Who says I haven't? hahahaha!

 

Furthermore, if this so-called "mismanagement" has led to the evolution of one of the best public transportation systems in the world, then I sure as heck hope it continues to be mismanaged!

Who says I haven't? hahahaha!

 

Furthermore, if this so-called "mismanagement" has led to the evolution of one of the best public transportation systems in the world, then I sure as heck hope it continues to be mismanaged!

 

In the current moment?  When did you live here?  I'm sure straph, EVD would agree with Kstay and I.  The MTA is the pits.

I digress...!  :wave:

Why, yes, everything in New York is absolutely world class...  :roll:  New York is a great city, but it's not nirvana. One thing that it is world class in New york is how well its residents complain. And if you had experience with the (mis-)management of its transit system, you'd understand one of the reasons why.

 

But hey, we're Cleveland. Woe is Cleveland, the only city to ever have endure problems.

 

We have a thread about what other transit systems are doing. Let's continue this discussion there before this thread gets any further off track! With that, I get to use my new graphic.....

 

^ My last thought is this, because I know we'll get told to get back on topic soon and since I just came back from a self-imposed 2 month break from UO, I wanna be good for now.  But if you want to start a new thread, MTS and I will gladly explain how MTA's management has led to lack of evolution, and that in fact, if it was managed half-way decent, it would be a larger, more efficient system.

I digress...!  :wave:

 

You cannot be serious.  The mismanagement of the MTA is unequal to any  major city transit system in this country!

 

They have no clue.  None.  The monthly fare has gone up from $46 to 81 in 9 years.

 

From $46 to $89 with the recent monthly unlimited metrocard hike that took affect on June 30th.

While I don't disagree with you as far as MTA, I haven't had enough experience with it to offer an educated opinion, I don't think you can use fair increases as a sole indicator of the quality of management and defend RTA. After all if you're comparing fare increases, RTA's monthly bus pass has gone from $45 to $85 in three and half years.

You cannot be serious.  The mismanagement of the MTA is unequal to any  major city transit system in this country!

 

They have no clue.  None.  The monthly fare has gone up from $46 to 81 in 9 years.

 

From $46 to $89 with the recent monthly unlimited metrocard hike that took affect on June 30th.

While I don't disagree with you as far as MTA, I haven't had enough experience with it to offer an educated opinion, I don't think you can use fair increases as a sole indicator of the quality of management and defend RTA. After all if you're comparing fare increases, RTA's monthly bus pass has gone from $45 to $85 in three and half years.

 

The fare was just one thing.  They've cut services/reduced frequency, cut cleaning of cars.  Closed stations or greatly altered station access.  Stations that have had upgrades were poorly done.  Many with cost overruns only to find massive errors with the stations shortly after.  Example the new south ferry station.

 

I haven't even started on the Bus portion of the system.

 

ETA:  The biggest mystery is the way the MTA cooks the books and wont let the city or state see.

The only "major" error at South Ferry was that the rubbing boards along the platform edges were too small, and the resulting gap between the train and platform was about an inch wider than permitted per ADA standards. This was easily fixed by replacing the rubbing boards, but it delayed the opening of the station for a few days. I'd hardly call that a major error. These types of things happen on any major construction project, and subway construction is incredibly complicated.

 

The MTA certainly isn't perfect, but it generally runs like a Swiss watch compared to the systems in Chicago or Philly.

The only "major" error at South Ferry was that the rubbing boards along the platform edges were too small, and the resulting gap between the train and platform was about an inch wider than permitted per ADA standards. This was easily fixed by replacing the rubbing boards, but it delayed the opening of the station for a few days. I'd hardly call that a major error. These types of things happen on any major construction project, and subway construction is incredibly complicated.

 

The MTA certainly isn't perfect, but it generally runs like a Swiss watch compared to the systems in Chicago or Philly.

 

No the station was to open in December, then Janauary....then it opened when?  March.  That is hardly a few days.

 

The mechanical and fire alarm systems were incorrectly installed, which resulted in the first delays.  The stations gaps caused the 2nd.

 

I went on tours of the station before it was even open.

