November 24, 200717 yr Browsing the NICTD (Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District) board meeting minutes last night, I came up with the following updates: The first two bi-level gallery cars of a 14-car order are expected on the property by November 2008. It sounds like they're very similar to the new Metra Electric cars, except that they will have walk-over seats. I hope the seats will be more comfortable than the ones on the cars currently in use; they're OK for a short ride, but it's 2:20 between Millennium Park and South Bend, and they're not very good for a ride that long. The cars are being manufactured by Sumitomo in Japan and will be assembled in Milwaukee. South Shore is doing a good job rebuilding older cars in-house, and they're keeping them very clean. There's a project still in the discussion stages to realign the South Shore approach to the airport station. Now, the track follows its old alignment eastward to near the Bendix plant, turns north to follow Bendix Drive for a couple of miles before heading back west to the airport terminal building. The present route is circuitous and involves slow running and many street intersections. The proposal involves relocating the US 31/US 20 interchange and realigning a highway as well as the South Shore. It would allow the airport to increase runway capacity and provide a direct approach to the terminal from the west by trains, likely shaving 10-12 minutes off the schedule. Another topic that's been discussed is the elimination of street running in Michigan City. The two miles in 10th and 11th Streets are the most expensive part of the railroad to maintain, and traffic interference and proximity to homes and pedestrian traffic imposes speed limitations on the trains. Some previous discussions have focused on running north of downtown using the track that serves the NIPSCO power plant, but I think an aging, unreliable swing bridge on that route has been one of the major stumbling blocks. The latest that I've read is a discussion of running south of downtown on CSX right-of-way. It would involve building connections where none exist now, but is a simpler, more straightforward approach. A new station proposed for Franklin Avenue would provide high-level platforms, expediting the boarding and detraining of passengers, and more parking. There appears to be room on the existing ROW for a second track, too. The proposal is projected to save another 10-12 minutes' running time.
November 27, 200717 yr MILWAUKEE INTERMODAL STATION DEDICATED: Amtrak officials today congratulated Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary Frank Busalacchi, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and other state and local officials and business representatives at the opening of the new Milwaukee Intermodal Station. The new station is served by 16 daily Amtrak trains and is the result of a $17 million transformation of the former downtown rail station built in 1965 into a modern intermodal facility that will serve as the "gateway" to the city. In addition to the seven daily Amtrak Hiawatha Service round-trips between Milwaukee and Chicago, the daily Chicago-Seattle/Portland Amtrak Empire Builder trains call at the station. Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach Connections operated by Lamers Bus Lines to Oshkosh and Wausau, Wisconsin, are joined by other services by Greyhound, Lamers, Wisconsin Coach and Indian Trails bus lines that recently moved into the Milwaukee Intermodal Station from another downtown location. Milwaukee County Transit and local taxi companies also provide service to the station at 433 West St. Paul Avenue. MORE AT THE LINK BELOW http://railpace.com/hotnews/
November 27, 200717 yr And they say people won't ride light rail.... more evidence to the contrary. Also a video at: http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/377198.html Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007 Posted on Sun, Nov. 25, 2007 Light rail, heavy traffic STEVE HARRISON Charlotte's coming-out party for light rail Saturday drew unexpectedly large crowds of curiosity seekers who flooded trains for a glimpse of the city's new era of mass transit. CATS expects the state's first light-rail line will handle 9,100 passenger trips on an average weekday in its first year. Saturday, it handled 34,000 trips in the first four hours -- well above capacity -- and 60,000 by evening, CATS estimated. MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/377198.html FIRST IMPRESSIONS 'Good start' spurs talk of expansion Many riders wonder about potential for transit in their areas DAN TIERNEY [email protected] Saturday's light-rail opening raised a common question among riders who don't live in south Charlotte: When is it coming our way? Residents from all around the area flocked to the various stations from Seventh Street uptown to the southernmost stop near Interstate 485 and South Boulevard. Many said they just wanted to ride the light rail on Saturday out of curiosity. They also said expanding the rail to other regions could encourage use after the rail's initial novelty ends. http://www.charlotte.com/171/story/377196.html MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
November 27, 200717 yr wow those charlotte trains sure look great. even more interesting and expensive -- pittsburgh is drilling tunnels under rivers and kind of slowly building up a for real subway system. i guess more of that wonderful brt just didn't make the gravy there. good for them. can you imagine a boring drill machine in action in the cleve? boo hoo -- now i got the dual hub blues again.
