Sound Transit opens airport LRT extension

 

On Dec. 19, Sound Transit opened the Link light-rail extension between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac International Airport.

 

An initial 14-mile segment from downtown to Tukwila opened in July. The final 1.7-mile segment from Tukwila to the airport, built in partnership with the Port of Seattle, helps Sound Transit provide a 36-minute ride to the airport from downtown with 13 stops. The airport handles 30 million passengers annually and employs 15,000 people.

 

More at:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=22249

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/pdBRF.nsf/RailFreightHomepage?OpenFrameSet&frame=main&src=RailPlan?OpenForm

 

 

PUBLIC COMMENT INVITED ON STATE PASSENGER, FREIGHT RAIL PLAN

12/11/2009

 

HARRISBURG – The public is invited to comment on the Pennsylvania Intercity Passenger and Freight Rail Plan, which provides guidance for investing in future rail needs and potential ways to enhance passenger and freight rail development in the state, supporting economic growth and environmental sustainability.

 

"Passenger and freight rail are important infrastructure components in Pennsylvania and demand is growing for each of them," PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E. said. "This plan will help us inventory our current infrastructure, future needs and facilitate cooperation between the two modes through future federal and state rail investments."

 

The final plan will serve as a planning document for federal and state rail investments within the commonwealth; create the base document for additional analyses of goods movement in other modes; and fulfill the requirements of the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2008, State Rail Plans and the Pennsylvania Rail Freight Preservation and Improvement Act Comprehensive Rail Freight Study.

 

To view the draft plan, visit www.dot.state.pa.us and click on "Aviation & Rail Freight." Comment can be provided through Jan. 15, 2010 via online submission form or by mail to: Jennie A. Granger, AECOM Transportation, 2040 Linglestown Road, Suite 300, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

 

I clicked on the link and I don't see the plan, anywhere. Nor do  I see a forum for public comment.

 

Oops. Silly IE 8 didn't let me scroll down.

 

 

Hoosier state is on track for high-speed rail service

 

Randy Wade

 

Last summer, the Associated Press reported an anecdote about Baudilio Tejerina, a native of Spain who works for Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Tejerina takes the Amtrak train to Lafayette regularly to work with faculty at Purdue. He said it would be “fantastic” to see the rail line upgraded to higher speed service.

 

[more ... ]

 

Oooops!!!

 

Executive committee meets to further discuss Norfolk light rail, future of HRT

Monday, December 28, 2009

 

One day after telling City Council that light-rail construction costs will not exceed the latest estimate of $328 million, Hampton Road Transit officials said that the price could climb another $12 million, The Virginian-Pilot reports. During a closed-door executive committee meeting, HRT consultants revealed that the project, which was budgeted to cost $232 million when construction started, could rise to about $340 million, a 47 percent increase, several board members confirmed. They added that the projection is preliminary.

 

That's $52 million more than what city and transit leaders believed was the cost less than a week ago and $108 more than its original budget. The bouncing numbers have deepened city and transit officials waning confidence in HRT leadership.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/executive-committee-meets-to-further-discuss-norfolk-light-rail-future-of-hrt.html

Connecticut funding sought for New Haven-Springfield line    

 

Connecticut’s Bond Commission will vote at its next meeting January 8 whether to supply $26 million in funding as the state share to expand double-tracking of Amtrak’s New Haven-to-Springfield line, an offshoot of the Northeast Corridor. The state funds would serve as the requisite commitment for any federal funding assistance.

 

Nutmeg State officials, led by Gov. Jodi Rell, say the the funds are needed for design, environmental, and engineering studies of the 62-mile route.

 

Full story at: http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/connecticut-funding-sought-for-new-haven-springfield-line.html

I've often wondered what has kept the New Haven-Springfield branch from being a much higher quality service. While six daily round trips is respectable, the population of this route, the number of financial firms along it (especially in Hartford) and its proximity to New York City, this route ought to have hourly service like the Harrisburg-Philadelphia portion of the Keystone Corridor. And I'm surprised how slow the service is on the New Haven-Springfield branch. It also ought to have 100+ mph top speeds like the Keystone Corridor.

 

Perhaps the efforts to boost this branch will result in those kinds of improvements.

Yeah.....people will never leave their cars and ride trains:

 

 

On Dec. 11, the Charlotte Area Transit System registered the 10 millionth rider on the LYNX Blue Line. Since the light-rail line opened in November 2007, daily weekday ridership has averaged about 15,000.

 

Source: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=22265

Not at all trying to disprove your point noozer, but Charlotte residents are all about what is "new" and "hip" and "trendy".  They were overly joyed to get a light rail line because, to them, it presented just more evidence that they are transforming from a mid-sized southern City into a major metropolis.  We'll see if that enthusiasm lasts, especially once the residents from east of the line start noticing more and more use of the light rail from those living west of the line.

I see and hear some of that here in Columbus, so I don't think that sense of newness or hipness is unique to Charlotte.  And they are not the only city to see light rail ridership increase...in spite of the recession.

 

In seven cities, light rail bucks the trend    

Railway Age Magazine

 

Public transit ridership in the United States was down 3.8% for the first nine months of 2009, according to the American Public Transportation Association, but light rail systems in seven cities posted an increase.

