I like it except for the terminal closest to the river. A highway isn't a good use for waterfront property, and rail is only marginally better, if at all. Is there an alternative layout that would allow for better uses of the riverfront? Could we get by with three? I want to see future Cleveland leverage as much of its waterfront for leisure and entertainment as possible, and to keep it as walkable as possible.

 

 

I agree. I like Amtrak at Tower City for its central location and connections to the rapid. But the tracks and platform should use more of the space to the north like the original union terminal. The station itself could still "use" the river front--the station could have a nice outdoor food deck or something that anyone (passenger or not) could use and enjoy the river.  Good place to hang between trains/connections. Lakefront Station would become Riverfront Station. Just kidding regarding the name. But a park/restaurant area would be a better use of the river front than a platform and a track. And future commuter rail to Akron/Columbus could use the station as well as the cuyahoga valley line. 

Edited April 16, 20214 yr by Pugu

 

On 4/16/2021 at 12:35 PM, Pugu said:

The tracks and platform should use more of the space to the north like the original union terminal.

 

Except that the original place where the tracks and platforms were is now a parking deck. You'll never get back in there.

 

BTW, the tracks closest to the river are meant to be for the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad. Amtrak would use the tracks nearest Huron Road.  The latter area is the old coach yard where equipment laid over between runs and was serviced.

Edited April 19, 20214 yr by neony

And how about the possible extension of the waterfront line as a downtown loop. I assume it could be accommodated under this scenario.

24 minutes ago, skiwest said:

And how about the possible extension of the waterfront line as a downtown loop. I assume it could be accommodated under this scenario.

These tracks don’t interfere with each other. The rapid tracks track are all north and northeast of the passenger rail RoW. So whether the RTA Huron subway stub is used, or going up the hill near the current Tri-C Station, no downtown extensions of the Rapid would require crossing the passenger rail RoW. 

Amtrak Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited return to daily service on May 31. 
 

 

 

1 hour ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

These tracks don’t interfere with each other. The rapid tracks track are all north and northeast of the passenger rail RoW. So whether the RTA Huron subway stub is used, or going up the hill near the current Tri-C Station, no downtown extensions of the Rapid would require crossing the passenger rail RoW. 

 

Under which parts of Huron does the subway already exist?

3 minutes ago, Pugu said:

 

Under which parts of Huron does the subway already exist?

@KJP previously told me that the subway stub is really only under Ontario; but this does mean that a Huron subway could be worked on without closing or restricting Ontario at all. (I think. Ken would know better.)

KJP has the subway ramping up to street level and proceeding to the theater district, where it would turn north to the lakefront. He probably has a diagram posted somewhere. This loop is sorely needed in order for RTA to broaden its reach in the downtown area.

Edited April 20, 20214 yr by neony

14 hours ago, neony said:

 

 

Except that the original place where the tracks and platforms were is now a parking deck. You'll never get back in there.

 

BTW, the tracks closest to the river are meant to be for the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad. Amtrak would use the tracks nearest Huron Road.  The latter area is the old coach yard where equipment laid over between runs and was serviced.

 

You could have trains going to and from the east stop under the old station if the movie theatre was removed. The theatre floor hangs down into the space where the trains once ran. You could have stub-end station tracks here if, for example, you had a large number of trains going to and from the east/southeast only. But we're a long way from that.

 

12 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

@KJP previously told me that the subway stub is really only under Ontario; but this does mean that a Huron subway could be worked on without closing or restricting Ontario at all. (I think. Ken would know better.)

 

There's two subway tunnels, one stacked on top of the other. But they are very short -- at most 10-20 feet.  At that location where the stub-end tunnels turn off, the active tracks are already below Ontario. The only thing that the stub-end tunnels do is get you directly below the Huron Avenue right of way, just east of Ontario.  Thus, any future subway construction would not interrupt Ontario Avenue traffic.

14 hours ago, neony said:

Except that the original place where the tracks and platforms were is now a parking deck. You'll never get back in there.

