9/5/2007    Project Update

Fort Worth Transportation Authority to identify station locations, begin station design for new commuter-rail line

 

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) will host three rail-station planning public roundtables next week to help identify locations and develop station designs for The T’s proposed commuter rail line.

 

The 11-station line would run from Fort Worth’s Granbury Road/South Hulen area through downtown Fort Worth, then northeast to downtown Grapevine and to the north entrance of the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. The line would connect with Trinity Railway Express in downtown Fort Worth.

 

The Southwest-to-Northeast Rail Corridor Web site features information about proposed station locations.

 

http://www.sw2nerail.com/

 

In June, The T held a series of public meetings to explain details of an environmental study to identify and address the proposed Southwest-to-Northeast Rail Corridor’s environmental impacts. The review process will document existing natural, social, cultural, historical and archaeological conditions along the proposed rail line route and selected station sites. The review will assess the projects’ potential impacts and propose mitigation measures.

 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=11322

I don't really have a better place to put this, so if any of the mods want to move it, be-ith mine guest. I also chopped the paragraphs near the end of the story that didn't have to do with transportation. If you want to read the full story, click on the link...

 

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770904020

 

Richardson calls for transportation alternatives

WILLIAM PETROSKI

REGISTER STAFF WRITER

 

September 4, 2007

 

 

Creston, Ia. The United States transportation system is fixated on highways and should include more emphasis on energy-efficient modes of travel with planning to ensure preservation of open spaces, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said here today.

 

Richardson told about 80 people at Crestons historic railroad depot that hes been struck by the massive traffic jams and congestion hes encountered while visiting as many as three states per day while seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

 

The problem, he said, has been caused by poor planning by policy makers who have suffered from an inability to look forward to provide alternatives to driving automobiles.

 

What I am seeing right now is all across the country individuals in cities asking for a more active federal role in not just funding bills to create new highways, but also light rail transportation, commuter rail, and open spaces, said Richardson, whose campaign talk was periodically interrupted by the rumble of freight trains and a Chicago-bound Amtrak passenger train that rolled past the restored depot.

 

MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE

Bruno Announces Money for High Speed Train Service

http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=7453764d-0e7d-4d5d-bab7-cb18c168f5d0

 

After 2 years of study by a Senate task force, Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno says this time, talk of creating high speed train service in the Albany to New York City corridor is not just talk -- it will happen.

 

When trains pull out of the Albany-Rensselaer station on the 142-mile trip to New York City, that trip is scheduled for about 2 1/2 hours.

 

However, it is increasingly rare that those trains, headed in either direction, make it to their destination at the designated time.

 

MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE

Doug Alexander, an ironworker with Engineered Glass Systems installs colored glass to the

Greyhound terminal on Friday. The bus and train station that will replace the Greyhound

Bus Lines depot and Amtrak station.

(Huy Richard Mach/P-D)

 

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/9B909636EE54D6C38625734C00084D94?OpenDocument

 

Downtown station taking shape

By Ken Leiser

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

09/04/2007

 

ST. LOUIS — The public is starting to catch a glimpse of what a long-awaited Amtrak and

Greyhound bus terminal will look like.

 

Last week, workers continued installing yellow, red, blue and clear panes of glass on the

future transportation hub near the Scottrade Center. The building's distinctive look

includes its zigzagging footprint and zinc exterior panels.

 

Because the long building was designed around piers and ramps for Highway 40

(Interstate 64), there are very few 90-degree angles where walls meet.

 

"When I show it to architects, they marvel at the ingenuity of weaving it under the pillars of

Interstate 64," said Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman.

 

St. Louis' new train-and-bus terminal is expected to open in February or March. It is

estimated to cost about $27 million, with funding from federal, state and local sources.

 

The project includes rebuilding nearby streets and creating a passenger drop-off loop in

front of the terminal. A MetroLink station and a Metro bus transfer point are just a few

paces away from the new center, providing a link to public transportation.

 

The new terminal will feature 10 bays for Greyhound's buses, replacing the existing depot

on 13th Street.

 

In the meantime, Magliari said, St. Louis can expect a passenger rail terminal "worthy of

the city it's in."

 

Amtrak passengers will take a covered walkway from the ticketing and waiting areas

toward the train platforms. Magliari said there is still "a significant amount of track work

that needs to be done."

 

Since the late 1970s, Amtrak passengers have been forced to arrive and leave through

temporary stations. The first was made up of five trailers bolted together. It soon became

known as "Amshack."

 

A second temporary station opened a couple of years ago.

 

Erica Jones of Richmond Heights, who bought a round-trip ticket to Chicago for the Labor

Day weekend, said she was a little disappointed to find that Amtrak service wasn't more

closely associated with Union Station.

 

"I am not the type of person who is going to be real particular about where I wait to get on

the train, but I think that if they did improve the facilities, it would attract more people,"

Jones said the day before leaving on her first-ever Amtrak trip.

 

Kathy Johnson of south St. Louis County agreed that the current setup shouldn't be the

first thing rail passengers see when they arrive in St. Louis.

 

"Because if you had never been here before and you got off the train and saw this, it

wouldn't be a real good impression," Johnson said last week while picking up her 14-year-

old granddaughter.

 

[email protected] | 314-340-8215

this is sorta interesting. somebody took the nyc subway map and made all the lines pop up in the order of when they were built:

 

http://gothamist.com/2007/09/06/map_of_the_day_119.php#comments

 

 

I'm surprised that most of the lines didn't start on Manhattan and spread outward. Seems to be the opposite -- that many lines started in the other boroughs and made their way into Manhattan. Interesting.

