Heavy hitters bolster light rail

In a switch, Kansas City VIPs back Chastain’s concept, if not the voter-approved details.

By KEVIN COLLISON

The Kansas City Star

 

[b](“People have a view of momentum going on inside the city and … may be optimistic about Kansas City in a sense they weren’t five years ago.”

......MARK ERNST, CHAIRMAN OF THE CIVIC COUNCIL OF GREATER KANSAS CITY)[/b]

 

 

Influential business and civic leaders are lining up behind Kansas City’s light rail initiative in what is being described as a “sea change” in attitude inspired by voters.

 

“The people have spoken, and we shouldn’t take that lightly,” said Mark Ernst, chairman of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City.

 

More at:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/16347827.htm

Report: Extension Granted For Moynihan Station Project

 

December 30, 2006

 

The plan to turn the James A. Farley Post Office into a rail station reportedly has new life, as an extension was granted to find money to purchase the building.

 

According to Saturday's Daily News, the outgoing Pataki administration negotiated a deal with the federal government that will give the state three more months to come up with the money to purchase the building.

 

video here:

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=65520

 

fulton transit center news, including a very cool interactive by the nytimes:

 

Planners Clash Over Transit Hub, and Riders Win

 

By WILLIAM NEUMAN and DAVID W. DUNLAP

Published: January 8, 2007

 

A truce has been called in the battle between form and function that erupted late last year over plans for the Fulton Street Transit Center, a new transportation hub in Lower Manhattan.

 

It also appears that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is ready to spend some of its own money to make up the difference between the $847 million in federal funds that have been committed to the project and its current estimated cost of $888 million.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/08/nyregion/08fulton.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

 

Report: Extension Granted For Moynihan Station Project

 

The plan was derailed in October when Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver refused to back the project.

 

 

ow, my brain.

not sure exactly where to put this.

 

Its an article making the business case for Employers to sponsor pre-tax commuter benefits. The benefit works for public transportation, carpooling and lastly parking.

 

Its just a different way to look at why mass transportation is good. Its a typically different perspective from the usual pro-transit arguments.

 

Let me know if the link doesn't work. (its a .pdf)

 

http://proquest.umi.com/pdf/39f53cb51602242d041eb82525ff8205/1168458247/share1/pqimage/irs3/20070110141406624/18328/out.pdf

pope:  the link doesn't work.

 

 

not sure exactly where to put this.

 

Its an article making the business case for Employers to sponsor pre-tax commuter benefits. The benefit works for public transportation, carpooling and lastly parking.

 

Its just a different way to look at why mass transportation is good. Its a typically different perspective from the usual pro-transit arguments.

 

Let me know if the link doesn't work. (its a .pdf)

 

http://proquest.umi.com/pdf/39f53cb51602242d041eb82525ff8205/1168458247/share1/pqimage/irs3/20070110141406624/18328/out.pdf

 

some employers do this in new york. there is a metrocard program where they take pre-tax $ out of your paycheck.

We get that benefit in my office--they give us $65 a month in transit fare, and we can have up to an additional $45/mo withheld pre-tax.  The firm writes it off as a business expense. 

 

President Clinton actually signed into law the legislation that requires all federal agencies to offer the transit benefits to their employees.  Technically, all transit agencies are supposed to have these benefits available, but it is up to each employer whether or not they participate.

pope:  the link doesn't work.

 

 

 

damnit, i wasn't sure if it was intranet oriented or not. If anyone REALLY wants it, PM me, and i'll email a copy.

 

FYI, my work does it too!

This might be common knowledge, but I just saw on the History Channel tonight that the monorail at Disney World carries 50 million people a year.

At the start of the New Urbanist movement, Disney World was hailed as the place where Americans went to enjoy the way their cities and towns used to look. It has a main street lined with active shops, lots of pedestrians and a streetcar. And, linking it to other nodes of activity is a fast monorail. That analogy, as intentionally comical as it was intended to be, was also persuasive in making some Americans question the direction their cities were taking. And it also helped some realize that different modes of transportation foster and support their own brand of development patterns and densities.