 

 

On the plus side were LRT systems in Philadelphia (17.5%), Oceanside, Calif. (17.3%), Baltimore (13.9%), Memphis (11.6%), Tampa (7.0% ), and San Francisco (1.1%). A new line on the light rail system in Seattle led to more than 100% growth in the first nine months of 2009.

 

More at: http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/in-seven-cities-light-rail-bucks-the-trend.html

^I'm stunned the New Haven Springfield line is single track; esp given the high population and high number of colleges that exist in the Pioneer Valley (Greater Springfield region)... No question that the Keystone Corridor is a model for this service, Ohio and any other region looking to establish or expand regional passenger train service.  Aside from the hand-me-down railcars and AEM-7 electric engines, Keystone seems as fast an reliable as the NEC, sans the new Acela trainsets.

in advance of ratner's atlantic yards:

 

 

4:39 PM

Brooklyn LIRR Terminal Opens

 

By: Roger Clark

 

After six years of construction, the Long Island Rail Road's new Atlantic Terminal Pavilion opened in Brooklyn Tuesday.

 

The three-story limestone, granite and glass structure at Flatbush Avenue and Hanson Place, which cost $108 million to build, features new amenities, including a customer waiting area, ticket offices and restrooms.

 

The existing transit hub connects the LIRR to five bus lines and 10 subway lines – the B, D, M, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4 and 5 trains. About 57,000 commuters come through the station daily.

 

video:

http://ny1.com/1-all-boroughs-news-content/news_beats/transit/

Ann Arbor to Detroit commuter rail plan video

 

http://www.semcog.org/AADD.aspx

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/011910dnmettexrail.3fb19e9.html

 

Most federal rail grants probably will bypass Texas

06:36 AM CST on Tuesday, January 19, 2010

By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER / The Dallas Morning News

[email protected]

 

The federal government is about to hand out a river of cash to states willing to build a network of bullet trains, as the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress seek to slowly ease the country's dependence on automobiles and airplanes to make short trips between its biggest cities.

 

It's the nation's first major investment in true high-speed rail, and among its most significant pushes to locate trains of any kind far from the East Coast.

But while the federal grants won't be announced until later this month, or early February, word already has emerged that Texas' chances of snagging much of what it has requested are slim.

 

More at link above:

Florida Feels Good About Rail Proposal; Road Builders Have Concerns

01/19/2010

By Scott Judy

 

Florida is looking to the private sector to bankroll high-speed rail. The state’s proposal for federal funding anticipates that private-sector funding would cover all operations and maintenance expenses for a planned line between Orlando and Tampa. State transportation planners aren’t committing any state funding to the system for the foreseeable future. Despite widespread enthusiasm for the project, the president of the Florida Transportation Builders Association is worried about high-speed rail’s long-term impact on state transportation funding, especially since the state has no dedicated funding source for a rail system.

 

“There doesn’t appear to be any recognition at all of the cost to the state,” says Robert G. Burleson, president of the FTBA in Tallahassee. “All the studies show that the train isn’t really profitable until you get it extended to Miami.” Burleson estimates that extending the system to Miami would require an annual commitment of between $100 million and $150 million for about 30 years.

 

“If there’s a new revenue source for high-speed rail ... we can live with that,” Burleson adds. “If [a potential subsidy] is supposed to come out of the current dollars that we have, then I just don’t see how it’s feasible. Given the big budget deficit that the state faces, there are going to be tremendous pressures to take money out of the transportation trust fund.”

 

Full story at:

 

Source: http://enr.construction.com/infrastructure/transportation/2010/0119-FloridaRailProposal.asp

 

January 20, 2010

 

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100120/NEWS04/1200311/1005/NEWS04

Lawmakers still skeptical of Detroit-Lansing rail proposal

High-speed line would cost $10 million per mile

 

Scott Davis

Lansing State Journal

[email protected]

 

State lawmakers have switched on a flashing caution light for a proposed high-speed rail line between Detroit and Lansing.

 

Project investors must disclose financing details before the state can get on board, members of a legislative task force said Tuesday. But although questions remain about the financing and the viability of the project, members recommended further study of it.

 

"Am I skittish? Yes, I am," state Rep. Bill Rogers, R-Brighton, chairman of the task force, said after a press conference at the Capitol. "I'm a banker. I want to see the hard cash."

 

In June, Michigan-based Interstate Traveler Co. LLC, or ITC, renewed its proposal for the high-tech system as part of a public-private partnership. It would use public rights of way along Interstate 96 and other highways but no taxpayer money.

 

 

More at link above:

Wisconsin bill would create regional transit authority, advance commuter-rail line

Progressive Railroading Magazine

 

Earlier this week, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle unveiled legislation that would create a Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SERTA) to oversee rail and bus improvements in the region, including a proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) commuter-rail line.

 

The legislation would build on a regional transit framework the governor proposed in September 2009, and balance the transit needs of Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine, said Doyle in a prepared statement. The bill would establish a “truly regional” transit authority that’s solely focused on transportation; phase-in independent governance; provide transportation funding that offers “major” property-tax relief; and position the KRM line to obtain New Starts funding from the Federal Transit Administration, he said.