Treehugger: The Seven Coolest Subway Systems in the World

 

NYC is one of them, although certainly not for its beauty or cleanliness.

Treehugger: The Seven Coolest Subway Systems in the World

 

NYC is one of them, although certainly not for its beauty or cleanliness.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, no system, compares to the Moscow system.  I could live in one of those station. That alone should tell you how fabulous it is!!

Actually, one of the staunchest supporters of rial & transit was the late Paul Weyrich who ran the very conservative Free Congress Association. He was also critical of many of the so-called "free-market" think tanks that opposed rail & transit funding.

 

One of Weyrich's more recent position papers challenged conservatives with the question: how can "we" be anti-transit when quality mass transit increases, markedly, a city's efficiency, in perpetuating population density and a greater ease of people movement via transit (including easier mobility via car since greater numbers will be off the road)?  Weyrich further asked: doesn't sprawl and traffic-clogged highways cause more man-hours stuck in traffic and greatly hinder the free market economy conservatives always champion?  Although I disagreed w/ Weyrich on practically everything but transit, I was sorry to hear he died last year: he was a refreshing counterpoint to the tired old conservative dogma:

 

Mass transit

- is social engineering, social engineering/Socialist, and only serves poor and minorities (so why should I be forced to share a seat with "them" if I don't want to -- I'll get my clothes dirty)

- impinges my "freedom" to drive the biggest, fatest, gas-guzzling-est Hummer I can afford; this is America, after all, and

- blah, blah, blah, blah, b....

Treehugger: The Seven Coolest Subway Systems in the World

 

NYC is one of them, although certainly not for its beauty or cleanliness.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, no system, compares to the Moscow system.  I could live in one of those station. That alone should tell you how fabulous it is!!

Yes, for beauty and cleanliness, Moscow takes the prize. It's nicer than virtually any home in the city (and some of the palaces.) As for usefullness for getting around town, Moscow's subway leaves a lot to be desired though.

Treehugger: The Seven Coolest Subway Systems in the World

 

NYC is one of them, although certainly not for its beauty or cleanliness.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, no system, compares to the Moscow system.  I could live in one of those station. That alone should tell you how fabulous it is!!

Yes, for beauty and cleanliness, Moscow takes the prize. It's nicer than virtually any home in the city (and some of the palaces.) As for usefullness for getting around town, Moscow's subway leaves a lot to be desired though.

 

Agreed, but I was on a "fan tour".  So "usefullness" wasn't on my mind at that time.

Is it just me or should we just worry about getting functional rail vs. high-speed, high-priced rail which we certainly don't have the money for. We had our chance for the longest time and waited too long. I think all of those extra tens of billions that would be needed for upgrades to allow high-speed rail should instead be used to give all of our large cities a starter streetcar system or an additional line if they already have one.

I have a confession  :|

 

Ya'll know I love Shaker Square and the Shaker Rapid.  I've been riding the rapid since I was 4 years old.  Nobody had better not say nothin' bad about it either! (ha..a triple negative for your grammer nuts.  :P ) 

 

I  went to Jersey (gasp) the other day via the Path and rode the Light Rail. _{I, I, actually like the cars better than} the Shaker cars.  :'(  The station design, the route and the speed, was, by far, worse than the Shaker lines.

Though high-speed rail gets most of the attention, the reality is that most states (Ohio included) are planning conventional ("functional")-speed systems. That will set the stage for higher-speed trains (110 MPH), as most of the improvements that enable "functional" trains (79 MPH) will essentially be the foundation upon which better, faster trains can be added.

 

As KJP and others have so often said, no one has ever gone from no system to a high-speed system in one leap. That is even less of a possibility today due to the cost of land acquisition alone for new dedicated rail corridors.  The incremental approach has worked and worked very well all over the U.S.

Sorry for all the articles but there is a lot happening around the nation. So I've listed only the headline and first paragraph or two of each. If one intrigues you, scroll down through the full articles at:

 

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature7-8-04

 

August 4, 2009

Restoring Amtrak to Gulf Coast will be costly

 

Restoring passenger rail service from New Orleans along the Gulf Coast to Orlando, Fla., will cost tens of millions of dollars and take a minimum of almost two years to accomplish, according to a new Amtrak study that also predicts the revived route would be a money-loser, according to the Mobile, Ala., Press-Register.

