wow. i hope they can do this. i would love to see how high speed rail would work in america. acela on the east coast is not it. maybe the future ohio hub can have some high speed sections?

 

***

 

 

a shoutout to the candidates:

 

 

Barack Obama and John McCain have not talked a lot about transit issues on their race to the White House, but a group of local officials and advocates is trying to change that. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed the following report.

 

video:

http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/transit/87332/transit-advocates-to-candidates---get-america-moving-again-/Default.aspx

 

also, more test rollout of digital bus ads. very minority report-ish!  :-o

 

 

NEXT STOP: DIGITAL ADS

MTA TEST-DRIVES GPS BUS SCREENS

 

By HOLLY M. SANDERS

October 21, 2008

 

The MTA is looking to put high-tech digital screens on the sides of buses so it can target ads to neighborhoods and even individual blocks.

 

Right now, the MTA is testing the screens on the M23 bus route in Manhattan. If the test is a success, the agency will install the digital displays on some 200 buses beginning in the first quarter of next year, an MTA spokesman said.

 

Titan Worldwide, which has a 10-year, $800 million-plus contract to sell ads throughout the city's bus and commuter-train systems, said that using GPS technology, it can wirelessly beam ads based on the bus' location and the time of day.

 

For instance, the screens can show an ad for Saks Fifth Avenue while in Manhattan and change to Target in Brooklyn. The ads can even change languages according to the ethnicity of a neighborhood

 

"In the morning, we can show Starbucks, and on the way home from work, a Budweiser ad," said Dave Etherington, Titan's global marketing director.

 

Titan, based in New York, is already rolling out the bus displays in Chicago and is hoping the Big Apple follows suit. The company is racing to upgrade to high-tech signage in New York and other major markets as the fast-growing outdoor-ad business undergoes a digital revolution.

 

The digital bus screens resemble TV spots more than static billboard ads and are designed to draw glances from people passing on the sidewalk, as opposed to distracting drivers on the road.

 

One ad shows an Oreo cookie dunked in a glass of milk. Other advertisers in the test include mattress seller Sleepy's, Coca-Cola and Sprite.

 

The digital displays are part of the MTA's ongoing efforts to boost revenue beyond passenger fares. Advertising, the second-biggest source of revenue for the agency, is expected to hit $125 million this year, up from $106 million in 2007.

 

The MTA is also ramping up the amount of advertising in the subways, such as wrapping the outside of the cars and projecting ads on the tunnel walls. CBS Outdoor has the contract to handle subway advertising.

 

The MTA wants to make sure the displays don't interfere with service before going ahead with a wider rollout. It also wants to gauge advertiser interest.

 

"We need to make sure from an advertising and functional standpoint that it works," said MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin.

 

Aside from advertising, the signs could also come in handy in case of emergencies. The MTA can take over the displays to issue alerts about road closures or even missing children.

 

^If only the buses were as modern as the new ad displays.  That picture cracks me up a little.  But you gotta love the added revenue!

ha. i think we're going to rot away with these busses for a long while. no shiny new healthline busses for you!

also, more test rollout of digital bus ads. very minority report-ish! :-o

 

 

I know the transit systems need money, but I'm quite tired of advertising that is already beyond the saturation point.  One of these days I'm going to come home, lift the lid on my commode, and see an ad that says "Drink Gatorade" or something.

[quote author=gildone

I know the transit systems need money, but I'm quite tired of advertising that is already beyond the saturation point.  One of these days I'm going to come home, lift the lid on my commode, and see an ad that says "Drink Gatorade" or something.

 

At least you'll be ready to piss on it!

Passenger Trains on Freight Railroads: Capitol Corridor

 

Offering "the wrap-up of a 10-year success story," Eugene K. Skoropowski, managing director of California's Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJRA), said late Monday that cooperation between freight railroads and passenger rail authorities is quite feasible if the freight rail owners receive "reasonable compensation. The passenger sponsor has to pay more than only for the passenger increment."

 

More at:

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml

From the NARP Hotline:

 

Connecticut DOT will hold public scoping hearings on proposed improvements to the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield line (owned and operated by Amtrak) for potential future commuter rail service and transit-oriented development.  For more information about the December hearings, see ConnDOT’s news release.

 

Maryland is planning to cut MARC and commuter bus services, following public hearings November 17-25.  Among the regular trains to be cut is the Brunswick-Martinsburg, WV segment of one train.  The proposal also includes elimination of all service on all three lines on Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and the day after Christmas.  Details on the proposed train and bus cuts are available here.  They are to take effect “January 12, 2009 or sooner if the service reduction is based on a holiday.” Transit agencies in the state also face budget cuts that may result in service cuts and/or fare increases.  Nonetheless, Maryland continues its highway building program.  A new widening of Baltimore-Washington Parkway was announced today, and Intercounty Connector construction continues amid controversy over whether the state can afford it, and official assurances that it can.

 

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) announced a $285,700 grant to the West Virginia State Rail Authority last week.  The funds will go towards station platform and accessibility improvements at Harpers Ferry, served by Amtrak’s Capitol Limited and MARC Brunswick Line commuter trains.

 

http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/hotline/more/hotline_576/

interesting that they are finally piloting this, but it won't go anywhere. the conductors would never stand for it!

 

10/22/2008 10:43 PM

NY1 Exclusive: L Subway Line To Show Trains’ Locations

 

By: Bobby Cuza

 

One subway station is about to go very cutting-edge, with technology that allows riders to see the exact location of the next train. NY1's Transit reporter Bobby Cuza filed the following report.

 

news video link:

http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/transit/87676/-i-ny1-exclusive---i--l-subway-line-to-show-trains--locations/Default.aspx

^I agree. There are some things that the average rider is better off not knowing.

The worst are the trains not in service, the 6 is especially bad with that on Sundays.

The worst are the trains not in service, the 6 is especially bad with that on Sundays.

It's all trains.  The "re-routes" are a mess.

and speaking of the ny subway, a happy b-day to it today. doesn't smell a day over 150!  :laugh:

 

 

October 27, 2008

 

Happy 104th Birthday, NYC Subway!