The parking deck could be removed. It wouldn't be cheap but personally I would prefer to see the space used for trains and not cars. 

 

6 hours ago, Henryefry said:

The parking deck could be removed. It wouldn't be cheap but personally I would prefer to see the space used for trains and not cars. 

 

 

Sure. In a perfect world, the terminal would not have been abandoned either, but it was and that created a vacuum which was filled by new development. IMHO we will never get the original railroad terminal back and yes, it would be expensive even if we could do that . We are just lucky that the old coach yard hasn't been filled with additional development. Its presence gives us one last chance to get back to Tower City.  It's a crime that it was lost to begin with.

Edited April 20, 20214 yr by neony

 

With ‘Amtrak Joe’ in the White House, states hope for a passenger rail renaissance

 

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/04/30/with-amtrak-joe-in-the-white-house-states-hope-for-a-passenger-rail-renaissance/

So I get this deal is better than the one extended to states on '09, but that was still a good deal and Ohio Republicans turned it down. Why think they wouldn't do it again?

 

Good news is Amtrak can expand service along existing lines through Cleveland, Toledo, and Cincinnati without input from the state, correct?

7 hours ago, Luke_S said:

So I get this deal is better than the one extended to states on '09, but that was still a good deal and Ohio Republicans turned it down. Why think they wouldn't do it again?

 

Good news is Amtrak can expand service along existing lines through Cleveland, Toledo, and Cincinnati without input from the state, correct?

 

Yes, once Congress makes some legislative changes. 

Surprisingly good article from CNN...

 

America's Amtrak moment could finally be here

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/amtrak-america-moment-50-years/index.html

 

hudson gateway tunnels pass environmental milestone, move on to engineering phase:

 

 

 

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-hudson-river-tunnels-environmental-approval-20210528-dogtgupamfcnxc3h2sqc44pwuu-story.html

23 hours ago, KJP said:

 

 

What bothers me is the big increment of new funding for Amtrak is in year 5 of the plan.  In other agencies (DoD especially) year five is where good but not urgent projects go to die without much debated.  Without a strong sponsor (Amtrak Joe?), by the time year 3 rolls around the number, has been chopped and moved farther out.  By the time it gets to appropriation time, the initial proposal has been whittled down to near nothing.  I'm hoping this doesn't happen, of course; but I'd feel a lot better if things ramped up more in earlier years.

Not a single Ohio city signed this letter (but that could be because the Rail Passengers Association didn't ask them or let All Aboard Ohio know about it).

26 Mayors sign letter supporting improved passenger rail:

 

https://railpassengers.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2fac86b82f8768a62d03332f&id=0870c87f3a&e=62080fd6d8

 

 

Edited June 5, 20214 yr by gildone
to fix link

I usually hear of letters being circulated for want of signatures. I didn't hear anything about this one. 

TRANSFORMATIONAL RAIL TITLE PASSES OUT OF HOUSE COMMITTEE
 

https://www.railpassengers.org/happening-now/news/blog/transformational-rail-title-passes-out-of-house-committee-on-transportation-heads-to-house-floor-and-senate/?fbclid=IwAR0BzuzbzdH3yAGvoklnsR6sz9tZ8cgMxXWblHSy1nWwn10SxNNePBphfJc

 

Good news for passenger rail coming out of House Transportation committee. Now we need the Senate. 
 

***
The INVEST in America Act (HR 3684) passed out of the House Transportation Committee early this morning by a 38-26 vote. The five-year, $547 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill includes a historic $95 billion investment in passenger and freight rail in the U.S. That figure includes $32 billion for Amtrak, which would triple the railroad’s current funding levels, sparking a renaissance for America’s rail passengers.

“In the last 27 years, [the U.S. added] 30,511 new freeway lane miles in the hundred largest urbanized areas. That’s an increase of 42 percent. And by the way, the cost of congestion during that time period has gone from $25 billion to $166 billion,” Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR) said during his opening statement. “We have to look at alternatives. You can’t pave over the whole country.”