 

Service on the old Sunset Limited line, passing through Pascagoula, Mobile and Atmore was halted after Hurricane Katrina trashed the Gulf Coast in August 2005.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

August 3, 2009

RailPros wins LA Metrolink contract

 

RailPros, Inc., has recently been awarded a contract by Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink) to provide on-call project management, construction management and staff augmentation services. Under this three-year, $20-million contract, RailPros will provide services for such projects as Positive Train Control, OC Service Expansion Program, Perris Valley Line and m/w information systems.

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

August 3, 2009

New Mexico Rail Runner Express quiets North Valley

 

On July 31the remaining six North Valley railroad crossings between Osuna Road and Alameda Road officially “went quiet” - meaning that trains will stop sounding their horns when passing through the area.

 

“This has been a tremendous effort, but certainly well worth it when you consider the significant difference in this area in terms of train noise reduction,” says Lawrence Rael, Executive Director for the Mid-Region Council of Governments. “With the addition of these last six crossings going quiet, more neighborhoods and businesses along the Rail Runner corridor will now be less impacted by the sound of train horns.”

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

August 3, 2009

COLT overpass project to continue 15 months

 

City of Columbia and Missouri leaders kicked off the COLT bridge overpass project for Highway 63 yesterday with a groundbreaking ceremony for construction that is expected to last 15 months, according to local newspapers. The city-owned COLT railroad has tracks that cross Highway 63 just north of Paris Road, and the crossing has been the site of fatal accidents over the years. When larger vehicles, such as buses and semi trucks, slow or stop for the tracks, cars and pickups sometimes have collided with the stopped vehicles from the rear.

 

In 1980, the Missouri Department of Transportation was planning improvements to Highway 63. Norfolk and Western Railway, which owned the rail line at the time, reported it was going to abandon the line to Columbia, and MoDOT did not plan an overpass. Since the city bought the rail line in 1987, rail and highway traffic have increased 400 percent, according to the Columbia Water and Light Department.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

August 3, 2009

MBTA vows changes will avert delays

 

Operators of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's commuter rail service are pledging to install new switches and take other steps to avoid lengthy delays like the one that stranded riders on the Framingham/Worcester and Needham lines for more than two hours in June, The Boston Globe reports.

 

Officials from CSX Transportation, the MBTA, and the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. met with lawmakers from communities along the corridor recently as a follow-up to the June 26 incident in which a switch failure delayed 10 rush-hour trains.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

August 3, 2009

Denver Union Station plan aims to tap U.S. loans

 

Officials behind the $500-million redevelopment of Denver Union Station may soon find out if their plan to finance the bulk of the makeover by borrowing from the federal government instead of selling bonds will work. The recent freeze of the credit markets made private financing difficult.

 

The planned redevelopment includes a new $59-million light-rail station, a $155-million commuter rail and intercity rail terminal, and a $216-million underground regional bus station.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

August 3, 2009

Minnesota’s Northstar making progress

 

Construction continues in downtown Minneapolis at the Northstar commuter rail station and on the Hiawatha Light Rail Transit Line. Punchlist work continues at the Big Lake, Elk River, Anoka and Coon Rapids stations as crews are completing the finishing touches on each station.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

August 3, 2009

South Shore plans weekend construction outages

 

The South Shore commuter rail line in northwest Indiana is alerting passengers to a series of planned temporary weekend construction outages that are scheduled to begin late August. South Shore trains will not operate trains in either direction between South Bend and Gary Metro Center on the following weekends from 2:30 a.m. Saturday thru 3:00 a.m. Monday: August 29-31, September 12-14, September 26-28, October 10-12 and October 31 - November 2

 

NICTD is beginning Phase 2 of its overhead wire modernization program, which is between Michigan City and Gary. This $18-million, three-year project will replace over 100 miles of electrical conductor, some of which dates back to the 1920s. This wire is old and brittle and subject to failure. These failures are the single leading cause of significant service disruptions and lengthy train delays.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

