October 10, 20222 yr 22 hours ago, mrnyc said: i saw this lirr news: Q: When will I be able to take the LIRR directly to Grand Central? – Linda L. A: We’re so excited to be opening Grand Central Madison service by the end of this year. There’s going to be a huge benefit for riders – some will be able to save up to 40 minutes on their commutes and systemwide, the LIRR is going to be increasing service by 41%. That means more trains running in peak hours, and not just to Manhattan; reverse commuting to Long Island is finally going to be a more realistic option. The new GCM terminal is world-class, with the best retail, restaurants and amenities East Midtown has to offer. Stay tuned for more precise timing on opening day. – Catherine Rinaldi, Interim President, Long Island Rail Road Will this eliminate the almost mandatory train change in Jamaica for the trip i usually make? Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
October 10, 20222 yr 5 hours ago, Dougal said: Will this eliminate the almost mandatory train change in Jamaica for the trip i usually make? i think so — but i do know for sure it will also mean less trains in to brooklyn. edit — ok so as i thought i found that yes jamiaca transfers from the island will go away, but maybe longer ride times? see below: The good news: some riders will see service increase and the simplified service plans will make schedules more understandable. Better intra-branch travel and reverse-commute trips brought about by ESA and Third Track will open the door to Long Island’s economy. The bad news: service doesn’t really improve for trips not involving Manhattan. Penn Station itself may see less service. The elimination of timed connections at Jamaica may increase travel and transfer times. Most branches will only have hourly off-peak and weekend service, including in Southeast Queens. There are also large gaps in westbound reverse-commute diesel service. more: https://pcac.org/east-side-access-service-plan-public-meeting-testimony/ Edited October 10, 20222 yr by mrnyc
October 10, 20222 yr ^ imo a possible somewhat longer ride for some routes (to be determined i guess) is much, much, much preferable to a transfer, even a typically relatively easy one like at jamaica.
October 10, 20222 yr Author Draft schedules are available here, through the travel planner app or scroll down to where you can download draft PDF timetables.... https://new.mta.info/grandcentralmadison "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 13, 20222 yr big public/private tod plans by the nj gov and njtransit for metropark/woodbridge and new brunswick: MetroPark to become more than a train station under plan to build offices, apartments Updated: Oct. 12, 2022 By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com A “soulless” 12-acre parking lot that’s sat dormant since the coronavirus pandemic next to the MetroPark train station in Woodbridge will become a mixed use development with several hundred apartments, office space and retail stores under a transit-oriented development plan announced Wednesday by Gov. Phil Murphy. *** MetroPark isn’t the only TOD underway in Middlesex County. Similar development is planed or happening in New Brunswick, also on the NEC line and in North Brunswick, the site of a future train station. That station requires building the “Midline Loop” flyover to allow NJ Transit trains to cross a busy section of the NEC Amtrak dubbed the raceway without getting in the way of high-speed Acela trains. more: https://www.nj.com/news/2022/10/metropark-to-become-more-than-a-train-station-under-plan-to-build-offices-apartments.html
October 18, 20222 yr Author Ohio's 3C should be able to perform even better with NCDOT's level of infrastructure investment that raised train speeds to a consistent 79 mph from Raleigh to Charlotte and increased frequency to three round trips per day. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 18, 20222 yr When driving to our place in Carolina Beach, I always pass by Ride NC Rail signs on I-40. I've not spotted a train yet, but I-40 is a natural corridor from Winston Salem to Raleigh.
October 18, 20222 yr 57 minutes ago, urb-a-saurus said: When driving to our place in Carolina Beach, I always pass by Ride NC Rail signs on I-40. I've not spotted a train yet, but I-40 is a natural corridor from Winston Salem to Raleigh. I have a few Raleigh based friends that are Panthers season ticket holders and ride the train regularly to games on weekends. I guess they turn into quite the party trains! All good keeps people off the roads!
