July 6, 200717 yr You're correct about mass transit funding through the FTA (Federal Transit Administration) which goes to local transit system for everything from buses to light rail, BRT to downtown streetcars. But there is no federal funding mechanism that is purely dedicated to passenger rail, which is where these granst would be directed by the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration). 100-milion, as I said, would be welcome, but that amount of money wouldn't even begin to address the demand. 30 states are now developing or implementing passenger rail plans (Ohio included). If these grants are done on a matching basis, California's state-funded rail projects alone would eat up most of the $100-million before anyone would blink. AS you pegged it "seicer", it's going to take a LOT more $$$ to get any kind of meaningful rail development underway. But what makes the FRA funding suspect is that it comes from an administration that has consistently tried to eliminate Amtrak. If not for the buffer of Congress, we would not have any kind of national passenger rail system if Amtrak was eliminated. What we would be left with would be a balkanized system of state and regional rail plans with no national system to tie them together.
July 6, 200717 yr Editorial Don't be left at the station when train rolls into future Our position: Indiana needs to seize the regional high-speed rail opportunity. At first blush it sounds extravagant, even prohibitive, the notion of laying 319 miles of high-speed rail through Indiana at a cost of $1 million per mile. But that estimate by state government of the price tag for a Cincinnati-Indy-Chicago corridor must be put in perspective. Compared to a couple of other big 3's -- the $3.8 billion received for the Indiana Toll Road lease and the $3 billion to be paid out for the southern extension of I-69 -- the investment in mass transit as an alleviator of highway congestion looks like a bargain. Plus, as with highways, there is financial help to be had from Washington. ..... http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070706/OPINION/707060328/1002/OPINION MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE Glad to see the Indy Newspaper take a position on mass transit and high speed rail. Hopefullly more local media outlets in the midwest will do the same. They could make a big difference in the way people view these efforts and their impacts.
July 6, 200717 yr About as concise and powerfully-written editorial on why we need to invest in passenger rail as I've seen in a long time. Especially nice to see this come from a newspaper in a mostly rural and politically conservative state, which goes to show that this is an issue that crosses political lines simply on the basis of the good sense of creating more and better transportation options. :clap: :clap: Good pick up on this one ragerunner!
July 7, 200717 yr Why is it that $2.5-billion is descibed as "a hitch", as if an investment in rail is some sort of "oops"? If the funding of highway projects were described as "a hitch", then perhaps we as taxpayers have been getting an almost 50-year long "wedgie" from the construction of the Interstate Highway System? High-speed rail backers will try again July 7, 2007 By Gitte Laasby Gary (Ind)Post-Tribune staff writer A high-speed rail system could cut the commute from Gary to downtown Chicago to 20 minutes and create 19,000 permanent jobs. The hitch? About $2.5 billion in costs over 10 years. Proponents of high-speed, intercity trains provided no shortage of arguments to a Regional Development Authority working group Friday as they attempted to persuade the agency to pay $220,000 for a business plan of the project. ........ http://www.post-trib.com/business/459023,rdarail.article MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
July 9, 200717 yr This is not good... PITTSBURGH'S PAT ANNOUNCES 10% SERVICE REDUCTION: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Port Authority will eliminate 34 bus and rail routes, eliminate Saturday and/or Sunday service on 18 others and reduce service on 65 additional routes as part of a 10 percent service reduction scheduled to take effect September 2, 2007. The service reduction was one of the assumptions in Port Authority's Fiscal Year 2008 Operating Budget, which includes a $44.6 million deficit to be offset with funds previously designated for capital purposes. The 10 percent service reduction, which will not only affect 117 of Port Authority's 185 routes but also result in 174 layoffs and close the Harmar Division, will be rescinded if the State Legislature approves additional funding for Pennsylvania's transit providers. The timing of today's announcement coincides with the notification of affected employees as required by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and the presentation of the September 2 service plan to Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 29 as required by their respective labor contracts. The announcement of these measures comes three weeks after Port Authority instituted a 15 percent service reduction that eliminated 30 routes, reduced service on 104 weekday routes and resulted in 203 layoffs - the largest one-time service reduction in the Authority's 43-year history. "We remain hopeful that the transportation funding crisis in Pennsylvania will be addressed by the legislature, and we continue to work diligently toward achieving that goal," said Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Steve Bland. "But we must prepare our customers and our employees for the possibility that new funding will not be available. "Should this service reduction go into effect in September, it will reduce transit options in Allegheny County to unthinkable levels. It will result in significant ridership losses, estimated to be at least 11 percent; it will devastate those customers who will be unable to get to or from work; and it will harm our local economy and further erode our competitiveness as a region." (Pittsburgh PAT - posted 7/06)
July 9, 200717 yr And then with lower ridership figures, the lawmakers will whine and complain about how we are "throwing" money away at mass transit! It's a vicious cycle.