 

Photo: Sweet Avenue Bake Shop

 

Oh, NYC Subway, you don't act a day over 75! Some key dates and events: On October 27, 1904, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company opened its subway (cost: 5 cents), with the slogan, "City Hall to Harlem in 15 minutes!" Then came Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BMT) opening in 1915 and City Owner Rapid Transit Railroad (IND) in 1931. In 1940, the city took over all the lines, and in 1953--the year the token was introduced-- the State Legislature created the NYC Transit Authority to oversee the management of the subway system (the NYCTA joined the newly created MTA in 1968). The MTA started five-year capital programs to rehab the system in1982, as the subways had declined with rising crime; by 1990, it was back to a state of good repair. The Metrocard arrived in 1997 and the token said good-bye in 2003. Ridership is now at record highs (over 5 million on a weekday) and the future of numerous renovation projects is unclear as the MTA's budget looks scary.

 

 

I remember looking at a map a number of years ago and wondered why this wasn't the main rail route heading south out of Tacoma. Now it will be, at least for passengers......

___________________

 

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature7-10-28

 

October 27, 2008

 

Lakewood, Wash., gets ready for a lot more rail

 

The coming extension of passenger rail to Lakewood has some locals scared that trains will kill people wandering the tracks, which pass through low-income neighborhoods near schools, parks and fast-food restaurants, according to local newspapers. By 2012, officials say, the state’s Point Defiance Bypass project will reroute almost a dozen passenger trains a day through South Tacoma, Lakewood and the Nisqually area.

 

The bypass will be the most drastic introduction of passenger rail into highly populated, urban areas since the state Department of Transportation took over the state railway system in the mid-1990s, a DOT official says.

 

A set of tracks runs through South Tacoma and Lakewood, but it’s now used only about twice a week by freight trains traveling 10 to 15 mph.

 

More at link above:

and more from the pac nw...seattle goes for 34 more miles at the ballot:

 

 

Transit expansion gets second vote in Seattle area

 

Oct 27, 2008 3:00 AM (1 day ago) By TIM KLASS, AP

 

SEATTLE  - With the first phase of Seattle-area light rail less than a year away from carrying its first commuters, economic and political turmoil confronts a second try to expand the train system.

 

Amid unrelieved traffic congestion, volatile gasoline prices, a national economic downturn and a strike at the region's largest private employer, voters in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties are being asked to approve a Sound Transit plan featuring light rail extensions to Bellevue, Lynnwood and Federal Way.

 

Proposition 1 would impose a sales tax increase of .5 percent, a nickel per $10, to pay for a plan Sound Transit estimates at $22.8 billion. Sound Transit's taxing jurisdiction sprawls across the three counties, taking in roughly half of Washington state's population.

 

A scrappy assortment of opponents from across the political spectrum, organized as NoToProp1.org, claim that taxpayers could wind up on the hook for more than $107 billion over 45 years, although a King County Superior Court judge rejected that estimate as unrealistic in a dispute over the ballot language.

 

Polls taken in Spring and summer indicated more than 60 percent support for the proposal to add 34 new miles of light rail and expand commuter train and bus service.

 

But last year, voters soundly rejected a more sweeping plan that also included road improvements and new park-and-ride lots. That measure was also leading in pre-election polls.

 

Mayor Greg Nickels, who doubles as Sound Transit chairman, predicted the current measure will pass easily, largely because of strong support in the transit district for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, especially among younger, more transit-oriented voters.

 

"They believe they will live long enough to use the results of these investments," Nickels said.

 

Backers are also counting on more votes from environmentalists because this year's measure has the endorsement of the Sierra Club, which campaigned against last year's proposal because of the highway component.

 

NoToProp1 campaign treasurer Mark Baerwaldt predicts an "enormous rejection," saying little in the plan has changed to convince voters to reverse their decision of a year ago.

 

About 90 percent of the money in that plan would have gone for light rail, Baerwaldt said.

 

Opponents also argue that the plan will do nothing to relieve traffic congestion for many years, if at all.

 

Former state Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge, a liberal Democrat who says he's "not afraid to spend public money, never have been," complains that Sound Transit is insufficiently accountable to the public because its governing board consists of officials who, like Nickels, were elected to other offices.

 

Talmadge also says the measure hands Sound Transit too much money before the opening of light rail between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and downtown Seattle next year.

 

"Let's see something from these people before we give them a blank check," he said.

 

With strong backing by contractors, engineering firms and labor unions, the campaign in favor of the initiative, Mass Transit Now, enjoys a huge fundraising advantage with $807,330.24 in cash and in-kind donations, according to filings with the state Public Disclosure Commission.

 

NoToProp1 has raised $152,525, including $100,000 from Kemper Holdings of Bellevue, headed by developer Kemper Freeman Jr., a longtime opponent of light rail.

 

One potential factor in the outcome, the average price of unleaded regular gasoline in the Seattle-Tacoma-Everett area, spiked at about $4.38 a gallon in late June.

 

Bus and commuter train usage rose sharply the following month, the last for which figures are available, and Sound Transit spokesman Geoff Patrick said there had been no indication of a significant drop-off since then. In the past week, the average price of gas in the area has fallen below $3.

 

Also uncertain are the effects of the nation's economic crisis or a strike by about 25,000 Boeing Co. production workers in the region that has also curtailed work at dozens of subcontractors and cuts into the receipts of uncounted Boeing-dependent small businesses.

 

Coming back with a less costly alternative in the heavy turnout of a presidential election year after failing with fewer voters a year earlier is nothing new for Sound Transit.

 

A 1.6-mile streetcar line that was opened in August 2003 in Tacoma, the airport-downtown line in Seattle and an extension northward to the University District to be completed in 2016 are part of a $4 billion plan approved by voters in the presidential year of 1996, a year after a bigger proposal failed at the polls.

 

"Any presidential election is the best one to be talking about mass transit," Nickels said.

 

also on the ballot....in kc...ohio get some transit plans to the voters next time!!!

 

btw the judge later ruled against the critics and in favor of leaving the rail proposition on the ballot. :clap:

 

 

Political Corner - Light rail debate

Jumoke Balogun

Issue date: 10/27/08 Section: News

 

Among other issues, Kansas City residents will vote this November on whether to build a light rail transportation system for the city.

