Central Corridor Funding Veto Stuns Project Backers

Posted: April 9th, 2008 09:33 AM EDT

By Dave Orrick, St. Paul Pioneer Press

 

If there's a Plan B for how to build Central Corridor light-rail line, either no one's heard of it or no one wants to say what it is.

 

Several officials, including St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, used the word "critical" to describe the state's $70 million initial commitment -- now reduced to zero by Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto Monday -- to build the $909.1 million light-rail line linking St. Paul and Minneapolis via University Avenue.

 

more at:

 

http://www.masstransitmag.com/publication/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=5777&pageNum=1

Bullet train coming to California ballots

Governor Schwarzenegger is supportive, but a $16 billion state deficit may inspire voters to say 'no' in November.

By Daniel B. Wood | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

from the April 9, 2008 edition

 

Los Angeles - Like thousands of other college students in California, Jessica Jardine treks regularly from her home in Los Gatos in the north to university life in Los Angeles, in southern California. It's a five- to six-hour drive one way nearly every six weeks or a Southwest Airlines commute – which takes only an hour in the sky, but requires plenty of time getting to and from the airports.

 

 

Find this article at:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0409/p02s03-usgn.html 

 

Sorry to throw the wet blanket, but when it comes to these state bullet-train proposals: I'll believe it when I (finally) see it... Ohio's conventional Ohio Hub, for now, is the way to go.  I'll admit, though, if any state can pull it off, its Cali w/ its strong decade + long advancement in State Amtrak, commuter rail and rapid transit (all across the state)... but I'm not holding my breath even for the Sunshine State.

Sunshine State? Florida doesn't have a pending bullet train plan.

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature3-4-11

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April 10, 2008

NARP, advocacy groups question Hudson River tunnels plan

 

The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) is urging New Jersey Transit to revisit earlier designs of its proposed Hudson River railroad tunnels linking New Jersey and New York, which included both access to the existing Pennsylvania Station and a potential future link to Grand Central Terminal.

 

more at link above:

Sunshine State? Florida doesn't have a pending bullet train plan.

 

Obviously, I got my Sunshine and Golden State monikers mixed up.  You're correct, long gone Jeb Bush deep-6ed Florida's high speed years ago.

lately on the east coast we have been bombarded this amtrak acela express "destinations" commercial. i could see something similar someday for ohio hub tv commericals. check'r out:

 

 

more acela express video on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=acela+commercial&search_type=

Cool.... You'd think the Ohio/the Midwest would be eager to get on board with something like Acela. 

Take a "boring" trip into Pittsburgh's new North Shore Connector Tunnel

 

http://kdka.com/video/[email protected]

lately on the east coast we have been bombarded this amtrak acela express "destinations" commercial. i could see something similar someday for ohio hub tv commericals. check'r out:

 

 

more acela express video on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=acela+commercial&search_type=

 

If only the actual acela experience was like that commercial!

Oh, and like every advertisement was a competely truthful and accurate reflection of reality?!?! I know, I know... Only the ones you worked on MTS....   :roll:

I love that advertisement, btw.  It looks so comfortable when that passenger curls up to sleep.

Motor City moves ahead with light rail plan

www.railwayage.com

 

Detroit city officials Monday made public a plan, developed behind the scene for several months, for a $371 million light rail line to run up the middle of Woodward Avenue, from an indeterminate point downtown to the State Fairgrounds.

 

Norman White, chairman for the Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study, unveiled the plan in conjunction with Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick,(D), and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

 

The city will seek federal funding to pay for 60% of the cost, and anticipates 40% to come from private sources and foundation grants. Several sources, including Crain's Detroit Business, have reported on an intense effort by private-sector supporters of the plan in recent months to generate the local matching share for the project, though specific individuals and/or businesses h ave not been identified.

 

Under current plans, Detroit's Department of Transportation would oversee the operation.

^it will be interesting what comes out of the engineering/environmental phase.

 

1) The Southbound terminus hasn't been determined yet

2) Switch from median to no median on Woodward (and the fun Michigan Lefts).

 

^^I really wish a proper distinction will be made in what Detroit sounds like it's attempting to build: a street car or a trolley.  We've let "Light Rail" (as in truly rapid transit)  morph in to being any rail transit system with medium to low platforms no matter whether it has extensive (or in Detroit’s case, any) grade-separated right of way to truly speed trains significantly beyond street-bound buses.  But if it rides in a street, or in the median all the way into the center of Detroit down the busiest street, Woodward, intersecting traffic, this is NOT light rail and to call it such is a fraud on the public.

^Yeah, from what I've read it will be separate lanes (or in the median ala Shaker), signal priority blah blah blah.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

 

Rail proposal a 'first step'

 

$371M commuter train, which could carry 11,000 daily, would travel to downtown along Woodward.

Mike Wilkinson / The Detroit News

 

DETROIT -- City leaders have pinned their mass transit hopes on an eight-mile stretch down Woodward Avenue that connects the State Fairgrounds with downtown, calling the $371 million project a "first step" toward the return of light rail to Metro Detroit.

 

Construction could begin in three years, with an estimated 11,000 riders a day by 2013.

 

"It's not an end, it's a start," said Norman White, the chief financial officer for the city and project manager of the Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study.

 

White, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his mother, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, announced that DTOGS had selected the Woodward corridor as its preferred route and will soon ask for federal funding for preliminary engineering. Federal funds are expected to cover more than half of the project's cost.

 

Woodward was easily the top pick over Grand Boulevard, Michigan Avenue, Gratiot and Eight Mile. Proponents say it has the best mix of destinations -- Wayne State and museums, downtown and New Center -- and current bus ridership.

 

"It's a very natural, very obvious place to build rapid transit," said Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United, a local mass transit advocacy group. "Being able to connect all of these together without all the driving and parking is critical for the region's future."