For Only $299, Amtrak Will Let You Travel All Around the Country for a Month
 

https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/amtrak-usa-rail-pass-deal-2021

 

Anybody got some vacation time saved up?

...

Amtrak's got the easiest way to [take a long summer vacation]. The railway service's USA Rail Pass, a 30-day rail pass that allows you to take 10 trips anywhere in the country within a month, is currently $200 off.

The month-long rail pass allows you to book a whole bunch of trips under one fixed rate—meaning you buy the one-time pass for $299 and get 10 trips anywhere in the country at no additional cost. That's an average of $30 a trip.

Once you buy the pass, you have 120 days to book your first trip. After that first trip, the 30-day limit kicks in, so you'll have to book the next nine quickly.

Normally, this pass will run you $499—the $299 sale ends June 22.

 

Federal transportation bill would fund public-private partnerships for passenger rail:

 

https://www.hsrail.org/blog/federal-dollars-public-private-hsr-projects-could-be-game-changing

 

 

while cuomo is foot dragging a bit, it looks like gateway is a go for new tunnels!

 

 

 

As Cuomo Waffles, Schumer Says Hudson River Gateway Tunnel Expansion Is A Go

 

BY GEORGE JOSEPH

JUNE 28, 2021 7:56 P.M.

 

 

 

Standing in the Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station today, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged that a massive Amtrak expansion is finally coming to New York and New Jersey. The nearly $12 billion so-called Gateway Project would create a new train tunnel under the Hudson River, doubling capacity for the rail service’s Northeast Corridor line. 

 

With the Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigeig beside him, Schumer praised the Biden administration for approving an environmental impact statement last month, which could allow construction plans to move forward. The senator’s plan, which Amtrak is on board with, would first create a new tunnel under the Hudson, and then repair the existing tunnel which was worn down by Superstorm Sandy. Schumer suggested that construction could begin as early as 2023.

 

 

more:

https://gothamist.com/news/cuomo-waffles-schumer-claims-hudson-river-gateway-tunnel-expansion-go

Sounds like this is finally infrastructure week(Crazy that indictment week and infrastructure week happen at the same time). Biden just finished a speech in Wisconsin doing his infrastructure speech. They must be pretty certain the bipartisan bill is going to go forward.  Its definitely needed after letting things languish overall for 20-30 years. 

Please share this! See attached and below. This is bad news for Ohio if the definition of a short-distance route remains at 750 miles. It should be reduced at least to 500 miles if not to 250 as MIPRC wants. If you want to know why this is bad news, see my Train of Thought column in the latest newsletter. It will seriously harm any chance of extending an Empire Corridor train and a Keystone train into Ohio, along with other expansions.

 

Dear MIPRC Allies,

 

Yesterday, the U.S. House passed the INVEST (Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation) Act (H.R. 3684) on a 221-201 vote. In the Senate, S.2016 has passed out of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and is awaiting action in the full Senate. Ultimately the two bills will have to be reconciled in a House-Senate conference committee report that must be approved by each chamber before President Biden can sign it into law.

 

As Congress debates and votes on the House’s and Senate’s versions of surface transportation reauthorization, and their inevitable melding in a conference committee, MIPRC has created a side-by-side comparison for reference.

 

The chart (attached) shows funding and program authorizations in the INVEST in America Act and the Surface Transportation Reinvestment Act of 2021 (S.2016), and their provisions compared to what MIPRC has asked of Congress in our surface transportation reauthorization positions. Links to the text of both bills are also available in the attached chart.

 

While both bills retain rail/passenger rail as a separate title, they differ on funding for extant grant programs and authorization of new ones, as well as regional passenger rail planning efforts, and how Amtrak and state-supported routes are to be treated.