October 18, 20222 yr On 6/16/2022 at 2:36 PM, Boomerang_Brian said: Bad news out of Texas. This reinforces what the long term passenger rail advocates have been saying - start with good-enough and then improve speeds. Brightline model has been more successful so far. http://dlvr.it/SSGC9s The death of Texas high-speed rail Texas Central high-speed rail looks pretty much dead based on recent news of the CEO's departure(Chronicle). Some key items from the articles: A Spanish news site in Madrid, “La Informacion,” reported that the entire management team of Texas Central has departed, and the project has entered “a hibernation phase in search for financing.” ... “The unorthodox LinkedIn announcement speaks to the company’s lack of staff, lack of resources, and lack of leadership, with no successful path forward. No money, no permits, no progress…. It is abundantly clear that this project is more than dead in the water, especially when the captain jumps ship,” he added. ... Their press release included hints that the agreement between Japan and Texas Central may not be as solid as once accepted. So is this project dead dead, or just mostly dead?
October 18, 20222 yr Well, it ain't "dead dead." Could payment of back taxes by Texas Central Railroad be a sign of new life? Texas Central Railroad & Infrastructure’s next steps remain a mystery even after ninety-three property owners across nine Texas counties recently reached out to the company seeking answers about the future of its proposed high-speed train from Houston to Dallas. Attorneys representing the property owners sent a lengthy letter to Texas Central in late September questioning the current status of the project and said residents and landowners have suffered long enough and should be allowed to move on with their lives if the project is no longer going to happen. The letter from the attorneys also lists twenty questions they say landowners and the general public deserve the answers to including who is running the company, the company’s financial status, and why mail that’s being sent to Texas Central’s Dallas office is being returned undeliverable. Last week attorneys for the property owners received a reply from Texas Central’s attorneys but it didn’t lead to any answers. In the letter, lawyers for Texas Central say they will not be responding to their questions citing questions they are seeking contain proprietary and confidential business information among other reasons. Attorneys for the property owners also stated in the letter from September that if their questions are not answered they plan to seek what is called a Rule 202 deposition to investigate and seek the answers for themselves. More below: https://www.kbtx.com/2022/10/17/could-payment-back-taxes-by-texas-central-railroad-be-sign-new-life/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 19, 20222 yr On 10/18/2022 at 1:00 PM, Cleburger said: I have a few Raleigh based friends that are Panthers season ticket holders and ride the train regularly to games on weekends. I guess they turn into quite the party trains! All good keeps people off the roads! Sounds like North Carolina is a commie librul paradise Pinkos
October 26, 20222 yr Author "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 30, 20222 yr the new elmont lirr station was fully completed -- i believe up next are four bronx mnrr stations, but we'll see about that later: MTA Completes Elmont-UBS Arena LIRR Station In Nassau County, Long Island BY: SEBASTIAN MORRIS 7:30 AM ON OCTOBER 14, 2022 The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has completed the Elmont-UBS Arena train station, the first new station to debut in almost 50 years. Located on the border of Elmont and Bellrose Terrace in Nassau County, Long Island, riders can expect full service by the end of 2022. The Elmont Station originally opened in November 2021, but was served only on event days and only on the eastbound platform. Completion of the station is part of the $1.26 billion Belmont Park Redevelopment Project, which also included the 19,000-seat UBS Arena in nearby Belmont Park. *** Neither the MTA nor the LIRR had to foot the project’s $105 million construction cost. Developers of the UBS Arena contributed around $97 million and New York State covered the remainder, previously estimated at $8 million. more: https://newyorkyimby.com/2022/10/mta-completes-elmont-ubs-arena-lirr-station-in-nassau-county-long-island.html Looking down at an incoming train at the new Elmont Long Island Railroad Station (LIRR)
November 2, 20222 yr more options to dc is very good news! 👍 Tourists are about to have an easier way in and out of DC Forrest Brown, CNN • Updated 1st November 2022 (CNN) — Travelers heading into or out of the District of Columbia via Washington Dulles International Airport will have something extra to be thankful for this November. A long-awaited final extension of the Metro's Silver Line will connect the Virginia airport directly to the heart of the DC tourist zone with station stops such as L'Enfant Plaza near the National Mall. It's scheduled to open to the public on Tuesday, November 15, according to a news release from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. That means people can get their Smithsonian fix over the Thanksgiving holidays totally via public metro and not mess with roadways. Traffic from Dulles, which is about 28 miles (45 kilometers) from the White House, can be notoriously clogged and time-consuming. more: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/washington-dc-metro-silver-line-extension-dulles/index.html
November 2, 20222 yr 4 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said: What do think are the odds this actually gets built?