 

The proposition reads, "shall the City of Kansas City impose a sales tax of one-fourth percent for the purpose of funding capital improvements, and a sales tax of one eighth percent, both for a period not to exceed 25 years, beginning April 1, 2009 ..."

 

Light rail is a divisive issue in the city, but many tout its economic benefits.

 

Kansas City Mayor, Mark Funkhouser, told the Kansas City Business Journal a light rail system would not only be a source of economic development, but 2,200 jobs would be created in the Kansas City area.

 

At a news conference last Wednesday, Kansas City Councilman Russ Johnson, Pete Levi, president of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Clyde McQueen, CEO of the Full Employment Council and Jeff Kaczmarek, CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, espoused the economic gains of light rail.

 

They cited different reasons for their support including easier transportation for workers and the city would attract young people and curb job losses.

 

Also, according to Johnson, light rail's cost counters poor economic development.

 

"For about a dime a day, we can have the kind of economic development the mayor espoused," he said.

 

However, the proposition is not supported by everyone.

 

Kansas City resident Patrick Tuohey filed a lawsuit to stop the initiative from appearing on the November ballot.

 

According to the Kansas City Star, Tuohey contends the Kansas City Council violated its charter by not reading the ordinance on three separate days at a regular or special meeting.

 

Funkhouser told the Star when the lawsuit was filed, "If we're going to have a community of choice, it needs to have the amenities people - especially young people - expect to find in a modern city, and transit is part of that."

 

Tuohey appears in court on Oct. 27. He has requested an earlier date.

 

Some business owners are also against the initiative. Kansas City lawyer Mike Messina told Prime Buzz, a blog operated by the Kansas City Star, that light rail would have an adverse effect on business.

 

"Our business and other merchants depend on vehicle traffic to deliver our customers … there is no doubt that vehicle traffic will be impeded during the construction period of the light rail system," he said.

 

According to the initiative, the light rail passenger system would run "from the area around the intersection of Bruce R. Watkins Drive and 63rd Street on the south to the area around the intersection of Northeast Vivion Road and North Oak Trafficway on the north."

 

salt lake city takes it to the airport

 

 

Light construction to kick off on light rail spur to airport

By Brandon Loomis

The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 10/22/2008 12:09:31 AM MDT

 

 

The Salt Lake Valley's two biggest traffic drivers - downtown and the University of Utah - were first in line for light rail a decade ago. Now work is starting to connect No. 3: Salt Lake City International Airport.

    Utah Transit Authority officials, city leaders and other dignitaries will celebrate that launch today with a "takeoff" ceremony, though for now work along the North Temple corridor is limited to digging holes to locate utilities. Heavy construction will begin after the first of the year, leading to an expected 2012 opener.

    The six-mile, $300 million line connects to the existing TRAX system from 400 West, then out North Temple and past Interstate 80 to just outside Terminal 1.

    "We stand firmly behind this as a wonderful project," said Wasatch Front Regional Council spokesman Sam Klemm. Analysts at the transportation-planning council expect the trains to attract strong ridership because thousands work at the airport and in state offices along North Temple, he said.

    The airport alone employs 18,000, compared with downtown Salt Lake City's 53,000 workers.

    Other TRAX routes now under construction - especially the Mid-Jordan suburban spur - likely will draw more riders because of their population densities, Klemm said. But the airport line allows travelers from as far away as Ogden and Pleasant View to ride commuter rail and light rail to the airport instead of paying for long-term parking. It also gives the city and state another tool to compete for conventions.

    "They'll be able to say, 'Hey, you can just hop on TRAX and zip right into town,' " Klemm said.

    Neighbors along North Temple also are eager for the ride. Vicky Orme, who manages a campground on the street, said she will be glad when patrons have a new option to reach downtown.

    "Most of the residents of the area are excited about having the TRAX line go through," she said. "It's an easier way to get to the airport and downtown."

    Orme is not so excited about the construction headaches for North Temple businesses. The street will remain open during construction, though there will be some lane closures next year, UTA spokesman Brandon Bott said. The agency will ensure access to every business, he said. Details of when and where major construction will occur are not yet available.

    UTA hopes the TRAX route reduces automobile traffic in the corridor by up to 15 percent, Bott said. By 2030, the agency expects to have 14,000 daily riders on the airport line, he said. The airport currently generates 50,000 to 60,000 work-related trips a day - about half downtown's volume. The U. generates 70,000 trips.

    [email protected]

Business by train: Amtrak, Metra

October 30, 2008

Letter to the Editor

Chicago Tribune

 

Reporters Kathy Bergen and Julie Johnsson claim that travel to Chicago is expected to fall off steeply in the months ahead thanks to a deteriorating U.S. economy and radical reductions in airline flights into Midway and O'Hare ( "Chicago sings the travel blues," Oct. 27).

 

The airlines and the economy as a whole are indeed in deep trouble that undoubtedly will impact Chicago's tourism industry. But a fair and comprehensive survey of Chicago's tourism prospects should have noted an offsetting trend: steadily growing ridership on Amtrak trains coming into Chicago, particularly on routes sponsored by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

 

More at:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-081030metra_briefs,0,1136342.story

http://www.kcrail.com/

 

Here is the site for the KC rail initiative. It looks pretty slick.

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5-11-3

 

October 31, 2008

 

AATA takes control of WALLY commuter rail project

 

Ann Arbor Transportation Authority’s board of directors approved a resolution to serve as designated authority to Michigan’s WALLY commuter rail project and guide it forward. Along with serving as the designated authority, the resolution also allows AATA to complete the necessary environmental assessments to fulfill federal and state regulations.

 

More at link above:

Light-rail can turn into money train

Homes near light-rail lines tend to increase in value

By Margaret Jackson

The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 10/29/2008 11:25:37 PM MDT

 

Margarete Humphrey knows her bungalow near the Louisiana Station light-rail stop is in a hot neighborhood. But she was surprised to learn the value of her home has increased over the past two years as much of the metro Denver housing market has declined.

