Union Pacific blocks Los Angeles to San Francisco bullet train

Rail line officials won't yield its right of way, citing safety and operational concerns with a high-speed line close to freight trains.

By Eric Bailey, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

8:43 PM PDT, June 4, 2008

 

SACRAMENTO -- At a time of skyrocketing gas costs, soaring airline fares and global-warming fears, the timing would seem perfect for a statewide vote on a 200-mph bullet train.

 

But five months before voters decide whether to approve bonds for the high-speed rail line from Los Angeles to San Francisco, the $30-billion project has hit a new obstacle.

 

An old-guard railroad is declining to share its right-of-way.

 

 

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bullet5-2008jun05,0,7414713.story

 

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature4-6-5

 

June 4, 2008

 

Kansas City making progress toward mass transit

 

The path to a regional light-rail and transit election in Kansas City is getting longer and perhaps bumpier by the week, local newspapers report. Just four days after Missouri-side government leaders set a deadline of June 20 to decide on a November election, those leaders backed off that schedule Tuesday.

 

In addition, two new issues emerged relating to funding and leadership that could complicate the regional transit effort.

 

Studying such issues could make a November election more challenging on Mayor Mark Funkhouser’s $1.2-billion regional light-rail and commuter rail concept, said one leader working with Funkhouser.

 

Funkhouser has proposed a 119-mile network of light rail and streetcars on the streets of Kansas City, commuter rail on existing railroad tracks branching out to Clay and Jackson county suburbs, plus express buses across the Northland connecting to Kansas City International Airport. He is requesting a half-cent sales tax increase in the three counties, plus federal money, to help pay for the system.

 

Funkhouser’s $1.2-billion concept calls for half the money to come from the federal government. Mark Huffer, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s general manager, said “50 percent is a reasonable assumption.”

 

But David Warm, executive director of the regional council, which does regional transportation planning, indicated Kansas City’s regional concept would have trouble meeting federal funding criteria. That criteria favors population density, Warm pointed out. Light rail north of the Missouri River and commuter rail lines to northern, eastern and southern suburbs don’t serve high-population centers.

 

Funkhouser disagreed, saying, “The commuter lines should play out well in that criteria.” But making a detailed determination of federal funding prospects takes months of study, officials said.

 

You've gotta love Mark Funkhouser (gotta love his name, too)... What our cities need are more progressive pols like this who willing to do more than just float rail transit as a "nice idea" but who, instead, are dogged enough to say: I'm not going away until you sloths start moving on this... Wish we had more guys like this in our Ohio Cities (and for the State, in general).  I haven't seen him or her yet; all the progressives are in such orgs as All Aboard Ohio... all well and good, but until we get the mayors, governors and commissioners of this stripe, ...

 

TRANSPORTATION

More than Just a Train

June 2008 By ALEX MARSHALL

Governing Magazine

 

I’m starting to believe the hyperbole about the revolution being spawned by Charlotte’s new light-rail line.

 

Riding the spiffy silver and blue trains of Charlotte's new light-rail line, I watch through the train's windows how cranes and excavators push around dirt for new development projects. Back when urban junkies — myself included — dreamed that cities could center around train lines, we railed at the formula-oriented developers who could crank out only cul-de-sacs and subdivisions near the newest highway off-ramp. They ignored the possibility of putting apartment buildings and mixed-used projects beside a trolley line, even if a city could manage to get a rail line built.

 

 

http://www.governing.com/articles/0806trans.htm

Latest California Ridership Statistics

Source: California Capital Corridors Joint Powers Authority

 

The May 2008 Capitol Corridor statistics from Amtrak are again an all-time record high, as are the stats on the state's other two corridor services, with the San Joaquins taking a very big leap upward in ridership.   

 

There is no doubt that Californians have"discovered" (rediscovered?) intercity trains as a real travel option (as noted in the front page Headline of the San Francisco Chronicle on Monday, June 2, 2008).  The price of gasoline is not hurting ridership, and many folks 'are doing the math' on the comparative costs of driving versus the train. 

 

The train is winning.

 

Performance by Union Pacific has given the Capitol Corridor a better

on-time performance than even Amtrak's own premier Acela Express service on

the Northeast Corridor (Acela Express was 83.8% on-time for May 2008, and

84.5% for 8 months YTD).

 

Capitol Corridor (May 2008):

 

157,351 passengers  +11.0%  vs. 2007

another record for the month, and highest ridership month ever.

Passengers for 8 months YTD: 1,083,261 (8 months YTD: +13.2%)

(total riders for the latest 12 months: 1,576,721)

 

$2,044,424 revenue  +21.6% vs. 2007  (8 months YTD: +21.7%)

 

The farebox recovery revenue-to-cost ratio for May is 62.9%, and the year-to-date revenue-to-cost ratio is about 55%.