 

So, the short version is that a fixed guideway system like a monorail, streetcar, light-rail line, commuter rail line or high-speed rail line will draw significant amounts of ridership when supportive land uses are encouraged. And Disney sure did that by integrating investments in its park with respect to the monorail serving it. Ol' Walt was more than a cartoonist and businessman. He was probably one of the first New Urbanists, and a skilled one at that, while the rest of America was convinced that the organic, pedestrian-scale city was obsolete. The guy was a genius.

 

That's probably why they froze his brain for posterity....

Report: Extension Granted For Moynihan Station Project

 

The plan was derailed in October when Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver refused to back the project.

 

 

ow, my brain.

 

oh thats nothing. if that pains you check out something in one of todays papers:

 

"Firefighters' union burning up over flag flap

BY JAMES FANELLI

amNewYork Staff Writer

 

January 12, 2007

 

The firestorm over a ban on decorating the outside of lockers started Wednesday...yada."

 

ny tabloids, ya gotta love'm.

 

New Mexico faces Rail Runner shortfall  print 

 

Julie Ann Grimm | The New Mexican

January 12, 2007

 

Completing both phases of the state commuter-train project will cost about $75 million more than what lawmakers have appropriated, a recent estimate shows.

 

While New Mexico officials hope a federal grant will make up the difference, they're keeping quiet about how they would make up the shortfall if the cash doesn't materialize.

 

 

http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/55090.html#

 

Detroit People Mover grows up (Proposed Expansion)

 

December 23, 2006

Andy Henion / The Detroit News

 

Boasting two years of full service and steady ridership, leaders of Detroit's oft-derided People Mover will explore an ambitious plan to expand the downtown loop.

 

A proposal by former People Mover manager Marsden Burger would extend the driverless tram three miles north to West Grand Boulevard, tying in to the Amtrak station and the campuses of Wayne State University, Detroit Medical Center and Henry Ford Hospital -- its final stop.

 

 

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...ETRO/612230387

 

i don't know why, but most detroiters laugh when "advanced" is used to describe our system. Yes, technically it is, but when look how dysfunctional of a system it is, most people groan.

Word on the street about streetcars

Minneapolis Southwest Journal

By Dan Haugen

 

A sampling of thoughts from transit users on bringing back streetcars

 

The city's budget for 2007 includes funding at the mayor's request to continue studying options for bringing streetcars back to Minneapolis. Mayor R.T. Rybak has said transportation will be a major focus in the coming years, and streetcars are an important piece of his vision. So what do others think about streetcars? Are bus commuters as enthused about rail as the mayor? Below are highlights of interviews with city transit users.

 

More at:

http://www.swjournal.com/articles/2007/01/12/news/news07.txt

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=114665&ntpid=1

 

Amtrak line sets rider record

Hiawatha Service called envy of U.S.

Amtrak's Hiawatha Service, which runs trains between Milwaukee and Chicago, had more riders in 2006 than ever before.

 

 

An estimated 588,036 boarded the train at one of the five stations along the Hiawatha Service's route last year, up 8.2 percent from the 544,358 trips made during 2005, according to Amtrak.

 

"This is outstanding news, and it shows that the public wants, and will support, passenger rail service," state Department of Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi said. "With 26 straight months of record-breaking ridership, while maintaining among the best on-time performance records, the Hiawatha Service is the envy of Amtrak managers nationwide."

 

"The ridership increases are reflective of the investments we've made in the train sets and infrastructure all along the line," Busalacchi said. "As a result of the increased ridership, we anticipate the need to add an additional car on each of the Hiawatha Service runs later this year to eliminate the times when there's standing room only."

 

He noted the recent opening of the new Sturtevant and Mitchell Airport rail stations and the current remodeling of the downtown Milwaukee station as indicative of the support Wisconsin has for passenger rail.

 

Wisconsin provides a subsidy to cover 75 percent of the operating costs of the Hiawatha Service with the state of Illinois providing the remaining 25 percent.