 

One aspect on which both bills are currently silent – and which MIPRC has taken a strong position – is lowering the threshold established in Section 209 of the 2008 Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) of 750 miles for state-supported service. This is an unreasonably high threshold and MIPRC believes it should be substantially lowered (we are suggesting 250 miles or service entirely within a state, with some qualifications). Another option is for Amtrak to assume responsibility for the operating costs of the first frequency or frequencies of new service, with state support responsibility kicking in with subsequent frequencies. We strongly request that our allies contact their Members of Congress to ask that one of these options be included in the final legislation. A detailed explanation of our rationale behind this ask can be found here.

 

The FAST (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation) Act of 2015 was set to expire at the end of September 2020 but was extended by one year.

 

Thank you!

Laura and Jon

 

P.S.: To follow MIPRC posts, including our federal positions and News from MIPRC States, follow us on Twitter @MW_Rail, or check our website frequently. And, make sure you have marked your calendars for MIPRC’s 2021 Annual Meeting Oct. 13-15 in Detroit. The meeting will start in Chicago on the 13th: we’ll be taking the afternoon train to Detroit. Registration information will be forthcoming later this summer.

 

Laura Kliewer, Director

Jon Davis, Policy Analyst

Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission

The Council of State Governments

Big news!

 

July 07, 2021

From Siemens: Amtrak’s Next-Gen Trainsets

 

Amtrak has awarded Siemens Mobility $3.4 billion in contracts to design, manufacture and provide technical support services and maintenance for 83 trainsets of two power configurations, with options for up to 130 additional trainsets. For Siemens, it is the company’s largest North American contract in history. For Amtrak, its total investment, with a long-term parts supply and service agreement, facility modifications and upgrades, and contingencies, is $7.3 billion. Deliveries are slated to commence in 2024.

 

The new equipment, which includes dual-power (AC catenary/diesel) locomotives and first-of-their-type Venture Hybrid battery trainsets,will operate on the Northeast Corridor, long distance Palmetto and various state-supported routes. It will replace Amtrak-owned Amfleet, Metroliner, and state-owned equipment on certain routes throughout the country. In addition to the Northeast Regional, other routes will include the Adirondack, Carolinian, Cascades, Downeaster, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, New Haven/Springfield Service (Amtrak Hartford Line and Valley Flyer), Pennsylvanian, Vermonter and Virginia Services. 

 

MORE:

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/intercity/from-siemens-amtraks-next-gen-trainsets/

Nilo helpfully captured a bunch of the criticisms of Amtrak’s train selection into a single thread. 
 

TL/DR: Electrification (catenary wires) is better than batteries (because batteries are heavy and the rail is already a fixed route); American procurement costs are ridiculously high by global standards; EMU (self propelled cars) are better than locomotive-hauled trains. 
 

America is WAY WAY WAY behind the rest of the world in passenger rail. The infrastructure bill provides an opportunity to make big strides in catching up; instead, Amtrak is only making the tiniest of baby steps. 

 

 

The last post in the thread is my favorite:

 

 

 

America doesn't have the rail traffic density to justify the huge expenditures of building new power systems, overhead electric wires, supportive catenaries, numerous substations, etc. By some estimates it costs upwards of $5 million per track-mile. It's a situation worsened by the USA's cheap/subsidized oil.

 

Oil is so cheap that MBTA in Boston doesn't own any electric locomotives for use on the Northeast Corridor. Neither does CTrail's Shore Line East service. Norfolk Southern freight trains on the NEC all use diesel. It's not cost-effective for any of them to have electric locos for the few trains they run on the NEC. Amtrak seriously considered shutting down the overhead electric wires on its Keystone Corridor to Harrisburg because the number of trains doesn't justify it. Amtrak chose not to for three reasons -- its power source is its Safe Harbor Dam and hydro plant on the Susquehanna River, many Keystone trains run through Philly to NYC and need electrics to enter Manhattan, and Amtrak got more than $100 million in federal funds to fix up the Keystone Corridor including its electrical power systems. If not for those things, Amtrak would have followed Conrail's lead in deactivating all of the overhead catenaries on its lines in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey.