November 2, 20222 yr 1 hour ago, Ethan said: What do think are the odds this actually gets built? My opinion is that the odds are quite good. This is a very different situation than the Texas project or even CA HSR. Brightline Florida is doing very well and continues to expand. These guys have established a track record. All that said, I’m not an industry insider so there are many important details that I do not know. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
November 2, 20222 yr Author 8 hours ago, Ethan said: What do think are the odds this actually gets built? From Victor Valley to Vegas? The odds are very good. It's all publicly owned right of way and they already own the station property in Las Vegas. From Victor Valley to LA? That's quite a bit more problematic. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 3, 20222 yr 55 minutes ago, KJP said: From Victor Valley to Vegas? The odds are very good. It's all publicly owned right of way and they already own the station property in Las Vegas. From Victor Valley to LA? That's quite a bit more problematic. It would seem that private companies are good at putting the easiest lines into operation - where the terrain is flat, where right-of-ways already exist, where the demand is clear, but when any of those conditions are absent, then we hear endlessly about "debacles" in sarcastic air quotes from libertarians and Stanford U graduates.
November 10, 20222 yr Author "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 10, 20222 yr 9 hours ago, KJP said: Unfortunately this is a reminder of how bad US transit decisions are. Making investments in rail service to serve an additional 3000 passengers per MONTH should be cause for embarrassment, not celebration. The money should have been spent towards improving and extending the Pennsylvanian or increasing service on the Lakeshore or improving speeds on the northeast corridor. Any of those would serve would serve MANY more people. It does help to demonstrate how desperately Americans want rail service, so that part is encouraging. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
November 10, 20222 yr Author 9 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said: Unfortunately this is a reminder of how bad US transit decisions are. Making investments in rail service to serve an additional 3000 passengers per MONTH should be cause for embarrassment, not celebration. The money should have been spent towards improving and extending the Pennsylvanian or increasing service on the Lakeshore or improving speeds on the northeast corridor. Any of those would serve would serve MANY more people. It does help to demonstrate how desperately Americans want rail service, so that part is encouraging. You can only award money to those who apply for it. And it's just one train. Maybe our leaders are right. Maybe Cleveland can't put more than 50 people on a train each day each way. In 2019, Cleveland averaged 33.7 boardings per train per day, dropping to 22 boardings per train per day in 2021. Of course, that's in the middle of the night. But Amtrak seems to think we're vampires or bats or something so that's why we've had nighttime trains for the past 20 years. And Ohio's legislators and ODOTers say Ohioans are different genetically than those people on the coasts, or in Chicago, or in North Carolina, or New Mexico, or somewhere else that has daytime trains with people using them in greater numbers than Ohioans do. Maybe they're right and we rail advocates are wrong. At least that's what they've told me and my colleagues, many of them now deceased, since the eighties. Someday I'll join them but with the peace of mind knowing that I was wrong and our leaders were right all along. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 11, 20222 yr I think it is good to be able to point out to a passenger rail success story in a more rural part of the country. What's the difference between taking these routes up to Vermont or taking a train to Hocking Hills from Chicago or Detroit?
November 11, 20222 yr the old ne ohio commuter rail study from the late 1990s estimated up to 20k riders a day for a built out system. no idea how they came to that estimate, but at least someone locally thought commuter rail would be decently used. where there any estimates for the later proposed 3C’s train ridership?