 

The on-time performance delivered to the riders for May was 90.7%, up

considerably, with year-to-date on-time at 86.7%, second best in the nation.  (Union Pacific performance in May was well over 92%)

__________________________________________________

 

 

Pacific Surfliners (May 2008):

 

262,279 passengers  +5.8% vs. 2007

Passengers for 8 months YTD: 1,790,658  (8 months YTD: +4.9%)

 

$4,346,269 revenue  +6.2% vs. 2007 (8 months YTD:  +6.1%)

 

On-time performance for May: 73.8%

YTD on-time:  77.6%

__________________________________________________

 

San Joaquins (May 2008):

 

91,923  passengers  +21.2% vs. 2007  (8 months YTD: +12.6%)

Passengers for 8 months YTD: 580,474

 

$2,686,956  revenue  +21.2%  vs. 2007  (8 months YTD: +14.1%)

 

On-time performance for May:  81.4%

YTD on-time: 85.2%

__________________________________________________________

 

Total California Intercity Corridor Ridership for May 2008:  511,553

 

Total Northeast Corridor 'Spine' ridership for May 2008:    970,773

 

For May 2008, California Corridors are 53% of Northeast Corridor

Boston-Washington ridership

 

Total Northeast Corridor ridership for May 2008 with branches to Springfield, MA; Albany, NY and Harrisburg, PA:  1,189,368

 

For May 2008, California Corridors are 43% of the total Northeast Corridor

ridership

 

Gene

Eugene K. Skoropowski

Managing Director

Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority

pitts happy with the bids for the new elevated section:

 

 

Port Authority opens bids for next North Shore project

 

Friday, June 06, 2008

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

The Port Authority opened bids yesterday for the next construction contract on the North Shore Connector and, for a change, the apparent low bid pleased project officials.

 

The $39.7 million bid came from Brayman Construction Co., of Saxonburg. While it was about 33 percent above engineering estimates, it was lower than expected.

 

"There was good competition and, considering price escalation of steel, concrete and energy, our worst fears were not realized," authority Operations Manager Winston Simmonds said.

 

The bid covers about a third of the 1.2-mile light-rail extension, including the steel superstructure to carry tracks above Allegheny Avenue and building the shell of an elevated, free-standing Allegheny Station.

 

Four firms submitted bids. Mr. Simmonds said authority officials will spend the next month evaluating Brayman's bid for compliance with contract specifications and working out a financial plan.

 

Remaining contracts would cover such items as station finishes, tracks, the overhead wiring and power distribution systems, signals, lighting and communications.

 

Those on-time records aren't impressive. Coming off of Japan and Korea's transit network, 100% of the trains were on-time. It was ... unbelievably amazing. Do the networks in Calif share with freight?

Given that they do share their corridors with freight... the California numbers are very impressive...as is their farebox revenue. It is also done at conventional (79 mph) speeds, so it's not a legitimate comparison with anything over seas, which is true high speed on dedicated corridors.

 

What Gene Skororpowski and his crew in California is nothing short of incredible.

pitts happy with the bids for the new elevated section:

 

 

Port Authority opens bids for next North Shore project

 

Friday, June 06, 2008

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

The Port Authority opened bids yesterday for the next construction contract on the North Shore Connector and, for a change, the apparent low bid pleased project officials.

 

The $39.7 million bid came from Brayman Construction Co., of Saxonburg. While it was about 33 percent above engineering estimates, it was lower than expected.

 

"There was good competition and, considering price escalation of steel, concrete and energy, our worst fears were not realized," authority Operations Manager Winston Simmonds said.

 

The bid covers about a third of the 1.2-mile light-rail extension, including the steel superstructure to carry tracks above Allegheny Avenue and building the shell of an elevated, free-standing Allegheny Station.

 

Four firms submitted bids. Mr. Simmonds said authority officials will spend the next month evaluating Brayman's bid for compliance with contract specifications and working out a financial plan.

 

Remaining contracts would cover such items as station finishes, tracks, the overhead wiring and power distribution systems, signals, lighting and communications.

 

This proves, mrnyc, that modern elevated rapid-transit structures need not be the ugly Rube Goldberg-ian, light-blocking, hideous structures of yesteryear.  Used sparingly, they still keep the "rapid" in rapid transit systems while not destroying the look of the neighborhood they're serving...

 

Nudge to Clevelanders who believe future RTA Rapid extensions should largely be street cars -- and don't forget, PAT's "T" is, in fact, an LRT/subway whose genesis came when planners decided to remove street-clogging trolleys from the streets to speed rail transit through Pittsburgh's CBD, raise its capacity and, all around, effectiveness.  It appears the "T" will also be part el, too... Good for Pittsburgh!

 

Geographically, Pittsburgh's downtown is much more compact and therefore much more densely developed than Cleveland's. And does Pittsburgh even have any street right of ways that are 100 feet wide?

A recent AP article that ran in various Indiana newspapers; I picked up this excerpt from examiner.com

 

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

 

NW Ind. drivers choose cars over trains despite gas costs

Jun 9, 2008 1:49 PM (2 days ago) AP

» 2 days ago: NW Ind. drivers choose cars over trains despite gas costs «

Map data ©2008 Tele Atlas - Terms of UseMapSatelliteHybrid 

# 1,357 of 7,069

Filed under: HAMMOND, Ind. , Still Driving

 

HAMMOND, Ind. (Map, News) - The recent spike in gasoline prices hasn't led to an increase in northwest Indiana drivers parking their cars and taking South Shore commuter rail on weekdays.