November 28, 200717 yr I'm kinda skeptical of the charlotte numbers. They said 110,000 rode the system over the weekend but only 4k used it monday, it was a rainy day. 1. The ride was free for all who rode on the opening weekend. That alone would draw droves of people. Monday was the first day they charged people. 2. Only 4k used the system on monday, even though it was the first day riders had to pay. however shouldn't the system be used more during lousy weather days like it was on monday??? 3. I know the voters approved the system but if low ridership continues will they support addition lines?
November 29, 200717 yr Author Good news! Commuter rail is coming to Lakewood ....Washington! http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5 November 28, 2007 Tacoma weighs Sounder rail routing Sound Transit's plans to extend Sounder commuter rail service to Tacoma, Wash., are scheduled for a board vote Dec. 13, as the city's council members expressed a preference for an elevated routing across Pacific Avenue en route to downtown Tacoma. Sound Transit Chairman John Ladenburg and Executive Director Joni Earl told council members Tuesday the agency wishes to work with the city, but that a decision must be made shortly on one of two routes. The City Council is scheduled to vote prior to that on its own preference. 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
November 29, 200717 yr wow those charlotte trains sure look great. even more interesting and expensive -- pittsburgh is drilling tunnels under rivers and kind of slowly building up a for real subway system. i guess more of that wonderful brt just didn't make the gravy there. good for them. can you imagine a boring drill machine in action in the cleve? boo hoo -- now i got the dual hub blues again. Move over brother, you ain't the only one!
November 29, 200717 yr November 29, 2007 Sound Transit ponders "go it alone" LRT strategy http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml A post-election survey conducted for Sound Transit suggests that voters in three Seattle-area counties rejected a multibillion-dollar transportation funding package due to its size. That could prompt the agency's board of directors today to consider an attempt to advance light rail funding as a standalone measure, perhaps by as early as next year. ........ The results resemble findings in a poll for the Sierra Club, which campaigned against Proposition 1. The poll found that if transit were offered as a standalone issue, 53% of those who voted would support it; if roads were placed as a standalone measure, 50% would approve. MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
November 29, 200717 yr Author http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature3 November 29, 2007 Rail transit ridership rises steadily in New York NYCT's subways carried 1.027 billion riders in January-August 2007, an increase of 4.5% over the corresponding period last year. LIRR ridership increased 4.4% to 54.2 million in this years first eight months, and MN ridership also rose 4.4%, to 50.5 million. The percentage of actual costs covered by fares varied widely. The farebox operating ratio (percentage of operating costs covered by fares) was 40.8% for NYCT, 34.0% for LIRR, and 42.3% for MN. The farebox recovery ratio (which includes long-term as well as operating expenses) was 53.2% for NYCT, 44.8% for LIRR, and 55.2% for MN. 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
December 1, 200717 yr ^ tell me about it, you can feel it. its tight a lot more often. news i saw today is the port authority finally decided to pull the trigger on allowing a tower to be built over the gigantic pa bus terminal on 42st/8th avenue: http://gothamist.com/attachments/jen/2007_11_patrow.jpg Port Authority To Move Forward With Expansion Of Bus Terminal November 30, 2007 The Port Authority announced today that it is moving forward with a plan to construct a massive new building above its existing bus terminal. The addition would add 1.3-million square feet of office space and bring in as much as half a billion dollars in air rights to the Port Authority. That money is expected to cover an overhaul of the station itself, something Governor Eliot Spitzer says has been a long time coming. MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE http://www.ny1.com/ny1/NewsBeats/transit.jsp the ny times on this: Tower Planned Atop Port Authority Bus Terminal in New Wave of Development By CHARLES V. BAGLI Published: November 30, 2007 The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has revived plans to build a sleek 40-story office tower over the north wing of the West Side bus terminal at the suddenly hot intersection of Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street. Go to City Room » Under the terms of a deal worth as much as half a billion dollars, which will be announced this morning, officials and real estate executives say a joint venture of Vornado Realty Trust and the Lawrence Ruben Company will erect a deck over the existing four-story bus terminal on which they will build the 1.3-million-square-foot office tower. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/nyregion/30tower.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=todayspaper&adxnnlx=1196466864-m5jKx+RLpo4i6J++gjBb3Q MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
December 1, 200717 yr Author http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5 November 30, 2007 CSX, Florida reach deal for commuter-rail system With one day to spare before possibly losing $180 million in federal funding, CSX Transportation and the State of Florida on November 29 reached the final deal needed for the Orlando region's first commuter-rail system, according to local press reports. The agreement turns over 61 miles of tracks from DeLand to Orlando to Poinciana. That means the first leg of the project from Fort Florida Road in DeBary to Sand Lake Road in Orange County is on track to open in summer 2010. And at that point, nine daily freight trains will be moved out of the heart of Orlando and rerouted around the city toward Winter Haven. Half of the $615-million system will be paid for by the federal government, 25 percent from the state and 25 percent from Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties and Orlando. All five governments voted unanimously for the project earlier this year. 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
December 1, 200717 yr ^ "All five governments voted unanimously for the project earlier this year." wow -- how's that for regional transit cooperation?