July 12, 200717 yr Northstar line's funding prospect is encouraging The U.S. Transportation secretary visited the construction site and said state officials should be confident. By Paul Levy, Star Tribune Last update: July 10, 2007 9:24 PM U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters stared Tuesday into a construction pit, future home of the downtown Northstar commuter rail station. She was ready to walk the line in her high heels, but not ready to jump on board. Gov. Tim Pawlenty expressed confidence that the Northstar line would receive $156.8 million in government funding, which would cover half the project's expenses. But Peters could only promise a decision would be made by the U.S. Department of Transportation this fall. ......... http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1294324.html MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
July 12, 200717 yr Found this on the Cars.com KickingTires blog. Personal notes -- I believe the removal of automobiles from Times Square would be an ideal situation towards bicyclists and pedestrians. During the day, pedestrians can be found overflowing into the sidewalk since their medium is overcrowded; at night, it can be just as bad, especially on the weekends, well into the night. I am not wholly supportive of the removal of parking spaces on major thoroughfares, but I believe that the construction of additional underground parking structures to replace the lost spaces should solve this issue. The sidewalks should be widened to accommodate outdoor cafes and restaurants (something I noted was heavy in presence in Europe, but rather lacking in New York City), and that wider bike lanes be constructed on both sides of the thoroughfare. International urban whiz would ban cars in Times Square By PETE DONOHUE DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Tuesday, July 10th 2007, 4:00 AM Mayor Bloomberg is trying to recruit a world-renowned Danish architect who wants to ban most cars from Times Square - and raise the price of street parking. The Department of Transportation wants to hire as a consultant Jan Gehl, who has helped cities like London and Copenhagen create less congested urban areas by taking back the streets from cars - and giving top priority to pedestrians and bicyclists. MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
July 12, 200717 yr Author http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/460307,CST-EDT-REF09.article Chicago can't compete without good trains (http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/460307,CST-EDT-REF09.article) July 9, 2007 BY JOHN NORQUIST Quick. What do Tokyo, London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Dubai have in common? Yes, they are all world financial centers with which Chicago both cooperates and competes in today's fast-paced global economy. And yes, several of them are Olympic cities, an elite group Chicago very much wants to join. But here's another key similarity: They are all investing billions in fast and efficient transit service. And that is where they part company with Chicago. London is building a new express cross-town subway. New York is building the 2nd Avenue Subway, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg's much-publicized PlaNYC 2030 includes new lines in Brooklyn and Queens. Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo are all adding hundreds of miles of new train service. And Dubai, the new financial hub of the Middle East, is adding 70 kilometers of rail transit with 55 stations. MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE John Norquist is president of the Congress for the New Urbanism, a Chicago- based organization promoting neighborhood-based development nationally. He was mayor of Milwaukee from 1988-2004. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 12, 200717 yr ^ and on that note.... second avenue subway construction in action: my fav blog comment, "i cant wait to ride it in 200 years" :laugh: absolut-ly!
July 12, 200717 yr ^Are those businesses temporarily shut down because of construction? A big problem with these projects is that is good in the long-term for the people who own the buildings but bad news for current commercial tenants, unless there is some provision in their lease which gives them a break.
July 13, 200717 yr Budget feuds delaying area plans for Amtrak The state must OK construction funds. By Thomas V. Bona ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR ROCKFORD Amtrak trains between Chicago and Rockford are already delayed in Springfield. The longer it takes lawmakers to pass a budget, the longer it will take them to tackle a capital construction plan that would pay for fixing the tracks on the old Black Hawk line. That could push the services start date into 2010 or later. ....... http://www.rrstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070712/BUSINESS12/107120039 MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE Funding for commuter train service at issue Thursday, Jul 12, 2007 - 12:08 AM Updated: 08:27 AM By KIRAN KRISHNAMURTHY TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER FREDERICKSBURG -- Fifteen years ago this summer, Fredericksburg-area commuters to Washington finally got their own service: the Virginia Railway Express. At the time, gasoline prices were about $1.05 per gallon, and Fredericksburg agreed to a tax of about 2 cents per gallon to join VRE to help pay for the service. ...... http://www.timesdispatch.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-07-12-0151.html MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
July 13, 200717 yr Author Looks like Michael Middleton is having way too much fun in that photo. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 17, 200717 yr Railway revival a step closer to reality Legislature's creation of authority could lead to passenger service by 2010 By Sarah Schweitzer, Globe Staff | July 15, 2007 For four decades, efforts to revive commuter rail travel through New Hampshire's central corridor have sputtered and died time and again. But now, rail boosters and others say that commuters will be chugging along as soon as 2010 with the New Hampshire Legislature's creation of an authority charged with developing and managing the return of passenger service from Lowell through Nashua and Manchester. ...... http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/15/railway_revival_a_step_closer_to_reality?mode=PF MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
July 17, 200717 yr aww damn...... $500m in fed funds lost down the drain after today's deadline, now it'll prob never happen...... :wtf: NYC Mayor Concedes Defeat on Traffic Fee By SARA KUGLER,Associated Press Writer AP - Tuesday, July 17NEW YORK - Mayor Michael Bloomberg conceded failure Tuesday on his controversial plan to reduce traffic by charging drivers extra fees to enter Manhattan's most congested neighborhoods. A day earlier, the plan had collapsed in the state Capitol. "I can't ascribe motives to the lack of action in Albany, but I can definitively say the environment and the future quality of life in New York took a beating," Bloomberg said in a statement. Bloomberg proposed the congestion pricing plan, similar to one in London, less than three months ago as part of a wide-ranging package of environmental proposals that won him national attention. The mayor, who is said to be contemplating a presidential bid, vowed Tuesday that his administration would go ahead with its other proposals. The congestion pricing plan had called for an $8 toll for cars and a $21 toll for trucks entering Manhattan's most heavily traveled business district during workdays. The money was to go toward transportation improvements.