 

Overall ridership on the South Shore is down 0.6 percent this year as compared with 2007, although weekend and holiday ridership is up 6.6 percent, according to Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District figures.

 

http://www.examiner.com/a-1432290~NW_Ind__drivers_choose_cars_over_trains_despite_gas_costs.html

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

 

The article does note that ridership increased 10.7 percent during Dan Ryan Expressway reconstruction, and doesn't quite completely obscure the statement by a South Shore spokesperson that most of those new riders kept riding even after the expressway reopened.

 

It doesn't mention that between Van Buren Station and Hammond weekday peak trains are running at or beyond capacity both inbound and outbound, with many passengers standing for that half-hour segment. Overcrowding is a disincentive for commuters who have an alternative, and there is currently no additional equipment that could be pressed into service.

 

Fourteen new bi-level gallery cars are on order, with the first ones scheduled for delivery in November 2008. It's reasonable to expect that when the new cars go into service and relieve overcrowding, ridership figures will see another increase.

Bond passes, will fund public improvements

The $29.7 million package will pay for work on roads, bridges, railroads, ports and many other projects.

June 11, 2008

 

AUGUSTA — Maine voters on Tuesday approved a $29.7 million bond package to pay for improvements to roads, bridges, dams, landfills and other public facilities.

 

It was the final part of a borrowing package worth up to $295 million that the Legislature decided in 2007 to send to voters in three separate pieces. The previous two portions were approved.

 

More at:

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=193346&ac=PHnws

from gothamist blog. fine as long as they build it exactly like that!  :laugh:

 

 

June 12, 2008

 

Rocket Train Chugs Closer to Reality

 

 

The NY Sun has a status report on the proposed rocket train.

 

Good news for rail riders, "the House passed legislation [The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act] requiring the federal government to solicit proposals for its financing and development." The plan has Bloomberg's full support, and would make the NYC to D.C. trip under two hours...but it will cost a pretty penny.

 

http://gothamist.com/2008/06/12/rocket_train_chugs_closer_to_realit.php

looks like the 7 train extension on manhattan's west side about ready to get underway big time:

 

 

Crews Prepare To Lower Tunnel-Boring Machines For 7-Line Extension

 

June 11, 2008

 

 

NY1's Bobby Cuza got an exclusive look at the progress on the 7-line extension project this week.

 

Construction crews are digging two huge shafts through which they will lower tunnel-boring machines as part of the MTA’s 7-line extension serving Hudson Yards.

 

The machines will arrive early next year and will help dig a new subway tunnel, that will extend the 7 train from Times Square to 11th Avenue and down to 34th Street.

 

Across the street from the Javits Center, work is underway on a second site, to excavate the cavern that will become the 34th Street terminal. Once home to the famed Copacabana nightclub, the southeast corner is also now MTA property, and will become the main station entrance.

 

While the 7-train terminal will be at 34th Street, the tunnel will extend all the way to 26th Street and 11th Avenue in order to provide extra storage space for trains.

 

"We're using the two tunnel areas past the terminal station as what we call 'lay-up tracks,'" explained Joseph Trainor of MTA Capital Construction. "We'll be able to store six full trains in there."

 

While there have been concerns about cost overruns on the project, the main construction contract has already been awarded, which means tunneling work is all but guaranteed to be completed.

 

"The work that we're doing now, this contract, is $1.14 billion. It's 65 percent of the job," said Trainor. "So, I mean, in one fell swoop, we're going to do a majority of the work in the next several years."

 

The MTA still has to find companies to construct the tracks, signals, and station interiors. Officials say the whole project is slated to be finished by 2013.

 

 

 

 

and on a "green" note:

 

 

Old Subway Cars Earn New Life As Artificial Reef

 

June 13, 2008

 

New York City Transit is sending a fleet of old subway cars to Atlantic seaboard states, where they will be dumped into the ocean to help form artificial reefs.

 

Marine officials hope the reefs will attract fish, which could help the local fishing industry.

 

The cars were stripped and loaded onto barges, as workers prepared them for their dive.

 

"The subway cars present an ideal material because of their construction, their size and the fact that when we take out all the doors and windows, it allows the water to pass through and it provides a lot of good hiding places for marine life," said transit official Mike Zacchea.

 

A similar past program put more than 1,000 cars into the water from 2001 to 2003.

 

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

 

^ i remember when they did that with the old "redbird" subway cars several years ago. here's a great link on it with lots of pictures:

 

http://www.nycsubway.org/cars/redbird-scrap.html

 

Colorado Railcar DMU's 1001-2001 to Portland, Oregon

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

 

 

Portland, Oregon is getting two Colorado Railcar, LLC, of Fort Lupton, CO, DMU's, 1001 (powered) and 2001. Cars moved from shop at Fort Lupton, CO, to Denver Union Station, Denver, CO, June 11, 1008 behind UP GP40-2 1460. Their route from Denver to Portland was likely via Amtrak's former "Pioneer" route through Idaho.