 

Full story at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=22400

JANUARY 26, 2010

High-Speed Rail Approaches Station

Japanese Firm Pushes Bullet Train as U.S. Prepares to Announce $8 Billion in Stimulus Grants

By MARIKO SANCHANTA

 

TOKYO—The iconic needle-nosed Japanese "bullet train" could speed through the swampy marshlands of central Florida if Yoshiyuki Kasai, the chairman of Central Japan Railway Co., gets his way.

 

Mr. Kasai on Monday announced efforts to bring the shinkansen, Japan's bullet train, to the U.S. JR Central's push to enter the U.S. comes as Washington prepares to announce how $8 billion in federal stimulus money set aside for high-speed passenger-train service is carved up.

 

JR Central is up against some tough competition, however. Dozens of international companies, including Germany's Siemens AG, Canada's Bombardier Inc., France's Alstom SA and General Electric Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. of the U.S. all are clamoring for a piece of the pie, which is meant in part to create U.S. jobs. The Obama administration is expected to announce as early as this week what projects will receive stimulus funds.

 

Full story at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704762904575024611266446690.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Two cool transit-related items from New York City's MTA:

 

MTA Photos Show LIRR Work in Massive Caverns Under Grand Central

 

 

And while not rail-related, it's still pretty cool:

 

MTA NYC Transit Introduces New Articulated Bus into SBS service; Three Doors - Less Waiting

 

 

(photos by the MTA, and are in the public domain)

Upgrades for train service to Brunswick get go-ahead

Federal funds will pay for $35 million in improvements, allowing the long-awaited passenger service to begin in early 2012.

By TOM BELL, Staff Writer

Portland (Maine) Press Herald

January 29, 2010

 

Crews will begin upgrades to extend passenger train service from Portland to Brunswick as soon as the new rails and ties are delivered and weather permits, according to Pan Am Railways, which owns the railroad and will do the work.

 

"We are ready to go," said David Fink, the railroad's president.

 

The Obama administration on Thursday announced it will award the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority $35 million in federal stimulus funds to expand Amtrak's Boston-to-Portland passenger rail service north to Brunswick. The improvements are part of an $8 billion plan to develop a nationwide system of high-speed intercity passenger rail services.

 

 

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=312039&ac=PHnwsFull story at:

Too bad Michigan got only $40 million from the FRA last week.....

 

Amtrak to perform high-speed rail improvement study in Michigan       

Monday, February 01, 2010 

 

Stressing the importance of its intercity passenger rail service in Michigan, Amtrak said it will perform a high-speed rail improvement study that will focus on determining what infrastructure upgrades are needed to provide 110 mph train service on the Norfolk Southern-owned rail corridor between Kalamazoo and Detroit.

 

"Amtrak believes 110 mph train service across Michigan is critical for the future and we're committed to understanding what it will take to get there," said President and CEO Joseph Boardman, noting that Amtrak's Wolverine service provides three daily roundtrips between Chicago and Pontiac via Detroit over the corridor.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/amtrak-to-perform-high-speed-rail-improvement-study-in-michigan.html

Too bad Michigan got only $40 million from the FRA last week.....

 

Well, $8 billion was a nice down payment, but it only went so far.  We need to be investing that much every year for the foreseeable future. 

Ohio's $400 mil is nothing to scoff at if it's used correctly and in conjunction with other funds so that it can be stretched.

 

The best case scenario would include a way to incorporate HSR on freight train trackage.

 

Too bad for MI

Illinois approves $45 million for Quad Cities passenger rail

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 

 

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn visited Moline, Ill, Jan. 30 to announce $45 million in state capital funds to establish passenger rail service from Chicago to the Quad Cities. The new service will result in up to 825 new jobs, including 440 construction jobs.

 

"This week, we were happy to receive $1.2 billion in federal money for high-speed rail that will take travelers between Chicago and St. Louis," said Governor Quinn. "Now we want to make sure people can travel from Chicago to Moline and beyond. This new line is going to connect Chicago to the western part of our state, create jobs and bring more visitors to the Quad Cities."

 

The Quad Cities have not had passenger rail service since the late 1970s. Under the new service, two daily round trips will transport passengers to and from the Quad Cities in just over three hours. The Chicago-to-Quad Cities project is one leg of a planned passenger train service extension that would connect west to Iowa City, Iowa and on to Omaha, Nebraska.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/illinois-approves-45-million-for-quad-cities-passenger-rail.html

Extended train service seen as lure for tourists

A rail link to Freeport and Brunswick, set to be completed in 2012, will lure more out-of-staters, officials say.

By TOM BELL, Staff Writer

February 3, 2010

 

PORTLAND — Amtrak's Downeaster has never lived up to supporters' expectations that it would be a tourist magnet. For the vast majority of its passengers, the train is a way to get to Boston, not Maine.

 

Just wait two years, supporters say.

 

In 2012, when the service is extended to Freeport and Brunswick, more residents of Massachusetts and New Hampshire will ride the train north, said Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority.

 

Quinn says Freeport will be the draw. About 3.5 million people a year visit Freeport, making it Maine's top tourist destination.