 

Amtrak Hiawatha Service includes seven round trips daily, six on Sunday, with stops at the Milwaukee downtown, Mitchell International Airport, Sturtevant, Glenview and Chicago stations. A one-way ticket from Milwaukee's downtown station to Chicago's downtown station costs $21.

 

 

Published: January 12, 2007

Information Screens On Subways To Show ETA Info For Trains

 

January 12, 2007

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority started to install new high-tech information screens on the L line this week.

 

The digital system not only shows riders when the next two train are going to arrive, but also tells them with a state-of-the-art public address system.

 

MTA officials say the new audio system means no more garbled messages.

 

Right now the MTA is just testing the system, but if everything goes well officials say the system will be fully operational within the next few weeks.

 

After that, it will start to expand to the numbered lines.

^Welcome to the 20th century MTA...

^Welcome to the 20th century MTA...

 

its not like cleveland is an innovator in this subject either.

^Yup, but this thread is about ridiculing "what other states are doing with rail, trasit"

 

Ground to be Broken on Expanded Navy Yard Station

Jan 16th - 8:31am

 

WASHINGTON (AP) - A $20 million dollar expansion of Metrorail's Washington Navy Yard station begins Tuesday with a ceremonial groundbreaking.

 

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and other officials are expected to gather at Half and M Streets around 10 a.m. for the ceremony.

 

Plans call for increasing the number of fare gates and fare card machines. The west entrance of the station will also be relocated to the street level. A new elevator and stairwell are also being installed.

 

The upgrades are among improvements being made to boost station capacity from 5,000 passengers per hour to 15,000 per hour.

 

The upgrades are being made so the station can handle crowds attending events at the new stadium for the Washington Nationals. The expansion is expected to be completed before the stadium opens in April of 2008.

 

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

 

 

Mass transit options have state leaders abuzz

By Daniel Scarpinato

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

ONLINE EXTRA

 

Read the full text of governor Napolitano's order at http://www.azgovernor.gov/ dms/upload/E0_2007_02_SDOC4872.pdf studies say it's doable

 

What would a train to Phoenix cost? In 1998 officials estimated the cost at between $380 million and $5 billion. Costs, particularly for construction, have gone up significantly since then.

 

What would that buy? A "low-end" $380 million system would run on existing tracks using a diesel-powered train. The $5 billion option is for a high-speed electric train, which would require all new track.

 

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/164775.php

● Contact reporter Daniel Scarpinato at 307-4339 or [email protected]

Illinois joins Midwest rail commission

By Cara Spoto, The Journal-Standard

 

 

FREEPORT - Less than a year after doubling the number of daily Amtrak trains between Chicago and Springfield, Illinois recently made another move that could help make passenger rail a more viable alternative for road-weary midwestern travelers.

 

On Jan. 9, Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a law that makes Illinois a member of the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission, a lobbying group that promotes, coordinates and supports regional improvements to passenger rail service.

 

http://www.journalstandard.com/articles/2007/01/19/news/news01.txt

A VERY interesting editorial coming from the leading newspaper in the "Motor City".

 

Showtime for train tracks

 

Detroit-to-Ann Arbor demonstration project holds key to future rail transit for region

Detroit Free Press Editorial

January 14, 2007

 

This is the week the Motor City is focused on cars cars cars. But southeast Michigan needs to think trains, too. The region must work hard -- and smart -- to ensure that a pilot project for commuter rail service between Detroit and Ann Arbor provides a success the region can build upon. If not, its lasting legacy will be another transit failure. That's something metro Detroit, already miles behind other communities, cannot afford.

 

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments is moving forward with a practical plan to partner with Amtrak to provide intercity rail service that could start this year. That's productive news for a region experiencing fresh enthusiasm for transit with the recent success of the Foxtown Tigers Train.

 

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/OPINION01/701140553/1069/OPINION

Transit 

 

Port Authority: AirTrain Has Record Year

 

January 18, 2007

 

The AirTrain to JFK is proving to be quite popular among travelers.

 

The Port Authority says four million people rode the AirTrain to the airport last year, an increase of 15 percent from 2005.