 

Extending Northeast Corridor electrification to somewhere like Richmond Virginia might make sense if Amtrak and VRE ran more trains. That may change because Amtrak is adding more trains here, although most trains travel beyond Richmond and would need diesels to continue their journeys. Also, VRE would have to be convinced with $$ to acquire some electric locomotives or perhaps some EMUs.

 

When I went to Europe the first time, I was amazed at the frequency of rail services. A city like York, England (population similar to Akron or Dayton) is served by 450 passenger trains per day. Or Lille France (population similar to Toledo) is served by 700 trains a day. Most routes have 2-10 trains per hour per direction. There are few routes in the USA (freight or passenger) that have that kind of frequency. America is so wedded to the car, I don't see how we're going to break free from that addiction.

 

Electrification would dramatically improve acceleration, therefore improving overall speed. This would make rail superior speed wise to cars, thus adding yet another competitive advantage. Furthermore, the climate emergency means that would should be taking steps to drastically decrease oil dependency, even when the economic numbers aren’t alone sufficient justification. People have pointed out that track electrification could be characterized as a jobs program. 
 

High frequency rail makes electrification more valuable. Let’s accomplish both now. 

^^^Crappy analogy. A person on an electric bike is going to likely be faster than a person not on an electric bike. 
Teslas are some of the fastest vehicles on the road.   My philosophy is any electric is better than no electric.

23 minutes ago, audidave said:

^^^Crappy analogy. A person on an electric bike is going to likely be faster than a person not on an electric bike. 
Teslas are some of the fastest vehicles on the road.   My philosophy is any electric is better than no electric.

I can’t figure out which analogy you’re referring to. If your talking about Carl Lewis with a backpack vs without a backpack, the comparison is between electric trains powered via catenary vs being powered with a train car full of batteries that it has to always drag around. Catenary delivered power is better than adding the weight of batteries. 

4 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Electrification would dramatically improve acceleration, therefore improving overall speed. This would make rail superior speed wise to cars, thus adding yet another competitive advantage. Furthermore, the climate emergency means that would should be taking steps to drastically decrease oil dependency, even when the economic numbers aren’t alone sufficient justification. People have pointed out that track electrification could be characterized as a jobs program. 
 

High frequency rail makes electrification more valuable. Let’s accomplish both now. 

 

We live in America where dollars matter more than lives. And a climate emergency is considered an opinion. So you're going to have to show how railway electrification makes economic sense. It doesn't in a country that doesn't have many trains. But we are a country where our land-use patterns are so spread out and auto-dependent that it would take decades to reform those land use patterns -- assuming everyone bought into it right now. A better way to get a more immediate impact on emissions is to electrify cars, not trains. Pains my train-loving heart to say that.

My take is that we need to start electrifying as soon as possible, because of the costs and engineering challenges associated with it. Gareth Dennis talks about how to make trains faster in the latest episode of rail natter and it comes down to making the slow parts faster. Electrifying to Richmond cuts 20 minutes off the stop at DC, increases the average speed over that section, and theoretically would allow every northeast regional to terminate in Richmond. (If CSX stops being stupid and lets Amtrak run more trains across the Potomac) Even with our bad land use, people will use fast frequent trains over driving. 

High-Speed Rail Gets Boost From New Coalition

Business and labor groups want high-speed rail projects included in budget reconciliation

 

By Ted Mann 

July 15, 2021 5:30 am ET 

 

WASHINGTON—As Congress considers making the greatest single investment in passenger rail in U.S. history, a coalition of high-speed rail boosters is readying a response: Go faster, and spend more. 

 

Led by a bipartisan group of three former transportation secretaries, the U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition is trying to mobilize support for a $205 billion infusion of funding for new high-speed rail projects around the country. 

 

The group, with backing from labor unions, construction and passenger rail companies and progressive activists, is launching a campaign Thursday aimed at getting Congress to include the funding in the roughly $3.5 trillion budget-reconciliation bill that Democrats hope to bring to a vote this fall. 