November 12, 20222 yr Author 8 hours ago, mrnyc said: where there any estimates for the later proposed 3C’s train ridership? Yes, about 550k riders per year "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 13, 20222 yr ^ had it been built immediately 3C ridership would be more annual ridership than 40 out of the 44 total amtrak lines in 1997 and 32 out of 44 in 2012: https://www.brookings.edu/interactives/u-s-passenger-rail-ridership/
November 14, 20222 yr Author "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 16, 20222 yr Author Can we get two trains in Ohio? Amtrak is adding two new trains on the Albany Rennselaer-New York City run to relieve crowding on existing trains. Amtrak is adding new trains between NYC and Mid-Hudson Valley https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/amtrak-is-adding-new-trains-between-nyc-and-mid-hudson-valley-111422 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 21, 20222 yr I believe these two new Albany-New York trains are being paid for with state funds. One of them fills the schedule of the annulled Adirondack, which will be reportedly be reinstated next April or thereabouts. Another tidbit is that replacement of the Park Ave overpass in Syracuse seems for be moving forward, as is the addition of a second track serving the Amtrak station there. I don't have any more details, but these are real bottlenecks, especially the overpass which restricts rail, road and ped traffic. It's woefully outdated.
November 21, 20222 yr After several years of spectacular surpluses, California is facing a budget shortfall: https://www.wsj.com/articles/california-heads-for-a-budget-crash-sacramento-lao-shortfall-inflation-capital-gains-taxes-high-earners-11668958109?mod=hp_opin_pos_3#cxrecs_s The state posted a $70 billion surplus in 2020 and an almost $100 billion surplus in 2021. Not a single dollar of those surpluses went to California's High Speed Rail project.
November 28, 20222 yr I-69 is way over budget and taking 30+ years to complete. There is no public scrutiny or complaining. CA HSR, on the other hand, continues to get a lot of scrutiny and complaints. The Shinkansen was plagued with construction problems, political wrangling; ended up costing double its budget projections; and it's held up as a successful example of a HSR project. See video and articles below: An article about 1-69 construction problems and mismanagement: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2017/06/18/mike-pence-donald-trump-public-private-partnerships-mitch-daniels-interstate-69-isolux-bloomington/388756001/ According to this one, a 26-mile segment of I-69 is going to cost $61.5 million per mile. It also discusses cost over-runs on another segment: https://www.constructiondive.com/news/final-stretch-of-indiana-interstate-69-project-to-cost-16b/516832/
November 29, 20222 yr I-99 in PA was total pork and still has very low traffic. The only ones piping up about it nationally were roadgeeks and only the budget-conscious ones at that.
November 29, 20222 yr Amtrak Gains Support For Union Station And Regional Rail Expansion From Across The Midwest Quote Amtrak and regional supporters see a new era of intercity passenger train travel on the horizon with Chicago at its heart as it has been for decades as America’s rail capital. More tracks pass through the city than anywhere else in the nation with numbers predicting up to 40 percent of all rail cargo in the nation touching the greater area. This is coupled with access to global airports, recreation, and general tourism to create the regional document requesting $251 million from the grant to go towards an $850 million project that includes upgrades as far as Michigan. https://chicagoyimby.com/2022/11/amtrak-gains-support-for-union-station-and-regional-rail-expansion-from-across-the-midwest.html More here: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/juice/chicagos-union-station-center-unified-push-biden-infrastructure-funding-crains-juice
December 1, 20222 yr Author Trains above, streetcar below "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 1, 20222 yr 38 minutes ago, KJP said: Trains above, streetcar below Ohio’s Federal tax dollars at work in North Carolina. Thanks, Kasich! When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
December 3, 20222 yr the cuoz chimes in today on the alexandros washburn retro penn plan: This vision for brand-new Penn Station is what NYC dreams are made of By Steve Cuozzo December 3, 2022 Washburn’s idea comes from a different planet. His dream is to reflect the style and spirit of the original, beloved McKim, Mead & White masterpiece opened in 1910 that was unconscionably demolished in 1964. More than a much better station, his plan opens up optimistic possibilities for the mostly charmless West 30s between Seventh and Ninth avenues. The original station’s colossal Concourse would be reconstructed in an airier form, as much as today’s technology allows. It puts the public — not real-estate companies — first, with an open-to-all, street-level lawn as large as Bryant Park and an exciting array of community amenities. It puts the station, the nation’s busiest with 600,000 daily users, ahead of speculative real estate development for which there is little or no demand. see it here: https://nypost.com/2022/12/03/this-new-penn-station-vision-is-what-nyc-dreams-are-made-of/