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

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transp...1_sound31.html

 

Sounder ridership up after I-5 work finished

10% more commuters find riding the rails a welcome alternative

By KERY MURAKAMI

P-I REPORTER

 

A few weeks ago, Bruce Sommerville, 55, would have hopped into his car to creep back along Interstate 5 from Seattle to Puyallup in rush-hour traffic.

 

But a little after 4 p.m. Thursday, he settled into one of the soft seats on a southbound Sounder train leaving King Street Station and headed home.

 

Like thousands of others, he started taking the train to avoid delays during construction Aug. 10 to Aug. 25 on northbound I-5. And he's one of hundreds who decided to stick with it post-construction as traffic returns to normal -- or at least as normal as it is during rush hour.

 

According to numbers released by Sound Transit on Thursday, ridership on the Sounder between Tacoma and Seattle this week was up 10 percent compared with ridership before the lane closures between Interstate 90 and South Spokane Street.

 

......

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20070831/Sounder-Ridership-0831.gif

 

MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE

I'm surprised that most of the lines didn't start on Manhattan and spread outward. Seems to be the opposite -- that many lines started in the other boroughs and made their way into Manhattan. Interesting.

 

yeah, you prob saw there is some debate about that kind of stuff on the remarks, like the transfers of pre-existing lines, etc., and of course also plenty of suggestions for improving it, like adding a timeline, etc.

 

heck, i think they should include the world's oldest subway on it too, the downtown manhattan beech subway, if for any other reason just to take that title away from the brits and boston (even tho in reality the beech was just a demonstration and a silly way to embarass boss tweed).

 

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Opinion

Put more money in trains, less faith in freeways

Wednesday, September 5, 2007 4:32 PM CDT

 

Waukesha County could use about $20 million in state money to help develop is western region. Meanwhile, the Eurostar train made its inaugural trip from Paris to London this week at about 200 mph. Those events may seem unconnected, but theyre not.

 

Waukesha County has a plan to use the public money for a freeway interchange and other road improvements for the Pabst Farms development which is at Oconomowoc and is about equidistant from Milwaukee and Madison. Its advertised as a planned community all the city amenities in a country setting including a large, upscale shopping center.

 

......

 

http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2007/09/06/opinion/doc46df20633118a070712308.txt

 

MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE

NY1 Exclusive: MTA Plans To Install Platform Doors On 7 Line Extension

 

September 08, 2007

 

 

NY1 has learned exclusively the MTA plans to install subway platform doors on the new number 7 subway line extension.

 

The doors are designed to relief the crunch of passengers boarding and exiting subways during rush hour.

 

......

 

 

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

 

MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE

Major Progress Being Made At New South Ferry Station

 

September 07, 2007

 

 

Next year, the MTA will open a brand-new subway station for the first time in almost 20 years. NY1s Bobby Cuza filed the following report on the South Ferry terminal station.

 

It may not get as much publicity as the Second Avenue subway, but near the tip of Lower Manhattan another ambitious and expensive construction project is humming along. When complete, it will provide riders on the Number 1 train a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility.

 

......

 

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=73383

 

MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE

i was dubious at first but now i likes'em :clap:  -- have a look at the new nyc newsstands -- very futureworld/tokyo!:

 

 

and the new bus stop shelters:

 

 

 

yes, they will get all messed up quickly, but lets just enjoy the mies vibe for now eh?  :laugh:

 

more:

http://curbed.com/archives/2007/09/13/new_look_newsstands_join_bus_shelters_on_the_streets.php

 

 

 

 

I dunno. The newsstands look retro 1950s or 60s.

 

I hope the bus shelters have the ad/info panels on the side that the buses are going to not coming from. It bugs me when transit agencies put ads/info on panels that block the view of approaching buses.

^ i'll keep an eye out to notice that. however, i disagree -- i think it's much more important that if they are only going to have one walled side on the bus stop that the ad wall side be facing whichever way it blocks weather the best.

You can use plexiglass to block the weather but not block the view of the direction in which the bus is coming. Put the ad/info panel on the opposing side of the shelter -- the side in which the bus is heading. That's what I tried to say in my previous message. Most bus shelters around here have at least three sides to them. With three choices of sides, why put the ad/info on the side you need to see out of while the other two sides may be clear?

 

The four-sided RTA shelter on Clifton at West 117th has had an advertisement on the west side of the shelter. So, when you sit down on the bench in the shelter, the ad is placed so you can't see the downtown-bound bus coming. I don't recall there being an ad or info panel on the east side of the shelter. But then, I don't usually look in that direction because I don't need to.

i know what you are saying, but these are open at one end. for good reason too, i don't think a more common bus stop with two side panels would work very well on crowded ny streets. one side needs to be open for easier flow as for one thing there are almost always more folks waiting for the bus than could fit inside the shelter.

 

so my point is that since there is only one side, and even tho ads on it would block the view if it was on the oncoming bus facing side, that it would be ok by me as long as it was blocking the side the weather usually blows at. as a daily bus rider i am much more concerned about bad weather than i am in seeing the bus coming, it comes when it comes (ideally i would like a gps map screen installed in all the bus stops for that -- hey i can dream cant i?).

 

I love the new MTA shelters, especially the clearly legible stop name written on the side (see second poto).  I hadn't seen the new news stands though- awesome!  Now, if they could just curb-separate the bus lanes...