 

More at:

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_10850014

via Pittsburgh, a collaborative approach to planning a regional transportation system

 

http://www.pghwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_CitiWiki_Project

An update.... and great video (animation) of what's going on with California's high-speed rail bond issue, which will be voted upon tomorrow (Tuesday)

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/video/popup/index.video?currentPlayingLocation=1&currentlyPlayingCollection=News%20%26%20Commentary&currentlyPlayingVideoId=%7bB788542F-9AF4-4A87-ACE4-D753D96C2350%7d

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-2008election-california-results,0,1293859.htmlstory?view=1&tab=0&fnum=0

 

With 92 percent of precincts reporting, the $9.95 billion high-speed rail bond issue is PASSING by a margin of 4,797,838 (52.3%) to 4,381,271 (47.7%).

 

To show why this vote is important, here's an article I wrote for the latest issue of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association's newsletter......

_____________

 

 

Midwest Rail Report

August 2008

 

California may start new trend in November

By Ken Prendergast

 

In the last 20 years the Golden State has given us sushi, yoga, bottled water, valley girls, smoking bans and organic food.

 

If California voters support a proposition slated to appear on the November ballot, they may start another nationwide trend funding, constructing and operating high-speed trains. And if California voters balk at funding rail, that too could start an eastbound trend, cautioned California State Assemblywoman and Majority Whip Fiona Ma.

 

If we dont pass this (bond issue), we will never have high-speed trains in the U.S., said Ma, a leading high-speed rail advocate.

 

The ballot initiative would provide $9.95 billion in state-backed bonds for a $40 billion, 700-mile network of 220-mph trains and improvements to other rail services that connect to the high-speed system. Although the construction cost sounds high, expanding highways and airports to handle the states transportation needs without the fast trains would cost two to three times as much while making air quality and congestion even worse.

 

In addition to the immense job-creation benefits, part of the electric trains attraction is the possibility that their power generation sources could produce low or no greenhouse gas emissions and be fossil-fuel free, depending on a feasibility study due this summer.

 

The proposed route of the system intersects with many of the states best locations for wind, solar and geothermal facilities, said Quentin Kopp, chairman of the California High Speed Rail Authoritys board of trustees. High-speed trains will help California meet the goals set out by the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; using new clean energy technologies to power the system will be an added bonus and establish California as a leader in reducing global warming while developing renewable energy sources.

 

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wholeheartedly supports the high-speed rail proposal. I am willing to explore multiple approaches in order to fund the balance and execute this project whether through federal grants, local participation, vendor support, co-development opportunities, public-private partnerships or any other realistic financing plans in which the (California High Speed Rail) Authority expresses confidence, Gov. Schwarzenegger recently wrote in the Fresno Bee.

 

California is counting on federal funding from House Resolution 6003, which would provide $14.4 billion to rail projects nationwide over five years. At least $10 billion in federal funds are desired over the systems 20-year construction period. The last piece of the fiscal puzzle is private financing, for which independent audits show good prospects. Projected system revenues in 2030, ranging from $2.6 billion to $3.9 billion, are attracting much private interest.

 

Over 50 private-sector firms have expressed interest in providing design-build financing and related services, car-builders are lining up to finance the acquisition of trainsets and others have expressed interest in becoming the operating train company providing the service, said Ken Sislak, associate vice president of the global engineering firm DMJM Harris. His firm is conducting an environmental review of the Sacramento-Bakersfield portion for the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), a state agency.

 

At full system build-out, trains are projected to carry 68 million riders per year and cover the 450-mile distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 2½ hours. Even the farthest corners of the high-speed network Sacramento and San Diego would be just three hours apart. Passage of the bond issue would enable construction to begin within five years on part of the system, even without a federal funding contribution.

 

Planners are finalizing alignments for the proposed system. On most segments, the options were whittled down to no more than two feasible routing options which offer different benefits. Some high-speed alignments are proposed to be built alongside active freight railroad tracks.

 

Detailed designs of the high-speed right of way wont start until after the November vote. However, Sislak noted that the right of way will be designed with sufficient space and protective barriers to protect passenger trains.

 

The system will be designed for absolute safety assurance, Sislak said. There have been zero fatalities (in) operating the type of systems in Japan and France which CHSRA is designing for California.

 

California may have a better chance than most other states at securing public support for financing and building high-speed rail.

 

Over the last 20 years California has aggressively expanded its transit and intercity passenger rail networks. This has nurtured a ridership base for high-speed rail that has also become a political constituency. People became accustomed to the trains being available and who increasingly demanded that their elected officials provide more and better train services. It became a feedback loop that generated more dollars for trains, more riders, and even more dollars. Ultimately, the constituency for trains had grown so large that it enabled elected officials to do the heavy political lifting necessary to advance a $40 billion high-speed rail plan to the electorate.

 

Today, the state's rail and transit systems are extensive and offer access to many communities, big and small. This existing network will serve as excellent feeders-connectors to and from the high-speed train that will sprint between the state's larger population centers.

 

The promise of high-speed rail is incredible, Gov. Schwarzenegger said. Looking forward to the kind of California we want to build 20 and 30 years from now, a network of ultra-fast rail lines whisking people from one end of the state to the other is a viable and important transportation alternative and would be a great benefit to us all.

 

All includes the rest of the nation. California might just be getting the rest of America up to speed again.

 

END

High-speed rail proposal has narrow lead

Michael Cabanatuan, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

 

 

(11-05) 00:26 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- California voters appeared to be climbing on board a plan to start construction of the nation's first high-speed rail system.

 

With better than 40 percent of ballots counted, Proposition 1A was holding a narrow but steady lead.

 

 

 

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/05/MNB713R46R.DTL

 

 

It will be interesting to see whether this becomes California's version of Cincinnati's subway. There are real questions about whether there is the appetite for this size of bond issue in the current environment, especially at an affordable interest rate.

Encouraging news from Seattle.

Light rail getting a yes; I-985 is going down

As election returns came in late Tuesday, voters were favoring Sound Transit light rail and rejecting Tim Eyman's Initiative 985 to help solo drivers.