December 3, 200717 yr Dec. 1, 2007, 2:30PM High-speed rail right on time for Texas By PAUL MANGELSDORF Op-Ed Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Texans are used to cars, trucks and airliners when they travel. We have little experience with modern intercity passenger trains because neither our state nor federal government supports their development. But as the price of oil reaches the $100-per-barrel barrier, cheap and easy air and highway travel will drift further out of reach of the average traveler. The impact of our travel habits on the global atmosphere and climate already have registered on the world's conscience, and wise leaders are seeking new mobility technologies that do not threaten the planet. High-speed rail is one. On a recent trip to Europe I learned what happens when government does support modern trains: People ride them in huge numbers, avoiding highway congestion and fossil-fuel pollution and reducing air travel so effectively that on some routes, such as Paris-Brussels, the airlines have withdrawn service entirely. I can see why. I rode one of Sir Richard Branson's 125-mph Virgin Trains between London and Coventry. It was fast, comfortable, reliable and convenient, and also full, as most British trains are. When service began seven years ago, Virgin Trains had a 30 percent market share on the route while airlines had 60 percent. Today those percentages are flipped. The only steady number is 10 percent for automobiles. In Manchester, England, the air carriers are glad that Virgin Trains is taking their unprofitable short-distance domestic business away. It leaves them with more gates and slots for lucrative, long-range international flights. U.S. carriers are watching this development, too. The New York-Washington travel market already is dominated by Amtrak's Acela service, and in California and Illinois, where state governments support rail growth, trains now are encroaching on short-range airline markets. Two stars of the U.S. airline industry, former Continental Airlines CEO Gordon Bethune and retired American Airlines CEO Robert Crandall, recently have voiced support for , recently called for conversion of this nation's short-distance air corridors to high-speed rail. While abroad I also sampled one of Europe's most popular high-speed rail routes when I rode a 186-mph, 776-passenger Eurostar from London to Paris. Running time for the 310-mile journey was two hours and 35 minutes. But that figure now is obsolete. Since Nov. 14, Eurostar trains on the British side of the English Channel have been using a new high-speed main line that has cut the total journey time to two hours and 15 minutes. These two cities are farther apart than Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio, yet Eurostar now controls 68 percent of the London-Paris market and will command even more as the dozens of daily trains get faster and more frequent. Powered by nuclear-generated electricity, the hourly trains use no petroleum and emit no greenhouse gases. Once on board, passengers can use all forms of electrical devices immediately and there are no seat belts. Some self-styled "experts" claim Texas doesn't have the population density to support European-style high-speed rail. Not true. France, home of the TGV network, is less densely populated than Ohio. The "Texas Triangle" comprising the DFW Metroplex, Houston, San Antonio and Austin, is one of the fastest growing areas in the country and one with serious highway congestion problems. The original Texas high-speed rail project connected the seven major cities of Texas with only 430 miles of high-speed double track, an insignificantly slender footprint compared to the highways and airports needed to support the same travel capacity. Texas has grown up. Now it's time for its transportation system to catch up with its growth so we can keep growing instead of stalling — and grow richer without fouling our air and heating up everybody's atmosphere. The Texas Department of Transportation's Trans Texas Corridor is a 1950s-style highway boondoggle tarted up as the future. When will our state's planners stop reheating yesteryear's transportation leftovers in their bureaucratic microwave and presenting them to us as tasty and nourishing new recipes? And when will they stop reheating the same stale rationalizations that Texas "doesn't have the right demographics" or that "Texans aren't ready yet" for modern passenger trains? Those