July 17, 200717 yr Got this via e-mail this morning: Summary of June ridership and ticket revenue results: California Capital Corridors / Release from Gene Skoropowski/ Managing Director We have received the ridership and revenue results for June 2007 from Amtrak, and, once again, the Capitol Corridor is setting records. After 9 months in our fiscal year, we continue to AVERAGE a +13% growth rate in riders and more than +21% growth in revenue. Virtually the only thing inhibiting greater growth, particularly in peak weekday travel periods, is availability of more coaches to add to existing trains. Caltrans is on the ball here, and the first two rebuilt/leased-to-Caltrans-from-Amtrak Superliner coaches will arrive in Oakland on Tuesday July 17. These cars were formerly out-of-service Amtrak Superliners that now have been repaired and modified by Amtrak at Caltrans expense, and leased to Caltrans for 6 years. The interior of the cars has been redone, and the cars are painted in California colors. There may be several more coming to Northern California in the coming months, pending Amtrak-Caltrans agreement. While these added cars will not be arriving in the numbers we will need, every additional coach car helps us accommodate more passengers and satisfy some of the increasing demand for our service. Since these Amtrak Superliner cars do not have automatic doors, there will likely be only one such car assigned per train, so that boarding/detraining will be available on cars immediately adjacent to the "Super-Caltransliner" car, similarly to how a California Diner works in a train consist. Kudos to Caltrans Division of Rail staff for coming up with this innovative interim measure for added seats until an additional new fleet of California Cars can be ordered and delivered. These Amtrak Superliner cars will really help. Capitol Corridor: ● 124,813 passengers +13.1% vs. FY06 and a record for the month! ● $1,581,335 ticket revenue +17.4% vs. FY06 June 2006 had just over 110,000 riders, so the growth in June to 2007 to nearly 125,000 riders is consistent with the prior 8 months. Total riders for the past 12 months is now 1,398,829, meaning that we should be well above 1.4 million passengers by the end of the fiscal year. With only modest growth in the coming year, we should exceed 1.5 million by September 30, 2008. Revenue is now +21.3% above last year, with revenue-to-cost ratio holding at just above 45%. We expect that the summer revenue will push this ratio to 50% by close of the fiscal year at the end of September. On time performance improved in June to almost 81%, again, not where we need to be, but steady improvement. Union Pacific performance is now running in the high eighties (88% approximately), and mechanical failures have been at a minimum. All partners (CCJPA, Amtrak, UPRR and Caltrans) are striving to deliver a quality, reliable service on the Capitol Corridor, and the customers are responding. We look forward to a state budget package that will provide the needed capital for Caltrans Rail to initiate the procurement of additional California Cars for all three of our state-supported Amtrak-operated passenger services. We are also hopeful that some capital funds will trickle down to allow UPRR to construct some of the track improvements already designed, and these improvements will further help on-time reliability. Pacific Surfliner: ● 232,956 passengers +0.2% vs. FY06 ● $4,254,067 ticket revenue +5.6% vs. FY06 San Joaquins: ● 71,988 passengers -2.4% vs. FY06 ● $2,332,025 ticket revenue -2.0% vs. FY06 Eugene K. Skoropowski Managing Director Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority 300 Lakeside Drive, 14th floor Oakland, California 94612
July 19, 200717 yr never say never.....! Jul 19, 2007 Top Stories Mayor Gets Green Light For Congestion Pricing July 19, 2007 Three days after state lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's traffic congestion plan, Governor Eliot Spitzer announced Thursday that the state has given the city the green light to proceed with the plan, but he stressed that no agreement has been reached on tolls. "This agreement makes clear that delay was unacceptable and the need to protect our environment and fight congestion simply could not wait, Bloomberg said in a written statement. We will begin immediately to prepare for the installation of needed equipment to make our traffic plan a reality. ......... http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=71807 MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
July 19, 200717 yr some second ave subway funding news too Jul 19, 2007 On NY1 Now: News All Day Weather: Steamy/Late Day Storms.High 89 Transit Second Avenue Subway May Get Federal Assistance July 13, 2007 The Second Avenue subway could be getting a boost from the federal government. Friday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved next year's transportation and housing bill that would feed $125 million into the project. New York Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton say they have been pushing for the project in hopes of alleviating congestion on the Lexington Avenue lines. On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee approved $200 million in their version of the bill. ....... http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=71659 MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
July 19, 200717 yr I hope this becomes a reality, as we really need a good, working example of congestion-pricing in the context of a major American city, whether it suceeds or fails. It's not enough for Americans to see it work in a place like London, no matter how well it appears to be working. They have to get their arms around the issue in a location they can relate to. Good to see this advancing.
