodyelse worry about all the
decisions of stopping going, andyou can read a book or you can
take a nap.
I mean right, what do you thinkabout this passenger chain
train?
Is it going to happen soon now?
Since it's been so long, are wegetting a little fatigued from
(07:03):
talking about it?
Speaker 2 (07:04):
no, we're not tired at all.
We need more of the citizens toget involved, because there's
not been a region in the countrythat restored passenger rail
without a vibrant citizen group.
So that's what this meeting isabout is to update people, get
the word out, pull them togetherso that we can stay connected
and we're going to have continueto have meetings.
I think there's a summit thatbrett is planning for the fall.
(07:27):
Yeah, and just we.
As I mentioned, one of theworkshop too right one of the
committee members said we needto start collecting train
stories.
Why?
You know like I had theexperience of playing with
trains as a small child?
Because my best friend was aboy, or I loved it, or I lived
in Spain in 2010 and I rode theAcela, the high speed train.
(07:49):
That must have been fun.
It was fun, and you get veryaddicted to very short travel
times fast travel times.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Oh, I you know what, when I was my.
what I do full time is I am a, aengineering designer, so um,
when I would be yeah, so when Iwas traveling from New York to
because sometimes I have to goto the New York office and they
will have that cellar or theywill have the just Amtrak.
(08:19):
But it was more money to get onthat cellar, so I always got on
Amtrak.
But I would see, like, thedifference in the time that it
would get.
I'm looking like, wow, that'slike a 30 minute.
So I never taken it, so I maybeI will, because we got a new
office.
Just have the experience.
Okay, just once, yeah, justonce.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Just once.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Okay, good.
So you were in Spain and joineda seller.
I didn't even know they have aseller in Spain, so you just had
a good time.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
In 2010,.
They had it and it gets youthere fast.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay, hmm, okay, good .
So the community got to getinvolved, so we got to get more
in community engagement, right?
So that's one thing you'relooking for.
So is this what we're doingtoday trying to get more
community engagement?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Yes, and then people just need to continue to educate
themselves about what it takesto have vibrant communities,
communities.
The investment in passengerrail will benefit the cities
because it will bring peopledowntown and people will not
have to own a car, depending onwhere they work and where they
live.
They can get there by train.
(09:23):
And so they're freed from allthose costs and headaches and
the insurance et cetera.
And then the point I made wasthat train travel is infinitely
safer than getting in the car.
And particularly in the trip toNew York.
Many people in this region willgo to see a play or some other
cultural event in New York andwhen you come back you're tired.
(09:46):
It's not safe to be that tired.
What if you could fall asleepand just?
It will benefit the region somany ways, and of course that's
from my experience working incommercial real estate lending.
I saw as soon as thattransportation, the investment
in public transportation,especially trains, because you
(10:07):
can put a bus in but you canalways move the stop.
But if you put a train stop in,the investment is so great that
the real estate investors knowthat it's not going to be moved
away, and so they really.
It's a thing that would do alot toward economic development
for the region, especially forthe cities.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
I mean, how would that with the train we get this
passenger train?
Would that impact theenvironment?
Would that be a?
Because I know you and I aretalking about how we both love
ourselves yeah, yeah so.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
So one of the advantages of the train is is
especially if it's electrified.
Okay, and many are.
In the west, it's very commonthat the trains are electric,
then there are no emissions, soyou get a lot of cars off the
road and then you are notcreating any emissions.
Now that's going to improve theair quality, the air quality in
(10:59):
this region.
Because it's a valley andbecause we do have so much car
and truck traffic, the airquality is not great.
So that would be a significantthing we could do to cut down on
greenhouse gases.
But just, I have a friend whohas asthma and when they have
those ozone red days she livesin allentown she says I can't
breathe.
But she comes to where I liveout in the country then she's
(11:22):
like I got a lot of trees, yes,a lot of oxygen, and it's
cleaning.
you know there's less traffic,so people are literally feeling
it, and especially urbanchildren in the urban school
districts.
They have much higher rates ofasthma in the school district
and so it's little vulnerablechildren that are feeling the
(11:44):
worst aspect of our poor airquality in this region.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
And I think, like you said, it will be
environmentally better for us.
Also will it be better for thecommunity as far as because when
I was talking to interview andBrett we talked about will it be
expensive.
I mean, how would somebody wantto get on this train?
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Because the cost is determined by the entity who
becomes the sponsoring entity.
So they obviously want it to beexpensive enough to pay for the
operating costs, but then itcan't be too expensive that
nobody wants it.
So we don't know right now whatit's going to cost, but they
(12:26):
will make that rate related tothe market for how many people
are going to ride it.
Okay?