 

The Woodward rail line would run at ground level from Eight Mile down the left-turn lane of Woodward, and would require the elimination of street parking in order to maintain two lanes of traffic the length of the road, said Dan Meyers, a project engineer from URS Corp., which is assisting DTOGS and the Detroit Department of Transportation.

 

The electric trains would run at roughly 20 mph, with the traffic lights synchronized so they would not stop between the 13-15 stations, Meyers said. A trip from the fairgrounds to the Renaissance Center would take a little over 30 minutes.

 

Left to be decided: one of three downtown loop options.

 

Detroit is one the last major cities in the country without a light rail system, yet has talked about it for decades. In the meantime, tens of thousands of downtown jobs have moved to the suburbs.

 

But questions remain: How will the area pay for it, and how will it handle a substantial annual subsidy? And how does it fit into efforts to develop a regional transit plan?

 

White, a former DDOT director, said mass transportation is subsidized in Detroit and elsewhere.

 

The reward for developing interconnecting transit systems is the development they'll spur. In Dallas, Denver and other cities building or expanding their light rail systems, land around the lines has seen millions of dollars in construction.

 

"That's the payoff you get," White said. "No system will ever pay for itself."

 

As for its impact on regional transportation planning, White is expected to meet soon with John Hertel of the Regional Transit Coordinating Council. Hertel is helping craft a broader, regional plan that can gain the blessings of Kilpatrick and the leaders of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

 

He said he's agreed not to comment on the plan, but acknowledges Woodward is the "most obvious" corridor for light rail. He said he would not inhibit DTOGS efforts to secure federal funding. The regional transit council's plan is expected by late December, Hertel said.

 

Chris Frey, 31, lives near Wayne State and works downtown for an accounting firm. He buys a monthly bus pass and takes it to work, as well as out to Royal Oak. Frey believes a light rail system will make those rides easier and more efficient, with fewer delays caused by weather and traffic.

 

"It would get me downtown faster and more reliably," he said.

 

You can reach Mike Wilkinson at (313) 222-2563 or [email protected].

 

 

Yo....Box 2565....nice find on this story.... good to get some detail.

 

Sure sounds like Detroit is talking streetcars and not light rail... but hey, if it moves on steel wheels and means a travel option people don't already have... more power to 'em !

Streetcars, light rail, trolleys, choo choos.... Joe Six Pack doesn't care what it's called as long as it gets him where he wants to go and saves him money in the process.

Streetcars, light rail, trolleys, choo choos.... Joe Six Pack doesn't what it's called care as long as it gets him where he wants to go and saves him money in the process.

 

hey, the economy is tight in Detroit, its now Joe four-pack.

^So KJP, you're saying it really doesn't matter what the quality of transit being developed so long as the average "Joe"  (6 or 4 pack) can be convinced (see: conned) as to what is tax dollars are being spent on, no?

 

This project is moving Detroit in the right direction, no doubt.  I just think, for a city that size and in a downtown corridor that's growing in residential and retail density, they not be afraid to stick the line underground for faster/better service and more effective use of street frontage for higher density/more focused growth.  Is that too much to ask in a city of 900,000/metro area 4.5 mil?  ... of have we totally wimped out on development of serious transit  -- at least in some cities (w/ neither Seattle nor LA not being among them).

^So KJP, you're saying it really doesn't matter what the quality of transit being developed so long as the average "Joe"  (6 or 4 pack) can be convinced (see: conned) as to what is tax dollars are being spent on, no?

 

Nope. What I'm saying is that the Average Joe doesn't care what you call it. He doesn't know the different terms and doesn't care to know them.

What do you mean, that Average Joe doesn't know what a Catenary or a Pantograph is?

Worse, that they don't know the difference between a streetcar, trolley or light-rail train. Hell, I don't always know the difference either.

Didn't really know where to throw this, but I figured some of you transit buffs might enjoy this. Its the report and recommendations for Detroit's Mass Transit Plan in 1926

 

Its a big file (11MB) so might be a "save as"

 

What Other States didn't do with Rail: http://www.gotdetroit.com/img/transit/transit_study.pdf

^So KJP, you're saying it really doesn't matter what the quality of transit being developed so long as the average "Joe"  (6 or 4 pack) can be convinced (see: conned) as to what is tax dollars are being spent on, no?

 

Nope. What I'm saying is that the Average Joe doesn't care what you call it. He doesn't know the different terms and doesn't care to know them.

 

That may be.  But does it not matter what the system that's built IS, regardless of what it's called?

Sure it does, but that's not what I'm discussing here.

i saw this on the front page in the local paper while i was in austin this week. they are reviving light rail plans (it was voted down in 2000).

 

the region is already moving along on commuter rail from suburban round rock in the north to downtown -- a rr local was excited about it and told me they have some train cars and that he rode a demo into town:

 

New light-rail plan rolls into Austin

Among many obstacles: What's the cost, and who pays?

By Ben Wear

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

 

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

 

A consultant hired by the city is recommending a 14-mile light-rail system for Central Austin, not streetcars as proposed by Capital Metro. The system would run from the airport to downtown, through the University of Texas and east to the emerging Mueller development.

 

The route is essentially the same one City Council Member BrewsterMcCracken and Austin Mayor Will Wynn have been talking about for the past six months or so. The proposal, finished just seven weeks after the council voted to pay ROMA Design Group up to $250,000 to produce it, comes as a "transit task force" formed by Wynn and state Sen. Kirk Watson moves into the final stages ofcreating a process to analyzerail proposals.

 

 

http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/04/23/0423rail.html

 

 

 

 

Why isn't the MLK commuter rail station moved to Manor Road so a joint station with the light rail line could be offered? Or why not put the light rail line on MLK for a stretch so it could link up with the commuter rail line. I realize there's an opportunity for a joint station near the convention center (though it looks like one track won't be right next to the commuter rail station). Transit agencies do this crap all too often. Balitmore comes to mind, with its lack of connection between light and heavy rail lines. Bugs the crap out of me, as if they want to make it tougher to ride transit.