July 21, 200717 yr NARP Hotline: Pennsylvania House Passes Transportation Funding BIll On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania State House approved the biggest transportation funding bill of Gov. Ed Rendell’s stint as governor. The transportation bill was a large part of the state’s $27.2 billion general fund budget, which passed the House on a 124-79 vote. Even though the bill received a high level of support, there are still some who are not satisfied with some of its provisions. According to John Ward, president of the Modern Transit Partnership, “They have really stopped any new services from getting operating assistance under this [transportation] budget.” For example, the budget does not include the Harrisburg-Lancaster commuter rail project. The bill relies on higher Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls, starting with a 25 percent increase in 2009, and proposed tolls on Interstate 80, to pay for bond issues that will yield nearly $1 billion per year in new spending for highway and bridge repairs. The bill also provides support to cash-strapped mass transit systems. Highway projects will receive an additional $450 million this year, rising to $500 million in 2008-09. Mass transit systems will share $300 million in new dollars this year, rising to $400 million per year by 2009-10. http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/hotline/more/hotline_510/
July 25, 200717 yr Currently underconstruction in downtown Indianapolis is the new Indy Cultural Trail which is an "...urban bike and pedestrian path that connects neighborhoods, cultural districts and entertainment amenities, and serves as the downtown hub for the central Indiana greenway trail system." The system is being constructed within the current street grid and will have total of 7.5 mles, is completely funded by private foundations and will be 24 to 30' feet in width through the project. It will also include multi colored crossing system at all street intersections. http://www.indyculturaltrail.info/ Also downtown Indy has just opened three new Bike Port stations that include bike lockers, shelters and racks. http://inbikeport.org/index.cfm I know Portland has several of the Bike Ports as well.
July 25, 200717 yr You know you're from Ohio when you get excited at seeing an Amtrak train, and you realize that you haven't seen one in about 15 years. That happened to me last week, at Wilkinsburg Busway Station!
July 25, 200717 yr Author Haha. Saw one last weekend just after 7 a.m. along I-90 east of Cleveland. And the train was on time. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 27, 200717 yr FRA 18-07 Contact: Steve Kulm Or Warren Flatau Wednesday, July 25, 2007 Tel.: (202) 493-6024 FRA Awards $1 Million Grant to Prevent Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Collisions and Trespass Incidents, Aims to Reduce the Leading Causes of Rail-Related Deaths Continuing efforts to reduce collisions between trains and motor vehicles at grade crossings and discourage illegal trespassing on railroad tracks, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is providing a $1 million grant to Operation Lifesaver, Inc., a national non-profit railroad safety education organization, announced FRA Deputy Administrator Cliff Eby. “Understanding the dangers on, along and near railroad tracks is the best way to help people avoid needless risks,” said Eby. He added that approximately ninety six percent of rail-related deaths in America are the result of grade crossing collisions and trespassing on railroad property. The FRA grant will be used to support Operation Lifesaver’s educational and training programs across the U.S. Operation Lifesaver is providing $338,332 in matching funds, Eby said. The federal funding will be used for Operation Lifesaver’s States Assistance Program, which provides up to 50 grants to state organizations that manage railroad safety awareness programs, Eby said. In addition, the funds will support training programs such as regional workshops developed for Operation Lifesaver’s 3,000 volunteer trainers and presenters, communications programs, and publications including development and distribution of public service announcements. Among the new initiatives slated for the coming year is targeted outreach to Hispanic and Latino communities. And, in response to the growing number of trespass incidents, Operation Lifesaver is reviewing all of its training and educational materials to emphasize trespass prevention efforts in public outreach programs. Eby made the announcement before boarding a special Operation Lifesaver train in Roanoke, VA., carrying local law enforcement officers as part of an educational program and a focused effort to ticket anyone trespassing on the tracks or violating traffic safety laws by ignoring grade crossing warning devices. The grant announced today augments comprehensive efforts under the U.S. Secretary of Transportation’s 2004 Action Plan for Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2005 National Rail Safety Action Plan. Both plans provide a roadmap for guiding federal, state, local, industry and other efforts to combat these problems. ###
July 28, 200717 yr There is a rumor circulating that the Music City Star in Nashville is in danger of being shut down, with ridership at only 400-500 per DAY, about half of what was projected. In other words the entire service only carries the equivalent of a single half-loaded NYC subway train each day. The fact is Tennessee's state government is much smaller than Ohio's or any state with double its population, and there are only a handful of office towers, none of them exceptionally large. Downtown Nashville is simply not a major employment center. It's definitely one of those projects where you have to be suspicious that it was orchestrated by TDOT to prove that mass transit can't work in Tennessee and gather funding for completion of the 840 loop, the longest looped expressway in the world.