August 3, 2009

State grant will clean up Homewood, Ill., viaduct area

 

Pedestrians approaching the long viaduct going under the Metra and Canadian National rail tracks near downtown Homewood, Ill., need to do some sidestepping, according to the Southtown Star. An overgrowth of bushes and trees sticks out well into the walkway, creating an obstacle for walkers and an eyesore for motorists - but not for much longer.

so much happening...outside of ohio.  :|

so much happening...outside of ohio. :| 

 

This is one reason I said on the 3-C thread that I'd seriously consider leaving Ohio if we don't make some progress on the 3-C this time.  We've had 30 years of talk.  That's about 25 years too long.  But, KJP "talked me off the ledge" so to speak today, so it looks like I'll stick around for a while.  Thanks KJP. 

Well, he said that he was leaving the US because the people were yelling their dissatisfaction!  I'm not going anywhere!

:clap:

 

 

 

Could Streetcars Be Returning to Brooklyn?

 

by Brooklyn Eagle ([email protected]), published online 08-04-2009

 

 

Bloomberg Pushes for New Mass Transit Option

 

By Zoe Thomas

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

 

BROOKLYN — A prominent piece of Brooklyn transit history may become part of its future. At a campaign rally on Monday, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled his ideas for overhauling New York City’s transit system, which included creating light rail train and street car services along Brooklyn’s waterfront.

 

Read more at:

 

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=27&id=29956

Many neighborhoods lack easy access to subway lines, forcing residents to take a bus, drive or hoof it. Streetcars could possibly address this problem making these neighborhoods more accessible to the rest of the city.

 

Well, take some comfort Clevelanders: even the greatest, fastest & most comprehensive subway system in the world has holes and, contrary to popular myth, doesn't put everybody w/in a couple blocks of a subway station.  Maybe we should stop bitching about where our Rapid doesn't go and start using it...(as many UOers do, so this isn't addressed to them)

 

Lastly the Mayor pointed out that the MTA should cut down on some of its unnecessary building leases in order to save money and improve neighborhoods, like Downtown Brooklyn, where the MTA controls many buildings such as 370 Jay Street, which sits virtually empty.

 

Vacant downtown buildings?  Brooklyn!?  You mean, this exists significantly in the biggest NYC borough's CBD and not just in downtown Cleveland?  Significant vacancy in the largest borough and self-titled "4th largest city in the U.S.!?"

http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/dulles-metrorail-august-construction-update.html

 

Aug. 6, 2009

Dulles Metrorail August construction update        

 

Construction activities are officially under way along the entire alignment of Phase 1 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

 

Read more at link above:

Missouri DOT seeks stimulus dollars for 11 rail projects

 

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission recently approved the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) plan to add 11 rail projects totaling $201.3 million to the state’s five-year transportation improvement program.

 

 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=21126

I'll bet 3-C Corridor will have a similar roster of proposed improvements.

Has anything been proposed for rail (specifically, the 3C) yet?

The specific improvements haven't been detailed yet, as the Amtrak study and a freight capacity study of the corridor are still to be completed.  Once that's done, the state can begin to identify where the upgrades and fixes need to be made.  As KJP says...it will likely be a very similar list to what Missouri just announced.

job opening notice -- haha i love some of the guest announcers commentary!  :laugh:

 

 

Attention: Subway Announcers Sought Forskhhxthwhalzlyzzz

 

Do you have a silky-smooth voice that sounds great filtered through static, feedback, and screeching train brakes? Then this could be your big, um, break: NYC Transit has allocated funds to expand their Dedicated Announcers Program, which broadcasts announcements through individual sections of the subway system containing between four and 22 stations. And the subway's customer communications director, Termaine Garden, actually seems to believe these announcements are intelligible: "We look for professional voices to make professional sounding announcements. Our goal is perfection." A noble pursuit, but how about a little mediocrity first—with all the garbled static, most of these announcements make as much sense as a Sonic Youth feedback jam. Currently 33 announcers cover 15 posts throughout the system, and 14 more are going to be hired soon. After the Daily News reported on the "elite group" yesterday, some readers even showed up at the MTA building to try auditioning. One hopeful, Anthony Paterson, a 55-year-old unemployed chauffeur from Long Island, explained, "I've been told by many people I have great voice." We hope he gets it, and look forward to not hearing a word he's saying.