 

“We can either fill the last generation’s potholes, or we can build the next generation’s high speed rail,” said Rep. Seth Moulton (D., Mass.). 

 

MORE

https://www.wsj.com/articles/high-speed-rail-gets-boost-from-new-coalition-11626341402

no news here, just a suggestion. Maybe with increased Amtrak funding this can happen 🥺 It's not like we're talking about millions of $$ to resuscitate a seconds-long stop for a train 🚅

 

 

7 minutes ago, eastvillagedon said:

no news here, just a suggestion. Maybe with increased Amtrak funding this can happen 🥺 It's not like we're talking about millions of $$ to resuscitate a seconds-long stop for a train 🚅

 

 

 

The time a stop takes must take into account acceleration and deceleration.

That's part of why the CCC line never happened, every state rep close to the proposed path would have insisted on a stop in their town.

3 minutes ago, E Rocc said:

 

The time a stop takes must take into account acceleration and deceleration.

That's part of why the CCC line never happened, every state rep close to the proposed path would have insisted on a stop in their town.

I don't know that you would have to have so many stops, just in key cities that historically had train service, and Painesville certainly fits the bill. As the tweet points out there's no stop bet. Cleve and Erie--a distance of about 100 miles. I don't think it's asking too much for a couple more; an Ashtabula stop would make sense too. As for acceleration/deceleration, what are we talking about, another couple minutes, tops?

its does seem strange to have a westside of cle stop, but not an eastside station. its not encouraging for lake countians to double back to a cle amtrak station for a long and lumbering train ride when from lake county you can just drive to any points northeast you want to in 6-7-8hrs tops and have your car.

FYI: each station stop adds about 4-6 minutes to a train's schedule, depending on typical number of boardings/alighting, length of train and type of propulsion (electrically powered trains accelerate more quickly than diesels, for example).

 

And, no, the reason why a governor gave back $400 million in federal money wasn't because he thought too many places would want train service...

I recently rode Amtrak to Chicago and then the Southwest Chief to Arizona.   Train into Cleveland was over an hour late (and in the middle of the night) but easy connection and we left Chicago on time.  noticeably smoother ride to St. Louis than through Ohio. 

 

No dining car service for coach passengers right now, unfortunately.  Just a snack bar.  🙁  That was a long trip for just snack bar food.  But reportedly that will change soon with the lifting of some COVID-based restrictions.  It's also a long ride while wearing a mask.  (Please get vaccinated, people!)

 

But I was able to sleep and was very productive when awake.   Very nice way to travel.  I highly recommend it. 

 

Flew home, and it sucked.  From TSA line to delayed flights to cramped seating and fewer airport businesses open to damage to my luggage -- I spent an entire day traveling home and while faster than Amtrak it was exhausting.

Poll: Most Ohioans support a bipartisan infrastructure package. Will it get done?

 

Around half of the 800 Ohioans polled offered support for the infrastructure bill, with approval rising to 64% after hearing some of the specific proposals in it, such as public transit spending and broadband internet expansion.

 

The poll found broad support for seven different infrastructure bill components, with most Democrats and most Republicans giving each the thumb’s up. So too did most respondents in a dozen primarily Appalachian counties that were targeted for living in coal and natural gas development areas.

 

The Nature Conservancy in Ohio, which commissioned a Republican polling firm to conduct the survey, sees the results as evidence that voters from both political parties support efforts to invest in a variety of Ohio infrastructure priorities.