 

^ Here is one bus stop in Lexington that will be built as part of a project to design new stops with public art in mind.

 

 

The green tint comes from recycled Ale-8 bottles, the best drink in Kentucky!

 

--

 

If you have October 2007's issue of "Railfan and Railroad" magazine, on page 58, there is an article regarding Portland's streetcar system that will be built. Article title: "Transit Currents/transit news" by George M. Smerk.

Sound Transit adds new trains

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

 

Seattle’s Sound Transit is expanding Sounder commuter rail service as of Sept. 24th with two new weekday round-trips on its Seattle-Tacoma south corridor and one on the Seattle-Everett north corridor, including a first-ever reverse-commute train. The additional runs expand Sounder service hours in both corridors, with the first train starting at 5 a.m. and the last train making its final stop at 6:55 p.m.

 

Sound Transit will be adding a fifth peak-direction weekday round-trip train between Seattle and Tacoma, with stops in Puyallup, Sumner, Auburn, Kent, and Tukwila. The north corridor gets a third round-trip train between Everett and Seattle, with a stop in Edmonds.

 

MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE

 

From Railway Age...

 

Twin Cities commuter line breaks ground for Big Lake facility

 

Northstar Corridor Development Authority in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota broke ground at the Big Lake site for the Northstar commuter rail maintenance facility. It is the second segment of the transit line begun in 2007 that will finally make commuter rail transit a reality after a 10-year effort to get the $320-million project off the ground.

 

......

More from Railway Age...

 

Construction begins in Boyle Heights for Metro Gold Line extension in LA

September 14, 2007

 

Metro construction crews will begin Friday, September 14, to build curb, gutters and to lay rail tracks for the light rail project of the Los Angeles Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension. On the south side of First Street, between Lorena and Indiana streets in Boyle Heights, workers will begin to build a new curb and gutter.

 

The Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, which will feature eight stations (two underground), will span six miles from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles via the Arts District/Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights to Atlantic/Pomona Boulevards in East Los Angeles. It is scheduled to open in 2009.

But wait, there's more from Railway Age....

 

UP agrees to allow future transit on its Denver-Greeley Corridor

September 14, 2007

 

Union Pacifics proposed rail facility between Brighton, Colo., and Fort Lupton, Colo., could pave the way for the future extension of commuter rail service on the railroads Denver-to-Greeley corridor as part of its pending agreement with the Regional Transportation District to relocate two UP northeast Denver rail facilities. A classification yard and intermodal terminal currently located in Denver would be relocated to the proposed new terminal between Brighton and Fort Lupton in order to make way for two FasTracks commuter rail corridors.

 

......

The green tint comes from recycled Ale-8 bottles, the best drink in Kentucky!

 

That's only since they discontinued the sale of Kentucky Nip.  Who's with me?

I dunno. The newsstands look retro 1950s or 60s.

 

I hope the bus shelters have the ad/info panels on the side that the buses are going to not coming from. It bugs me when transit agencies put ads/info on panels that block the view of approaching buses.

 

i was all over the city the last two days. the bus stops ad walled panels are all on the side the bus is going to. no concessions to the weather. oh well. also, some but not all have a very slight/thin clear panel on the other side, about a quarter of a full regular paneled side.

a full run-down of all ny transit projects:

 

 

Transit projects mold city of tomorrow

 

By Marlene Naanes, amNewYork Staff Writer [email protected]

 

September 14, 2007

 

Straphangers are hopping on the T train at Second Avenue, Long Islanders are ending their commute at Grand Central Terminal and the majestic James A. Farley Post Office is a major transit hub.

 

These scenarios are expected one day to be a part of New York's transportation network. Some projects are taking shape while others have yet to break ground, yet all are set to serve a growing population set to boom by 1 million in the next 20 years, by the mayor's estimates.  :-o

 

"This is probably the greatest spate of transportation projects since the 1920s when we're talking mass transit," said Clifton Hood, professor of history at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and transportation author.

 

At the 75th anniversary of the A train this week, MTA chief executive Elliot Sander noted that as famed line served booming north Manhattan communities in the 1930s, its reach serves three boroughs today. He also nodded to the five major projects' on track now.

 

"The investments we are making in the system today will pay dividends not only to us but to future generations of New Yorkers," he said.

 

1. South Ferry Terminal

Status: Under construction

Completion date: August or September 2008

 

The MTA is putting the finishing touches on this almost $500 million, five-year project. In a perfect world, the terminal, which boasts a full-length platform that would fit all cars of a train instead of just five, would be finished at the end of this year.

 

But unexpected archeological finds among other delays held up the project. The terminal will have additional entrances, better access to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, a free transfer between the 1 and R and W lines at Whitehall Street and cooler air provided by a tempered air system.

 

The new terminal will also shave minutes from commute times, said MTA's Capital Construction Company President Mysore L. Nagaraja. Currently, rides on the Broadway lines are delayed at Chambers Street until the No. 1 train switches from Manhattan to Bronx-bound tracks.

 

"South Ferry will make such a big difference for the number 1, 2 and 3 riders," Nagaraja said.

 

2. Fulton Street Transit Center

Status: Under construction

Completion date: Early 2009

 

A glass-and-steel domed building here will shine light down on train platforms and keep the temperature cool in a project designed to make the commute through lower Manhattan easier.

 

"The Fulton Street complex will facilitate transfers among several subway lines serving lower Manhattan, and together with the South Ferry Terminal construction are part of a set of projects that clearly say to the world we are rebuilding lower Manhattan," Sander said.