 

They are photographed here after arriving Portland and will be used in a new service to Beaverton...

 

 

 

 

 

^those Portland DMU's would sure look sweet on either Cleveland's West Shore or CVSR commuter rail projects.  How much more, generally, would it take to dual-power these sets to allow a Red Line connection to the West Shore (probably the most sensible, low cost entrance into dowtown)?

These cars may be too long to take the curves on the Red Line.

^OK.  Maybe modified versions (comparable to the Tokyu's) would do the trick. You noted, earlier something I had overlooked -- the Red Line's concrete, grade separated industrial (track) crossover just east of the West Blvd. stop that could tie in the two systems.  West Shore trains could use the middle/stub track terminal inside Tower City.  Dual power trains here would be a win-win with minimal construction work needed as well as the need for West Shore folks to be forced to transfer at West Blvd. for a Red Line ride into downtown Cleveland.

 

If I were All Aboard Ohio this would be my #1 (preferred) alternative for the projected West Shore operation. 

 

Oops, sorry about the detour... Back to thread de jour: rail transit in other states.

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5-6-16

 

June 13, 2008

 

 

NOMAD Digital partners with Utah Transit to offer free WiFi

 

Nomad Digital said that it has partnered with the Utah Transit Authority to launch the first “free to all passengers” onboard WiFi wireless broadband network on a U.S. railroad. Nomad, which worked with local partner Wasatch Electric, provided its high-speed wireless broadband connection for the 12 double-decker trains on the new 40-mile FrontRunner commuter rail line between Ogden and Salt Lake City. In the six weeks since the railroad opened for business, the number of passengers using the WiFi service has already risen rapidly from 300 per day at the start of May to 700 per day by early June.

 

More at link above;

A news story featuring some stuff on Denver:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25212564#25212564

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature3-6-18

 

Late Breaking Rail Industry News

 

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

 

June 17, 2008

 

 

UTA to Break Ground on West Valley TRAX Line

 

The Utah Transit Authority is breaking ground on the 5.1-mile West Valley TRAX line Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at 10 a.m. at Decker Lake Drive just north of 3100 South, West Valley City. Speakers will include UTA Board of Trustee Necia Christensen, West Valley Mayor Dennis Nordfelt, South Salt Lake Mayor Robert Gray and UTA General Manager John Inglish.

 

The West Valley line, scheduled to be finished by 2015, branches off the Salt Lake/Sandy line at the 2100 South Central Pointe TRAX station, adding four new stations to the system. The new stations include the Chesterfield Station, the Decker Lake Station, The E-Center Station and the West Valley City Intermodal Center near West Valley City Hall.

 

UTA expects ridership on this line to reach between 9,000 and 12,000 people each day by 2025.

 

The FrontLines 2015 project also includes the FrontRunner Provo to Salt Lake commuter rail line, the Draper and Airport TRAX lines and the Mid-Jordan TRAX line, on which UTA began construction in May 2008.

 

 

 

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

 

June 17, 2008

 

 

Proposed Indianapolis light rail could cost $100 million-plus

 

A commuter rail line from Noblesville, Ind., to Indianapolis could cost upward of $100 million, officials told people at a public meeting, local newspapers report. The Metropolitan Planning Organization presented the idea June 16 during a meeting in Indianapolis attended by about 65 people.

 

The proposed line would run along an old Nickel Plate railroad between the northern suburb and Union Station downtown. Trains would run every 30 minutes during peak morning and afternoon driving times.

 

Engineering consultant John Myers estimated a diesel light rail line could be up and running in three to five years at a cost of $100 million to $160 million. That cost includes upgrading the track, building about five stations and buying the equipment.

 

A longer-term proposal for 2035 including two tracks and 19 stations would cost an estimated $690 million. Six more routes to other suburban areas also are proposed and would add to the cost.

 

The planning group, which is gathering public input this month, will make a recommendation later this summer to the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Council. If the council approves the proposal, an environmental study would begin.

______________________________

 

anyhoo.....detroit news from crain's:

 

 

3:01 a.m., Jun. 16, 2008 

 

MARY KRAMER: Light-rail project could be a big win

By Mary Kramer

 

For decades, Detroit's lack of quality mass transit has been a big, fat symbol for the region's maddening dysfunction.

 

Now, a solution seems tantalizingly close, thanks to a private-sector push for a privately financed demonstration project that would run light rail from Jefferson Avenue to New Center in Detroit.

 

We first reported on this effort in February, but the private funders chose to remain anonymous until two key lawmakers — Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop and House Speaker Andy Dillon — spoke publicly about their meetings with business leaders Roger Penske and Dan Gilbert. Bishop called it the most exciting meeting of his public service career.

 

Penske and Gilbert are just two of the backers; all of them have decided not to go public but to work quietly behind the scenes with John Hertel, CEO of the publicly funded Detroit Regional Mass Transit.

 

If I had the money (which, sadly, as a working girl, I don't), I would jump into this with both feet and my checkbook.

 

Once people see how light rail might work, they will acquire an appetite for tax support for an expanded system, just as they did in Denver, which now has a system we can only envy.

