Portland to Eugene - in time and money

ODOT is working on a "high speed" heavy rail transportation plan for a route from Portland to Eugene.  The expense would be huge.  Amtrak doesn't make money now, so how much would the state lose for every passenger on a new rail system that might shave only minutes from an auto or bus trip?  Think WES and multiply it.  Would there ever be enough demand to justify the expense of a new, high-speed train to Eugene - at least before the technology became obsolete?  The state has already spent a lot of your hard-earned money on this project (some coming from Federal grants - the Fedslove trains).  Do you think this is a good use of public money?

In order to figure out which mode and provider of transportation is most efficient and economical now, I did a little research.  I did not look into the amount of public subsidies per ticket for Amtrak.

What are the intercity transit options from Portland to Eugene?  

Amtrak train        PDX to Eugene     3 trips daily       2 hr. 35 min.     $26 - $40      US gov.

Amtrak bus          PDX to Eugene     6 trips daily      2 hr. 25 min. -   $26 - $48      US gov.
no wheelchair access                                                  2 hr. 55 min.

Bolt Bus               PDX  to Eugene    3 trips daily     1 hr. 20 min.     $10               Private Co.
handicap assist

Greyhound Bus.   PDX to Eugene     5 trips daily     2 hr. 25 min. -   $16 - $27     Private Co.
no wheelchair access                                                  3 hr. 15 min.

Car Rental            1 day rental           Anytime.         1 hr. 15 min.       $51             Private Co.
$35 per day car rental + $16 gas (did not hunt for deals)


Zipcar                    PDX to Eugene    Anytime.          1 hr. 15 min.      $35             Private Co.
$16 gas, $19 rental = $35 total; with 4 passengers $8.75 ea.

Automobile          PDX to Eugene     Anytime           1 hr. 15 min.     $16              Private
assumes car ownership, gas only @ 23 mpg hwy. one passenger
$4 ea. for 4 passengers


Overall worst on cost:  
Amtrak.  Government cannot outperform private business where competition and personal incentives work to keep costs low - without substantial public subsidies.  While the rental car was the highest cost for a single traveler, with multiple passengers the cost goes down while the opposite is true for Amtrak.

The winner for cost and convenient timing - Bolt Bus, owned by Greyhound.
Pros:   handicap assist; $1 fare for one random rider per trip; fast travel times
Cons:  only 3 x day; drop offs at specific locations only

The winner overall is the personal automobile.
Pros:  fast travel; pick-up and drop-off anywhere; can leave anytime; can stop anywhere during trip; can add more passengers (ride share) for less cost per person; handicap accessible
Cons:  must own a vehicle (or be able to borrow one)

Rankings (cost, time of trip, frequency)
1.  Private automobile
2.  Bolt Bus
3.  Greyhound (shorter trips only)
4.  Amtrak
5.  Zipcar
6.  Car Rental

Each option has pros and cons.  

• Private car ownership is expensive, but if one owns a car already this is a viable option.
• Bolt Bus is only in limited markets and serves a limited number of cities
• Greyhound has limited handicap access
• Zip car and car rental move up to top 3 if more passengers are added to the trip.  Pick-up and drop-off points are better than bus or train but still limited to core of cities; best choice if a car is desired and one does not own a vehicle.  $6/month membership fee
• Public transit goes only to designated bus stops which may be miles from final destination which would add significant time to trips.  
• If timing of trip is important, mass transit makes limited trips per day.
• Handicap accessibility is limited to certain modes cutting choices down to a few