Why isn't the MLK commuter rail station moved to Manor Road so a joint station with the light rail line could be offered? Or why not put the light rail line on MLK for a stretch so it could link up with the commuter rail line. I realize there's an opportunity for a joint station near the convention center (though it looks like one track won't be right next to the commuter rail station). Transit agencies do this crap all too often. Balitmore comes to mind, with its lack of connection between light and heavy rail lines. Bugs the crap out of me, as if they want to make it tougher to ride transit.

 

Certainly seems to make sense, although I've never set foot in Austin so I can't speak intelligently about it.  I could only guess, given mrnyc's map w/ MLK being double-lined as opposed to Manor, where LRT would be that, maybe MLK would be a stronger gathering point, perhaps for reverse commuters, than Manor, even w/ LRT in Manor, but like I say, I just don't know Austin well enough to know.

 

I do, however, agree with the glaring lack of interconnectivity of some rail networks, and Baltimore is Exhibit A; a clear example, esp w/ regard to Wm. Donald Schaeffer's  LRT, which was much more a politically expedient animal – with it’s slow street running, lack of connectivity w/ Metro (it does connect well w/ MARC commuter rail at Camden Yards but poorly at Penn Station) and poor routing at the edges of traffic corridors, even downtown -- than a serious rapid transportation artery, esp given its immense cost… And Baltimore’s paying dearly for this as there have been proposals to reroute the line closer to traffic (hello Dual Hub!!) and try and drop it, or a parallel line, perhaps under Cathedral Street, into a subway through the downtown area…  That was my point in the Detroit discussion – not to belabor that one any further… When cities rush to build; build any old thing just to say or pretend you’re truly building “Rapid Transit” you get… Baltimore.

 

 

Or Cleveland's Red Line.

my guess is the light rail is being routed down manor because that allows it to better serve the university of texas by fully looping around it. although mlk is a great street to run rail on, if it went down that path it would almost "miss" the college as mlk runs across the very south end of the ut campus and also in the downtown there is no residential around it.

 

i certainly agree the mlk commuter rail station ought to be moved to manor road if that is where the light rail is going to be. luckily as far as i know nothing is set in stone yet. the light rail is of course only a plan at this point. the commuter rail is much farther along. they have train sets and are running trials, but the stations themselves are not built out or anything yet. let's hope future connectivity will be addressed before serious construction (i'm pretty certain it will be).

 

btw the "mueller development" is very interesting. it's a redevelopment plan for the old city airport (and perhaps burke someday?). the old airplane hangers are now the non-profit austin film society film studios. the rest is or will be the usual infill of business, retail and housing. interestingly, there are plans for a streetcar and...wait for it...bus rapid transit. see the interactive map here for more info:

 

http://www.muelleraustin.com/explore/

 

Lots of rail news, from Railway Track & Structures magazine. Yes, there is such a publication!

 

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April 25, 2008

 

 

Amtrak to host a Civic Conversation in Albuquerque on rail depots

 

As a part of its Great American Stations Project, Amtrak is hosting a Civic Conversation in Albuquerque, N.M., on May 7 to discuss the redevelopment and restoration of passenger rail stations along the route of the Southwest Chief. Serving passengers from Chicago to Los Angeles, the Southwest Chief is one of Amtrak's longest routes at 2,256 miles with 34 stations.

 

During the meeting, case studies from both large and small communities will be highlighted. Representatives of those cities will explain how they shepherded their projects to successes that sparked additional redevelopment in their communities.

 

Amtrak officials will attend the day-long workshop, which will include information on design and planning guidelines and a how-to session on getting started on a station renewal project and the types of state and federal grants available for station improvements. A forthcoming deadline to meet standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act will be discussed in detail.

 

Amtrak President and CEO Alex Kummant sent Great American Stations Civic Conversation invitations to mayors and other civic leaders and state officials along the route of the Southwest Chief in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

 

Amtrak does not own the majority of stations it serves. Roughly 33 percent of all Amtrak stations are owned by cities, 27 percent are owned by the freight or host railroads over whose tracks Amtrak trains travel, and 27 percent are owned by Amtrak (primarily on the largely Amtrak-owned Northeast Corridor). Additionally, private parties own eight percent, and the remaining five percent are owned by other entities, such as port authorities, commuter railroads or transit agencies.

 

This is the third Civic Conversation hosted by Amtrak in the past year, following sessions in Denver and Pittsburgh. Future meetings are being planned along other routes in the 46-state Amtrak network.

 

The event at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Albuquerque is by invitation-only.

 

 

 

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April 25, 2008

 

 

$60.4-million switch, signal improvements set for Queens Interlocking

 

A major modernization program that will bring start-of-the-art technology to an important Long Island Rail Road switching point between Queens Village and Bellerose is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 16. The $60.4-million project at a junction known as Queens Interlocking, where the busy Main Line and Hempstead Branch merge, will take 10 weeks to complete and result in temporary schedule changes.

 

The plan is to replace the current signal system with microprocessor technology and reconfigure the track to include high-speed crossover switches.

 

The switch replacement will result in peak train cancellations on the Hempstead, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma Branches as well as other peak and off-peak schedule adjustments throughout the system. The Hempstead Branch will be significantly affected because one of the two main tracks on the branch will be out of service between June 30 and August 24.

 

The project will begin and end with two major weekends of service changes. The first will be on the Hempstead Branch on the weekend of June 21-22. The second will occur on the weekend of August 23-24 and will require the shutdown of the entire Main Line with buses replacing trains between Mineola and Jamaica affecting Hempstead, Oyster Bay and Port Jefferson Branches. The work will also affect the Ronkonkoma Branch to a lesser degree.

 

 

 

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April 25, 2008

 

 

STB issues final scope of study for CN/EJ&E acquisition EIS

 

The Surface Transportation Board’s Section of Environmental Analysis has issued the Final Scope of Study for the Environmental Impact Statement regarding the proposed acquisition by the Canadian National Railway of the Elgin, Joliet &Eastern Railway in the proceeding entitled Canadian National Ry. And Grand Trunk Corp.—Control—EJ&E West Co., STB Finance Docket No. 35087.