July 29, 200717 yr ^That would be a disappointment and another setback for American transit -- which lags, terribly, behind the rest of the industrial world in this area. If Nashville, and the State, were sophisticated enough to develop TOD around rail stations, then it could survive. Suburb-to-downtown commuting is important, but isn't the sole aspect of commuter rail (South Florida's Tri-Rail doesn't directly serve any downtown and, yet, is wildly successful and expanding).
July 29, 200717 yr I did a search of the Nashville paper and didn't see anything obvious that would support that rumor. That's not to say the rumor is without basis, but I'm not finding anything to support it either.
July 30, 200717 yr ribbon cut on a new commuter rail station: Metro-North Comes To Yankee Stadium July 20, 2007 Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Eliot Spitzer were among those at a ground breaking Friday for a new commuter train station in the Bronx where Metro-North trains will one day pull up to the new Yankee Stadium. The station is located on the north side of 161st Street in the Bronx. Officials say the station will be able to accommodate up to 12,000 fans, reducing traffic on the subway and streets. ........ video here: http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=71841
July 30, 200717 yr The Yankees even promote (on their website) the use of mass transit to get to their games.
July 30, 200717 yr i'm too lazy to find any article but The Detroit Department of Transportation is moving along with its public meetings regarding three corridors. For the time being it appears they are going to try and get started with transit lines only within Wayne County and worry about Oakland County (i.e. SMART) when the times comes. Apparently DDOT realizes it can't wait for some crazy regional cooperation from the suburbs so its going to do its own rail lines (or at least try). I think they are hoping for once they start building and stop at the county line, members of the Suburban authority will be like, "okay, we want this line extended 2 miles into our municipality", and force the issue when the nearby cities start whining.
July 30, 200717 yr The Yankees even promote (on their website) the use of mass transit to get to their games. i just went to the tribe game friday and i noticed how in the 'batter up' booklet they give you there was only a teeny tiny wee little mention of public transportation to the jake. it's so small i dont know why they even bothered.
July 30, 200717 yr >I did a search of the Nashville paper and That's why it's a rumor. But I'll repeat here what I've written on these boards a few times. Residents even of Columbus, the least urban of the big cities in Ohio, wouldn't believe how much less urban the southern cities are, and that certainly includes Nashville. The downtown only has about 30,000 workers and Vanderbilt, the hub of Nashville's "midtown" area, is not a very big university, with under 15,000 total students. Also there is no dominant street with major centers of activity laid out in a linear fashion that favors buses or rail transit. And above all that the city has extremely tough bedrock which makes basements and underground parking garages a rarity. The rock and undulating terrain rule out extensive cut-and-cover subway (or bus tunnel) construction, meaning bored tunnels are the only option and there simply aren't concentrated areas of activity to connect.
July 31, 200717 yr Window to widen for Downeaster travelers The Downeaster's new schedule will let visitors from Massachusetts linger, rail authority officials say. By TOM BELL Staff Writer July 30, 2007 Portland Press Herald Pending schedule changes for Amtrak's Downeaster train service will make Portland a more realistic day trip for riders from Massachusetts. Tour operators, restaurant owners and Old Port retailers are enthusiastic about the change, which begins Aug. 17. ........ http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=124018&ac=PHnws MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
July 31, 200717 yr Author A $1 million operating grant for 1-year for a round trip route over a route that short (116 miles) is right in line with the subsidy per-mile for other corridors around the country. I recall one 3-C Corridor (260 miles) round trip was estimated to require a $2 million operating subsidy for one year, and two 3-C Corridor round trips needed about $4 million. Further increases in service might not result in a doubling of operating subsidy due to economies of scale. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 1, 200717 yr FRA 20-07 Contact: Steve Kulm or Warren Flatau Tel.: (202) 493-6024 FRA 20-07 Proposed Federal Regulations Expected to Improve Safety of Passenger Trains; Afford Passengers and Crew Better Crash Protection Rail passengers and train crewmembers will be better protected under newly proposed federal safety standards that significantly enhance the strength of key structural components of passenger rail cars to make them more crashworthy, announced Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman. “Mitigating the potentially damaging forces involved in train accidents is critical to preventing injury to passengers and crew,” Boardman said, noting that crashworthiness can be significantly enhanced when the structure of a passenger rail car is engineered to absorb more energy and crush in a controlled manner. Boardman explained that the proposed rule is designed to preserve more space in which both passengers and train crew members can safely survive a collision with another train, a vehicle at a highway-rail grade crossing, or other object by strengthening the car’s forward structure. Specifically, existing federal standards would be upgraded for cab cars and multiple-unit (MU) locomotives which are used in the predominant method of operation by commuter and intercity passenger railroads across the country, he said. These types of equipment provide both passenger seating and an area for crews to operate the train in the same car. Under the proposed rule, forward corner posts would have to withstand 300,000 pounds of force before failing, doubling the current federal requirement. In addition, forward