excuses are worse than just numerically false. Their real shame is that they sell Texas short: Texans are renowned for their practicality, know-how and eagerness to embrace innovations that increase mobility and freedom, especially when those innovations preserve the wide-open spaces our forefathers secured and cherished. High-speed passenger trains do all those things. One modern electrified high-speed railroad track occupying the same footprint as a highway lane can carry about 10,000 people per hour. It would take nine highway lanes to equal that same output. And the railroad can continue to operate at 200 miles per hour in foul weather that would cut the highway's throughput in half, or even bring it to a halt. The original Texas high-speed rail project of the 1980s could have delivered that speed, safety and convenience. The plans still exist. It's time to dust them off and get the dirt flying. Our challenge is to think of Texas high-speed rail not just as a transportation project but also an energy project — using electricity, which can be generated from several different sources, to fuel a high-speed train system able to move large numbers of people safely and efficiently between the state's major metropolitan areas and with future extensions to Oklahoma and Louisiana. Intercity high-speed already is being foreshadowed by the new rail transit project being studied between Houston and Galveston. Intercity high-speed rail is its natural complement. The age of the highway is not over; nor is the age of commercial aviation. Both will continue to have their place. But Texas' two preferred travel modes date from a time when Texas had lots of cheap petroleum, the world had lots of clean air and "express train" meant a top speed of 85 miles per hour and an average speed of about 50. Peak Oil and global warming have forever changed the first two realities. The 200-mph electrified train has changed the third. It's time for Texas to get serious about its future and join the global high-speed rail revolution. Mangelsdorf, a Dallas resident, is executive director of Texas Rail Advocates, a nonprofit group. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5344430.html
December 3, 200717 yr Illinois transit priorities snarl talks By Kevin McDermott POST-DISPATCH SPRINGFIELD BUREAU 12/02/2007 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. If Illinois' political pileup over transportation issues was a movie, a good title might be, "Planes, Trains & Automobiles." Trains, such as the ones in Chicagoland that will quit running some time next month if the state doesn't provide money for the region's mass transit system. Automobiles, which are in need of improved roads, which downstate lawmakers are demanding before they will agree to the Chicago transit bailout. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/A0276B5279BF5FFF862573A4001BFDB6?OpenDocument MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
December 4, 200717 yr An End to the Free Ride on Trains in Los Angeles Monica Almeida/The New York Times Fare-collecting gates may come to stations in Los Angeles’s transit network, replacing an honor system that not all riders honor. Article Tools Sponsored By By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD Published: December 3, 2007 LOS ANGELES, Dec. 2 — It may be hard to fathom for subway riders in cities like New York, Chicago and Boston, but the transit system in Los Angeles has no turnstiles, gates or other barriers where tickets are collected or checked...
December 4, 200717 yr ^ i saw that article. my response is "waaah! hahahaha!" hopefully, the mta never wises up and does that on the staten island railroad. how with just a little cleverness people can go all the way from the foot of manhattan to tottenville at the bottom of staten island and back for free amazes me, but i aint gonna complain.
December 4, 200717 yr My only beef with the article is the typical parochial NYC angle, but I guess they're writing for their audience. POP systems are not based on some small town concept of trust any more than speed limits are, and they're used in large systems all over Europe, not just in marginal US ones. The single easiest thing the MTA could do to speed some of its cross town buses would be to institute rush hour POP to allow rear door boarding. Considering the high percentage of cross town bus rides that are part of a subway transfer, I bet it would cost them almost nothing.