 

By Mike Lindblom, Seattle Times transportation reporter

 

Sound Transit light rail was headed to victory Tuesday, while Tim Eyman's Initiative 985 to help solo drivers was rejected.

 

The transit measure, Proposition 1, was far ahead in Snohomish County, with close to half the expected mail-in votes counted. It also took a huge lead in King County and was narrowly ahead in Pierce County.

 

More at:

 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008352421_transportation05m.html

Latest numbers on California HSR Bond Issue....looks like it passes!

 

95.8% ( 24,360 of 25,423 ) precincts partially

or fully reporting as of Nov. 5, 2008, at 8:14 a.m.

Visit our County Reporting Status page to determine if a county has submitted a final report or returns.

State Ballot Measures

 

1A - Safe, Reliable High-Speed Train Bond Act

 

YES:  4,942,608        52.3%

  NO:  4,519,174        47.7%

 

from California Sec. of State's website:

 

http://vote.sos.ca.gov/props/index.html

An ouchy for my home town transit.....

 

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/16BB43805539836A862574F8002001A3?OpenDocument

 

Thousands of transit riders who take Metro trains, buses and Call-A-Ride vans may be left with fewer choices next spring after the defeat of Proposition M on Tuesday.

 

California Proposition 1A for HSR is approved

 

With more than 95% of the vote tallied Wednesday, California Proposition 1A, providing $9.95 billion in state seed money meant to leverage a statewide high speed rail system, seemed assured of passage, with 52.2% of voters approving the measure.

 

More at:

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml

^Has any timeline been announced for construction?  I thought they were beginning some of the right-of-way purchase process when the last state budget was passed.

According to their project website, they have already completed their Environmental Impact Statement and are going into engineering.  So, iut sounds like they are already on a timeline.

 

The most immediate impact will be an infusion of capital ($950-Million) into conventional intercity passenger rail & commuter rail, which will feed into the future HSR system.

So much stuff is happening, I'm just going to post the all the news snippets I get by e-mail!

______________

 

AAR News

 

Railroads hail Obama as infrastructure rebuilder

 

The freight railroad industry, through the Association of American Railroads, issued a statement Tuesday night congratulating Sen. Barack Obama on his election as the next president of the U.S. "Throughout the campaign," said the statement, "President-elect Obama has emphasized the importance of rebuilding our nation's infrastructure so that it can support the economic growth of our nation while creating more American jobs. America's freight railroads find this a worthy goal to ensure that America's economic potential is reached."

For more Breaking News from Railway Age, visit:

Railway Age Breaking News

 

 

Transit News

 

Washington Metro eyes huge railcar order

 

Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority officials could decide Wednesday to order 648 subway cars, and overhaul 100 existing cars, to meet current and future ridership needs. The $2 billion order is on WMATA's agenda for consideration; if approved, the bidding process could begin next month. The 748-rail car program is only one of the major items on WMATA's $11 billion list of capital projects that it seeks during the next decade to maintain, expand, and improve train, bus, and paratransit service.

For more on this story, visit:

Railway Age Breaking News

 

 

Supplier News

 

UP picks Trainyard Tech for North Platte upgrade

 

Union Pacific is upgrading its 1980s-vintage North Platte East Hump Yard process control system with Trainyard Tech LLC's CLASSMASTER technology, which features touch screens with modern HMI (human-machine interface) workstations. CLASSMASTER, says Trainyard Tech, "is the first to apply standard industrial automation technology to the railway industry. It is built using commercial off-the-shelf products running on the Microsoft Windows XP platform. This move away from proprietary components allows for flexibility and ease of installation and maintenance. Wonderware InTouch provides an easy-to-use, intuitive HMI interface."

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Railway Age Breaking News

 

 

Election Results: California High Speed Rail

 

California Proposition 1A is approved

 

With more than 95% of the vote tallied Wednesday, California Proposition 1A, providing $9.95 billion in state seed money meant to leverage a statewide high speed rail system, seemed assured of passage, with 52.2% of voters approving the measure. The HSR system, estimated by proponents to cost at least $40 billion, would stretch from San Diego through Los Angeles to termini in San Francisco and Sacramento, the state capital. Trains at speeds of 220 mph would link Los Angeles and San Francisco with travel times of 2 1/2 hours under the plan.

For more on this story, visit:

Railway Age Breaking News

 

 

Election Results: California Transit

 

Los Angeles, West Sacramento OK transit funds

 

Los Angeles County voters Tuesday approved Measure R, authorizing a half-cent sales tax to fund rail and road projects, including several light rail extensions. More than 67% of those voting on the measure gave approval, expected to generate up to $40 billion; the measure nonetheless passed by a narrow margin, since it required a two-thirds supermajority of voters.

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Railway Age Breaking News

 

Voters in West Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday approved a quarter-cent sales tax to provide for flood protection and a 2.5-mile streetcar line linking City Hall with Sacramento's convention center. Low-floor streetcars similar to those used in Portland, Ore., and Tacoma, Wash., are envisioned for the service; Portland planning officials have advised West Sacramento on the plan.

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Railway Age Breaking News

 

 

Election Results: Hawaii

 

Honolulu voters approve rail transit plan

 

By a 51%-to-46% margin, voters on the Hawaiian island of Oahu have approved a plan to advance a $4.28 billion rail transit project serving metropolitan Honolulu. Construction would begin in late 2009. Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann campaigned for the project, often described as light rail by island advocates but defined by other industry observers as more akin to Vancouver's Skytrain. State funding for the proposal will come from a 0.5 percentage point increase in the general excise tax.

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Railway Age Breaking News

 

 

Election Results: Midwest

 

St. Louis, Kansas City plans suffer defeat

 

A proposal to increased St. Louis County's transit sales tax by a half cent was rejected by voters Tuesday, eliminating a revenue source anticipated to cover a $45 million transit budget shortfall in the next fiscal year beginning July 1. The result could mean service cutbacks on Metro light rail and bus services.

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Railway Age Breaking News

 

Spurred by economic concerns and by some local confusion and debate over proposed service, Kansas City voters Tuesday rejected an $815 million light rail plan by a 56%-to-44% margin. The plan sought a three-eighths-cent sales tax to fund a 14-mile starter line.