 

Full story at: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=312884&ac=PHnws

Some good news from my neck of the woods....

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

Gov: $60M from state capital plan will go to local Amtrak route

By Matt Williams

RRSTAR.COM

Posted Jan 30, 2010 @ 05:40 PM

 

ROCKFORD (IL) — It didn’t take long for the state to respond to the news that federal money would not be used for passenger rail in Rockford.

 

During a stop today at Chicago Rockford International Airport, Gov. Pat Quinn announced that $60 million in state capital funds will be used for an Amtrak route that will run from Chicago to Dubuque, Iowa, with a stop in Rockford.

 

Quinn, who was joined by several state and local officials, made the announcement just days after figures released by President Barack Obama’s administration showed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds would not be funneled to Rockford’s Amtrak project.

 

Work on the project could begin as early as this summer with hopes of service beginning by 2012.

 

Link to the full story: http://www.rrstar.com/carousel/x231966500/-60M-from-state-capital-plan-will-go-to-local-Amtrak-route

 

Some good news from my neck of the woods (Rockford Illinois) ....

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

Gov: $60M from state capital plan will go to local Amtrak route

By Matt Williams

RRSTAR.COM

Posted Jan 30, 2010 @ 05:40 PM

 

ROCKFORD It didnt take long for the state to respond to the news that federal money would not be used for passenger rail in Rockford.

 

During a stop today at Chicago Rockford International Airport, Gov. Pat Quinn announced that $60 million in state capital funds will be used for an Amtrak route that will run from Chicago to Dubuque, Iowa, with a stop in Rockford.

 

Quinn, who was joined by several state and local officials, made the announcement just days after figures released by President Barack Obamas administration showed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds would not be funneled to Rockfords Amtrak project.

 

Work on the project could begin as early as this summer with hopes of service beginning by 2012.

 

Link to the full story: http://www.rrstar.com/carousel/x231966500/-60M-from-state-capital-plan-will-go-to-local-Amtrak-route

 

Hmm. One article says $45 million. The other says $60 million. Oh well.

Hmm. One article says $45 million. The other says $60 million. Oh well.

 

They are two different routes.

 

The Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque line is in far northern/northwest Illinois (closer to the Wisconsin border).  The route heads to the northwest out of Chicago.

 

The Chicago-Quad Cities line is another route about 70 miles to the south.  This route heads to the southwest out of Chicago.

 

 

Methinks you were mistaking Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities) and Dubuque, Iowa as the same city. :)  No harm done, though.

Thanks. I forgot there were two separate routes being pursued there.

 

Illinois is kicking ass and taking names with its rail development program. It's been a long evolution to get there. Their early state-supported trains weren't much to brag about, but they did provide a decent foundation for what's happening now. Sound familiar??

 

FYI... this was what Illinois' "showcase" corridor offered for much of the 1970s....

 

 

This is what the Milwaukee-Chicago and Chicago-St. Louis corridors offer today after the states of Illinois and Wisconsin have poured many many millions into them over the past 20+ years....

 

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1249200495789&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=attachment;filename=Amtrak_W24.pdf

 

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1249200491334&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=attachment;filename=Amtrak_W23.pdf

 

And the two corridors will get nearly $2 billion ($823 million for Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison, $1.1 billion for Chicago-Springfield-St. Louis), to increase speeds above 79 mph, in some cases to 110 mph.

Editorial: Integrate high-speed rail into air transport network

The Tomah (Wisconsin) Journal

 

Imagine you live in Tomah, and you’re planning a flight to Atlanta.

 

Existing arrangements might require that you drive to Madison, take a connecting flight to Chicago, and then take another plane to Atlanta.

 

Now, imagine an alternative. You take a high-speed rail car from Tomah to Chicago and then catch a direct flight to Atlanta. It would revolutionize transportation, and it would make high-speed rail more than just green-jobs curiosity.

 

.........It’s an astonishing waste of time and energy to put 100 people on an airplane and transport them 150 miles. High-speed rail can do the job cheaper, faster and cleaner, but its transformation into something more than a boutique travel option requires long-range planning and leaders with the courage to think big.

 

Full editorial at: http://www.tomahjournal.com/articles/2010/02/03/opinion/01edspeed.txt

http://www.modot.mo.gov/newsandinfo/District0News.shtml?action=displaySSI&newsId=46459

 

Amtrak Ridership Up - Passengers Arriving On-Time Spark Increase

 

Ridership for Amtrak Missouri River Runner trains increased by 16 percent for the month of December when compared to last year. This passenger boost for Missouri is the third highest increase of Amtrak's 27 state-supported or short-distance corridors.

^ This is also a great example of how one infrastructure improvement... a 9,000 foot passing siding.... can have a major impact on the running time and on-time performance of a train.  The addition of that siding has shaved 15 - 20 minutes off of the shcedule and increased OTP into the 90% range.

 

This is exactly what can happen in the 3C Corridor as upgrades are made to tracks, signals etc.

FTA's Peter Rogoff announces $304 million for Denver Union Station

Monday, February 08, 2010

 

FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff announced federal funding for Denver Union Station, the centerpiece of the Regional Transportation District's FasTracks transit expansion plan. The Department of Transportation approved a $151.6-million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan and a $152.1-million loan application under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program for Denver Union Station.