 

This region desperately needs a “win.” This transit project could be just that.

 

Another victory over Pittsburgh

 

Detroit bested Pittsburgh twice in the same month. While the Red Wings were going at it with the Penguins for the Stanley Cup, Detroit Institute of Arts CEO Graham Beal hosted the Association of Art Museum Directors. It was the group's first visit to Detroit in 35 years, and Beal “outbid” Pittsburgh for the honor.

 

“I'd never heard the words "blown away' as often in reference to the DIA,” he said. “My wife said this is the highlight of my career,” Beal said. “I think she's right.”

 

Beal said the greatest compliment is that a handful of directors are returning — this time with their staffs.

 

Matthew Teitelbaum, director of the Art Gallery of Toronto, is one of them. “We're undergoing a transformation of our own,” Teitelbaum said. The museum will reopen in November after being closed for a year. A year ago, Teitelbaum and 30 museum employees traveled by bus to Detroit to see the progress on the DIA's project.

 

Everyone knows the DIA's collection is “glorious,” Teitelbaum said, but the new configuration is wowing the professional art world in the way it creates a connection between the art and its audience.

 

 

rail & brt considered for nashville -- via the tennesean:

 

 

 

Metro studies light rail, high-speed buses

Millions needed for plan to happen

 

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer • June 14, 2008

 

 

As the numbers on the gas pump speed by three times as fast as they once did, some Nashville commuters and public officials are dreaming of high-speed buses and sleek trains.

 

But Music City's mass transit daydreams will remain just that unless the city can come up with millions of new dollars in a difficult economy.

 

 

"We've got to figure out how to pay for anything we might do," said Paul Ballard, CEO of the Metro Transit Authority.

 

With gas prices soaring, the city growing and environmental concerns enjoying a more prominent place in public discourse than ever, some people are thinking intently about how to move commuters and tourists around more efficiently.

 

Transportation planners are thinking about at least two major options:

 

• Light rail generally uses electricity to power trains on tracks that make frequent stops and are separated from other traffic.

 

Allen DeCuyper, a Realtor, said he rode on the light rail system in Paris recently. Tracks have been installed in the grassy medians of streets, and there are stops where pedestrians and cyclists can cross.

 

Paris also took the opportunity to put utility lines underground, DeCuyper said.

 

"We have to think creatively," he said. "If we can use existing easements and roadbeds, that's a big savings right there."

 

• Bus rapid transit typically puts buses in dedicated lanes on major thoroughfares and allows drivers to alter the timing of some traffic signals so they won't have to stop, letting them rival the speed of automobiles.

 

Mayor Karl Dean, who talked about bus rapid transit during his campaign last year, said he wants to start working hard on that option soon after the Metro Council adopts a new city operating budget Tuesday.

 

"Bus rapid transit is still a priority for me," Dean said Friday. "I think we can really get something done."

 

Bus has advantages

Most transportation leaders interviewed by The Tennessean agreed with Dean that Nashville could implement bus rapid transit, at least to a limited extent, more quickly than light rail. The city could establish one bus line at a time and add to the system incrementally, and the cost would be significantly smaller.

 

"The investment costs are not nearly as much," said Ed Cole, chief of environment and planning for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. "It makes a lot of sense for a relatively low-density, urbanized area like Nashville. We're going to have to have solutions like that in Middle Tennessee."

 

Ballard said bus rapid transit should start along Gallatin Road, MTA's most popular bus route, with about 89,000 passengers a month.

 

"I think it could make a real difference and really compete with the automobile in that corridor," he said.

 

West End Avenue and Murfreesboro Road would come next, he added.

 

DeCuyper, a member of the Metro Historic Zoning Commission, said light-rail trains would be better for the environment unless the buses are hybrids or electric-powered, however.

 

"We really don't need any more internal combustion engines in our streets," he said.

 

Ballard said six hybrid buses MTA will get later this year would form the core of any bus rapid transit system.

 

'Funding is the key'

A bus rapid transit system also could lay the groundwork for an eventual light rail system, said Ballard, who planned an 18-mile, $400 million light rail line in St. Louis in the 1990s. As bus rapid transit gains more exclusive right of way over time, rail lines could be laid down in those lanes once Nashville has the population density to accommodate light rail, he said.

 

Dean said he hopes a bus rapid transit system could start in the next two to three years, but "funding is the key." A 2001 study by the federal Government Accountability Office found such systems cost $9 million to $13.5 million per mile to start, compared with $34.8 million per mile for light rail.

 

Voters in Charlotte, N.C., agreed to implement a half-cent sales tax increase for transit improvements in the late 1990s, said Jean Leier, a spokeswoman for the Charlotte Area Transit System. Revenues paid for a $462 million, 9.6-mile light rail line between the central business district and south Charlotte that opened last fall.

 

Diane Thorne, executive director of the Regional Transportation Authority in Middle Tennessee, has been thinking about light rail possibilities as downtown Nashville becomes more residential and looks to build a new convention center. But she said government leaders will need to pursue a dedicated funding source like Charlotte came up with before they do anything else.