 

 

ny1 video news link:

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=65998

 

 

Note: the News is the conservative of Detroit's 2 papers, so this editorial isn't surprising

 

Park expansion plans for the People Mover

 

The Detroit News

 

Advertisement

 

Get free headlines by e-mail

NEW! Get text alerts on your cell phone

 

 

 

Public transportation is critical to the residents of Detroit, but the People Mover, for the most part, isn't a part of most residents' daily travel plans.

 

In fact, the driverless elevated train system that has been circling the city's core for nearly 20 years hardly registers with most people, save the few who shuttle around town for lunch or the occasional ride to Cobo Center or Joe Louis Arena for a special event.

 

So it makes no sense to put any public money into a fledgling effort to double the length of the People Mover by extending it to the New Center area. Significant and long-term gains in ridership and service levels must be achieved before any real expansion plans can be considered, and only then if funded by private money.

 

The proposal being floated by former People Mover manager Marsden Burger would extend the tram system three miles north of the loop it now encompasses to West Grand Boulevard. It would tie in to the Amtrak station and the campuses of Wayne State University, the Detroit Medical Center and Henry Ford Hospital.

 

But not even the recent increase in ridership justifies the estimated $200 million it would cost to add three more miles to the system. The Super Bowl, Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the World Series helped boost the People Mover's 2006 ridership total to nearly 2.4 million people, an increase of 32 percent from 2005. The tram system hasn't been that well ridden since 2001 but has seen levels as low as 953,000 as recently as 2004.

 

It is good to see expanded use of the system and every new rider who doesn't get stuck between stations or have an extensive wait for a ride (chronic problems in the past) provides hope that the system might someday reach its potential. But it has a long way to go.

 

Only about 10 percent of the system's seats are used, and it costs $8.3 million a year in city and state subsidies to keep the People Mover moving. Every 50-cent ride is subsidized by $3 in public money.

 

Adding up to $200 million or more in construction and land acquisition costs isn't a wise investment and certainly not if it's borne by taxpayers.

 

The current People Mover loop also cost $200 million to build and was plagued by cost overruns and construction delays. It took four years to get the People Mover up and running, which is the same amount of time expected for the extension.

 

Significant obstacles stand in the way, including the attraction of grant money to fund a $200,000 feasibility study, which would help determine a northbound route running parallel with Woodward Avenue on Brush, John R and Cass.

 

Detroit has significant public transportation issues, including a dysfunctional bus system, that deserve greater attention. Fixing them would make more sense than sending mostly empty People Mover trains into new neighborhoods.

 

 

hmm..

 

train goes nowhere (status quo): ridership is low (because you can sometimes walk faster than the bugger)

train goes somewhere: ridership grows.

I actually had my 1st experience w/ the PM 2 years ago when me & friends went to a Lions game (I know, what were we, friggin' nuts or simply bored out of our skulls? -- tics were free, though!)... We shuttled around to RenCen then over to Greektown... Trains were jam-packed and people seemed to enjoy the experience; no one felt threatened or harassed by panhandlers, etc....  It even had a little Chicago L flava'... I thing the PM is a crappy operation right now, but it could be expanded and made to work.  It's fun!  If Detroit would double track the thing and extend it up the middle of Woodward to New Center, it would be a red hot attraction.  And frankly, all those architecture buffs who would scream should be quieted... I think sleek, modern single concrete pole viaduct up the middle of Woodward would not harm the historic structures.  It actually would, as its doing now, add a zest and interesting spin to downtown Detroit.  I think engineers should tinker with the technology to lengthen the cars to, say, 4 or 6 or, if it is double tracked, increase the frequency quite a bit. 

 

PM's connecting to New Center could interface w/ Amtrak, commuter rail and (hopefully) LRT someday...

Transit 

 

Port Authority: AirTrain Has Record Year

 

January 18, 2007

 

The AirTrain to JFK is proving to be quite popular among travelers.

 

The Port Authority says four million people rode the AirTrain to the airport last year, an increase of 15 percent from 2005.

 

The AirTrain connects travelers from the subways and Long Island Rail Road.

 

The AirTrain at Newark Liberty Airport also had the busiest year in its short history, taking on eight percent more passengers than in 2005.