corner and collision posts would have to satisfy new federal standards to absorb a minimum level of energy and bend a specific distance without breaking to maximize the full potential strength of these structural components. The new standards would apply to cab cars and MU locomotives ordered beginning in October 2009 and accommodate new equipment designs. With this proposed rulemaking, FRA seeks to formally codify as federal regulation, and enhance in part, industry standards issued by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and presently implemented by the nation’s passenger rail service operators on a voluntary basis, Boardman stated. A copy of the proposed rule can be viewed at www.fra.dot.gov. Written comments on the proposal may be submitted until October 1, 2007 by accessing the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Online Docket Management System website at http://dms.dot.gov [Docket Number FRA-2006-25268]. ###
August 1, 200717 yr August 1, 2007 Mayor Takes the Subway — by Way of S.U.V. By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM He is public transportation’s loudest cheerleader, boasting that he takes the subway “virtually every day.” He has told residents who complain about overcrowded trains to “get real” and he constantly encourages New Yorkers to follow his environmentally friendly example. But Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s commute is not your average straphanger’s ride. On mornings that he takes the subway from home, Mr. Bloomberg is picked up at his Upper East Side town house by a pair of king-size Chevrolet Suburbans. The mayor is driven 22 blocks to the subway station at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue, where he can board an express train to City Hall. His drivers zip past his neighborhood station, a local subway stop a five-minute walk away. That means Mr. Bloomberg — whose much-discussed subway rides have become an indelible component of his public image — spends a quarter of his ostensibly subterranean commute in an S.U.V. “I never see him,” said Namela Hossou, who sells newspapers every morning at the downtown entrance to the mayor’s nearest stop, at 77th Street, four blocks from the mayor’s house. “Never, never.” The mayor’s chief spokesman, Stu Loeser, was asked in an interview yesterday whether being driven to an express station distanced Mr. Bloomberg from the experience of the average Manhattan subway rider. Mr. Loeser replied, “Who is the average Manhattan subway-goer? I don’t think it’s an answerable question. The mayor rides the subway like anyone else. Zips his card through, stands on the platform, and waits for a train to come.” A spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority chuckled when asked how common it is for Manhattan residents to be driven to the subway. “Where would you drive from in Manhattan to a subway station? That would be pretty crazy,” the spokesman, Jeremy Soffin, said. Told of the mayor’s morning routine, he added, “Most people don’t have chauffeurs.” And most people don’t have reporters from The New York Times watching their travels, as Mr. Bloomberg did for five weeks. Almost every morning, two Suburbans waited outside his East 79th Street town house, sometimes with engines idling and windows up, until their charge was ready to leave. Uniformed police officers and the mayor’s security detail flanked the doorway as Mr. Bloomberg emerged and ducked into one of the waiting vehicles. As they head to the express subway, they pass two No. 6 local stops, at 77th Street and 68th Street. They pull up to the 59th Street station, across the street from Bloomingdale’s. Mr. Bloomberg, who entered politics as a self-made media mogul, struck a populist note early in his mayoral campaign by pledging to use mass transit. Since starting at City Hall he has invited reporters, photographers and television news anchors to ride along with him. The image of the billionaire straphanger has paid enormous political dividends. One transit group designated him the “MetroCard mayor,” and Newsday lauded him as the city’s “regular Joe Commuter.” Shortly after he took office, The New York Times declared Mr. Bloomberg “the first subway-riding mayor.” And his tales from the underground — for example, getting stranded on a northbound No. 4 train for half an hour — have made for useful anecdotes at his news conferences. Mr. Bloomberg’s use of the subway to get to work appears to have declined over time. In January 2002, he reported taking the train all but one day of his first three weeks. Nowadays, it appears, the S.U.V. is his primary mode of transportation. Based on the reporters’ observations, the mayor took the subway to work about twice a week. Mr. Loeser said the mayor “walked to the subway when he first started as mayor, and he stopped doing it when cameras staked out his house every morning and walked with him.” Informed that reporters never noticed any photographers milling outside of the mayor’s town house over the past five weeks, Mr. Loeser replied, “So you’re saying the solution worked.” Being driven to the 59th Street station shaves about a third off the mayor’s commuting time, based on a reporter’s test runs. It also saves him aggravations others cannot avoid, like taking the local and transferring to the express. “He goes to various stops depending on where he is going and where he is coming from,” Mr. Loeser said. Asked why the mayor would not take the train from the closest station to his house, Mr. Loeser deferred to his previous answer, “I’ve said, he takes the train from various stops.” More recently, the mayor has emphasized his use of mass transit as part of his PlaNYC environmental platform, and to promote his controversial congestion pricing proposal. (Under that plan, an initiative partially intended to reduce greenhouse emissions from traffic in Manhattan, each of Mr. Bloomberg’s Suburbans would have to pay $4 a day for the right to drive below 86th Street.) The Suburbans are “selected, owned, and maintained” by the N.Y.P.D., which organizes security for the mayor, according to Mr. Loeser. Asked why the mayor required two sport-utility vehicles, Mr. Loeser declined to comment. Environmentally