 

"We really need to be able to show the public why they should invest," Thorne said.

 

Michael Skipper, executive director of the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, which coordinates regional transportation planning, said he also believes bus rapid transit would be easier to implement than light rail, though it's not as "sexy" to people who have a certain image of buses. But he said he also is hearing more questions from the public lately about the chances of getting light rail here. As gas prices mount, Skipper said, mass transit is on a lot of people's minds.

 

"I don't think there's any lack of vision or any lack of demand," he said. "In fact, both of those two things are going way up in recent months. People are starting to become a little more visionary with regard to transit."

 

more on Pittsburgh's subway extension...

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08160/887959-147.stm

 

Tunnel drilling under the river passes halfway mark

 

Sunday, June 08, 2008

By Mark Roth, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

 

Viewed from its starting point, the new Port Authority tunnel looks like an ivory umbilical cord swooping beneath the Allegheny River.

 

How much new life it will nourish between Downtown and the North Shore remains to be seen, but there is no doubt how impressive its engineering progress has been.

 

Click here to explore the tunnel

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08161/887952-429.stm

Some East-Coast rail/transit news......

 

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5-6-20

 

June 19, 2008

MBTA beginning Blue Line rehab project

 

At Wood Island Station today, MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas announced a nearly $10-million project to reconstruct platforms at four stations and perform a face-lift along the entire Blue Line corridor. Workers will replace tactile edging, resurface the platforms, and rebuild the platform structure while maintenance crews repaint stations, install new lighting and signage and enhance the landscaping. This work is critical to maintaining long-term, safe and reliable service.

 

“We realize the Blue line is a vital link to downtown Boston for residents of the North Shore, and we are committed to making improvements to the line that will help us not only maintain our customer base, but also attract new riders to the system,” said General Manager Grabauskas.

 

General Manager Grabauskas provided the following details of the project time frame, and the temporary substitution services.

• Phase I: Wonderland Station closed June 21 through July 3.

• Phase II: Wood Island Station closed July 5 through August 1.

• Phase III: Revere Beach Station closed August 2 through August 15.

• Phase IV: Beachmont Station closed August 16 through August 29.

 

Shuttle bus service will transport customers to the Blue Line every 4 – 6 minutes during rush hours and every 6 – 12 during non rush hours.

 

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

 

June 19, 2008

NJT says Lackawanna Cutoff rail line won't carry freight

 

A revived 7.3-mile stretch of the Lackawanna Cutoff in Sussex County, N.J., would be for commuter trains only and would not be a freight line, officials said during a public forum in Byram, N.J., on the rail plan, local newspapers report. Responding to a resident's question about whether trash or freight would one day be hauled on the line, Jeff Stiles, an engineering consultant for NJ Transit, said, "NJ Transit does not and cannot operate freight. There are no plans or discussions on freight."

 

Stiles gave an overview of the $36.6 million rail-revival plan during a special meeting of the Byram Township Council. The session was held in response to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority's June 4 funding approval of the cutoff section from Andover Township to Port Morris in Morris County.

 

That was a big step in a long-awaited plan to restore passenger rail service between Hoboken and Scranton, Pa., via the defunct 28-mile Lackawanna Cutoff in Warren, Sussex and Morris counties. The Andover-to-Port Morris section of the cutoff would be a spur off NJ Transit's existing Montclair/Boonton line.

 

Asked about the project timeline, Stiles said, "If all the moons aligned, it would be three-to-four years at least before a train would be running in Andover."

 

The rail plan is still in the environmental-assessment phase. If the Federal Transit Administration finds no significant impacts, as is expected, the plan would move on to engineering and design, and then to construction.

 

Restoring the cutoff is a key to a $551 million plan to revive a passenger rail line between Hoboken, N.J., and Scranton, Pa. A revived line would ultimately link to New York City's Penn Station by connecting to NJ Transit's Montclair/Boonton and Morris & Essex line trains.

June 19, 2008

Houston LRT plan will take to the streets

 

Houston's City Council has approved a plan allowing the Metropolitan Transit Authority permission to build five light rail lines on city streets. But the accord, approved 13-2, allows the council to review any and all proposals for street running operations.

 

morer at:

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature6-6-20

Here's a little bit more about Houston.....

 

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5845374.html

 

Houston & Texas News 

 

June 19, 2008, 12:11AM

Metro gets the green light on 5 rail lines

With 2 dissenters, council OKs deal that would rethink route on Wheeler

 

By RAD SALLEE

Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

 

City Council approved an agreement Wednesday with the Metropolitan Transit Authority, giving permission for the agency to build five light rail lines on Houston streets, but also pledging to make sure Metro does the job right.

 

The 13-2 approval came after weeks of discussion and questions from council members — and after Metro officials said they would reconsider plans to put part of the University line on Wheeler Avenue.

 

Current plans call for the University line to run on Wheeler from Main to Ennis, where it would turn north alongside Texas Southern University. Metro said access to TSU was one reason for favoring Wheeler.

 

Councilwoman Jolanda Jones and several residents with homes on Wheeler, a major thoroughfare of the old Third Ward area, told council Tuesday that rail would change the street's character and restrict vehicle traffic.