December 4, 200717 yr my guess is that because doing that would take policing it wont happen. here's something interesting i saw today: Dec 4, 2007 Transit Transit Advocacy Group Puts Most Dangerous Intersections Online December 04, 2007 A new web site launched by the transit advocacy group Transportation Alternatives is helping to identify the city's most dangerous intersections. The site allows users to search through 11 years of bicycle and pedestrian accidents, using Google maps. The site lists East 33rd Street and Park Avenue as the most dangerous intersection in the city for pedestrians, with 156 crashes from 1995 to 2005. Other dangerous intersections include Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue in Brooklyn, East Fordham Road and Webster Avenue in the Bronx, and Essex and Delancey Streets in Manhattan. The most dangerous intersections for bicyclists are Bowery and West Houston Street and Broadway and Union Square West in Manhattan. To check out the site, log on to www.crashstat.org. http://www.ny1.com/ny1/NewsBeats/transit.jsp
December 5, 200717 yr Light rail leads public transit in ridership growth railwayage.com Light rail systems had the highest growth rate of all public transportation modes in the third quarter, with a ridership increase of 8.9%, the American Public Transit Association reported today. The introduction of new services contributed to light rail growth, said APTA, with the Regional Transit Authority of New Orleans showing the largest increase, 115.7%, as it continued to restore services in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Other light rail systems showing notable increases included: Denver (65.1%); St. Louis (25.8%); Kenosha, Wis. (23.3%); New Jersey (14.1%); Tampa, Fla. (13.1%); and San Diego (12.5%). Commuter rail was second in ridership growth with an increase of 5.4%. Significant increases were reported by: Harrisburg-Philadelphia 50.2%); Oakland (16.2%); Oceanside, Calif. (12.8%); Dallas-Fort Worth (12.3%); Stockton, Calif. (12.4%); Philadelphia (9.4%); and Anchorage, Alaska (9.0%). Rapid transit systems reported a 4.0% growth in ridership in the third quarter, led by San Juan, Puerto Rico (10.6%), Atlanta (10.4%), and Staten Island, N. Y. (10.2%). APTA reported that Americans took a total of 50 million additional trips on public transportation during the third quarter, a 2% increase over the 2006 period. http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml And from Minneapolis: Mass transit sales tax gains steam With I-35W disaster in mind, supporters tout half-cent metro levy BY JASON HOPPIN Pioneer Press Article Last Updated: 12/04/2007 11:53:31 PM CST Early in Minnesota's 2008 legislative session, backers of a planned light-rail connection between Minneapolis and St. Paul are expected to propose the biggest single transportation bonding request in state history - a $140 million down payment on the nearly billion-dollar project. But if legislators are consumed by debates over crumbling bridges after the Interstate 35W bridge collapse, Central Corridor supporters may be in a tricky spot - asking for Minnesota's biggest single transportation check ever without looking like they're taking money away from fixing the state's aging infrastructure. http://www.twincities.com/ci_7636596?nclick_check=1 MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
December 6, 200717 yr From railwayage.com. Some good news from Virginia: Development follows path of The Tide Construction has yet to begin on Norfolk, Va.'s 7.5-mile light rail line, but more than $220 million in local economic development already has been attributed to LRT's presence. A Virginian-Pilot report cites developers of three separate projects crediting light rail for their decisions to build at specific locations, among other things noting proximity to their respective projects benefitting employees and potential customers. "The fact that there will be a light rail stop right out the front door of our project was a key part of why we selected that site," said Thomas G. Johnson III, vice president of sales and development for Nusbaum Realty, the project developer for Wachovia Center, a 22-story tower and apartment building. http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml
December 7, 200717 yr Author Especially the Berea Town Forum -- a bunch of reactionaries whose research capabilities were like that of a teenager. They already knew everything even though they hadn't learned much. Those who believed the Red Line extension would have brought economic development said they wanted Berea to remain the quiet little farming town-turned-commuter college. Those who believed the Red Line extension wouldn't create economic development pointed to other Red Line stations and said "all we see are decaying industries, used car dealerships, vacant land and RTA's ugly park-n-ride lots." But what ultimately killed the Red Line extension is that, by terminating a Red Line extension on the north side of Berea rather than going into downtown Berea (and preferably to Strongsville) hurt the projected ridership and made the extension cost-ineffective. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 7, 200717 yr Berea has a new mayor (and support staff). He is a graduate from CSU's College of Urban Affairs' planning program. Perhaps things will start to change.