 

Publication in the Federal Register will follow on Monday, April 28, 2008.

 

SEA issued the Final Scope as part of its environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act. The release of the Final Scope now allows SEA to move forward with preparation of the EIS. Release of the Draft EIS is expected sometime late this summer.

 

The Final Scope reflects issues raised, both orally and in writing, by the public and the cooperating agencies during the scoping process, and at 14 scoping meetings held during January 2008 in numerous locations throughout the Illinois-Indiana project area. The Final Scope also takes into account all comments received on environmental issues concerning the CN-EJ&E proposal.

 

The Draft EIS addressing all environmental issues and containing recommended mitigation will be made available for public review and comment. A Final EIS will then be prepared reflecting SEA's further analysis and comments received on the Draft EIS. In reaching future decisions in this case, the Board will take into account the full environmental record, including the Draft EIS, the Final EIS and all public and agency comments received.

 

 

 

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April 25, 2008

 

 

Salt Lake City to open FrontRunner rail commuter rail line April 26

 

Celebrations to mark the opening will be taking place at all FrontRunner rail commuter stations in the Salt Lake City area on April 26. The Grand Opening Ceremony will be at Central Station at the Intermodal Hub. After the ceremony, Front Runner is offering free rides to the public. The free ride promotion will continue Monday, April 28 through Wednesday, April 30.

 

FrontRunner is a 44-mile rail commuter operation with eight stations from Salt Lake City to Pleasant View, Utah. It operates on 38 miles of exclusive right-of-way east of the Union Pacific main line and on six miles of track shared with UP. There are two bridges and 43 grade crossings.

 

 

 

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April 25, 2008

 

 

Deal permits track relocation at Gary, Ind., airport

 

The Gary/Chicago International Airport took a crucial step in expanding its runways to attract more carriers, local newspapers report. U.S. Rep. Peter J. Visclosky, D-Merrillville, said that CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern reached a deal to share a rail line near Gary/Chicago International Airport. The agreement makes it possible to remove CSXT's Fort Wayne Line and extend the airport's crosswind runway.

 

The dormant CSXT Fort Wayne Line lies within the perimeter required for runway extension, while Norfolk Southern's Gary Branch, which runs parallel farther to the north, is outside of the perimeter. In the agreement, CSXT will take ownership of the Gary Branch while guaranteeing Norfolk Southern maintains its capacity on the line.

 

Airport director Chris Curry said the agreement couldn't have come to fruition without the involvement of Visclosky and U.S. Sens. Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh. Curry said the airport has been in talks with the railroads for about six years.

 

The accord was reached after Visclosky's office met with CSXT on March 13, and Norfolk Southern on March 27, to push the railroads toward reaching a deal. His office has been in contact with both railroads since. He said this deal will help attract new passenger traffic, which will in turn help pay for additional expansion plans. The airport is still working on plans to expand the main runway.

 

A third rail line, owned and operated by the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway, is west of the main runway and blocks its planned extension. The airport is negotiating with EJ&E to relocate its tracks.

 

"I hope EJ&E will follow CSXT and NS's lead and help make the airport expansion, and the jobs and economic activity that will come with it, a reality," Visclosky said.

 

 

 

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April 25, 2008

 

 

UP track work is almost over in southern California

 

Union Pacific's railway renewal project is near completion in the Banning-Beaumont-Cherry Valley-Cabazon area of southern California, local newspapers report. The project has closed four railway crossings to all traffic, including pedestrian.

 

The UP track replacement project consists of replacement of the roadbed, including new rails, concrete ties, new cleaned rock replacement that will improve drainage, smoother train operations and an anticipated reduction in noise.



 

New concrete ties will be installed at all crossings along with concrete crossing pads and eliminate the existing rough crossing areas for vehicles.



 

Union Pacific states, “Doing this project will not only improve the crossings but the trains will operate smoother, quieter and be more efficient. This will expedite the time spent at road crossings waiting for trains to clear, which will benefit the local communities as well as the Union Pacific.”

 

 

 

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April 24, 2008

 

 

Rising costs for WTC hub could force design changes

 

The head of the Federal Transit Administration, which is paying to build a transit hub at the New York World Trade Center site, said the project now would cost about $3 billion, more than $500 million over its latest budget, local newspapers report.

 

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the site, has sought for more than a year to cut costs for the winged-dome design for a PATH commuter rail hub at ground zero. Officials said in early 2007 that Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava's design for the lower Manhattan hub would be modified but they have never released a new design. Construction began in 2005.

 

The project is primarily funded by a $1.9-billion grant from the FTA, which supports locally planned and operated mass transit systems. A consultant's report for the agency earlier this year concluded that the project as designed has almost no chance of being built for its $2.2 billion budget.

 

FTA Administrator James Simpson said Wednesday that based on the project's current budget documents, "if the project is as advertised as today, it's in the $3 billion range."

 

But the Port Authority, which is building the transit hub, is committed to reducing the project's cost to less than $2.5 billion, spokesman Steve Sigmund said. That total would include money from insurance and from an agency construction reserve fund.

 

The agency is looking at design changes to the platforms, mezzanine and other underground sections of the terminal to reduce the budget but does not plan to alter the design of a dome with birdlike steel wings, Sigmund said.

 

A second temporary entrance to the PATH hub, which takes tens of thousands of commuters between lower Manhattan and Jersey City and Hoboken, N.J., recently opened. The Port Authority said the permanent hub will open in 2011, although the FTA consultant's report said the likely date would be 2013.

 

sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flblightrail0427sbapr27,0,41729.story

 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Rail streetcars vs. Sun Trolley: Redevelopment sought in Fort Lauderdale

By Brittany Wallman

 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

 

April 27, 2008

 

FORT LAUDERDALE

 

Proponents of a light-rail streetcar system downtown aren't just focused on getting more people aboard mass transit. They're also banking on more development.