 

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, asked Metro to rethink the route, saying Wheeler "has great history and is part of the fabric of the community."

 

Metro President and CEO Frank Wilson said council members would arrange a meeting, possibly Monday, among Metro, city officials and residents and businesses along Wheeler to hear their concerns and consider possible alternative routes.

 

Wilson and Jackson Lee would not say what alternative should be considered, but Metro's federally required environmental analysis compared the Wheeler route to others on Alabama and Elgin.

 

 

Done by 2012

 

Another segment of Wheeler farther east — running from Scott to Martin Luther King, and along the south edge of the University of Houston — is part of the planned Southeast line. Metro is not planning to review it, Wilson said.

 

The 13-2 vote, with Jones and Councilman Mike Sullivan opposed, paves the way for Metro to break ground next month, probably starting with the East End line.

 

Metro says it can complete all five lines by 2012.

 

Council's approval also came after two portions of the agreement were removed at the request of Councilwoman Pam Holm. One would have let Metro build at its own risk in violation of city codes, rather than delay construction if the city did not grant variances promptly.

 

The other said Metro could terminate the project at will. Wilson said that was a remote possibility, but could occur, for instance, if the Federal Transit Administration denied funding.

 

At Tuesday's public session of council, several speakers urged members to reject the agreement on grounds it would restrict traffic, endanger children and the elderly, and attract too few riders to justify the cost.

 

On Wednesday, the mood was upbeat, although council members were clear that this would change if Metro failed to perform as promised.

 

"I'll say it loud and clear: No longer is the city of Houston waffling on rail," Councilman Peter Brown said. "With gas headed to $8 a gallon and oil to $200 a barrel, we have to rethink Houston as the happy motoring paradise."

 

The agreement includes a section on "Good Neighbor Practices" and several members said they intend to make sure Metro lives up to it.

 

Councilwoman Wanda Adams said the vote "will allow the process to begin, to move Houston forward," but she said she will work to see "that the community's voice is heard."

 

 

38 years of talking

 

Councilwoman Ann Clutterbuck and Councilman Jarvis Johnson asked whether Metro would need council's permission to change a route later, and White said it would if that involved a different street.

 

Councilman Adrian Garcia said. "If Metro does not pay attention to details ... the reins will be pulled, if necessary."

 

Anthony Hall, White's chief administrative officer, chaired the Metro board from 1990 to 1992 and as a legislator in the 1970s helped draft the law creating the agency. Since then, Hall told council, "We've got one (rail) line."

 

"We've obviously got to develop some kind of high-density transportation," he said, "or we will be here another 38 years, still talking about the need for better transportation."

 

Jones said she voted against the agreement because of the Wheeler route, as well as doubts about Metro's credibility. She also said Metro was favoring wealthy neighborhoods over less affluent ones.

 

Sullivan said he voted nay "because I want to see people moved around efficiently" and because some details of the five planned lines are not known. Moving a planned line 50 feet could cause major effect on lives and businesses, he said.

 

Metro still faces a long road. Federal funding is not guaranteed, a lawsuit challenges the plans for rail on Richmond Avenue, and Metro has yet to agree to terms with a contractor to build and operate the system.

 

[email protected]

June 20, 2008

railwayage.com

A Department of Railroads for California?

 

California State Sen. Denise Ducheny (D-San Diego) has introduced legislation that would create a Department of Railroads, bringing California's wide range of rail programs into a single agency. High speed rail, of which Ducheny is a strong advocate, would be part of the consolidation.

 

Ducheny, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, said after introducing S B. 53: "I really want to see high speed rail happen." She believes this will be hastened by consolidating the High Speed Rail Commission with existing rail programs, including state-subsidized Amtrak and freight services and the grade crossing functions of the Public Utilities Commission.

 

very exciting for them -- wish it was there when i was out there  :clap:

 

 

Tempe celebrates arrival of light rail

 

by Dianna M. Náñez - Jun. 20, 2008 06:46 AM

The Arizona Republic

 

Light rail's official welcome to Tempe created a buzz Thursday along Third Street and Mill Avenue where members of the Tempe City Council rode the train into the city and spoke about the significance of the rail line.

 

People stepped outside of businesses along Third Street and lined up on the sidewalk to catch a glimpse of the metallic silver and teal train's arrival.

 

Brie Smith, 28, works at an architect firm across from the Third and Mill light-rail station.

 

"I live off of Central (Avenue) - it gives me door-to-door service," she said. "I could sit and read rather than have to deal with traffic."

 

As the train arrived safely, Mayor Hugh Hallman stepped off dressed in full conductor garb.

 

He tipped his cap to the crowd, stuck his thumb in his blue and white overalls and thanked the community who helped make light rail in Tempe a reality.

 

"This is a day to celebrate a huge amount of teamwork. This has been a communitywide effort," he said. "When you're sitting at the pump paying $4 a gallon, recognize you have an alternative."

 

Tempe residents Leslie Langston, 36, and Holly Hovland, 16, said they would take the train to concerts or sporting events in downtown Phoenix.