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Railway Age Breaking News

 

 

Amtrak News

 

Budget woes delay Albany-to-NYC express plans

 

New York State's budget problems are being blamed for the delay of Amtrak's planned express train from Albany to New York City. The idea was first proposed in 2006 by then-Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno's high speed rail task force initiative and has been put on hold once by a lawsuit brought by New Yorks Department of Transportation against Amtrak. The suit has been settled, but the $3 million needed for a demonstration project of the train will not be available this year.

For more Breaking News from RT&S, visit:

RT&S Breaking News

Honolulu voters approve rail transit plan

 

By a 51%-to-46% margin, voters on the Hawaiian island of Oahu have approved a plan to advance a $4.28 billion rail transit project serving metropolitan Honolulu. Construction would begin in late 2009. Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann campaigned for the project, often described as light rail by island advocates but defined by other industry observers as more akin to Vancouver's Skytrain. State funding for the proposal will come from a 0.5 percentage point increase in the general excise tax.

 

FINALLY! This was narrowly defeated several years ago, and instead, HOV lanes were created on portions of Interstate H-1. Except H-1 is almost entirely congested for most of the day in one of the most densely populated regions in the US.

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature6-11-7

 

November 6, 2008

Sound Transit gets nod for more rail

Seattle-area voters Tuesday approved plans for more commuter rail and light rail expansion. More than 58% of voters in the urban areas of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties Tuesday approved the expansion measure, Proposition 1, authorizing an additional 0.5% sales tax increment for 15 years.

 

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature6-11-7

 

November 6, 2008

Feinstein: Federal funding could aid California HSR

 

At a post-election press briefing Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.) praised voters for passing Proposition 1A, authorizing $9.95 billion in state seed money for a $44 billion, 700-mile high speed rail network operating at speeds of up to 220 mph. And while supporters of the plan continue to plan to seek potential private capital for the system, Feinstein suggested that federal financing may also play a role.

 

more at link above:

I'd really be okay with a national sales tax of 0.5% to 1%, which would immediately put several infrastructure and rail projects in the "likely" column.

The line roughly parallels US 31W, a horribly congested route for its entire length. Most of the route is four-lane undivided, and when it is divided, driveway entrances and uncontrolled access mar its flow -- with the exception of the expressway on the edge of Fort Knox. By car, it is 54 miles via US 31W at around 1.5 hours, which can easily be 2 hours in rush.

 

With the train speeding at 60 MPH, and an average of four stops, this route can be done in the same time frame.

 

Train ride may spur look at line serving Louisville, Fort Knox

Officials taking trip tomorrow to consider commuter run

By Marcus Green, Courier-Journal, November 7, 2008

 

Louisville's light-rail movement faded about four years ago, but traditional train service may be getting a fresh look.

 

More at link above:

Sound Transit's package is passing; I-985 falling short

In early returns, voters split on transportation

 

Last updated November 4, 2008 11:24 p.m. PT

By LARRY LANGE

P-I REPORTER

 

Voters in Puget Sound counties appeared Tuesday to have approved a $22.8 billion transit expansion package, the biggest in several decades. And state voters were saying that highway car pool and bus lanes should remain open only to car pools and transit, rejecting the latest Tim Eyman transportation initiative.

 

Sound Transit's Proposition 1 was its second attempt in two years to expand its rail and bus system beyond what it already operates or is building. The package is to be financed by a 0.5 percent increase in the sales tax in the urban areas of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. In early returns, the measure was passing in Snohomish and King counties.

 

More at:

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/386453_transpo05.html

i'm really disappointed by st. louis and especially kc. from the news i read i had thought kc would pass. good news is they are going for even more next year!!!:

 

Mayor Expects Mass Transit Vote Next Year

Kansas City, St. Louis Defeat Transit Sales Tax

 

POSTED: 4:50 pm CST November 5, 2008

UPDATED: 7:27 pm CST November 5, 2008

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- One day after Kansas City voters derailed a sales tax increase for a starter light rail line, another project is emerging.

 

Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser predicted there will be another mass transit vote in 2009.

 

Funkhouser said it will be a Missouri-side regional mass transit plan. It will include light rail, expanded bus systems and commuter rail.

 

Funkhouser said a bigger plan would be better.

 

"The starter line failed because voters wanted something bigger. And it's tough to get voters to approve something when there is more to come later," Funkhouser told KMBC's Micheal Mahoney.

 

A leader of the light rail opposition said he hopes the next project has more details than the one that was defeated on Tuesday.

 

A transit sales tax was also defeated in St. Louis on Tuesday. Advocates said the defeat will hurt the working poor and disabled who rely most heavily on public transportation in the St. Louis area.

 

St. Louis County voters by a slim margin Tuesday defeated Proposition M. The measure would have increased the county's transit sales tax by a half cent, and generated $80 million a year for operations and expansion of its light-rail system, MetroLink.

 

Metro, the St. Louis-regional transit agency that also serves Illinois, said fare increases and service reductions will result from a need to erase a $40 million deficit. Metro operates buses, light-rail trains and curb-to-curb service for disabled customers.

 

Opponents had questioned the need for the tax increase and said the agency isn't accountable to taxpayers.

 

 

* otoh -- yay to the cali high speed rail. that is going to be very interesting as it comes on line.

 

Heres' a map of the proposed Louisville/Ft Knox route.  They could work this so the line actually reaches Elizabethtown.

 

 

The idea of commuting from Louisville suburbs to Knoxie isn't that farfetched as  I had a number of neighbors who did this. 

hmm, instead of handing their 'economic stimulus' money over to the banking thieves like we are doing, look at where the government of china's money is going:

 

"In a sweeping move at a time when major projects are being put off around the world, Beijing said it would spend an estimated $586 billion by 2010 on wide array of national infrastructure and social welfare projects, including constructing new railways, subways, airports and rebuilding communities devastated by an earthquake in southwest China in May."

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/world/asia/10china.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

 

 

I left in the opening comments as they convey the importance of the following press release:

__________________

 

APTA High Speed and Intercity Rail Committee,

 

Following is the media summary of the just-released update of the CHSRA business plan.  The detailed plan may be viewed on the CHSRA web site.