 

These loans, which constitute 64 percent of the nearly half-billion-dollar project cost, will help transform Denver Union Station into a true multi-modal transportation system, connecting light rail, commuter rail, buses, streets and public spaces.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/ftas-peter-rogoff-announces-304-million-for-denver-union-station.html

Study by state group supports rail expansion

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

By Jon Schmitz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

A Pennsylvania public interest group today urged the federal government to set a goal of connecting every major city in the U.S. with a network of high-speed passenger trains by mid-century.

 

A report released today by the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group chronicles decades of neglect of the nation's passenger rail system while the federal government poured billions of dollars into interstate highways and air transportation.

 

It endorsed President Barack Obama's allocation of $8 billion in stimulus funds for high-speed rail, noting that the demand for funding produced $57 billion in requests from states. Even if all $57 billion had been funded, that would represent only a "down payment" on developing a system that could rival those in Europe and Asia, the group said.

 

Read more at:

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10040/1034581-100.stm#ixzz0f3UUrmx7

 

 

Utah Transit Authority proposes TRAX, FrontRunner service cuts

 

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is considering a plan to reduce certain TRAX train trips and change FrontRunner commuter-rail service in April.  UTA is trying to address a budget shortfall of $38 million as a result of the recession and lower sales tax revenue.

 

Beginning April 5, the agency plans to reduce several trips on direct Sandy-to-University TRAX trains during morning and evening peak travel times. In addition, UTA would make the following changes to FrontRunner service: reduce train trips during off-peak, mid-day hours; shift evening train frequency to hourly; adjust schedules on Saturdays; and add one new early morning trip from Ogden. The agency will hold three public hearings later this month to review the proposed changes.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=22539

Indy Connect aims to gather public input

 

"February 10th, 2010 -- INDIANAPOLIS—Central Indiana’s transportation future took a major step forward today with the announcement of Indy Connect: Central Indiana’s Transportation Initiative, a regional effort to gather public input on a draft transportation plan for Central Indiana. The announcement was made today at Union Station and was highlighted by the official hand-off of a year-long regional transportation study conducted by the Central Indiana Transit Task Force, a group of business leaders dedicated to identifying transportation solutions for Central Indiana residents."

http://www.indyconnect.org/press.htm

 

For more info, including a video and interactive map.

http://www.indyconnect.org/

 

I think what is interesting about this mass transit effort, is that its being lead and pushed by the business community. Not just government. Should be interesting to see how it plays out over the next year or two.

 

so far so good

 

 

Updated 02/03/2010 03:36 PM

 

Number 7 Line Extension On Time, On Budget

By: Roger Clark

 

During a tour of the massive cavern dug under 34th Street for the expansion of the Number 7 subway line, the mayor said today that the project is on schedule and on budget.

 

The 7 line will be extended all the way to 34th Street and 11th Avenue, right by the Javits Center.

 

Concrete and tracks have already been laid down inside the massive tunnel, which is 120-feet below street level.

 

"We've not run into any real unexpected problems,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

 

more + a short news video:

http://www.ny1.com/1-all-boroughs-news-content/news_beats/transit/113087/number-7-line-extension-on-time--on-budget/

^ Good news, especially since my firm is working on that project.

Houston: Doing commuter rail right by 2012

by Tory Gattis

 

Those who remember my "Commuter rail is the wrong ride" op-ed from a few years ago - which Barry handed out at the H-GAC public meeting - might wonder why I've changed my mind. I will lay out the reasoning, as well as the narrow set of circumstances where I think it makes sense. I'm not now a blanket supporter of commuter rail. HOV/HOT express buses that travel nonstop at high speed and circulate at their destinations are still the best overall commuter transit solution for the many decentralized job centers of Houston.

 

The reasons commuter rail can make some sense now for Houston:

 

  1. I agree with County Judge Ed Emmett that our metro growth is so fast now, and projected to be so large over the next few decades, that we will really need to tap all sources of mobility capacity that we can.

  2. Freight track corridors have been identified that are underutilized, and can support scheduled commuter services. The capacity is there, and we can tap it at marginal cost.

  3. For the most part, the new services will not overlap or eliminate Metro express HOV commuter buses. The goal is to add all-new service and capacity, not replace what we already have.

  4. Commuter rail is more comfortable for very long haul, connecting to places well outside the Beltway. In particular, passenger service stretching from TAMU College Station to Prairie View A&M to NASA JSC Clear Lake to UTMB Galveston is attractive for economic development purposes by tying more academic and technological brainpower to our city. (similar to how Yale and Princeton are tied into NYC)

  5. $4 gas (and increasing) is driving up demand for commuter transit, and Metro cannot buy buses or expand P&Rs fast enough. In fact, some of these rail services may free up more express buses for other in-demand routes.

 

 

more: http://houstonstrategies.blogspot.com/2008/07/doing-commuter-rail-right-by-2012.html

This was written by a friend of mine at 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania. This is a non-copyrighted piece by a nonprofit organization.....