 

ny1 video news link:

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=65998

 

 

 

 

I love the AirTrain from JFK. It was one big pain in the ass to get to the subway at Jamaica or Howard Beach before that line was built. I wish the city would build one from LGA to the 7 train.

 

 

PM's connecting to New Center could interface w/ Amtrak, commuter rail and (hopefully) LRT someday...

 

that expansion would ideally solve the immediate problem of a "no connection" between amtrak and the cbd (with the purposed commuter rail looming). Though, for getting up woodwards....oh well.

http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2007/01/15/daily33.html 

 

KC Council considers obstacles to light-rail plan

 

Kansas City Business Journal - January 18, 2007

by Jason ShaadStaff Writer

 

In its first move toward implementing a voter-approved light-rail plan, the Kansas City Council on Thursday heard reports from transportation experts who said the plan faces several legal and legislative hurdles.

 

Bill Geary, an assistant city attorney, told the council that the light-rail route voters approved in November raised significant legal questions, including how the route could be built through existing park land.

 

Commuter rail plan to Detroit gets a push

 

Amtrak from Ann Arbor

 

January 22, 2007

 

BY KATHLEEN GRAY

 

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

 

Megan Owens' twice-monthly drives to Ann Arbor are a frustrating exercise in stop-and-go traffic and construction dodgeball.

 

The Hazel Park resident can't wait for the day that she can visit her family in Ann Arbor by riding a train, as she reads a magazine or talks on her cell phone instead of staring at car bumpers for the hour-long commute.

 

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070122/NEWS06/701220388/1001/BUSINESS05

Once again, not a single mention of rail or transit in the President's State of the Union address.  And once again, a proposal to reduce energy consumption with no specifics other than vague references to alternative fuels, hybrid cars and to reduce gasoline use by 20%.

Maybe this should be a new thread---call it SOTU---it was interesting to hear the "Decider" spout off ideas that probably won't go anywhere. All those vague proposals would not have been made if the last election hadn't changed things. He isn't offering up anything because he wants to, he's doing it because his hand is being forced.

 

He isn't going to offer anything truly meaningful, such as addressing the consumption side of oil use, by offering alternative transportation. Too radical for a guy who just tried to kill Amtrak.

 

This is the best we can expect from this guy. The next occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is going to inherit a real mess on every front.

 

Neocons: Long on rhetoric, short on results.

Once again, not a single mention of rail or transit in the President's State of the Union address.  And once again, a proposal to reduce energy consumption with no specifics other than vague references to alternative fuels, hybrid cars and to reduce gasoline use by 20%.

 

And this still does nothing to solve the real cause of the problem, which is 90% of Americans have to get in the car for something as simple as buying a loaf of bread. 

 

Not to get too political, but it always amazes me that right-wing folks have such blind faith in science--yet there are relatively few scientists among their ranks.  We have to start being rational, and dispense with the Eisenhower-era "Better Living Through Chemistry" and "Our Friend the Atom" approaches to everything.

^ ain't that the truth.

 

some interesting ny bus news.

 

i'll believe it when i no longer see three coming along busses in a row  :whip:

 

 

Transit

 

 

 

NY1 Exclusive: High-Tech Tracking System Could Ease Bus Travel

 

January 23, 2007

 

Chances are you've had to wait and wait for a city bus some time – and chances are you've seen a bunch of buses show up at the same time. In the following NY1 exclusive, transit reporter Bobby Cuza reports on a new high-tech system that could take the guesswork out of waiting for a city bus.

 

Peek inside the buses lined up in the 26th Street depot in Manhattan and here's what you'll find: Newly-installed tracking technology that lets dispatchers see exactly where a bus is, right down to the block.

 

And soon, you'll be able to as well.

 

"When this is fully implemented, it's going to change the way we do business,” says New York City Transit Project Manager Robert Walsh. “I mean, you're going to be able to start at work, on your computer, to look at the bus stop – or start at home, whichever way you're going – and look and see what time the bus is actually going to be at your bus stop."

 

The information will be on the MTA's website, so you'll also be able to get it using any device that can surf the web, like a cell phone.