 

These reliable projections, coupled with California’s approval of the $9.95 billion in CHSRA bonds on 11/4, signal a new level of credibility and urgency for the rest of the nations’ HSR corridors.  Mobility, environmental improvement, independence from foreign oil and millions of good-paying jobs that can’t be off-shored...that’s what high speed rail means for the US...and it’s time!  And it’s our job to deliver the federal share of the needed funds!

 

Rod

 

Rod Diridon, Chair

APTA HS&IC Rail Committee

________________________

 

Published Friday, November 7, 2008, by the CA HSRA

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Business Plan for California High-Speed Train Forecasts Over $1 Billion Annual Revenue Surplus, Triple Return on Investment

 

SACRAMENTO -- California's new high-speed train system will be an infrastructure project on the scale of the State Water Project, generating more than $1 billion in surplus revenues a year by 2030, reducing congestion and pollution, and returning nearly three times as much in value as the system will cost over the next 40 years.

 

Those are among the key findings of a new Business Plan for the state's 800-mile network of trains operating up to 220 miles an hour and linking California's major cities between San Diego in the south and San Francisco and Sacramento in the north.

 

"This Business Plan calculates high-speed trains will alleviate the need to spend nearly $100 billion to build about 3,000 miles of new freeway plus five airport runways and 90 departure gates over the next two decades," said Judge Quentin Kopp, chairman of the board of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which released the plan Friday. "A statewide high-speed train system will meet that same need for about half the cost."

 

Kopp called the Business Plan a "snapshot in time" taken from thousands of hours of detailed analysis of the economic underpinnings of the high-speed train system.

 

The scale and the length of time it will take to construct the system demands continuous economic review and adjustment to identify long- term costs, ridership and economic impacts, which are dynamic in nature. Similarly, construction and materials, land acquisition, energy and even the transportation preferences of millions of Californians will evolve over future decades.

 

"Nevertheless, this Business Plan provides a credible, reasonable and experience-based estimate of the system's current financial and economic outlook," Kopp said.

 

"The passage of Proposition 1A this past week demonstrates to federal funding authorities and private investors that California will make the political, legislative and financial commitment to developing high speed rail, " said Sasha Page, Vice President at Infrastructure Management Group and head of the Authority's financial plan team.

 

One way financial experts measure the return on the state's investment is to calculate the system's "present value" at a future time and compare it to the cost. ("Present value" is a way to figure value adjusted over time, much like figuring compound interest.) Building the high-speed train system will create more than $150 billion in measurable "present value" benefits -– nearly three times the present value of the train's capital and operational costs over the next 40 years.

 

In addition to 160,000 construction jobs over the next two decades, high-speed trains will generate 320,000 permanent jobs by 2030, growing to 450,000 jobs in 2035, according to the Business Plan.

 

The system will reduce the state's reliance on fossil fuel by 12.7 million barrels of oil per year and eliminate 12 billion pounds of CO2 emissions a year. It will expand transportation capacity, provide a new option for intercity travel, and act as a catalyst to strengthen existing city centers by maintaining and improving accessibility.

 

While the Authority's plan is to complete the entire system by 2030, the Business Plan is focused on the "backbone link" between Los Angeles/Anaheim and San Francisco, consistent with current environmental evaluation and project planning. That is the key segment for which detailed financial calculations have been completed.

 

The $33 billion cost of the backbone link through the Central Valley will be shared among the State of California, the federal government, local and regional governments and private sector investors. Under Proposition 1A, approved by California voters last Tuesday, $9 billion in state bonds to develop the system cannot be spent until matching federal, local and private funding is also secured. Operation and maintenance will be financed by users through paid fares.

 

The Business Plan calculates that passenger revenues for the backbone link between Los Angeles/Anaheim and San Francisco will exceed operating and maintenance costs. With train fares set at 50 percent of airfares, high-speed trains will carry 55 million traveler trips in 2030 and generate $2.4 billion in revenues for this portion of the high-speed train system. Annual operation and maintenance costs for this link have been estimated at approximately $1.3 billion.

 

Operating surpluses of $1.1 billion for the backbone link would be used as a return on investment for private sources of major financing, for expanding or improving the system and to repay construction bonds. The new Business Plan also includes a discussion of the potential risks associated with the project and strategies to mitigate those risks.

 

The 2008 Business Plan is a comprehensive update of the Authority's original Business Plan issued in 2000 as well as dozens of financial and economic studies done since then, the high-speed train's program-level environmental impact report completed last year and newly completed financial studies.

 

Core calculation for the Ridership and Revenue and Economic Benefits in this Plan was prepared by Cambridge Systematics, a national leader in transportation economics and modeling with extensive experience in California. Financial projections and plan were prepared by Infrastructure Management Group (IMG), a nationally respected advisor to local, state and federal governments on infrastructure financing strategy (with input from Barclays Capital). Parsons Brinckerhoff, a leading international engineering and program management firm with direct experience in high-speed train projects in Asia and Europe, guided development of the construction costs and operational costs.

 

This work was supplemented by SYSTRA, a major international consultant group with worldwide experience in design, construction and operation of similar high-speed trains. Underlying cost assumptions, operations, maintenance and capital costs were also reviewed by European and Japanese government rail agencies.

 

The full Business Plan and can be viewed on the Authority's Web site at <http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov > >. Due to the large size of the source documentation, it will not be available for viewing until next week. Soft-cover and electronic copies of the plan can be obtained by contacting the California High-Speed Rail Authority, 925 L Street, Suite 1425, Sacramento, CA 95814. Telephone 916-324-1541. The FAX is 916-322-0827.

 

CONTACT: Quentin Kopp, 650-363-4616, 415-407-4864 (Cell)

New coalition to back transit efforts in Michigan

ProgressiveRailroading.com

 

The Michigan Municipal League, Detroit Regional Chamber and Transportation Riders United recently teamed up to form Get Michigan Moving (GM-2), a coalition that plans to launch public policy and education efforts aimed at expanding public transit in Michigan.