 

MORE

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/07/28/poll-most-ohioans-support-a-bipartisan-infrastructure-package-will-it-get-done/

AAO statement on US Senate’s bipartisan transportation bill
July 29, 2021

For Immediate Release

CONTACT: Stu Nicholson, Executive Director 614-439-8546

Ken Prendergast, Public Affairs Director, 216-288-4883

 

While All Aboard Ohio appreciates the efforts achieve significantly more investment in passenger rail and public transportation, the proposed infrastructure deal from the Senate falls short of delivering that goal to the nation and especially to Ohio. Unfortunately, the Senate’s compromise is not a game-changing bill nor will it achieve President Joe Biden’s goal of a second railroad revolution in the USA. Here is how the Senate version of the bill falls short and how it can be fixed to benefit Ohioans:

 

• 66 percent of the capital investment funding for passenger rail expansion is going to the Northeast Corridor, leaving only $12 billion to be spread across the rest of the nation over 5 years — or just $2.4 billion per year. That will buy for Americans less than 50 miles of European- or Asian-quality high-speed rail each year. THE FIX: More funding is need for populous areas outside of the Northeast. Ohio is the nation’s seventh-most populous state.

• Even if the funding is used for creating 79 mph train services where there are none now, such as the populous 3C+D Corridor, it appears the Senate compromise would allow only states to apply for federal funds, not Amtrak. That makes All Aboard Ohio’s educational efforts more difficult in a state like ours where modern passenger trains and their quality-of-life benefits are an abstract concept. THE FIX: Amtrak must be eligible to apply for and receive capital AND operating funding for major expansions.

• Furthermore, any bill that continues to require states to sponsor routes 750 miles or less will not encourage Ohio to get on board. THE FIX: Sec. 209 of the Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act of 2008 needs to be amended to reduce the threshold to as little as 250 miles.

• It appears that the Senate compromise neglected to give the Surface Transportation Board and Amtrak stronger legal tools to enforce passenger train on-time standards in Amtrak’s agreements with track-owning freight railroads. THE FIX: For the sake of Ohio’s travelers who must contend with chronically tardy trains, give the STB and Amtrak those legal tools.

• We are saddened to learn that the Senate has ignored inclusion of Rep. Hank Johnson’s Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act. THE FIX: We ask the final bill to include $20 billion for transit operations per year and allow transit agencies in Ohio to expand service by levels ranging 33-98 percent.

• And, so that trains and transit can serve stronger towns, we are also disappointed to learn that the new Reconnecting Communities program — eliminating divisive highways in urban areas — was gutted to a mere $1 billion. THE FIX: Restore the program to its original funding goal of $12 billion.

 

With those corrective measures, Congress can deliver a bill that rebuilds Ohio’s communities, allows greater freedom of choice in how to travel within and between those communities, improves everyone’s access to jobs, education and health care, makes Ohio more competitive in attracting jobs and residents, and improves the quality of life for all Ohioans. We do not need more of the last 70 years — isolated low-income and elderly Ohioans, young people fleeing Ohio for vibrant cities that offer more travel freedom, and a worsening environmental crisis that cannot be stopped let alone reversed if we continue to abet our car-dependency.

 

Our Congress can and should do better!

 

END

 

16 hours ago, KJP said:

AAO statement on US Senate’s bipartisan transportation bill
July 29, 2021

For Immediate Release

CONTACT: Stu Nicholson, Executive Director 614-439-8546

Ken Prendergast, Public Affairs Director, 216-288-4883

 

While All Aboard Ohio appreciates the efforts achieve significantly more investment in passenger rail and public transportation, the proposed infrastructure deal from the Senate falls short of delivering that goal to the nation and especially to Ohio. Unfortunately, the Senate’s compromise is not a game-changing bill nor will it achieve President Joe Biden’s goal of a second railroad revolution in the USA. Here is how the Senate version of the bill falls short and how it can be fixed to benefit Ohioans:

 

• 66 percent of the capital investment funding for passenger rail expansion is going to the Northeast Corridor, leaving only $12 billion to be spread across the rest of the nation over 5 years — or just $2.4 billion per year. That will buy for Americans less than 50 miles of European- or Asian-quality high-speed rail each year. THE FIX: More funding is need for populous areas outside of the Northeast. Ohio is the nation’s seventh-most populous state.