 

http://10000friends.org/news/did-high-speed-rail-funds-bypass-pennsylvania

 

Did High Speed Rail Funds Bypass Pennsylvania?

February 8, 2010

By Grant Ervin, 10,000 Friends Regional Director - Southwest PA

 

It has been said that the federal government’s recent announcement allocating $8 billion in federal resources for high speed passenger rail projects largely bypassed Pennsylvania. Of the $8 billion allocated nationwide, Pennsylvania received $27 million dollars to fund physical improvements to the Keystone East corridor (Philadelphia to Harrisburg) and to conduct a feasibility study for increasing passenger service along the Keystone West corridor (Harrisburg to Pittsburgh). At first glance, Pennsylvania’s award compared to the amount received by other states seems somewhat insulting. But a deeper look at the numbers and the selection process reveals a clear direction and opportunity for the Keystone State.

 

The bulk of the high speed rail awards went to states and metropolitan areas that have conducted years of planning and design and have demonstrated an ability to contribute significant local matching resources to bolster the federal allocation. To use a phrase made popular by the federal stimulus, they were “shovel ready”.

 

States such as Ohio, California, Florida and Illinois were prepared for the President’s announcement. Pennsylvania actually did fairly well and got what it should have anticipated, given federal designations, application requirements and the state’s own aspirations for passenger rail. A larger investment in Pennsylvania at this time would have been impractical and imprudent from the standpoint of federal decision-makers.

 

Much of Pennsylvania, until recently, has given little consideration to intercity passenger rail and the economic opportunities it provides. For the most part, the state lacks a vision that captures the minds of residents or outlines a realistic path toward accomplishment.

 

At a summit this fall convened by 10,000 Friends, Smart Growth America and the Northeast Midwest Institute on the topic of High Speed Passenger Rail, two common themes were expressed by speakers and attendees: First, successful rail projects connect markets and are the result of collaboration between states or multiple regional economies. Second, station location and the importance of addressing land use concerns near these stations or intermodal freight terminals need to be addressed early on and collaboratively.

 

The recipients of the largest amounts of federal stimulus dollars were projects that adhered to these principles. For example, Ohio’s Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati or 3C Corridor creates a strategic connection between Ohio’s three largest and most populous economic markets. Ohio, which has advocated for the 3C project for over a decade, received over $400 million dollars.

 

A good example of a multi-state partnership is the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI), a non-governmental organization that led the creation of a compact among eight states that depend on the Chicago rail hub network. Midwestern states with connections to Chicago received billions of dollars through the stimulus funds.

 

The state of California formed a high speed rail authority that has articulated a vision for high speed rail and leverage resources around a concept that links together the state’s metropolitan regions. Similarly, Florida has already committed nearly $1billion dollars of the state’s own resources towards connecting the Tampa/St. Petersburg and Orlando corridor. Federal resources are providing a leg up to projects that have been given significant attention already.

 

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania has made incremental improvements that are providing dividends for riders and businesses alike. Examples include improvements to the Keystone East corridor (Philadelphia to Harrisburg), the state’s recent development of a Passenger and Freight Rail Plan, and the support for high speed designation of the corridor between Cleveland and Pittsburgh by Governor Rendell and the local congressional delegation. These are welcome advances that are setting the stage for a bright future for rail in Pennsylvania. However, further progress will require extensive local and state collaboration and diligent public education on the benefits of passenger rail. For passenger rail to succeed, consumers must share the view that it is a viable transportation option.

 

Currently, a trip from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg takes four to five hours; from Pittsburgh to D.C., eight hours; and from Philly to Pittsburgh, about seven hours. The train from Pittsburgh to Cleveland currently leaves at midnight and arrives in Cleveland at 2:30 a.m. This must change if we are truly going to connect the Northeast with the Midwest, the two mega-regions that Pennsylvania straddles. The regions of the commonwealth must develop a vision of how rail can benefit their economies, be consumer friendly, and leverage existing infrastructure to yield tangible results in the not-too-distant future.

 

Across the country and the commonwealth, transportation investment policy is currently undergoing a quiet revolution. A focus on cooperation, scalability, modal integration and community-based projects is replacing mega projects with big price tags. The Obama Administration’s promotion of high speed passenger rail money as a “down payment on the system,”, coupled with future budget allocations by Congress and the pending Federal Transportation funding bill, make the possibility of future rail funding highly likely for those states and regions that are prepared and in line with federal guidelines.

 

To develop a successful rail program, Pennsylvania will need to build partnerships between regional markets and the states that border the commonwealth, while paying special attention to development opportunities around train stations. By charting this course we’ll be able to leverage our strategic location and tap into future federal resources.

More from Pennsylvania......

 

 

Published: February 12. 2010 1:15AM

Erie County Council's Foust touts high-speed rail

Foust: High-speed advocate crucial

By JIM MARTIN

[email protected]

 

Erie County Council Chairman Kyle Foust can't see much of a downside to creating a high-speed rail corridor that would connect Buffalo and Cleveland through Erie.

 

And neither, it seems, does anyone else in the Erie area, he said.

 

Although naysayers are hard to find, Foust said the concept still lacks something important.