 

That's why downtown power brokers aren't worried when they see the red and yellow Sun Trolley roll by, most of its seats empty, on the route the proposed streetcar would travel. Proponents of the streetcar say that if Fort Lauderdale sees the kind of development along its rail line that other cities have, the streetcar will have no problem drawing 8,000 riders a day.

 

Currently, the trolley carries about 84 passengers each day.

 

The ample-sized trolley makes its run from courthouse to bus terminal, over the New River bridges, stuck in traffic just like The Wave's rail cars would be. Many of the properties the trolley passes are in need of a re-do, the Downtown Development Authority thinks. That's one reason the board of developers and business people are pushing The Wave, a streetcar system that would cost about $50 million a mile and would replace the rubber-tire trolley that could cover the same route for less. The Wave would run on rails embedded in the roadway, and would be powered by overhead electrical wires.

 

For now, the Sun Trolley offers a way to leave a car behind. But few do.

 

Only about eight people an hour ride it on the loop from the bus terminal to the county courthouse, according to the Transportation Management Association that operates the Sun Trolley. The route is similar to what's proposed for The Wave.

 

The downtown authority members and their streetcar consultants say thousands of people who shun public transportation would climb aboard a rail car, a prediction supported by other cities' experiences. Unlike rubber-tire trolleys and buses, the streetcars are thought to lure a different type of passenger: one who has a car but chooses the rail instead.

 

If the line sparks mass redevelopment of housing and offices, like a similar service did in Portland, Ore., and other locations, the number of riders would soar, the downtown board says.

 

The trolley riders on a recent weekday were mostly people who had no choice but public transportation. Like the woman whose errand was to drop off money at the main jail downtown for her husband, who was incarcerated in Pompano Beach. Or Rufus Ragin, who is homeless and took the trolley from near the county courthouse to the bus hub.

 

Those who already ride mass transit downtown were skeptical of the high-dollar proposal. They already have a clean, air-conditioned ride.

 

"Why have a substitute for something that's already working?" asked Akili Tucker, 32, who lives in Lauderhill and boarded the trolley recently from the main bus terminal off Broward Boulevard. Like many riders that day, Tucker was on a long journey to the county courthouse.

 

The downtown board knew that question would be a common one.

 

"Q: Why do we need The Wave when we have the Sun Trolley?" the agency asks on its Web site.

 

The answer given: The streetcar would "promote an economic development benefit that rubber-wheel vehicles do not," while being "more convenient, more reliable, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly."

 

 

 

Other cities' successes

Downtowns across the country are looking at streetcar systems as magnets for redevelopment.

 

Portland has a system that Fort Lauderdale officials envy. Developers spent $2.2 billion to build new housing, office and retail space within two blocks of the rail line, according to a 2005 study done for Portland. More than 7,000 condos or apartments went up along the line.

 

Tampa's system is newer, and transportation officials there give it credit for $1 billion in direct redevelopment.

 

The Wall Street Journal reported last summer that the rail system in Tampa was "a dud" as a transportation system, but great for economic development.

 

Downtown Development Authority board member Alan Hooper, who is in charge of selling the public on The Wave, said it's no secret that development is one of the goals.

 

"I've been very upfront that it's about bringing smart growth to downtown," he said.

 

Downtown needs help, he said.

 

"There's blight, I think there's dilapidation, there's stuff that has to be replaced with new stuff," said Hooper, a developer.

 

The Sun Trolley rolls by some of the older, small buildings that might one day be replaced along the rail line. The route hasn't been set, but is roughly a loop up and down Andrews and Northeast Third avenues, from the north end of downtown to the south.

 

More than a dozen new condos have been built downtown in the past decade; a new hotel was built; new offices have risen. But downtown developers still see problems. Development Authority Chairman Jack Loos thinks if a community isn't moving forward, it's sliding backward.

 

Chris Wren, executive director of the Development Authority and former city planning director, said, "walk the entire downtown from Searstown to the hospital at night. There's no lights, some places you don't feel safe, some places you might not be safe, I don't know."

 

 

Banking on more riders

The streetcar would have a lot to live up to. It would have to persuade 7,900 people who now drive downtown to leave their cars behind every day.

 

Wren and others at the Development Authority say The Wave would have more elaborate stopping points; it would be reliable; it would come by every 7 /1/2 minutes, instead of every 16 or 20. It would go farther south, down to Broward General Medical Center, a major job center.

 

"It's apples and oranges," Wren said of the comparison.

 

Hooper echoed that.

 

"If you have a rail system and people know where it's going, there's a big difference."

 

The Wave would attract 8,000 riders a day, according to the downtown board's consultant, Parsons Brinckerhoff. The highest ridership is expected from the bus terminal, the hospital, the court complex and Las Olas Boulevard, according to Development Authority documents.

 

According to the analysis by Parsons Brinckerhoff, the riders will be residents headed to and from work or running errands, and tourists.

 

Only with ridership that high would the cost per rider be kept below a dollar. The Development Authority has to prove cost-effectiveness to win federal aid. City, county and state officials are backing the proposal. But the last financial piece, $75 million in federal aid, is still being sought.

 

Brittany Wallman can be reached at [email protected] or 954-356-4541.

 

Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

new exterior ads for ny subway:

 

 

Subway Trains To Carry Exterior Ads

 

April 30, 2008

 

The MTA is not one to miss an advertising opportunity - so it is now selling space on the outside of subway cars.

 

Continental Airlines posters have been installed on the side of some 42nd street shuttle cars.

 

The ads are placed on special 'brand' cars which are also blanketed on the inside with Continental advertisements.

 

MTA officials said the initiative could spread to other advertisers and train lines.