 

Comments (22)

 

"Hello, this is Morgan Freeman. There will be delays on the F train this weekend because of construction. But don't let that stop you from exploring this great city--get busy living, or get busy dying." (bonus points if you heard his voice in your head while reading this.)

 

Samuel Jackson:

 

"We are delayed because there are mothaf*ckin snakes on this train!"

 

Three words: Pee Wee Herman.

 

Jeremy Irons.

 

 

 

I'm a big fan of subway drivers that make their own announcements. This is the best one I've heard, on the N train.

 

Conductor: "Ladies and gentleman. We are not the NYPD, we are not the NYFD. We are not New York's finest or bravest. We are the MTA. We keep it moving underground. Ya heard?"

 

Follow Jet Blew -s lead and get these celebrity types to do the pre-recorded stuff..A different person for each stop, so when you hear Fran Drescher scream "TRANSFA TO THE C TRAIN HAHAHAHAAH" you can have an excuse run like hell.

 

 

job opening notice -- haha i love some of the guest announcers commentary!  :laugh:

 

 

Attention: Subway Announcers Sought Forskhhxthwhalzlyzzz

 

Do you have a silky-smooth voice that sounds great filtered through static, feedback, and screeching train brakes? Then this could be your big, um, break: NYC Transit has allocated funds to expand their Dedicated Announcers Program, which broadcasts announcements through individual sections of the subway system containing between four and 22 stations. And the subway's customer communications director, Termaine Garden, actually seems to believe these announcements are intelligible: "We look for professional voices to make professional sounding announcements. Our goal is perfection." A noble pursuit, but how about a little mediocrity first%u2014with all the garbled static, most of these announcements make as much sense as a Sonic Youth feedback jam. Currently 33 announcers cover 15 posts throughout the system, and 14 more are going to be hired soon. After the Daily News reported on the "elite group" yesterday, some readers even showed up at the MTA building to try auditioning. One hopeful, Anthony Paterson, a 55-year-old unemployed chauffeur from Long Island, explained, "I've been told by many people I have great voice." We hope he gets it, and look forward to not hearing a word he's saying.

 

Comments (22)

 

"Hello, this is Morgan Freeman. There will be delays on the F train this weekend because of construction. But don't let that stop you from exploring this great city--get busy living, or get busy dying." (bonus points if you heard his voice in your head while reading this.)

Samuel Jackson:

 

"We are delayed because there are mothaf*ckin snakes on this train!"

 

Three words: Pee Wee Herman.

 

Jeremy Irons.

 

 

 

I'm a big fan of subway drivers that make their own announcements. This is the best one I've heard, on the N train.

 

Conductor: "Ladies and gentleman. We are not the NYPD, we are not the NYFD. We are not New York's finest or bravest. We are the MTA. We keep it moving underground. Ya heard?"

 

Follow Jet Blew -s lead and get these celebrity types to do the pre-recorded stuff..A different person for each stop, so when you hear Fran Drescher scream "TRANSFA TO THE C TRAIN HAHAHAHAAH" you can have an excuse run like hell.

 

 

 

Is there a link?

 

And yes, I could hear Morgan Freeman in my head.  Scary!

 

I would love have Grace Jones, Edward James Olmos, and James Earl Jones.

 

Hell, I may audition!

 

The time is now 8:25 AM, you're riding a brooklyn bound D train.  Fabulous people have confirmed seating in the first 5 cars of this train and wannabe's, trendsters, hipsters and "others" are delegated to the standing room only cars to the rear of the conductor.  Next stop 59 Street Columbus Circle.  Have a fabulous day!

John Rocker could do the #7 announcement!!!!

John Rocker could do the #7 announcement!!!!

 

Naa.  I like Rosie Perez for that!