 

A corridor under Dey Street, connecting the transit center to the R and W lines and the World Trade Center site is 80 percent done and will be complete in Spring 2008.

 

The $888 million project, funded by the federal government, was delayed and breached its budget limits when, among other problems, the price of the property it will sit on soared above previously forecasted levels, Nagaraja said.

 

In the end, the MTA will have created a unique building with retail space, rehabbed the 2, 3 station and eased the transfer system on a straight mezzanine between 2, 3, 4, 5, A and C lines. A total of 12 lines and the PATH system to New Jersey will be connected.

 

Two new entrances for the 4 and 5 are open now and rehabilitation of the 2, 3 station there is also finished.

 

3. East Side Access

Status: Under construction

Completion date: 2013

 

The tunnel-boring machine that will allow Long Island Rail Road trains to roll into Grand Central Terminal is scheduled to begin its drilling excursion in the next two weeks. The machine is being put together in a preexisting tunnel at 63rd Street in Manhattan and will drill a new tunnel from Second Avenue to Park Avenue then drill south to Grand Central.

 

The MTA will award a contract by the end of the year to excavate and build the LIRR terminal below Grand Central.

 

Another contract to bore a tunnel below Sunnyside Yards in Queens, which would connect the LIRR's Main Line and Port Washington branches to the Grand Central route, will be awarded in early 2008.

 

The $6.3 billion project will clear congestion at the LIRR's current city destination, Penn Station, the MTA says, and cut commute times for customers headed to jobs on the East Side.

 

"The East Side Access would be huge because it would eliminate bottlenecks," Hood said, adding it is one of the most significant transit projects in the city.

 

 

4. No. 7 Line Extension

Status: Contract phase

Completion date: 2013

 

This project will bring the line to the Hudson Yards, with the MTA set to accept a bidder on the first contract at the end of the year. Then construction will begin on a station at 34th Street and 11th Avenue that will feature platform doors.

 

They align with train doors to keep commuters off the track and allow a tempered air system, which would help keep the station cool. The more than $2 billion project fits in with the West Site Yard development plan.

 

"The No. 7 extension will help the far west side of Manhattan reach its residential and commercial potential," Sander said.

 

 

5. Second Avenue Subway (first phase)

Status: Under construction

Completion date: 2013

 

Plans for the future T line have been in the works since the 1920s, and now the MTA has finally begun the first $3.4 billion phase of the project. The MTA is digging up utility lines along Second Avenue between 92nd and 96th streets and is also excavating a launch box, a hole where the tunnel boring machine will begin its work below the avenue.

 

This first phase of the project will build stations at 96th, 86th and 72nd Street stations and expand the 63rd Street station at Lexington Avenue. New stations on the line will feature a tempered air system like the 7 line extension. Q line service will be extended from its current stop at 57th Street to the 63rd Street station and will carry a projected 200,000 weekday riders on the new Second Avenue route. The next phases will take the T from 125th to Hanover Square by 2020.

 

 

6. Moynihan Station

Status: On the drawing board

Completion date: Possibly 2018

 

Preliminary designs for the redesigned James A. Farley Post Office Building are set to be released soon. Preliminary plans show that the station in reality will be split into two structures. Moynihan East will sit where the existing Penn Station and Madison Square Garden are located, both of which will be razed and turned into an airy glass structure. The Farley will be redeveloped, with a glass skylight in its current courtyard, and turned into Moynihan West

 

While commuters will be able to access all the rail lines in either building, New Jersey Transit will have a home base in the west building and Amtrak and LIRR will have their main hub in the east.

 

The post office building will also house a new Madison Square Garden on the westernmost end near Ninth Avenue, but customers will be able to access the building on 8th Avenue.

 

Retail space will stretch throughout the complex, and it's unclear if two 90-story towers, which were part of the preliminary plan, will still be erected on the eastern plot.

 

"This complex would become the region's pre-eminent transportation center and a catalyst for the nation's largest transportation-oriented development district, providing New York with enormous new capacity for efficient transportation and compact, energy-efficient, high-density development," said a Regional Plan Association report about the project.

 

http://www.amny.com/news/local/transportation/am-transit0914,0,370642.story?page=1

 

So $13.2 billion worth of investments just among these big-ticket projects?? Geez. I'll bet my life that all private companies, plus local, state and federal agencies haven't invested that much cumulative in transit in Ohio during the post-WWII era, even when adjusting for inflation.

yeah unfortunately you'd win that bet. even if you leave the 9/11-related money out of it (ie., fulton street), it's still a lot.

>The tunnel-boring machine that will allow Long Island Rail Road trains to roll into Grand Central Terminal is scheduled to begin its drilling excursion in the next two weeks. The machine is being put together in a preexisting tunnel at 63rd Street in Manhattan and will drill a new tunnel from Second Avenue to Park Avenue then drill south to Grand Central.

 

Wow, so this is all happening below the existing Park Ave. tunnel with completely independent platforms?  I suppose the LIRR trains might not even be compatible with the Metro North specs.  And I think I read about ten years ago about how the F and Roosevelt Island tunnel was four tracks so I'm guessing it's using this tunnel which was built sometime in the 70's. 

 

I suppose there's a good reason why the connection had to be made via a new river tunnel and approach from the north instead of simply turning north from the existing tunnels under I believe 32nd and 33rd St.  Each of those tunnels carries a pair of tracks and perhaps the 33rd. St. tunnel carries Amtrak.   