December 7, 200717 yr More on the Norfolk economic impact story: Norfolk says light rail's benefits already rolling in By DEBBIE MESSINA, The Virginian-Pilot © December 6, 2007 Last updated: 12:55 PM The first shovel of dirt has not been turned, yet light rail already has helped generate more than $220 million in planned office, retail, apartment and hotel development downtown. The Tide's route Developers of three projects Wachovia Center, Belmont at Freemason apartments and a Residence Inn said the citys starter light rail influenced their business decisions. Having modern transit within a short walking distance delivers a steady stream of potential customers and provides an alternative to driving for residents and workers, they said. Wachovia Center is a 22-story tower and apartment building that will include office, retail and residential space on Monticello Avenue. .....
December 7, 200717 yr Author KJP, Gildone..... talk to the man. Get him on board. One project at a time for me. Too busy trying to keep West Shore Corridor ticking. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 7, 200717 yr But what ultimately killed the Red Line extension is that, by terminating a Red Line extension on the north side of Berea rather than going into downtown Berea (and preferably to Strongsville) hurt the projected ridership and made the extension cost-ineffective. How would you get the Red Line into downtown Berea and then to Strongsville from there?
December 7, 200717 yr KJP, Gildone..... talk to the man. Get him on board. I can't even find out where this town stands on the Ohio Hub. My council person has ignored two e-mail, and I wrote Mayor Biddlecomb 4 years ago and he never responded. Maybe Kleem will be better...
December 7, 200717 yr Gildone: Call your councilperson and make an appointment to speak to him (or her) in person. If that does not work, go to a council meeting and ask why they avoid you---in public, at the meeting, so all can hear. Find out if there are any other AAO members or other friends in the area. Approach councilpersons and the mayor as a group. I'd contact the new mayor soon.
December 7, 200717 yr Meanwhile....in another large city... SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/342410_bus06.html Nickels to employees: Take bus Mayor proposes giving all city workers free passes by 2009 Last updated December 5, 2007 11:58 p.m. PT By KRISTEN MILLARES YOUNG P-I REPORTER Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed giving all city employees free bus passes by 2009 to encourage use of transit as a means for reducing the air pollution that causes global warming. "This is a great incentive to get people out of their cars and using public transit," City Councilman Nick Licata said. ....... The city also provides free bicycle parking, lockers and showers to encourage employees to commute by bike and will pay for up to 40 miles of cab fare per year for workers who, when pulling overtime, stay too late to bike or bus home. The city encourages employees to car pool, van pool and occasionally telecommute, and provides discounts to Flexcar users. MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
December 8, 200717 yr Author How would you get the Red Line into downtown Berea and then to Strongsville from there? I believe the proposal was to parallel the NS mainline to Front Street, then turn south and operate as a streetcar on Front. I don't remember which route options were developed for operation south of Berea to Strongsville, but I seem to remember there were something like a half dozen of them. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 8, 200717 yr ^How would you utilize high platform cars as a streetcar, or did it assume new, "flexible" equipment?
December 9, 200717 yr Author Yep, dual-floor trains. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 10, 200717 yr Article published Dec 8, 2007 Vermont opts out of plan to buy its own rail cars By Bruce Edwards Rutland Herald Vermont has backed out of a $17.5 million deal to purchase state-of-the-art rail cars that would replace cars on Amtrak's Vermonter route on the eastern side of the state. The state Agency of Transportation on Friday decided not to buy the rail cars from Colorado Railcar Manufacturing because the company and Amtrak could not provide sufficient guarantees to buy back the cars or resell them at 90 percent of the purchase price after three years of service. The state required the guarantee in the event the rail cars failed to provide the promised savings. http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071208/NEWS02/712080307/1003/NEWS02&template=printart MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
December 10, 200717 yr Posted on Sun, Dec. 09, 2007 Light rail, meet heavy rail By MICHAEL MANSUR and DEANN SMITH The Kansas City Star Subways, a revised Chastain plan the citys light-rail tangle just got more complex, and definitely more interesting. As the city prepares to dive back this week into coming up with a light-rail proposal, the past week showed just how wide open the citys transit future has become. Light-rail activist Clay Chastain updated his compromise plan and offered not to sue the city if the Kansas City Council places a compromise version of his plan before voters in April. ........ http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/396987.html MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
December 11, 200717 yr wow, that a subway is even still right up there in the discussion phase says a lot for kc planning. on a light note, if you are in ny for the holiday season be sure to take the bus! Dec 11, 2007 Transit Vintage Buses To Make Cameo Appearances Around City This Month December 10, 2007 First nostalgic trains hit the tracks, and now old-time buses are hitting the streets, offering a ride back in time. Buses on the M34, M42 and M50 lines are being replaced with special vintage buses. Double-decker buses from the 1930s are also on display at locations throughout Manhattan, including Herald Square, Grand Central Terminal and Times Square. video: http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=76409 MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