Toronto lands retail lease agreement for Union Station revitalization

 

Yesterday, Toronto’s city council announced it endorsed an agreement with a private company to serve as head lessee, and lease and operate all retail space in Union Station, including new space planned in the lower retail concourse. The firm’s name will remain confidential until a lease agreement is signed in six to eight weeks, the council said.

 

 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=21134

Advocates make last-minute pitch to site Amtrak depot on isthmus

Mike Ivey

August 1, 2009

 

Fast forward to 2013.

 

President Barack Obama, fresh off a narrow re-election victory over Sarah Palin, is celebrating the opening of new Amtrak service between his hometown of Chicago and Madison.

 

 

Obama is riding with Gov. Jim Doyle and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz as the train rumbles past East Towne and under Wisconsin 30 and starts across East Washington Avenue.

 

 

http://www.madison.com/tct/business/460480

I looked on satellite maps of Madison and I'm not impressed with either station option. Why stop short of downtown Madison with a station at First Street when a station at/near Olin Terrace Park in the heart of the city center might be possible? I understand the goal is to continue to extend the route through to Minneapolis, but that's a ways off. And even if a through route to Minneapolis, there could be two stations for different routings in Madison as there are in cities like Richmond, Va. (one on the city's outskirts for all trains including the Florida-bound trains and one downtown for the trains bound for Newport News).

 

Upon further review, if the trains to/through Madison will continue to be operated in a push-pull configuration, why not just have trains serve the immediate downtown area and reverse their direction to either return to Chicago or go to Minneapolis (and serve the Dane Airport too)? After all, if this can be done with hundreds of trains per day at the stub-end Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (one of the top-ten busiest stations in the world) surely they can do it with just a dozen trains per day at Madison, Wisconsin!

 

BTW, nice article. Very creative way to start an article.

San Diego Business Journal PRINT | CLOSE WINDOW 

Rail Stops Envisioned as Starting Points for Development

By ANDREW SCHWEIZER - 8/10/2009

San Diego Business Journal Staff

 

As the nation and California work on financing a proposed high-speed rail project, developers, though cash-strapped, are eyeing the HSR as a promising business venture.

 

 

 

 

http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=81208308.5268931.1815918.9436549.9760233.468&aID2=139677

I have mixed feelings about Bloomberg's job as mayor of NYC, but I'll give the guy credit for thinking boldly about transit and infrastructure.

 

Mike's Plan for a Better NYC Transit System

 

Our city’s rail system is extensive, but as any New Yorker knows, there’s a lot to be done. Mike’s Plan for a Better NYC Transit System would work to improve the subway and commuter rail experience for the millions of New Yorkers who take the train everyday.

 

• Reinstitute F Line Express Service to reduce commute times and train crowding for Brooklyn commuters.
  
• Reopen shuttered LIRR stations in underserved neighborhoods in Queens.
  
• Expand CityTicket program to all LIRR and Metro North stations at all times so Bronx and Queens riders pay reduced fares.
  
• Reopen the Staten Island North Shore Rail line to provide train service to growing communities.
  
• Install countdown clocks on subway routes to provide riders with time notifications.
  
• Pilot light rail or street car services in North Brooklyn and Western Queens waterfront neighborhoods.
  
• Fix stations more efficiently and cost effectively to ensure existing stations are in a state of good repair.

 

Unfortunately, the MTA is a state agency controlled by Albany and not a city agency controlled by Bloomberg, but he does command an effective bully pulpit.

Chicago Moves Forward with Three Rapid Transit Extensions

 

The Transport Politic

8/13/09

 

Red, Orange, and Yellow Lines would be pushed further away from the city center in $2 billion plan.

 

At a board meeting yesterday, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) unanimously endorsed routes for three rapid transit corridor extensions that will provide new service to people on the city’s south side and in Skokie, a suburb north of the downtown Loop. The decision finalized the authority’s choice to extend existing rail lines rather than attempt to implement bus rapid transit along these routes. It paves the way for eventual consideration by the FTA in the New Starts grant funding process. Together, these projects will cost about $2 billion and could be completed by 2016 at the earliest.

 

Click on the link above for the full article.

Now that is a cool map!

CTA needs to step it up.  The trains they have are barely comprehensive enough to work for a city of 500,000.  They should focus their effort on building some cross-town routes. 