 

 

>The tunnel-boring machine that will allow Long Island Rail Road trains to roll into Grand Central Terminal is scheduled to begin its drilling excursion in the next two weeks. The machine is being put together in a preexisting tunnel at 63rd Street in Manhattan and will drill a new tunnel from Second Avenue to Park Avenue then drill south to Grand Central.

 

Wow, so this is all happening below the existing Park Ave. tunnel with completely independent platforms? 

 

yes, you got it! way underground beneath evrything. independent platforms. looooong escalators.

 

I suppose the LIRR trains might not even be compatible with the Metro North specs. 

 

not sure. all i know is both use the same standard gauge track. of course operationally speaking they have different histories and are run seperately thru mta.

 

And I think I read about ten years ago about how the F and Roosevelt Island tunnel was four tracks so I'm guessing it's using this tunnel which was built sometime in the 70's.

 

correct. those are the 63rd st tunnels. they were built back then with this future project in mind! the lirr will run on 2 lower tunnels and the subway runs on the upper 2.

 

I suppose there's a good reason why the connection had to be made via a new river tunnel and approach from the north instead of simply turning north from the existing tunnels under I believe 32nd and 33rd St.  Each of those tunnels carries a pair of tracks and perhaps the 33rd. St. tunnel carries Amtrak.

 

yes, it's because 63rd st is where the existing 1970's era tunnel is (and sunnyside yards on the queens side). it goes all the way to 2nd avenue already, which is where the new tunneling is picking up. it will drill west, then it will turn south and go into grand central. this is way way underground below the subway along 63rd st and then parallel under the metro-north tracks on park avenue.

 

the ultimate goal is that supposedly this will both increase lirr service and decrease congestion.

 

i've read metro-north will eventually get in on the act too. they will expand service from grand central to penn station at some point, but they are waiting on nj transit to complete the trans-hudson tunnel and the expansion of penn station.

 

>i've read metro-north will eventually get in on the act too. they will expand service from grand central to penn station at some point, but they are waiting on nj transit to complete the trans-hudson tunnel and the expansion of penn station.

 

I measured the two stations with the measure tool on Google Earth and apparently they're only .8 mile apart.  They certainly seem a lot farther away in the city, and that's explained by following the street grid, which adds about a half mile. 

 

I remember for a few years the F terminated one stop into Queens and that connection was only completed recently.  I took it to Roosevelt Island about 7 years ago and got out and walked the whole island, which is one of those interesting corners of New York that few bother to check out.  The only ways onto the island are by this subway line, by a solitary lift bridge to Queens, and by the chair lift to Manhattan.       

 

Also I had a friend comically suggest they should build the 2nd Ave. line to Governor's Island, then sell the island off to casinos and kind of make it a mini-Las Vegas.   

 

 

you prob wont be surprized to know that "they" have actually really talked about putting casinos on governors island. amusement parks too. every scheme to date has been kabashed. i dk what will become of it. btw you can now bring a lunch and go by ferry to hang out there and even take guided tours of restricted areas during the summer. i havent done it yet.

you prob wont be surprized to know that "they" have actually really talked about putting casinos on governors island. amusement parks too. every scheme to date has been kabashed. i dk what will become of it. btw you can now bring a lunch and go by ferry to hang out there and even take guided tours of restricted areas during the summer. i havent done it yet.

 

Mercifully the 2003 conveyance of Governors Island from the fed govt to the State and City restricted the worst possible uses (including Casino) and requires the preservation of most of the Island, so "they" won't be able to mess it up too much.  I think there are some free ferry rides and tours scheduled for early October to help get the public a little more interested in the place.

 

Those price tags on the Manhattan projects are really astounding!  The 7 line extension in particular- this just the extension of the line for one additional stop, no?  Fingers crossed even half of this stuff gets built in the next 15 years.

Feds Approve $1.3 Billion For Second Avenue Subway

 

September 25, 2007

 

Federal funds are being poured into the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway project to help keep construction on schedule.

 

The Federal Transit Administration said Tuesday that it has approved $1.3 billion for the first four sections of the 8.5-mile long subway line.

 

.......

 

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=73978

 

 

MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE

congestion pricing has a longer road to go than i thought:

 

 

Committee on traffic fee holds its first meeting

by joshua rhett miller / metro new york

 

SEP 26, 2007

 

BARUCH COLLEGE. The New York City Traffic Congestion Mitigation Committee which is considering Mayor Michael Bloombergs congestion pricing plan met for the first time yesterday.

 

Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, D-Westchester, appeared unmoved following a 15-minute presentation by Rohit Aggarwala, the citys director of long-term planning and sustainability. During the presentation, Aggarwala detailed the current plan to charge drivers $8 and truckers $21 to enter Manhattan south of 86th Street from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.

 

If passed, Aggarwala said Manhattan streets would experience a 6.3 percent reduction in traffic and a 12.6 percent decrease in congestion, which he defined as time mired in traffic. The plan would also remove roughly 112,000 vehicles from city streets per day and is expected to create $390 million in net revenue in its initial year.

 

.........

 

http://ny.metro.us/metro/local/article/Committee_on_traffic_fee_holds_its_first_meeting/10128.html

 

MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE

a couple interesting factoids on this fair hike article:

 

 

Another fare hike track

Straphangers Campaign has plan for MTA thats easier on riders

by patrick arden / metro new york

 

SEP 26, 2007

 

 

......