December 11, 200717 yr also, the mta is going back to the old days. in a bid to improve service and accountability the individual subway lines will be self-managed: Dec 11, 2007 Transit NYC Transit To Overhaul Subway Management System December 06, 2007 In a bid to provide straphangers with a smoother ride, New York City Transit said Thursday that it is making major changes to how the subways are managed. The changes involve making each subway line a separate entity, with a manager overseeing each individual line. The goal is to create more accountability. ..... http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=76280 MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
December 11, 200717 yr Federal funds put Northstar on road to reality in 2009 By PAUL LEVY and JOY POWELL, Minneapolis Star Tribune Last update: December 11, 2007 - 10:47 AM Gov. Tim Pawlenty and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Thomas J. Barrett this morning signed the documents that will formally grant nearly half of the funding for the $320 million, 40-mile Northstar commuter rail line from Minneapolis to Big Lake. Barrett said, Were delivering an investment so Northstar can move off the drawing board and onto the rails. In two years, the rail line is projected to provide more than 2 million rides annually to downtown Minneapolis from northern metro communities. ....... Find this article at: http://www.startribune.com/local/12355251.html MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
December 12, 200717 yr I can only dream of living in a city that offers a light rail service to downtown.
December 13, 200717 yr Author dmbfanatpsu, do the last three letters in your forum name mean you're at Penn State University? If so, you're surrounded by cities with light-rail transit -- Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, Philadelphia. Pick one. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 13, 200717 yr Author A busy news day.... http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature2 December 13, 2007 Amtrak, New York settle Empire Corridor dispute Amtrak and the State of New York hav settled their long-running dispute over a planned Turboliner high speed service between New York and Albany, and one results will be long-overdue infrastructure improvements in the Empire Corridor that (declared a joint statement) will save riders 2.6 million passenger-minutes per year. Under the settlement, announced yesterday, Amtrak will pay New York $20 million, and will join the state in funding $10 million worth of corridor improvements to improve service and enhance safety. Amtrak operates weekday and weekend service in the corridor, with up to 13 departures daily. ___________________________ December 13, 2007 NS: "A sad day for rail transportation in Michigan" Norfolk Southern has issued a statement sharply critical of the Surface Transportation Board's rejection of a plan by NS and the Watco Companies to form a new regional railroad, Michigan Central Railway, "to preserve and grow freight service in the region," while at the same time benefiting Amtrak passenger service. NS said "denial of regulatory approval for an innovative joint venture involving freight and passenger service over 384 route miles in Michigan and Indiana represents a lost opportunity for the region's shippers, passengers, and communities." NS said the STB's action terminates both Watco's planned investment in the lines and an Amtrak agreement that would have plowed $23 million into improvements on the main passenger lines. ........... ___________________________ December 13, 2007 Seattle streetcar debuts Seattle's $52 million South Lake Union Streetcar began passenger operations Wednesday following opening ceremonies and speeches. The 1.3-mile line, backed by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen and financed largely by private businesses along its route, is touted as a tool for economic development and to combat global warming. The line, with 11 stations, is expected to handle 330,000 riders per year. ........ ___________________________ December 13, 2007 Big Easy Christmas present: More St. Charles line New Orleans' famed St. Charles streetcar line will resume operations on its entire stretch along the namesake street by Dec. 23, in time for Christmas, according to Cesar Burgos, chairman of the Regional Transit Authority's governing board. ...... 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
December 13, 200717 yr http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature2 December 13, 2007 Amtrak, New York settle Empire Corridor dispute Amtrak and the State of New York hav settled their long-running dispute over a planned Turboliner high speed service between New York and Albany, and one results will be long-overdue infrastructure improvements in the Empire Corridor that (declared a joint statement) will save riders 2.6 million passenger-minutes per year. Under the settlement, announced yesterday, Amtrak will pay New York $20 million, and will join the state in funding $10 million worth of corridor improvements to improve service and enhance safety. Amtrak operates weekday and weekend service in the corridor, with up to 13 departures daily. If Amtrak can kick $30 million for corridor improvements in New York, then there is no reason why Ohio couldn't work a deal with Amtrak to improve service in Ohio now while we pursue the Ohio Hub. The state needs to be a willing partner, though and cough up some money of its own.