 

NY1 got an exclusive look at NYC Transit's bus command center, where dispatchers are already using maps to better manage service, re-routing buses to avoid traffic tie-ups and making sure buses don't bunch together.

 

The technology also allows for real-time arrival information to be displayed on information screens.

 

For now, the information screens are only being installed at 15 high-traffic bus stops. Officials say those should be installed within a few months, and if all goes well, they could be installed at several hundred bus stops citywide thereafter.

 

Information screens will also be installed onboard some buses, complete with automated announcements.

 

Initially, bus tracking technology will be available on just seven routes: the M15, M31, M35, M57, M66, M72 and M116.

 

"Currently it's not going to be every single bus in the city,” said assistant chief of the Bus Command Center John Grass. “We only have one depot completed now and we're doing it in phases. So it will be a few years before we have all 4,500 buses equipped."

 

Phase one of the project carries a price tag of just $7 million. Taking it citywide would cost at least $100 million more.

 

– Bobby Cuza

 

video link:

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/NewsBeats/transit.jsp

 

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=23556

 

Jan 19, 2007

By Greg Hinz

 

Crain's Investigates: What's wrong with the CTA

 

A $6-billion shortfall. Suspect decisions. Soaring ridership. Can our train system be fixed?

 

Business travelers on Blue Line trains crawl downtown from O'Hare International Airport at speeds as low as 15 miles an hour — half the speed of a fast horse. Loop office workers from the North Side jam Red Line cars for a trip that can take an hour thanks to aging rails, agonizing slow zones and balky switches. Brown Line riders face more than two years of construction delays that could double their travel time, but won't upgrade the line's structure or signals.

 

 

Note: This is a positive development. The State is now moving to purchase

proven, off-the-shelf technology for the 120-mile segment that has been

upgraded for 110-mph. This decision will result faster trains on the corridor

sooner. Too bad the article below didn't emphasize this.

__________________

 

COPLEY NEWS SERVICE Illinois Wire

January 23, 2007

IDOT dumps train-slowing project; state agency pulls out after spending $12

million

 

BY Mike Ramsey

 

CHICAGO --- The state's ambitious plan to run high-speed passenger

trains between Chicago and St. Louis has suffered another setback.

The Illinois Department of Transportation withdrew last month from a

public-private venture that was supposed to develop a "positive train

control" system that could automatically slow or stop runaway

locomotives. IDOT spokesman Matt Vanover said director Tim Martin was

disappointed with test results on the Chicago-to-St. Louis rail

corridor; he did not elaborate.

 

"The secretary said it was time to fish or cut bait," Vanover said

Tuesday. "We won't be participating in any research-and-development

projects."

Vanover said IDOT had been involved in a partnership with the

Association of American Railroads since 1998 and had spent $12

million in state funds. He said after the state's contract expired

two years ago, the transportation agency held off on spending any new

money.

IDOT next will evaluate technology that is available "off the shelf,"

Vanover said. Various forms of positive train control are in

operation in the United States, including a system Amtrak uses for

the 95-mph segments of its Wolverine service in Michigan.

Passenger trains that travel faster than 79 mph must have an override

system in place to offset potential human error.

The system IDOT backed was being developed by Lockheed Martin Corp.,

which received a federal contract in 2000 for $34 million, according

to a U.S. Department of Transportation news release at the time.

Lockheed Martin's system was to use a combination of radio signals,

satellite technology and computers to pinpoint the locations of

passenger trains and ensure their safe operation.

American Association of Railroads spokesman Tom White said his

organization, which includes major freight carriers, committed about

$20 million to the project. He said the work had experienced "bumps

in the road."

"When you have something new like this, you sort of expect things

like this to happen," White said.

The research and development will be relocated from Illinois to the

Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo., and

awaits "additional resources," a spokesman for the Federal Railroad

Administration said. He said Lockheed Martin would continue to be

involved by donating "in-kind" services for about three years.

A Lockheed Martin spokesman said he was unable Tuesday to respond to

questions about the project.