Speaker 1 (12:34):
So what did you think about that?
Joyce has been a part of thismovement for a very, very long
time and she has a lot ofexperience and she really talked
about how this is important.
She even talked about somethingyou don't really think about.
So people are driving andthey're tired, and they had a
(12:56):
long day, and how dangerous thatis to be driving and being
tired.
So why not have a passengertrain taking you from the Lehigh
Valley to New York or New Yorkback to the Lehigh Valley?
I mean mean that sounds byitself is a lifesaver.
I want to move on to.
(13:18):
We had another presenter, davidPeter Allen.
He talked about why he couldnot make it to this briefing,
because he said that he wouldhave to go through five buses
(13:39):
three and I'm just exaggeratingand embellishing, but it is all
very, very, very real.
He had to do a lot just to getto the lehigh valley just for
this briefing.
So he had to call in on zoomand he talked about it.
I I'm not like, I'm not gonnaeven tell you what david had to
(14:01):
go through.
I'm gonna let you hear what hewould have to go through or
would have had to go through ifhe would have taken the train in
to join this briefing in person, so take a listen to this clip.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
I think it would be great.
I can tell you what I have togo through personally, as a
non-lobos living in New Jersey,to visit your area.
I have to be on aMorrison-Essex line train at
6.13 am from South Orange whereI live.
That gets me to Hackettstown ifit's on time, about 7.25, or,
(14:49):
excuse me, about 735 or 740.
From there I have a two-milewalk.
I'm in pretty good shape so Ican do it in 40 minutes To a
mobile store on Mountain Avenuewhere I can get a van sponsored
by Warren County.
This is community transportationto the town of Washington where
(15:10):
I can transfer to another bankthey sponsor.
That goes from Washington toPhillipsburg.
It drops me in downtownPhillipsburg five minutes and
ten and then comes the easy partI can walk over the bridge and
I am on North Hampton Street inEaston.
I must leave North HamptonStreet by about three o'clock,
(15:35):
whatever else I do in your area,so I can get the last shuttle
from Phillipsburg that willeventually get you to
Hackettstown where I will have atwo-hour wait for a train to
take me home.
That's how I get to your area.
I could not have gotten to thisconference to present live
(15:59):
without staying in a hotel thenight before.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Now you're certainly not going to get motorists to
make a trip like that as adiscretionary trip.
So what do you think?
I know I have been insituations where I missed the
connecting train because one itwasn't a direct.
(16:27):
There's not a direct.
Ok, let me back that up.
I have missed the connectingtrain because the train that I
was on trying to get to theconnecting train was late.
So now I was missing the trainonly by one or two minutes and I
had to sit and wait about anhour for the next train.
(16:51):
Now, if that train is late, Iain't happy.
Let me tell you right, I'mgonna tell you right now.
But I did prepare by bringingeither work I would go over some
work drawings that I had to goover or I would listen to a good
book, because I mean, I loveAudible Audible, make the time
(17:12):
go by fast so that that that waswhen I also I would read.
There was always some readingto to be had, because there's so
many authors out there, just somany good books to listen to,
or there's so many good books tolisten to or read.
So I was always prepared foranything to happen because I had
(17:36):
things that would consume mytime for hours on end, so I
would not be noticing.
So I would not notice that I ampissed off about I'm having to
sit here for an hour, ok.
So, david, kudos to you forreally bringing that to our
attention, because it issomething that we need to know.
(17:57):
This is something that thatwill bring attention to to the
community and and to whoever thepowers to be that will say, hey
, we need to get this, thefunding, so we can get this
train out there for these people.
They want to go places, theywant to travel, they want to
(18:19):
have a scenic route from ABE toNew York, from New York to ABE.
They want to do business, theywant to shop, they want to see
their families.
So I really, really like whatthey're doing be, they want to
do business, they want to shop,they want to see their families.
So I really, really like whatthey're doing.
So I will use my platform toget this information out.
I hope to bring brett back onso we can talk about what is
(18:41):
next for that passenger train.
So, all aboard, everybody, thetrain is coming.
So until my next episode, youknow what I always say, because
this podcast is about livingyour new norm after surviving
breast cancer, and my new normis everything.
(19:04):
It is gardening, it is gettingthe word out about this
passenger train, but mostimportantly it's about breast
cancer awareness and you can beon that train after going
through all of your breastcancer and radiation and being
on that train stress-free,enjoying the view and taking in
life.
You know what I always sayearly detection is the best
(19:30):
protection.
So please, get your annualmammograms done.
If you haven't gotten it done,what are you waiting for?
Go out there and get it done,make that appointment.
If you had it done, put it onyour calendar to schedule it for
next year.
So until then, enjoy a nice cupof tea.
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