tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29127973.post9148406649422401249..comments2023-10-27T03:16:03.213-04:00Comments on Burgh Diaspora: Rust Belt DisconnectJim Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078184665418828961noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29127973.post-61552973947272726552012-03-20T09:41:37.237-04:002012-03-20T09:41:37.237-04:00The failure of midwest hubs (is Cleveland's Co...The failure of midwest hubs (is Cleveland's Continental hub a closure waiting to happen?) shows the need for better rail service. If we had passenger rail between Cleveland and Pittsburgh airports, for example, the not-quite-full direct flights that each now has might be a lot easier to retain.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29127973.post-15711326788694714832012-03-15T14:46:30.184-04:002012-03-15T14:46:30.184-04:00It's funny how the article argues that the dis...It's funny how the article argues that the dismantling of hubs in Rust Belt Cities are hurting them, but doesn't mention that even smaller Sunbelt or Sunbelt-like cities like Nashville, Raleigh-Durham, and Columbus lost their hubs and seem to be doing fine. I agree - it's a red herring. <br /><br />Of course these are highly educated state-capital/university towns that have grown up and moved up the value chain from being just another Baton Rouge, Columbia (SC), Lincoln (NE), or Tallahassee, but the point is that losing their hub didn't kill them.<br /><br />Austin never even had a hub to speak of.<br /><br />Jim has mentioned connectivity being more important for mid-sized cities like Pittsburgh, rather than having to have a hub (e.g., PIT-Dulles flights that build on Pittsburgh's deep connection to NoVA and can tap into overseas flights). To that extent, what metros in the 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 or so range can do is maintain and develop strong air links to large, global business centers like NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago, SF, LA, DFW, Houston, Atlanta, Seattle etc. In that regard I think Pittsburgh is doing just fine.<br /><br />Also, I'd say we're at a point economically where, the Chiquita Cincinnati-to-Charlotte story notwithstanding, local business development will drive the attraction of more flights as much as the other way around. A good example is how the Greenville and Charleston, South Carolina areas successfully recruited Southwest Airlines because both metros had done the hard work of developing robust local economic bases. That means cities like Pittsburgh should continue to work on building their economic base, and the airlines will follow. <br /><br />Just as Jim argues that companies wanting to hire talent may locate closer to "talent generators" like Pittsburgh rather than move them to "talent magnets" like Silicon Valley or Austin, airlines are currently going after business travelers wherever they are, rather at least as much as businesses are relocating to cities where there are already lots of flights. Why do you think Southwest Airlines has pretty much moved beyond serving secondary airports in congested markets to now competing directly in congested airports with lots of business travelers? They are busy going after traffic in Boston and New York as much as they used to go after Providence and Long Island.Mihirnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29127973.post-79410046760537188212012-03-15T13:41:38.649-04:002012-03-15T13:41:38.649-04:00I agree the airport authority's construction b...I agree the airport authority's construction bond payments are a real issue (although one which gambling money, refinancing at lower rates, and simply time are helping with).<br /><br />Otherwise, aside from a few anecdotes as in this article, I see little reason to believe the airport is not accommodating the flight demand that actually exists. Which means that although the airport is not a prime driver of economic growth, as it was once hoped it would be, it is not a constraint on economic growth either, as is amply demonstrated by the relevant statistics.BrianTHnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29127973.post-69251375212397888362012-03-15T13:04:48.606-04:002012-03-15T13:04:48.606-04:00Anonymous 12:56PM, I greatly appreciate your comme...Anonymous 12:56PM, I greatly appreciate your comments. Thanks for bringing up some of the problems Pittsburgh does face concerning the airport.Jim Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13078184665418828961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29127973.post-80354797694135991072012-03-15T12:56:13.843-04:002012-03-15T12:56:13.843-04:00I don't want to be overly cynical but the medi...I don't want to be overly cynical but the media as a whole just doesn't pick up on the meaning of things. This is why they just stick to just helping find and present information and leave out the "here's what it means" portion.<br /><br />In this case, the hub and spoke system died when the Y-fares died. And that was more or less at the time of the bursting of the tech bubble. A decade later, despite everything that's gone on the media as a whole still dwells on hub and spoke.<br /><br />Pittsburgh does have some challenges because of the death of it's hub. But those are two things that are not huge deals to the region as a whole :<br />1) They're not going to be able to attract jobs that are heavily dependent on having a slew of flights everywhere. The problem with that being much of a problem, so to speak, is that they weren't likely to get them. Those sort of jobs even when PIT was a US Air hub more likely to choose being located next to DFW or Hartsfield or DEN. <br />2) Airport bond payments - If they've borrowed a lot to finance those expansions over the years and still owe money on those bonds, the airport authority could be struggling.<br /><br />Neither of which I see as being a a huge deal for metro Pittsburgh as a whole. Especially when Google, just google "direct flights from PIT", makes it easy to see that PIT still has a butt ton of direct flights. They may not be a hub but they still have 30 direct flights within the US plus Toronto.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com