Vanover said the millions in state money was not wasted because the

system may end up working for freight trains, which also traverse

Illinois.

IDOT has long planned to run 110-mph passenger trains on the Chicago-

to-St. Louis corridor, shaving a couple of hours off the normal 5 1/2-

hour travel time between the two cities. The line includes stops in

Normal and Springfield.

The agency has invested tens of millions of dollars to upgrade a

portion of the rail corridor, but the project has been beset a

variety of logistical challenges. IDOT officials also have assumed

the federal government would create a matching-grant program to help

states, but it has not materialized.

---

Trams Across America

Get ready, tram haters: Some locals want more—lots more.

 

http://www.wweek.com/editorial/3311/8470/

 

Such Great Heights

Portland's New Tram Could Be Just What Portland Needs to Grow Up

http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=110769&category=34029

Oh here we go again with "futuristic" Monorails...**sigh**

It's actually a cable tram.  The one article refers to an organization that wants to recycle old airplane fuselages into tram cars.  In a certain sense, it's not a bad idea in that it recycling.  If the price is worth it, I see no problem with it, but since the cost of the cable tram that Portland already built ballooned from an estimated $15 million to $55 million, it makes me skeptical.

1/30/2007    High-Speed Rail

California high-speed authority contracts environmental/engineering teams for three segments

 

The California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) continues to advance environmental work for its proposed $10 billion, 700-mile high-speed rail system. Yesterday, the authority chose three teams to complete environmental analyses and preliminary engineering on three segments of the statewide line.

 

DMJM + Harris won a contract for the Sacramento-to-Fresno segment; a URS Corp./Hatch Mott MacDonald/Arup consortium, the Fresno-to-Palmdale section; and HNTB Corp., the Los Angeles-to-San Diego corridor.

 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=10142

^I seriously hope that the HSR in California pans out... but I think it's going to stall out in the political mire at some point.  The Governator is already trying to hamstring it in his next budget.

1/31/2007  Light Rail

Parsons Brinckerhoff to design Norfolk light-rail line

 

Hampton Roads Transit recently contracted Parsons Brinckerhoff to serve as general engineering consultant for a new light-rail system in Norfolk, Va.

 

Parsons Brinckerhoff will manage planning and design, and the environmental and permitting processes for the 7.4-mile, double-tracked line.

 

 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=10145

http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=324577

Quad-Cities Online

 

Durbin, other officials support Amtrak proposal

By Anthony Watt , [email protected]

 

Federal and state representatives, mayors and members of the public turned out Friday to show support for bringing Amtrak passenger rail service to the Quad-Cities.

 

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said there is local interest in having passenger trains run through the region.

 

 

 

Robotrains At Least A Year Away

 

January 26, 2007

 

The MTA’s plan to put computer-operated trains on the L line is at least a year away.

 

The agency says the trains have been ordered, but won’t arrive until June, at which point they will need to be outfitted with the computer technology and train the operators and conductors.

 

video link:

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=66238

Posted on Mon, Jan. 29, 2007 

 

Future railroad might make tracks on abandoned sites

Midlands group studies how to redevelop industrial areas

By JOY L. WOODSON

[email protected]

 

A regional government group is looking at ways to redevelop about 50 abandoned industrial sites in the Midlands as future commuter rail stations.

 

The Central Midlands Council of Governments has identified 22 possible rail station sites that could serve three future commuter rail and high-speed transit lines: Columbia to Newberry, Columbia to Camden and Columbia to Batesburg-Leesville.

 

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/16569482.htm

Where is this?

Not to be confused with the AA to Detroit Connection:

 

 

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City pushes for earlier start of rail commute

Whitmore Lake-Ann Arbor service sought by late March

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

BY JOHN MULCAHY

News staff reporter

 

The city of Ann Arbor, along with some transportation allies, is pushing to move up implementation of a commuter rail service from near Whitmore Lake to Ann Arbor so that it can be in operation by late March.

 

The new energy being brought to the idea of a north commuter rail line into Ann Arbor is motivated by major construction scheduled for this spring and summer along US-23.

 

http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-21/1170258073110940.xml&coll=2