December 13, 200717 yr There's more here than meets the eye. Amtrak and New York have been embroiled in a dispute since Amtrak pulled the Turbos out of service, after New York paid millions to have them rehabbed. This is more a legal settlement than anything else and does not have much to do with Ohio or any other state.
December 14, 200717 yr Author Here is the joint statement by NYDOT and Amtrak: https://www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/news/press-releases/2007/2007-12-12 Contact: Charles Carrier, (518) 457-6400 Release Date: December 12, 2007 New York and Amtrak Resolve Empire Corridor High-Speed Rail Project Dispute New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn and Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Alexander K. Kummant today announced the resolution of their contract disputes and related federal court litigation over a former New York State Department of Transportation program to develop high-speed passenger rail service from New York City to the Capital District using RTL Turboliner trains from Amtrak. Under the terms of the settlement, Amtrak will pay New York State $20 million. In addition, New York and Amtrak will jointly invest $10 million in infrastructure improvement projects on the Albany-New York City Empire Corridor as approved by the New York State Senate High-Speed Rail Task Force. One of the track improvements is planned near the George Washington Bridge and will improve service and enhance safety in this rail corridor. The work also will reduce travel times and should save New York rail passengers 2.6 million passenger-minutes per year. Currently, Amtrak operates weekday and weekend service on the Empire Corridor, with up to 13 departures per day, using predominantly Amfleet passenger rail equipment. "A reliable, efficient passenger rail system is critical to tourism and robust economic development across New York State," Gov. Eliot Spitzer said. "This agreement puts to rest a long-standing dispute and enables the State and Amtrak to move forward cooperatively to improve passenger rail service and the state’s rail infrastructure." Amtrak President Kummant said, "This settlement now allows both Amtrak and the State of New York to concentrate on the improvements to rail service that I know our Board and Governor Spitzer desire to achieve in New York." "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 14, 200717 yr high speed rail someday? Dec 14, 2007 Transit Settlement Revives Hopes Of High Speed Rail Upstate December 12, 2007 The state has come to a settlement with Amtrak that could accelerate the development of a high speed railway between Penn Station and the Albany area. Amtrak will pay New York state $20 million, and they will both invest a total of $10 million in infrastructure improvements on the tracks that hug the Hudson's eastern banks. The plan has been kicked around Albany since the ‘80s but not much has been done with it because of scheduling delays and cost overruns. The original idea was to run trains that go 200 miles an hour, which would make the trip from New York to the capital less than an hour. http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=76498
December 14, 200717 yr For better or worse, streetcars are back South Lake Union line debuts with dignitaries and critics Thursday, December 13, 2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer By LARRY LANGE P-I REPORTER Seattle has a streetcar again. The 1.3-mile, $52.1 million South Lake Union line opened for business Wednesday amid speeches and pomp, ferrying hundreds back and forth between Westlake Center and the lake. As transit advocates celebrated, and Mayor Greg Nickels and other dignitaries extolled its virtues before a crowd of more than 300, a few wondered about the wisdom of the investment. ........ http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/343274_streetcar13.html MORE AT THE LINK ABOVE
December 16, 200717 yr There's more here than meets the eye. Amtrak and New York have been embroiled in a dispute since Amtrak pulled the Turbos out of service, after New York paid millions to have them rehabbed. This is more a legal settlement than anything else and does not have much to do with Ohio or any other state. True, I'm familiar with that, but at the same time this has grown out of the fact that NY has supported Amtrak and Amtrak has to make good on that support. It's a legal settlement, but it's also a quid pro quo (albeit forced in this case). The point being, if NY can rehab equipment and support the Empire Corridor, Ohio can begin doing the same with corridors here.
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