 

 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=18643

Not satisfied with killing TARC's trolley service, or removing TARC's shuttle service for UofL students, Miller Transportation is now aiming its gun towards TARC's cheap elderly shuttle service.

 

Miller Transportation questions TARC's 'Day on the Town' program for elderly, disabled

Miller challenges 'Day on the Town'

By Sheldon S. Shafer, Courier-Journal, November 13, 2008

 

The Transit Authority of River City for a decade has been offering cheap rides to nursing-home residents and other elderly and disabled people to go shopping and to restaurants and to other social outlets.

 

Click headline for more:

We're all lamenting the demise of real estate development projects because the financing has dried up. We look to transportation projects because they're often funded by governments, except this one and look what has happened to it....

 

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5-11-14

 

November 13, 2008

BART light rail link to Oakland Airport scuttled

 

BART's $386 million plan to link its rail network to Oakland International Airport with a 3.2-mile light rail link has stalled, due in part to the inability to attract private partners to help fund the project. The light rail line would have connected with BART at its Coliseum station.

 

Three consortia initially expressed interest in the project, but two dropped out during the year, and BART officials say the remaining joint venture team, which included Bombardier Transportation and Merrill Lynch & Co., also have ended discussions.

 

"The economy had a big effect," said BART Board President Gail Murray. "We needed a partnership to make this work. But it just didn't pencil out for them." Murray said BART would consider other, less expensive alternatives to provide a transit link to the airport.

 

BART had secured $256 million for the prooject from various local sources, while the Federal Transit Administration pledged $25 million. That left the project requiring $130 million, which was to come from the private sector.

 

At present AirBART shuttle buses provide such service, with travel times ranging from 12 to 60 minutes. Nevertheless, some within BART are suggesting the agency revisit the concept of Bus Rapid Transit as a possible alternative.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20081117_Digging_deep_in_Pittsburgh_for_rail_line.html

Digging deep in Pittsburgh for rail line

 

The city is tunneling below the Allegheny River for a $435 million commuter-system spur.

 

By Dan Nephin

 

A welder joins a section of rebar as other workers knot together the net of steel for the tunnel floor before concrete is poured for the 1.2-mile light-rail extension.

 

Workers walk through the lowest part of the tunnel being built under the Allegheny River to reach the city sports complex.

 

 

(KEITH SRAKOCIC / Associated Press)

Looking up at Pittsburgh skyscrapers through a wide-angle lens from the bottom of the pit where the new North Shore Connector meets the light-rail system.

 

 

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH - Many sports-crazed fans who don't want to deal with traffic must walk or take the bus over the bridges of the Allegheny River to watch their Steelers or Pirates.

 

The city's 25-mile light rail system won't get them to the neighborhood that is home to Heinz Field, PNC Park, museums, and soon, a huge slots casino. It stops short of the river, in downtown Pittsburgh.

 

But now the commuter line is being extended 1.2 miles through a tunnel under the river in a $435 million project that will take rail users onto the North Shore.

 

While a certain convenience for sports fans, the project has drawn criticism for its high cost - and where it doesn't go.

 

The Port Authority of Allegheny County says the North Shore Connector, expected to be completed in 2011, is a sound investment in mass transit that will spur development.

 

But the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, a conservative think tank based in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, believes the project will pay off only if it is extended 15 miles to Pittsburgh International Airport.

 

"We look at things on the basis of their cost and benefits and on a cost-benefit basis, this doesn't come anywhere close," said Jake Haulk, the institute's president.

 

Port Authority officials say it's possible that one day the rail line, called the "T" by locals, would be extended.

 

But Haulk said that wouldn't happen in the next 20 years. "That's a pipe dream," he said.

 

About three-quarters of the extension, or just under a mile, will be underground. The project also includes revamping the current final stop downtown to link it to the extension.

 

The cost was originally put at $395 million. Eighty percent of the project is being funded with a federal grant, with 16.66 percent coming from the state, and the rest from local government.

 

That additional money could come from the authority's capital budget, which could mean delays on other authority projects, said Winston Simmonds, the port authority's rail operations and engineering officer.

 

He said the Federal Transit Administration approved the project before energy costs began to rise and a global demand for steel, concrete and other construction materials drove prices up beyond the 3.3 percent anticipated annual increase. The project was also to have included a link to the downtown David L. Lawrence Convention Center, but that was dropped because of budget constraints.

 

Costs are expected to increase even more, though the authority can't say by how much.

 

In Pittsburgh, about 676,000 people rode light rail in October, up more than 4 percent from about 675,000 passengers in October 2007. Ridership was also up in September and August.

 

About 27,000 people use light rail each day, and officials estimate that 14,300 people will use the North Shore Connector daily when it's completed.

 

The port authority estimates its per rider cost at $6, of which most riders pay $2.50, with the balance coming from state and local subsidies. But the Allegheny Institute believes the cost to the agency is even higher.

 

Kathleen Connolly, of Ben Avon, a suburb just west of Pittsburgh, questioned how many commuters would park on the North Shore and take light rail downtown.

 

"The T is nice, beautiful, easy and clean, but it serves the South Hills and Station Square," a shopping and entertainment complex to the west, just across the Monongahela River from downtown.

 

A better project, she said, would be extending light rail west to the airport or to the city's eastern suburbs.

 

"They're not hiding the fact that it's for entertainment," she said. "It's not for commuter ease."

 

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato has said he would have preferred to expand the transportation system elsewhere, but supports the project because he did not want to lose federal funding.

Interesting (though suspect) that a conservative "think tank" would criticize a light rail project because it isn't agressive enough.

 

But given the posts I've seen on U-O suggesting Cleveland RTA's Waterfront Rapid Line should be extended to the East beyond the nearby entertainment venues, one would wonder if they don't have a point.

Although rail links to airports aren't big ridership generators. Except in only a few instances have airport rail links attracted 10 percent or more of the surface transportation traffic to/from airports.

True enough, but the same should apply to specialty destinations like the Lake Front area.  Extending a rail line beyond that area and into one where people actually live would seem to generate far better and steadier ridership.  In the case of the Water Front Line, the flow of population from the Eastern burbs could justify turning the site into an actual intermodal transit center for the North side of downtown Cleveland.