 

link + video:

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=5&aid=81085

 

sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0430trirail,0,3538203.story

 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Tri-Rail's ridership continues to rise

By Michael Turnbell

 

Sun-Sentinel.com

 

12:53 PM EDT, April 30, 2008

 

Tri-Rail's ridership continues to soar to new heights.

 

Ridership on the commuter trains this month increased 28.2 percent over the same month last year, Tri-Rail officials announced today.

 

On Tuesday, Tri-Rail carried 15,504 passengers, making it one of the highest ridership days on record. It was the ninth day this year that ridership has exceeded 15,000 passengers.

 

So far this month, an average of 14,391 passengers a day have boarded the trains.

 

"The overwhelming increase in Tri-Rail's ridership underscores the need to offer efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly public transportation as alternative to commuters as they grapple with the day-to-day challenges of Soth Florida's economical climate," said Joseph Giulietti, Tri-Rail's executive director.

 

Statistics show that March 2008 was the highest ridership month ever, with 348,997 passengers, up from 306,783 in 2007. April's ridership is expected to exceed that number when the final count is tabulated on Thursday.

 

Officials say the commuter train's employer discount program, which has more than 3,000 members, has been key to ridership growth. Employees of companies who register for the free program can purchase a monthly ticket for unlimited rides for just $60 a month.

 

Meanwhile, dueling bills in the Legislature offer different means of getting Tri-Rail a dedicated tax to pay for day-to-day operations.

 

A provision in the Senate bill would create a new $2-a-day rental car surcharge but only on cars rented at airports, subject to voter approval in the three counties.

 

A House bill would tap an existing $2-a-day fee on all rental cars but wouldn't require a referendum. Tri-Rail officials said they prefer the House legislation because it would generate enough money to relieve the three counties of their funding obligation for the commuter train.

 

Without the rental car tax money, Tri-Rail officials say commuter train service would be drastically cut on Oct. 1.

 

Michael Turnbell can be reached at [email protected] or 954-356-4155.

 

Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfl-flbmayocol0501sbmay01,0,638417.column

 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Fort Lauderdale's transit 'Wave' looks like a wipeout

Michael Mayo

 

May 1, 2008

 

As boondoggles go, I love this proposed light-rail transit system for downtown Fort Lauderdale being pushed by the Downtown Development Authority.

 

 

Washington DC: Metrorail to Dulles back on the table

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043001674.html

 

Proposed Extension To Dulles Revived

 

By Amy Gardner

Washington Post Staff Writer

Thursday, May 1, 2008; Page B01

 

Federal transportation officials revived a long-sought Metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport yesterday, but they attached daunting conditions, including a demand for a major influx of cash into the Metro system.

 

In a conference call with Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and Virginia congressional leaders, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said that the first phase of the rail line planned between Arlington and Loudoun counties had finally met the Federal Transit Administration's standards for cost efficiency, construction and expected ridership. The project will now move into the final design phase, a major step toward receiving $900 million in federal funding.

 

Peters's announcement represented a reversal from her position in January, when she and FTA chief James S. Simpson declared the project unfit for federal funding. The decision was hailed by a broad group of business and political leaders who credited Peters and Kaine for pushing tirelessly over the past three months for changes to the project that would qualify it for approval.

 

Virginia has sought a rail line to Dulles for more than 40 years, not only to connect Washington to its major international airport but also to promote development and growth through the state's most concentrated job corridor.

 

"I feel good," Kaine said in an interview. "This won't be the last hurdle in the project because it's just big and challenging, but this was a high one. I really applaud the work that we have been able to do with Secretary Peters and the administration to answer their questions and assure them that this is a project that should be moving forward."

 

Peters, Kaine and others cautioned that much work remains. To receive the entire $900 million, project officials must not allow the cost to escalate further, and they must demonstrate that its schedule, including an optimistic Phase I completion date of 2012, can be met. Toughest of all is a demand that the Metro system's $489 million in unfunded capital repairs be addressed before it takes on operation of a new 23-mile line.

 

Peters was unavailable for interviews yesterday, but a senior official at the Department of Transportation said: "Everyone recognizes that there is not an easy path forward."

 

"These issues don't just disappear overnight," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to comment on the record. "They've made progress. They really have. Things seem to be running smoothly. They cut some costs. But there's a lot of uncertainty ahead, and they've got to work hard. They've got to work smart. They've got to really buckle down on this."

 

The cause of Peters's reversal was the subject of wide speculation, but most officials close to the process cited a combination of factors including her willingness to work with Kaine, as well as the governor's early pledge to fix anything "large or small" to make the project work.

 

The officials said the urgency of the requests from Kaine and others that the project be saved played a role in the department's willingness to reconsider.

 

"When the governor of a state and the congressional delegation come to a Cabinet secretary and say, 'This is an important issue; can you give us a chance to make this right?' [then] Secretary Peters is going to be responsive to that," the official said. "We had to address all the issues that were laid out on the table."

 

Simpson noted that the only reason the FTA was so adamant in declaring the project unfit in January was to meet a deadline request made by Virginia to make a decision by Feb. 1, when the state's contract with the project's builder was scheduled to expire. By extending that contract for several months, the state bought itself and the FTA time to more carefully evaluate the project's flaws, Simpson said.

 

"We were under extraordinary pressure to give them an answer on where the project stood," he said. "The FTA is the last firewall on projects that cost too much or should not go forward. There is no way that all those issues could have been resolved by the end of January."

 

Among the issues were cost, the ability of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to manage the construction project, and the Metro system's capacity to operate the additional rail line. Simpson said they resolved those issues in part by agreeing to more than $200 million in cuts identified by state officials. Virginia officials also were persuaded to find $200 million for a contingency fund in case costs rise later.

 

It will be hard for project managers to avoid that. Because of the delays this year, the contract will have to be renegotiated, probably at a slightly higher cost, several officials said. And the scheduled 2012 completion date for Phase I, which would extend the new Silver Line from the East Falls Church Metro station in Arlington to Wiehle Avenue in Reston, probably would be moved back at least a year. The second phase, expected to be done in 2015, would extend beyond the airport into Loudoun.