• Even if the funding is used for creating 79 mph train services where there are none now, such as the populous 3C+D Corridor, it appears the Senate compromise would allow only states to apply for federal funds, not Amtrak. That makes All Aboard Ohio’s educational efforts more difficult in a state like ours where modern passenger trains and their quality-of-life benefits are an abstract concept. THE FIX: Amtrak must be eligible to apply for and receive capital AND operating funding for major expansions.

• Furthermore, any bill that continues to require states to sponsor routes 750 miles or less will not encourage Ohio to get on board. THE FIX: Sec. 209 of the Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act of 2008 needs to be amended to reduce the threshold to as little as 250 miles.

• It appears that the Senate compromise neglected to give the Surface Transportation Board and Amtrak stronger legal tools to enforce passenger train on-time standards in Amtrak’s agreements with track-owning freight railroads. THE FIX: For the sake of Ohio’s travelers who must contend with chronically tardy trains, give the STB and Amtrak those legal tools.

• We are saddened to learn that the Senate has ignored inclusion of Rep. Hank Johnson’s Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act. THE FIX: We ask the final bill to include $20 billion for transit operations per year and allow transit agencies in Ohio to expand service by levels ranging 33-98 percent.

• And, so that trains and transit can serve stronger towns, we are also disappointed to learn that the new Reconnecting Communities program — eliminating divisive highways in urban areas — was gutted to a mere $1 billion. THE FIX: Restore the program to its original funding goal of $12 billion.

 

With those corrective measures, Congress can deliver a bill that rebuilds Ohio’s communities, allows greater freedom of choice in how to travel within and between those communities, improves everyone’s access to jobs, education and health care, makes Ohio more competitive in attracting jobs and residents, and improves the quality of life for all Ohioans. We do not need more of the last 70 years — isolated low-income and elderly Ohioans, young people fleeing Ohio for vibrant cities that offer more travel freedom, and a worsening environmental crisis that cannot be stopped let alone reversed if we continue to abet our car-dependency.

 

Our Congress can and should do better!

 

END

 

 

Hopefully the reconciliation bill includes more.

1 hour ago, mu2010 said:

 

 

Hopefully the reconciliation bill includes more.

 

My understanding is the reconciliation bill will cover "human" infrastructure, not physical infrastructure. And that's assuming that Senators Manchin and Sinema vote with the rest of the Democrats to pass the reconciliation bill.

 

My hope is that this makes Amtrak more serviceable in more areas, so its base of support expands and future funding becomes easier. Also, if the expanded use allows Amtrak to be more profitable, future requests for expanded service may face less pushback. 

Edited July 30, 20213 yr by Luke_S
wording

5 hours ago, Luke_S said:

 

My understanding is the reconciliation bill will cover "human" infrastructure, not physical infrastructure. And that's assuming that Senators Manchin and Sinema vote with the rest of the Democrats to pass the reconciliation bill.

 

My hope is that this makes Amtrak more serviceable in more areas, so its base of support expands and future funding becomes easier. Also, if the expanded use allows Amtrak to be more profitable, future requests for expanded service may face less pushback. 

 

It won't necessarily be only human infrastructure, there will be a focus on climate change in the reconciliation bill because the Republicans negotiated most of that stuff out. So, there will likely be some funding for green physical infrastructure included in the reconciliation bill in addition to the human infrastructure. You could see additional rail transit dollars making their way into that.

 

I am confident we will have a reconciliation bill - it's too easy and routine for Democrats to not do it. Manchin and Sinema may limit the scope, however - so hopefully they don't limit it too much.

Edited July 30, 20213 yr by mu2010

Advocates Push for Increased Lakeshore Route Service - Railway Age

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/intercity/advocates-push-for-increased-lakeshore-route-service/

22 minutes ago, KJP said:

Advocates Push for Increased Lakeshore Route Service - Railway Age

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/intercity/advocates-push-for-increased-lakeshore-route-service/

4 daily Lakeshore Limiteds is the second best (near-term feasible) thing that could happen for CLE passenger rail. (Best would be 3C&D.)