 

The authority faces growing payments on its massive debt, but riders already cover nearly 60 percent of the MTAs operating budget 68 percent for the subway. Thats a phenomenally high fare box return, noted MTA boss Elliot Sander in testimony before a state legislative committee earlier this year. The national average for big transit systems is 40 percent.

 

Russianoff said that since 1995 no new direct aid to the MTA has come from the city or the state. He also insists his new $2.10 base fare wont create problems for MetroCard machines, though MTA exec Susan Kupferman explained the quarter increase was our only practical choice due to the machines technological constraints.

 

 

.....

 

NEW STUDY CONFIRMS TRANSIT AS VITAL TOOL IN COMBATING GLOBAL WARMING

Transit Can Cut Household Carbon Emissions by Nearly One-Third

                       

An independent scientific study supported by the American Public Transportation Association has identified transit use as a major component of the nation's climate change strategy. The study, conducted by SAIC, examined the impact of transit use on carbon dioxide emissions and global warming. Not only were the impacts of transit significant, the report's authors noted that transit use dwarfed other popular household emission reduction strategies. The findings were striking:

 

A commuter switching to existing public transportation can reduce their CO2 emissions by 20 pounds per day of use or more than 4,800 pounds in a year, an amount equal to ten percent of an average family's carbon footprint.

 

Switching your commute to public transportation reduces a family's carbon footprint more than replacing five incandescent bulbs to lower wattage compact fluorescent lamps (445 pounds of CO2 per year), weatherizing your home, or replacing an applicances with energy efficient models.

 

An average household with two-cars can reduce carbon emissions by 30% by switching one car's commute to public transportation or other modes of travel.  A two-car household switching all travel to transit can reduce their carbon footprint by up to 55%.

 

Public transportation is already a major net reducer of GHG emissions saving nearly 7 metric tones per year

Mobile transportation sources represent one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. The study, Public Transportation's Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Reduction, makes plain that expanding transit options in the nation's communities is a cornerstone to any effective plan for combating climate change.

 

"Today's report underscores the importance of increasing transportation choice," said CFTE program director Jason Jordan. "It validates the support voters from coast-to-coast have shown for ballot measures providing local funding for public transportation."

 

A recent CFTE study found that since 2000 more than 70 percent of transportation investment ballot measures have been approved by voters yielding $200+ billion in funding.

 

The new study should bolster support among those concerned about the potentially devastating impacts of global warming for increased transit investment and use.  Transit use has been steadily increasing in recent years with current ridership at its highest in a generation. 

 

The SAIC report points out the critical role today's transit systems play in combating global warming and it is clear from the data that any real solution to climate change will involve transit. "Encouraging use and expanding public transportation should be a part of our national strategy to address global climate change," said James L. Oberstar, U.S. Congress (D-MN), chairman, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.  "The report provides further evidence that public transportation is one of the most important tools to minimize carbon output, help the environment and assist the nation in achieving a sustainable transportation system."

 

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels commented at the report's Capitol Hill release, "For Seattle, transportation is the only place to go [for reducing greenhouse gas emission]." Mayor Nickels noted that 681 mayors have joined him in his pledge to reduce municipal emissions. Expanding transit use and investment was critical for Seattle, according to Mayor Nickels

 

The report is available at http://apta.com/research/info/online/climate_change.cfm

 

For more information contact Bridget Hennessey or Jason Jordan at 202-234-7562

The Center for Transportation Excellence is a non-partisan research group based in Washington, D.C.

 

Though this article is geared toward tourism, the State of Maine clearly get's it when it comes to a multi-modal and even "car-free" approach to transportation:/

 

Sampling Maine's coastal attractions without using a car

Trains, buses and bicycles can get you around on land, and ferries,

kayaks and windjammers work on water.

 

By KITTY WHEELER, for the Maine Sunday Telegram

 

September 30, 2007

 

Fall always lures many tourists to Maine. Fall foliage, crisp

weather, apple cider and beautiful uncrowded villages persuade

people from away to enjoy our state.

 

.........

There is a video of Norfolk light rail.

It makes me mad smaller markets are getting these built with basicly no problems(compared to ours). Yet this area continues to be so conservative.

Preachin' to the choir here, but I'm with ya.  You need to be telling this to Governor Strickland and to your state reps.  Say it strong, say it often and say it LOUD!  They need to here it.

Norfolk gets $128 million in federal funds for a light-rail line that will carry only 7,130 to 11,400 passengers a day?? That doesn't sound as cost-effective as many of us we're led to believe the FTA was requiring. I was thinking the FTA wouldn't consider rail projects unless they generated maybe three times the ridership!

 

On that score, I feel pretty good about the West Shore Corridor winning perhaps half as much federal funding! And Columbus' North Corridor LRT could have done great things with $128 million in federal funds (as long as it was matched 50/50 with non-federal funds).

Just goes to show what a little tenacity will get you. Never take no for an answer.

Note the text in bold below. I guess having a monopoly isn't enough for the cementheads...

 

 

Governor Won't Back Rail Tax: Move Overrules Cabinet Secretary

 

By Trip Jennings, Albuquerque Journal

 

Gov. Bill Richardson said Thursday he would not support a tax increase to pay for the Rail Runner commuter train.  The governor, who has been out of state campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, overruled one of his Cabinet secretaries in Santa Fe in the process.

......

 

Under a proposal revealed one day before by state Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught, voters in Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Sandoval and Valencia counties could have been asked to approve a $25 million gross receipts tax increase next year to pay for Rail Runner operating costs. Each county would first have to agree to join a regional transit district, then voters would be asked to approve an additional eighth-of-a cent tax on gross receipts, Faught said.