 

"Everyone sees the logic, but we need to find a champion who is going to take the ball and run with it," he said.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100212/NEWS02/302129958/-1/ETN

BTW, Michigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania all were largely bypassed. Although Indiana got $71.4 million for adding capacity to the NS's Porter-Chicago bottleneck, it did not get $2.8 Billion for Chicago - Ft. Wayne - Toledo - Cleveland. Why? Despite Rep. Kaptur's desire to have a rail corridor go from 0-110+ mph for the first time in human history, INDOT discovered the hard way what the rest of the world already knows -- that you evolve toward HSR.

 

Here's what our other neighbors asked for and got:

 

Michigan

 

            Track stabilization & acquisition – MDOT seeks $251 million for a $100 million long-term lease from NS plus track and signal improvements to keep the Dearborn-Kalamazoo section from decaying to 30 mph.

 

            High-Speed Phase 1 – Sought is $413.6 million to increase train speeds to 110 mph Porter, IN-Dearborn, MI and double service to 12 daily trains.

 

            West Detroit connection track – This involves $48.6 million for track and signal improvements to a 4.6-mile segment through Detroit’s New Center Station area.

 

            Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal external projects – MDOT wants $72.9 million to accommodate up to 20 Amtrak trains and 15 Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter trains daily through seven congested railroad junctions in Southeast Michigan.

 

            Stations – Federal funding for the construction, renovation or planning of stations in these communities: Troy/Birmingham ($8.5 million, new); Dearborn ($28.2 million, new); Battle Creek ($3.6 million, renovate); Kalamazoo ($400,000, plan); Ann Arbor ($6.5 million, plan).

 

            High-Speed Phase 2 – For $986.5 million, MDOT wants to expand 110 mph operations to all portions of the Chicago-Detroit/Pontiac corridor and increase service to 20 daily trains.

 

TOTAL SOUGHT:  $1,819,800,00 ($1.8 billion)

 

TOTAL RECEIVED: $40 million for several stations.

 

 

 

Pennsylvania

 

            Keystone Corridor Phase 1 – PennDOT seeks $300 million to construct and improve tracks, bridges, electrical power systems, signal systems and nine stations from Harrisburg to Philadelphia.

 

            Keystone Corridor Phase 2 – Another $700 million is requested to install concrete ties, Positive Train Control, electrical power improvements and 125-mph trains.

 

            Pittsburgh Maglev Project Phase 1 – A total of $5.25 billion is sought for a 43-mile link between Pittsburgh’s airport, downtown and Greensburg.

 

            Scranton-New York Phase 1 – PennDOT wants $400 million for the first phase (133 miles from the Delaware Water Gap to Hoboken, NJ) of the $551 million project.

 

            Pittsburgh-Harrisburg Feasibility Study – A $1.5 million plan will assess work needed to increase service to eight daily round trips and speeds to 110 mph.

 

 

 

TOTAL SOUGHT:  $6,651,500,000 ($6.65 billion)

 

TOTAL RECEIVED: $27 million for several grade crossing separations between Harrisburg and Philadelphia and the Pittsburgh-Harrisburg feasibility study.

Improved commutes on fast track in North Carolina

Stimulus funds to make train trips faster, more frequent from Charlotte to Raleigh

By Bruce Siceloff

[email protected]

Posted: Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010

 

John Robertson of Morrisville, a Wells Fargo Bank executive, likes taking the train for regular business trips to Charlotte.

 

And he figures he'll like it more after North Carolina spends $545 million in federal stimulus funds intended to make rail service faster, more frequent and more dependable.

 

Robertson values the time to make phone calls, use his laptop or just relax on the morning train from Cary to Charlotte. But he must fit his work around a skeletal train schedule that is inflexible and sometimes unreliable.

 

Full story at: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/topstories/story/1246480.html

 

Wow.......

 

 

GAS-TAX PINCH OR GOUGING?

 

Some Spotsylvania gas stations are working with a lobbying group to show consumers that the VRE gas tax does increase gas prices, but a county supervisor disagrees and threatened to file price-gouging complaints with the state

By DAN TELVOCK

 

 

Date published: 2/17/2010

 

Spotsylvania County Supervisor Hap Connors threatened yesterday to file price-gouging complaints because of a lobbying association's campaign that blames a Virginia Railway Express tax for increased gas prices.

 

.....Supervisor Connors sent O'Connor an e-mail yesterday warning that he would file price-gouging complaints if O'Connor did not remove the signs. The supervisor said a study sponsored by the Fredericksburg Realtors Association last year showed that, on average, gas prices weren't any higher in Fredericksburg or Stafford County than prices in Spotsylvania before it joined VRE.

 

In fact, prices in VRE localities were sometimes less, the study showed.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/022010/02172010/528198

The Comments from the customers are the most telling about gas taxes.  As long as they are used to make transportation better then I don't think most customers would mind paying the extra 5 cents a gallon.

Amtrak line posted profit in second month

 

By Ray Reed

Published: February 15, 2010

RICHMOND — Lynchburg’s honeymoon with Amtrak continued in November, producing enough riders on the new train that started in October to generate a profit in its second month of operation.

 

Virginia had planned to provide a $242,000 monthly subsidy to keep the train running. It won’t need any of that money for November.