 

They are, however, incredibly good at alerting passengers of service disruptions and offering alternatives. 

Agreed... The Chicago 'L' is essentially a light rail system with a few heavy rail features, and it's been cobbled together over the years without any long-term master plan. A 600-foot train on NYC's BMT/IND division has about twice the passenger capacity of a 384-foot CTA train at rush hour, and there are huge portions of the city and inner-ring suburbs that have no rail service at all. Chicago deserves much better.

Where will they get the operating funding? CTA can't afford to run the transit system it has now. Some additional local/state/federal operating support is needed.

New Yorkers can rest easy again, knowing that the Subway Masturbator has been arrested. The big break in the case came when a straphanger got a cell phone photo of him in the act. He claims that his privates fell out of his pants, despite having 64 prior arrests.

Uh OK, thanks! And now back to our regularly scheduled program!

http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/houston-metro-receives-design-approval-for-north-southeast-lines.html

 

Detroit M1 light rail construction is delayed 

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

 

Detroit has adjusted its effort to join the ranks of U.S. cities with light rail, as construction of the privately funded $120 million LRT line along Woodward Avenue has been pushed back until sometime next year. Construction was to begin by year’s end.

 

_______________

 

 

http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/houston-metro-receives-design-approval-for-north-southeast-lines.html

 

Houston METRO receives design approval for North, Southeast lines

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 

 

The Federal Transit Administration gave METRO permission today to enter into Final Design on Houston's North and Southeast light-rail lines. The FTA's approval is the final prerequisite toward entering Full Funding Grant Agreements on both lines, which signals the federal government's commitment to fund its part of the projects.

 

Read more at links above

Chicago's expansion puts a lie, to Joe Calabrese and his defenders, to the idea that a transit system struggling to finance its operations cannot expand rapid transit -- CTA is as old and broke a transit system as they come, but L expansion is not only planned, but being executed.  Operating expenses, for which the Feds have eliminated and backwards Ohio has cut from its transit systems to the bare bone, doesn't equal capital project, expenses for which the Feds still step in to pay the lion's share.  While RTA and other state transit agencies (and transit advocates) should continue to hound Columbus to raise the State’s share of transit operating expenses, it doesn't excuse Joe C who's decidedly anti rail and who should be backing some rail expansion -- most notably an extension of the short expansion of the Blue Line -- for which Shaker Heights has taken the lead to expand (and not RTA) a thousand or so feet to create TOD -- all the way to the Chagrin Highland.  There's no excuse why RTA and Joe C aren't out front pushing for this, as any normal transit chief/system would surely  do...

Three states seek ARRA funds for HSR projects

 

Yesterday, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has applied for $800 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding to establish high-speed rail (HSR) service on the Amtrak Wolverine Line between Pontiac, Detroit and Chicago.

 

 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=21272

This is for the first round of applications. Ohio will submit for 3C "Quick Start" in the second round of applications due Oct. 2........

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125115017812354935.html

 

AUGUST 25, 2009

States Seek Slice of Rail Funding

By CHRISTOPHER CONKEY

 

WASHINGTON -- States applied for billions of dollars for passenger-rail projects Monday, marking the start of a stimulus program designed to kick-start high-speed rail service in the U.S.

 

California alone submitted 42 applications, seeking $1.1 billion, according to Bill Bronte, rail division chief at the California Department of Transportation. Virginia asked for $75 million to lay 11.4 miles of track along the busy I-95 corridor south of Washington, D.C. North Carolina applied for six projects totaling $76 million, including work needed to establish faster passenger rail service heading north from Raleigh.

 

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http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/maryland-eyes-stimulus-funds-for-nec-other-improvements.html

 

Aug. 26, 2009

Maryland, Virginia, link fund requests to Amtrak, NEC  

 

Two states operating regional rail service with Washington, D.C. as their hub have submitted requests for federal funding to provide upgraded infrastructure. Unlike many of their brethren, however, Maryland and Virginia, to differing degrees, are piggybacking many of their own needs onto those of Amtrak, owner and operator of the Northeast Corridor.