speaking, “the Suburban is one of the worst, if not the worst” sport utility vehicles on the market, said Dan Becker, who studies vehicle emissions for the Sierra Club. “It’s way up there.” But the mayor’s S.U.V.’s come equipped with FlexFuel engines, which allow the use of either gasoline or E85 ethanol, a cleaner, corn-based fuel. Mr. Loeser said the mayor’s vehicles “use ethanol at all times when he is in New York City, and whenever it is available when he travels.” According to federal figures, a 2007 Suburban 1500 fueled by ethanol ranks below the average vehicle in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. An ethanol-fueled Suburban produces 9.2 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, placing it around the midpoint of vehicles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. At least one public transit advocate interviewed yesterday said it did not matter how long the mayor actually spent on the subway — but that he was seen using the system. “To me, I think it’s terrific that he has made a point of taking the subway in a more public statement way,” said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. An NBC News segment on Mr. Bloomberg, broadcast June 12, described him as “the diminutive mayor who commutes by subway.” On camera, Brian Williams joined the mayor for a morning commute on the No. 4 train. At one point, as Mr. Bloomberg discussed his preference for subway travel, Mr. Williams remarked, “And even in your S.U.V., there’s no getting through traffic as fast.” The mayor, in a grave voice, concurred: “Not a chance.” Cassi Feldman and Cristina Maldonado contributed reporting.
August 1, 200717 yr Spitzer travels by air, Bruno by rail Governor uses state aircraft 11 times since June; Senate majority leader takes Amtrak By JAMES M. ODATO, Capitol bureau First published: Wednesday, August 1, 2007 ALBANY -- Gov. Eliot Spitzer has used state aircraft 11 times since June, while Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno has begun using Amtrak. Spitzer has flown aboard the helicopter five times and on the state plane six times, including on Tuesday when he traveled to Watertown and Syracuse for a couple of economic development speeches and other state business, according to his public schedule. The trips are on top of at least 19 the governor took in the first five months of the year and did not appear to coincide with political fundraisers. ...... http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=610691&category=STATE&newsdate=8/1/2007 MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
August 1, 200717 yr Author http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature6 Florida counties on board for $615-million commuter rail project Central Florida is all aboard for construction of a 61-mile, $615 million commuter rail system to unclog Interstate 4 from DeLand to Kissimmee. Volusia County, the last local signatory needed committed to helping pay the tab for the rail system, which will be financed through 30-year fixed guideway bonds issued through the state of Florida. The state, which initially will own and operate the system, projects trains will be ready to roll by mid-2010, with 11 stops from DeBary in Volusia County to Orlando in Orange County. ........ MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 1, 200717 yr Wow. $615 will buy you an additional lane on an interstate for 60 miles if you are lucky. Add in bridge widening (or reconstruction if they are old), new drainage networks (if it is widened in the median), new highwall cuts (if it is widened on the exterior), new pavement, lights, interchanges (if it is widened on the exterior), etc... Good job Florida!
August 3, 200717 yr Author How's that love affair with the automobile in Michigan going? The Big Three sure treated Detroit, Flint, Pontiac and others well, didn't they? Time to find a new lover. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 3, 200717 yr How's that love affair with the automobile in Michigan going? The Big Three sure treated Detroit, Flint, Pontiac and others well, didn't they? Time to find a new lover. the tigers?
August 4, 200717 yr Author (from DMJM Harris newsletter) July 30, 2007 DMJM Harris wins Passenger Rail Extension contract in Portland, Maine DMJM Harris has expanded its presence up North when the Boston office was recently awarded the Portland North Passenger Rail Service Extension by the Maine Department of Transportation. “This is another great win for the northeast region and a key element of our Maine expansion strategy,” says vice president and project manager, Jay Duncan, AICP (Boston). The project involves alternatives analysis, transportation modeling, conceptual design, environmental assessment and the preparation of a Federal Transit Administration Small Starts application. The extension will serve from Portland northward approximately 30 miles into the midcoast Maine employment and tourism centers. The project builds on the success of Amtrak’s Downeaster service and is a key element of the state’s “Explore Maine” plan, which lays out a master plan of multi-modal transportation improvements designed to promote accessibility, mobility and environmental quality, while reducing congestion. “The staff of the New England region, previously involved in such Maine Department of Transportation projects, such as the Marine Highway Assessment, Skowhegan Transportation Study, and Acadia Gateway Center, helped pave the way for this win by providing quality work and great client service,” says Duncan. Duncan thanks everyone who contributed to the win, especially Joanne Haracz, AICP (Boston), Stefanie Beemer (New York) and Bob Santoro (Boston). “Similar to our previous work in Maine, I expect that this project will lead to additional planning and design work in the years to come as we establish ourselves as the consultant of choice for this client,” adds Duncan. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 4, 200717 yr And the lady that runs the Downeaster, Patricia Quinn is one of the sharpest marketing minds in passenger railroading. They are very customer-oriented and have consistently grown the service by creating greater demand with good service.