 

The month’s results for the new train between Lynchburg and Washington were stronger than October’s ridership, according to Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

 

Full story at:

http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/lynchburg_amtrak_line_posted_profit_in_second_month/24136/

Despite Gov. Bobby Jindal's opposition, business leaders want high-speed rail between Baton Rouge, New Orleans

By Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune

February 21, 2010, 2:53PM

 

Business leaders in New Orleans and Baton Rouge say they are continuing to look at possible financing alternatives to get a derailed high-speed rail service between the two cities back on track.

 

Michael Hecht, president and chief executive officer of GNO Inc., the chief economic development arm for the New Orleans region, said that by June, the organization may have enough data on financing and ridership to seek federal money for the long-discussed rail project.

 

Adam Knapp, president and chief executive officer of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce, said that with "another big pot" of federal dollars in the offing, the two groups are working together to find ways to match the federal dollars and pay the annual costs of operating it.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/despite_gov_bobby_jindals_oppo.html

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001F21jA-5PIHY3XiBz3YdPBIq3WCRueSYHjA_nTJRW6YHMzu-jAX8nqqedeWUt004WeUru3wb8wH9n6ea1qK62dq_hpmhM4nXjY-iTAAKK-om1khdv2EFIyKc4R-CRx9DQ8oGekXqEDqAqR6DB3ks14hKZot7Yi-m65zEw9h-0lWejmwTPNZbXn81suDnzzMGgIBn5L7VvGBmGsTTqgrUXz_-mFDHJ8z-s

 

63rd and State Flyover Design Contract Awarded

 

The CREATE Program partners are pleased to announce that the Metra Board of Directors has approved the final design contract for the 63rd and State Improvement Project (CREATE Project P1, "Englewood Flyover"). TranSystems Corp. was awarded the $5.65 million contract.

 

The flyover will carry the north-south Metra Rock Island commuter rail line over the east-west Norfolk Southern/Amtrak line (a federally designated High Speed Rail Corridor), eliminating conflict between 68 Metra Rock Island trains and approximately 60 freight and Amtrak trains that presently cross at grade each day.

 

On Jan. 29, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Governor Pat Quinn and Mayor Richard J. Daley announced a federal grant award of $133 million for this project as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) High Speed Rail grants. This contract will keep the project on schedule to be completed in 2012 as required under the terms of the award.

 

This crossing is a significant source of delay for existing Amtrak trains from Michigan and points east, as well as for Norfolk Southern freight trains. By eliminating many of these delays, the project will reduce locomotive engine idling, cutting emissions and improving air quality.

 

The Englewood Flyover also must be built and in operation before two adjacent CREATE projects can be completed. The 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, including CREATE projects EW2, P2, P3 and GS19, will reroute 30 daily SouthWest Service trains to the Rock Island District tracks and through the flyover location. The Grand Crossing Project (CREATE Project P4) will divert six daily Amtrak trains to the NS Chicago Line and through the flyover location. Without the Englewood Flyover in place, implementation of these future CREATE projects would result in increased delays at the existing Englewood interlocking.

 

Initiated in 2003, the CREATE Program is a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership to address freight, commuter, and intercity passenger rail congestion in the Chicago area. The CREATE Partners include the Illinois Department of Transportation, Chicago Department of Transportation and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) representing BNSF, CN, Canadian Pacific, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, the switching railroads Belt Railway Company of Chicago and Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, as well as Amtrak and the commuter railroad Metra. The $3 billion program comprises 71 critically needed rail and highway infrastructure improvements in Northeastern Illinois, aimed at reducing congestion and improving the quality of life of area residents and increasing the efficiency of freight and passenger rail service throughout the region and across the United States.

 

For more information on the CREATE Program, go to www.createprogram.org.

High-speed rail plans for New York take shape

Steve Orr • Staff writer • February 23, 2010

 

Having been largely shut out of federal high-speed

rail funding, state transportation officials are

turning their attention to a handful of rail projects

that did win federal support — including the first

tangible piece of the long-sought high-speed

passenger rail corridor across upstate New York.

 

It matters not that the new high-speed line will

reach a mere 11 miles from the Monroe County town

of Riga to the middle of Byron, Genesee County,

state officials say.

 

Full story at: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100223/NEWS01/2230318/1002/NEWS

Ohio isn't alone in having a gubernatorial candidate be, well, a goober.......

 

EDITORIAL: High-speed rail deserves bipartisan support

Dunn County News

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 5:19 PM CST

 

Let’s hope the toxic hyper-partisanship of Washington, D.C., isn’t doing a trickle-down.

 

.....A project that ought to produce bipartisan support — the construction of a major leg of what we hope will eventually become high-speed rail service from Chicago to the Twin Cities — is used by four Republicans on the committee as an opportunity to decry government spending.

 

Equally disturbing is GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker’s call for rejecting the money. That sounds a lot more like a Republican mouthing the all-too-easy mantra of spending cuts and slashing taxes than a visionary Milwaukee County executive looking out for the economic future of Wisconsin.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.dunnconnect.com/articles/2010/02/23/opinion/doc4b8444407efe5358517400.txt