 

One issue that appears to be permanently resolved is the question of whether a tunnel would replace the project's elevated alignment through Tysons Corner. Tunnel backers had hoped that federal rejection of the project would allow state officials to start over and design a rail line with the tunnel, because it would look better and help promote urban redevelopment in Tysons. But with the project officially in final design, those hopes appear to be over.

 

Staff writer Lena H. Sun contributed to this report.

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

 

May 1, 2008

Parsons Transportation Group gets next Houston LRT contract

 

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Tex., has chosen Parsons Transportation Group for the next phase of the authority's light rail project in Houston. Metro awarded a $12 million contract to the company, running through December, to coordinate Phase II construction of the East End rail line.

 

Parsons was one of three contractors bidding on the light rail line's second phase of development. Metro in May 2007 awarded a $77.3 million contract to Washington Group International for Phase I development work of the East End project.

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

 

May 1, 2008

CSX/Florida deal's fate still uncertain

 

The proposed 61.5-mile central Florida commuter rail project, negotiated by the state and CSX, is being held hostage to legislative maneuvering as some question portions of the negotiated agreement, including absolving CSX from any liability issues.

 

State Senate Transportation Chairman Carey Baker April 30 moved to strip the issue from the state Senate's transportation bill due to concerns about liability and various amendments being attached to the measure. Later the same day, however, backers of the project said language might be restored when the bill goes to the state House; if the House approved the measure, the Senate would revisit the issue on a straight yes-or-no vote.

 

The political maneuvering affects not just the $641 million agreement with CSX but the state's overall transportation program, including a proposed rental-car surtax to pay for commuter rail in both central and south Florida, and a 25% increase in Florida's Turnpike tolls.

 

In a letter last week, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink encouraged legislators to review the state's agreement with CSX, recommending a revision of the clause mandating that any state-run commuter operation to pay for the cost of accidents involving commuter trains and passengers, even if CSX were at fault. The agreement in part calls for CSX to pay the state $10 million per year to use the commuter rail line up to 12 hours per day for its freight trains.

 

 

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

 

May 1, 2008

Birmingham, Ala., seeks bids for streetcar system

 

The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority in Alabams says it seeks proposals for the design and construction of its planned $33 million, 2.5-mile streetcar system. Birmingham hopes to start construction on the line by November.

 

Interested parties must attend a May 19 pre-proposal meeting to qualify as bidders. Proposals will be accepted by the transit authority until June 30. Contractors can obtain more information through the authority's website, www.bjcta.org/index.php?id=166.

 

The proposed route would begin at the intermodal facility on Morris Avenue and wind through the city, passing cultural hotspots, such as the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

 

City and transit authority officials may travel to Milan, Italy, to view Peter Witt-style heritage streetcars in operation there; Birmingham is mulling use of such cars for its project.

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/04/28/daily28.html

 

 

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 4:03 PM CDT

Missouri approves $8M subsidy for Amtrak

St. Louis Business Journal - by Matt Allen

 

Missouri House and Senate budget negotiators approved on Tuesday $8 million in subsidies that will allow Amtrak to continue operating two passenger trains that make two trips per day between St. Louis and Kansas City.

 

More at link above:

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

 

 

May 1, 2008

CSX/Florida deal's fate still uncertain

 

The proposed 61.5-mile central Florida commuter rail project, negotiated by the state and CSX, is being held hostage to legislative maneuvering as some question portions of the negotiated agreement, including absolving CSX from any liability issues.

 

State Senate Transportation Chairman Carey Baker April 30 moved to strip the issue from the state Senate's transportation bill due to concerns about liability and various amendments being attached to the measure. Later the same day, however, backers of the project said language might be restored when the bill goes to the state House; if the House approved the measure, the Senate would revisit the issue on a straight yes-or-no vote.

 

The political maneuvering affects not just the $641 million agreement with CSX but the state's overall transportation program, including a proposed rental-car surtax to pay for commuter rail in both central and south Florida, and a 25% increase in Florida's Turnpike tolls.

 

In a letter last week, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink encouraged legislators to review the state's agreement with CSX, recommending a revision of the clause mandating that any state-run commuter operation to pay for the cost of accidents involving commuter trains and passengers, even if CSX were at fault. The agreement in part calls for CSX to pay the state $10 million per year to use the commuter rail line up to 12 hours per day for its freight trains.

 

Damn!!!! Friggin' scheming anti-transit Republicans at work, again!  :whip: :shoot:

Will Bluffdale or neighbor Draper get future FrontRunner station?

By Steve Gehrke

The Salt Lake Tribune

Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated:05/01/2008 06:32:13 AM MDT

 

DRAPER - Bluffdale is the front-runner for FrontRunner despite its best efforts to keep out the high-speed train.

 

    Neighboring Draper would gladly take it - it's working with a developer on a possible station - but the city might not even get a stop. In February, Bluffdale's City Council voted 3-2 to block the Utah Transit Authority from building a commuter-rail stop at 14200 South along an existing Union Pacific rail line. The majority worried the train would bring traffic and other unwanted growth to the semi-rural city of 7,000 people.

 

More at:

 

http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_9115941

Damn!!!! Friggin' scheming anti-transit Republicans at work, again!  :whip: :shoot:

 

It's gotten worse...

 

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

 

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature2-5-6

 

May 5, 2008

 

 

CSX regrets failure of Central Florida commuter rail in state legislature

 

CSX Transportation issued the following statement on the failure of the Central Florida commuter rail project in the Florida legislature:

 

“CSX is disappointed that the Legislature has failed to endorse this important investment in Florida's future. This legislative action means that the company's transaction with the state will not go forward this year, and regrettably, it does not appear that commuter rail will be available in Central Florida. CSX is reviewing its timeline for rail infrastructure modifications in Florida and studying other implications of today's activity.