August 4, 200717 yr Author The Midwest High Speed Rail Association is near to convincing their state legislators to support state funding for some of the following improvements shown in: http://www.midwesthsr.org/pdfs/raildevplan07suppfinal.pdf The improvements below may be the most likely in the near-term, including cutting the travel time Chicago-St. Louis by 45-55 minutes and further reductions by 2012.... Modest investments in track and signals will improve reliability and reduce trip times between Chicago and St. Louis. Bringing Chicago-Springfield trip time down to less than three hours, and Chicago-St. Louis to less than five, will make train travel faster than driving. • Cab signal system ($15 million)—In 2000, Illinois agreed to use a 118-mile section of the Chicago–Springfield–St. Louis Lincoln/Heritage corridor as a testbed for the next generation of train control systems, Positive Train Control. While this test has yielded important advances in signaling technology, it has not resulted in a system that meets the requirements for speeds exceeding 79 mph. A proven, off-the-shelf signaling system exists that will provide for safe 110-mph operations. It appears that installing and testing the new system would require one or two construction seasons. The new signaling would improve reliability and save 20 to 25 minutes of trip time. • Joliet Union Station improvements ($20 million)—Due to current track configurations, passenger trains on the Lincoln/Heritage corridor do not stop at platforms. As a result, passengers must use wooden walkways to cross two or three tracks to board or alight from their trains. Two of these tracks are part of the busy BNSF Transcontinental mainline. This layout is both unsafe and an undue burden on BNSF freight shipments. Building a platform next to the passenger tracks, and reopening existing pedestrian walkways under the tracks, will improve passenger convenience, eliminate the safety hazard, free-up BNSF freight shipments, and reduce trip time by about five minutes. • Trackwork ($40 million)— There are three sections (between Canal St. and Pulaski Rd. in Chicago, south of Ridgely Road in Springfield, and south of Alton) where deferred track maintenance has resulted in 10 and 25 mph speed limits. Plus, existing passing sidings on the route need to be upgraded to accommodate passenger train speeds. This will increase flexibility and provide “high performance” meets between trains. Together these improvements will result in greater reliability and time-savings of 20 to 25 minutes. Establish service to Decatur, Peoria, the Quad Cities and Rockford • Fund for restoring service ($500 million)—Decatur, Peoria, the Quad Cities and Rockford currently have no train service. IDOT and Amtrak are undertaking studies for new service; capital cost estimates are not yet complete. Based on order-ofmagnitude estimates, we recommend that the State appropriate $100 million per year, for five years, for the capital work needed to establish service to these cities, all of which are among the State’s ten most populous metropolitan areas. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 5, 200717 yr An astute critique of anti-rail/transit pundit Wendell Cox from the Editor of Railway Age Magazine. Are you with us, or against us, Mr. Cox? ....... Cox is a libertarian who believes in as little government as possible. If I understand him correctly, he believes that 1) freight rail is a good investment because railroads will wind up paying less taxes to the government via a tax credit; and 2) passenger rail is a bad investment because it involves taxpayer dollars. Therefore, freight rail will help relieve traffic congestion and reduce pollution, and passenger rail wont. Yeah, right. Mr. Cox, regardless of whether our trains are carrying containers or people, lets get something straight: This is one industry, OK? http://www.railwayage.com/B/xfromtheeditor.html
August 7, 200717 yr An interesting idea from "across the pond".... don't know if it would "fly" here, but if it were pitched on the basis of helping to create more and better air-rail connections, it might have a chance. Lib Dems plan air tax to aid rail The Liberal Democrats say they would put an extra £10 tax per ticket on internal flights in Britain to help fund improvements to the rail network. They are also proposing to put a toll on road freight, while encouraging private investment in railways. The party says it would generate £12bn in five years and be a temporary measure, without specifying how long. ...... Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6928396.stm Published: 2007/08/02 23:04:42 GMT MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
August 7, 200717 yr i keep seeing story after story about the airport problems (late flights, delays, etc.) And i can't help but think if only there was a viable puddle jumper alternative, that problem would disappear.
August 7, 200717 yr International flights are rarely late or held. Because of Regional jets and ATC equipment I understand that airlines hold domestic flight as International Flights have a higher paying passenger connecting to a domestic route. Letting the international flight in ahead of the domestic traffic helps to ensure a connect to a most likely delayed domestic segment.
August 8, 200717 yr speaking of airports..... MTA Considers Possible Train Link To Stewart Airport August 06, 2007 MTA officials are considering a plan designed to lighten the load on overcrowded local airports. The authority is looking into creating a nonstop train connection from New York City to Stewart International Airport in Orange County. The MTA has already begun searching for a consultant to study the possibility of a one-seat, 75-minute, MetroNorth train ride from Penn Station. ........ http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=72369 MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
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