 

The tax increase would have amounted to 12.5 cents on every $100 of purchases.

.....

 

The regional transit tax would have helped pay for the train at a time when New Mexico is struggling to close what some say is a half billion-dollar gap in funding for its highway system. Critics of the Rail Runner project fear operating costs will eat into money better used on road construction and maintenance.

 

The Rail Runner is expected to lose more than $8 million in federal aid soon that pays the majority of its annual operating costs, estimated at $9.5 million.

 

The loss of federal aid will come in 2009, just after the commuter train is scheduled to start running to Santa Fe.

 

.........

from Railway Age - Rail Group News

 

Transit News

 

South Shore Line population growth foreseen

 

Updated growth projections released for Lake and Porter counties in northwest Indiana show a 239 percent increase over a prior population forecast, according to a South Shore Railroad consultant as reported in local newspapers. A significant boost in the regional census is needed to justify the railroad's application for New Starts federal funding to begin studying a South Shore extension from Hammond to Valparaiso known as the Westlake corridor. Construction costs for the new line were estimated to be about $450 million initially and an additional like amount to bring Westlake passenger service from Merrillville and Hobart to Valparaiso. Federal Transit Administration grants, if approved, would offset much of the cost but the upcoming session of the Indiana General Assembly is expected to address how the local share of the project could be funded.

 

For more on this story, visit:

RT&S Breaking News

Question: Would it be possible for them to build a new line (south of lake bypass) and have it serve more than just the SS? I'm thinking this may be a way to get the bypass built with federal transit money.

From www.narp.org:  a couple of examples of what's going on relative to passenger station development:

 

North Carolina DOT, for its Station Improvement Program, has been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and yesterday received the 2007 John H. Chaffee Trustees Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Policy.  Allan Paul (Rail) and Ed Davis (Transportation Enhancement Program) represented the Department and received the award in St. Paul.  Patrick Simmons, NCDOT’s Rail Director, said, “This national award is for the body of work we have achieved though the support of our leadership team, our Board of Transportation, our federal funding partners, and in partnership with communities around the state.  I am especially proud of the many contributions made by staff throughout the Department who have always been eager to help make these projects a reality.”

 

Brunswick, ME is proceeding with a major redevelopment project centered around Maine Street Station. Provisions for the $33-million public-private partnership for mixed-use development include accommodation of future Amtrak Downeaster service extended from Portland.

Study cites MARTA as economic driver

Railwayage.com

 

Atlanta's MARTA system contributes significantly to creating jobs and economic growth in the state and Atlanta region, according to a new study by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

 

Using the Georgia Economic Modeling System, the Institute found that the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority is a major economic driver in the region and its impact is expected to increase considerably during the next 50 years.

 

The 169-page study looked at the net economic impact of the region’s investment into MARTA employment, infrastructure, and operation over the state with a focus on the 28 counties of the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).

 

Among the study's findings:

 

MARTA contributed to an estimated $2.0 billion in the region and $2.1 billion in the state in total output of goods and services in 2001. MARTA's contribution to total output is estimated to grow to $10.3 billion in the region and $10.5 billion in the state by 2055, more than double the total forecasted output of the forestry and timber industry in the state.

 

MARTA helped to create approximately 19,600 jobs in the region in 2001, which equates to slightly more than the size of the regional food manufacturing industry.

 

The transit authority is expected to create an estimated 45,500 jobs in the region by 2055, the equivalent of the forecasted size of the region’s hotel industry.

 

Residents in the region receive a direct economic benefit that is significantly greater than the sales tax payments made to fund the system. Per capita personal income was $52 greater than it would have been. That impact is expected to be $237 by 2055.

 

"MARTA has a far reaching impact on the economy of this state by making it possible for hundreds of thousands of people to get to work each and every day," said MARTA General Manager Richard McCrillis. "This region’s investment into the MARTA system has been integral to its economic success and will continue to attract businesses and foster a growing and diverse workforce in this state."

 

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

Report from the California Capital Corridors Joint Powers Authority..... Californians are riding the rails!

 

We have just received the September 2007 stats from Amtrak, and the

end-of-fiscal year stats as well.  For California, they are very good.  For

the Capitol Corridor, the numbers continue to go 'off the chart'.

 

Amtrak reports for :

 

 

Capitol Corridor (September 2007):

 

  116,088 passengers  +11.0%  vs. FY06 and another record for the month

  $1,676,304  +22.6% vs. FY 06

 

 

  Fiscal Year (October 2006-September 2007)

  1,450,069 passengers  +14.8% vs. FY06, a new record high, and the ninth

  consecutive year of increased ridership

  $18,059,715  +20.9% vs. FY06, and a record high for revenue

 

Fiscal Year 2007 averaged +14.8% ridership growth for the 12 month period,

and +21% revenue growth.  On time service regained an improved trend in

September, with 86% on-time trains delivered to the passengers.  The

on-time performance for the year is 75%, a few percentage points better

than FY06, but still far from our goal of 90% or better.  The period from

May through September showed a clear upward trend for on time operation,

with August the only month with a decline in time period.  Mechanical

failures are continuing to be addressed with Amtrak, and there has been

some improvement. Union Pacific performance continues at its improved pace

(about 90%), enabling us to reach 86% in September.  However, a series of

non-railroad controlled incidents has escalated, causing catastrophic

delays to many trains and many passengers.  People placing themselves on

the tracks, in front of trains, or trying to beat trains when crossing the

tracks on foot or in vehicles, has just created havoc with our operations.