 

More at link above:

The Orlando Sentinel's take on the state legislature's failure to approve the complicated deal for commuter rail....

______________

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/news/deland/orl-ed06108may06,0,1716749.story

 

EDITORIAL

 

Our position: It falls to Crist and lawmakers to fight and save commuter rail

May 6, 2008

 

Commuter rail's not dead.

 

Not in Central Florida.

 

And not by a long shot -- so long as officials connected to the project keep their cool and maintain the resolve they showed on Monday -- three days after too many rail supporters came unglued when the train hit the wall in the Legislature.

 

It's not dead because the weekend helped backers focus on this salient fact: that the wreckage, bad as it was and largely engineered by the state's trial-lawyer lobby and enough of their lackeys in the Senate, didn't obliterate the deal.

 

CSX's sale of 61 miles of track to the state running form DeLand to Poinciana? It's still intact, through June 2009. Federal funding for improving the rail line? Available, at least through June 2009. The local agreements that Orlando, Osceola, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties entered into with the state to operate the line in 2017? Ready to be honored, at least until June 2009.

 

State lawmakers and rail officials still, however, need to resolve issues of who'd pay claims in the event of accidents, and for how much. That's what the trial attorneys used to get just enough senators to nix the deal, even though the state terms matched those that lawmakers approved previously to insure Tri Rail in South Florida.

 

And even though they match other terms routinely used in states from Maryland to New Mexico.

 

Lawmakers now should move quickly to resolve those issues in a special session or, failing that, in next year's regular session. U.S. Reps. John Mica and Corrine Brown need to keep working, too. The good news is that they appear eager and confident in their ability to make it happen.

 

Rep. Dean Cannon, who pushed rail's passage in the House, already is working with Gov. Charlie Crist's senior staff. Mr. Cannon says he got assurance from them that the governor can "get commuter rail fixed" for Central Florida -- a vow Mr. Crist has got to work a lot harder at honoring than the feeble effort he mailed in during the just completed session.

 

Sen. Dan Webster and officials at the state Department of Transportation are crafting several scenarios that some trial attorney-backed senators in South Florida should find a lot harder to oppose next time around.

 

They might, for example, try getting past the lawyers' opposition to capping jury awards for private rail workers by having them work for the state. The state's sovereign immunity protection would then cover accidents involving them.

 

Central Florida's commuter rail is too important to let it fall prey to petty Tallahassee politics.

 

DOT is right to continue its design work and keep purchasing rights of way for the system's stations.

 

The fight now is not only to keep commuter rail alive, but, despite Friday's setback, get it up and running.

Transit systems travel 'green' track

 

By Charisse Jones, USA TODAY

NEW YORK — This year, the surging current of the East River will help provide power to a nearby subway station. The lights that lace the ornate interior of Manhattan's Grand Central Station have largely been replaced by bulbs that burn brightly but save energy. There are plans to make the rooftop of a Queens bus depot bloom like a garden.

 

"Carbon footprint" has become part of the national lexicon, and mass transit systems throughout the country are taking steps to ease their impact on the environment even as they strive to provide more service to a growing number of riders.

 

 

Find this article at:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2008-05-07-greentransit_N.htm 

 

http://www.oberstar.house.gov//index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={F56002FF-F9F3-4EAC-ACFF-8F78F7063407}&DE={2AB87882-0307-4EE5-B110-FB24C1167A69}

 

Oberstar Announces $53.9 Million Grant for Northstar Corridor

Thursday, May 08, 2008

 

Washington DC – The Northstar Commuter Rail project is moving ahead at full throttle.  Today, Congressman Jim Oberstar announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded the project an installment of $53.9 million to fund the construction of the 40-mile commuter rail line, which will run from Minneapolis to Big Lake.

 

 

can ohio borrow jim obestar? at least get some dna to clone him.

 

MTA Calls Off Billion-Dollar Deal To Develop West Side Rail Yards

 

May 08, 2008

 

 

The MTA scrapped a billion-dollar deal to develop Manhattan's West Side Rail Yard Thursday, after negotiations stalled between the transit agency and the project developer.

 

 

 

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

Saturday train ride 48 years in the making

 

Maine Eastern gives buffs a thrill while also raising public awareness of the rail industry's impact.

 

Blethen Maine News Service

May 11, 2008

 

ROCKLAND — Trains are in Steve Morse's blood.

 

As a child growing up in 1940s Michigan, he would watch them zip back and forth, while his grandfather, a railroad operator, would go to work.

 

"I always loved trains, even as a kid," Morse said.

 

 

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=186930&ac=PHnws

 

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5-5-12

 

May 9, 2008

 

Seattle Link light rail high power lines turned on this weekend

 

As part of the preparations for Seattle-area Link light rail train testing this summer and passenger service in 2009, Sound Transit contractors will energize the new overhead electrical lines that power the trains in the Rainier Valley beginning May 9.

 

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature1-5-14

 

 

May 13, 2008

Rail Runner Express taps video and data system

 

New Mexico's Rail Runner Express will employ a combined video and event recorder monitoring system from Railhead Vision Systems® (a division of the Railhead Corp.) and Wi-Tronix®, LLC. The jointly developed system synchronizes video with data from any installed event recorder regardless of manufacturer or model.

 

The system generates a single downloadable file containing both video and data extracted from an applied event recorder, and enables real-time, wireless access to download video and event recorder information.

 

The system is comprised of two components: Wireless Processing Units (Wi-PU) from Wi-Tronix, and Railhead Digital Video Recorders from Railhead Vision Systems. The two companies have integrated the two technologies to generate a single synchronized video file that also contains event recorder data.

 

"This system will help us in our day-to-day operations," says Lawrence Rael, Executive Director for the Mid-Region Council of Governments, which operates Rail Runner. "We will be able to look at potential problem areas on the train that might need to be addressed. Just having real-time information as it relates to the operations of the Rail Runner will provide added safety in the corridor."