December 7, 20222 yr Author A suggestion -- buy property in Springfield, MA. I regret not buying property in Worcester right after MBTA service from Boston was expanded to this station. I've been watching the property values rise strongly since then. I expect increases in Springfield too, but probably not as much since Springfield is farther away and no cheap-fare MBTA service is contemplated -- for now. But the property is pretty cheap and won't stay that way. MassDOT, Amtrak, CSX seek CRISI grant for rail corridor projects https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/MassDOT-Amtrak-CSX-seek-CRISI-grant-for-rail-corridor-projects--68111 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 8, 20222 yr Author "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 14, 20222 yr 4 new mnrr stations on the move in the bx at last: A transit desert no more, officials tout Bronx benefits of Penn Access Project at groundbreaking By Robbie Sequeira Posted on December 9, 2022 New York’s leading politicos were on hand in Hunts Point Friday for the groundbreaking of Metro-North’s $3.18 billion Penn Station Access Project, which includes the construction of four new Metro-North stations in Hunts Point, Parkchester, Morris Park and Co-op City. The stations are expected to open in 2027. Penn Access will transform Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line from two to four tracks in the East Bronx and Westchester. The line will then connect the New Haven line in New Rochelle to the new Bronx Metro-North stations, before ending up at Penn Station. more: https://www.bxtimes.com/penn-access-project-at-groundbreaking/
December 19, 20222 yr Vacant shops and rising crime are just a few reasons that an increasing number of Washingtonians steer clear of Union Station except to catch a train. - Quote from report https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-dc-73034b3e-9032-4a92-8dd2-312d8af6e77a.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_dc&stream=top Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
December 28, 20222 yr 110 miles from Portland to Eugene for $17 on Amtrak thanks to state support. Roughly the same distance as Columbus to Cincinnati. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
December 29, 20222 yr And it's far cheaper than gas out there. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 1, 20232 yr New rail projects opening this coming year in North America: When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
January 6, 20232 yr “Known as the Sunshine Corridor Program, this SunRail line would connect workers, business travelers and vacationers in the tourist corridor to the region’s busiest airport. The I-Drive corridor area is also where Universal is building its future $1 billion-plus Epic Universe theme park and a surrounding complex with multiple hotels, restaurants, entertainment, back of house, parking and other support amenities. “Universal Parks & Resorts Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer John Sprouls said Universal, via the proposed community development district, will: 1. Guarantee $13 million in annual ticket purchases, equivalent to the estimated annual operating cost for the Sunshine Corridor. The district only pays if ticket sales don’t reach $13 million in a year, and the commitment ensures the corridor won’t operate at a loss, Sprouls said. 2. Finance up to $125 million in private bonds to fund the rail line and station. 3. Fund the operation and maintenance of the station — estimated at $2 million each year — so the station doesn’t cost Orange County taxpayers. … “In addition to ferrying tourists from Orlando International Airport to the heart of Central Florida’s convention and entertainment areas, the Sunshine Corridor would connect two employment hubs. Roughly 18,000 people work at Orlando International Airport, and the International Drive area consists of 20,000 residents and 75,000 workers, said International Drive Chamber of Commerce President Maria Triscari.” When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
January 6, 20232 yr study for looking at development along a proposed 7 station northern extension of the nj hudson-bergen light rail: NJ Transit awarded $590K grant to study development along possible light rail extension into Bergen Published: Dec. 14, 2022, 8:16 a.m. By Ron Zeitlinger | The Jersey Journal NJ Transit has been awarded a nearly $600,000 federal grant to study transit-oriented development along a long-proposed 9-mile extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail into Bergen County. There has been little movement on funding for the “Northern branch” of the light rail, first proposed in the early 2000s, but a study that shows a positive economic impact on the area between North Bergen and Englewood might convince state and federal officials to loosen the purse strings. more: https://www.nj.com/hudson/2022/12/nj-transit-awarded-590k-grant-to-study-development-along-possible-light-rail-extension-into-bergen.html
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