Getting a county coroner to the site in a timely manner in fatal incidents

is one challenge, but vehicles (cars and trucks) trying to drive across

tracks where there is no road crossing is becoming a major headache, and a

major cause of delay.  A recent incident between Suisun City and Davis

found a semi-tractor-trailer straddling the tracks, wheels unable to touch

the ground, and live PG&E high voltage wires ripped down and spanning the

tracks, halting all train traffic.  Of course, this happened just before 6

am, on a weekday, ensuring that train service would be disrupted for a

couple of hours.

 

In spite of these delays, people continue to ride the trains.  I guess

compared to disruptions on the highways, we are better looking option.  I

guess that says something about the highway conditions.  In any case, the

revenue-to-cost ratio is now at 48% for the year, a bit lower than the 49%

we had hoped to reach, but a full 2 percentage points better than last

year's 46%.  We are almost at the state-targeted goal of 50%, and if

on-time performance can improve in the coming year, we should be able to

reach or exceed the 50% goal.

 

These statistics underscore the importance of the capital program for

intercity rail.  The final project for which we had capital funding was

completed in early August 2006.  WE implemented the 32 weekday train

schedule (and 22 on weekend days) shortly thereafter, and starting in

October virtually every month thereafter was a 10% or better increase in

ridership.  We have the frequency of service now that meets most people's

schedules and needs.  What we need now are four or five modest capital

projects that will provide our trains with a greater level of reliability

(crossovers, double track segments, and improved flow of trains through

Emeryville.  For capacity, our growth needs are in longer trains during

peak travel times, as this is the most cost effective way for us to

accommodate a greater number of passengers.  Caltrans standards had the

foresight to call for station platforms that are adequate for 7 or 8 car

trains, so longer trains are the most cost-effective way to increase

capacity right now.

 

With 44 passenger trains on the line every weekday, 32 of them Capitol

Corridor trains, conflicts are now less with freight trains than they are

with other passenger trains, hence the need for the selected capital

projects to improve flexibility of dispatching and flow of trains.  This is

so important I feel obligated to repeat the list I included in last month's

report.

 

For the Capitol Corridor, the key to improved reliability lies in the

provision of four capital projects:

 

-West Causeway universal crossovers (ability to pass/run around trains on

the 16 mile run between Davis and Sacramento)

-Benicia crossover (cuts the distance in half between Vista (Martinez) and

Cordelia (Suisun) and the delay time in half when Main Track #2, the

lower-level track at Bahia, is blocked by freight trains working the yards)

-Emeryville Station tracks and the 'Wimmer' crossover (reverses one

crossover at the north end of the station to permits parallel moves into

and out of the Emeryville Station, greatly reducing congestion and extends

the station-side track about a mile farther south, allowing between passing

opportunities for passenger trains, and reducing the number of times

passenger trains block freight trains into-and-out of the Port)

-Double track extension in Santa Clara County (extends double track north

from 'CP-Expressway' to Great America Station area (or perhaps beyond), and

provides and added crossover from the new main track north of CP-Coast to

Main Track #1, permitting freights to occupy and pass other trains on the

controlled siding between CP-Stockton and CP-Coast.  This crossover will

also be essential when the new downtown Santa Clara Station is completed

with a platform directly serving UPRR Main Track #2.

 

Lastly, additional coach cars are increasingly required, and they are the

key to the Capitol Corridor's ability to both increase capacity (longer

trains) and improve our cost recovery from fares ratio.  The two

rebuilt/leased Amtrak Superliner Cars arranged by Caltrans are helping

bridge the gap during the overhaul process, and hopefully will get us

through the 'crunch period' until the planned new cars are delivered 4

years or so hence.

 

_____________________________________________________________

Pacific Surfliners (September 2007):

 

  211,926 passengers  +4.5% vs. 2006

  $3,699,601  +8.8% vs. 2006

 

  Fiscal Year (October 2006-September 2007)

  2,707,188 passengers  +1.9% vs. 2006

  $46,788,081 +8.6% vs. 2006

______________________________________________________________

 

San Joaquins:

  65,812 passengers  +13.6% vs. 2006

  $1,592,753  -15.4%  vs. 2006

 

  Fiscal Year (October 2006-September 2007)

  804,785 passengers +0.6% vs. 2006

  $24,544,160  +0.2% vs. 2006

 

 

Eugene K. Skoropowski

Managing Director

Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority

300 Lakeside Drive, 14th floor

Oakland, California 94612

bah!

 

 

Cell Phones On Subways Debated At City Hall

 

October 11, 2007

 

A plan to wire underground subway stations for cell phones is moving forward and the MTA has announced which stations would be first to get service. NY1 transit reporter Bobby Cuza filed the following report.

 

Cell phone use on trains is already a fact of life above-ground. But now, for the first time ever, the MTA is wiring underground stations, a move applauded by even some of the agency's harshest critics.

 

.......

 

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=74452

 

 

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i dk....it sounds like it's a jet engine bus!

 

 

Turbine-Powered MTA Bus Being Tested On Crosstown Route

 

October 11, 2007

 

A new turbine-powered and futuristic-looking bus is making a trial run in Manhattan.

 

The bus runs on batteries and a turbine powered generator, unlike other MTA hybrids, which use diesel engines.

 

......

 

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=74494

 

 

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