 

"I think it's going to be really big, not just because of gas but because of parking, too," Langston said. "Why pay $10 to park when you can get on this?"

 

It is long past time a transportation system like light rail arrived to the Valley, Councilman Ben Arredondo said.

 

"I think we're about 20-30 years behind Chicago, D.C. and New York," he said. "We should really focus on educating the youth on how to use it."

 

from gothamist blog -- some cool pics of retired subway cars heading out to sea earlier this week --- to be used as artificial fishing reefs:

 

 

 

 

http://gothamist.com/2008/06/21/subway_barge.php?gallery5748Pic=2#gallery

 

 

awesome photos, mrnyc

Sic Transit Gloria (?)

 

"I think we're about 20-30 years behind Chicago, D.C. and New York," he said. "We should really focus on educating the youth on how to use it."

 

It tends to be the older generation that is stuck in their "automobile or bust" mannerisms, and it tends to be the older generation that often vetoes these types of projects down.

 

 

June 21, 2008, 8:47AM

Seize this mass transit moment, Houston

 

 

By COUNCILMAN PETER BROWN

Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

 

Since the late 1970s, the unfortunate controversy of highways vs. rail has polarized Houston politics. With plentiful land and cheap energy, we became the "happy motoring" paradise of the nation — until recently. Our region's sprawling highway system has not reduced congestion. Worse still, it encouraged the flight of city jobs and residents to the suburbs, diminishing the city's economic life.

 

A fundamental challenge for city leaders, amidst escalating energy costs, is how to address congestion, and capture a larger share of the region's growth. Development along rail transit corridors, appealing to a new generation of commuter-weary wannabe urbanites, may be the answer.

 

The Katy Freeway expansion taught us a bitter lesson about something called eminent domain. Without alternatives to massive highway widening to accommodate some 1 million new residents per decade, Houstonians are faced with an unprecedented taking of private property.

 

Eminent domain destroys homes, businesses, disrupts entire neighborhoods and depletes our tax base. In a city where property rights, market economics and personal choices are core values, that kind of government intrusion will not be tolerated.

 

Yet some still believe that more highways are the answer. There is even talk in Houston political circles about dismantling our rail system, weakening the Metropolitan Transit Authority, shifting the dollars to highways or to low-cost buses for the transit-dependent. Given the energy crunch, attendant flooding and air quality problems, the threat of eminent domain and the inefficiencies of highway sprawl, this would be folly.

 

Experts now agree that we cannot build our way out of congestion by simply pouring more highway concrete.

 

Mayor Bill White has taken a number of steps to improve mobility — from "Safe Clear" and the timing of traffic signals to "flex" working schedules, vanpooling and working with Metro to improve bus service and to expand light rail transit, a move favored by more than 80 percent of Houstonians. Last week, the Houston City Council approved, by a 13-2 vote, the consent agreement granting Metro authority to construct the $2 billion-plus, 28-mile, next phase of MetroSolutions. This is a decisive step — a strong message — that Houston is committed to rail transit. But to compete globally, we need to go much further.

 

Major world cities are making huge "smart" investments in carefully planned, pro-growth rail systems. The transit menu includes conventional streetcars and subways, fast commuter lines, 180- mile-per-hour bullet trains and even higher speed mag-lev lines, such as the link between downtown Shanghai, China, and its airport. The European Union, with sleek, high-tech trains linking just about every major city, is a model for transportation efficiency, with one-half the per-capita energy consumption as the United States. This is a significant competitive advantage.

 

More than 30 U.S. cities are expanding rail transit. Houston needs to play catch-up — we are already woefully behind even Atlanta, Dallas and Denver. Rapid transit has become a basic requirement to compete in the global economy.

 

On a recent flight abroad, I listened to a talkative business executive, who explained to me, "Houston is a great city to do business, very friendly, but if you expect to compete worldwide, you better have a high-speed train from downtown to your airports, and soon! That's what every international businessman expects, like you enjoy in Atlanta, San Francisco or Paris."

 

Maybe we need a plan, I thought? Here is my agenda for competing in the global marketplace:

 

• A coordinated transportation and development plan: The city of Houston, Harris County, and its toll road authority, Metro, the Texas Department of Transportation and the Houston-Galveston Area Council should complete, within the next three years, a consolidated 20-year "smart growth" general development plan, with adopted policies and priorities. This plan should focus on sustainable growth, multimodal transportation choices (including bikeways, fuel-efficient "smart" buses and walking), more compact development and energy conservation, on the assumption that gasoline prices will continue to double every four to five years.

Thanks to White's vision, the city has a good start. This year we will complete the first comprehensive Houston Mobility Plan since 1940!

 

• Expanded rail transit/transit-oriented development: Expand MetroSolutions to include high-speed connections to our two airports and at least five commuter rail lines, starting with U.S. 290 and a Downtown-Clear Lake-Galveston line, by 2020. Significant increases in federal funding for rail transit are a reasonable assumption. To capitalize on the growth potential, the city should enact basic standards for higher density, walkable, mixed-use development along these transit corridors and at major employment centers.

 

• High-speed rail: It is time to think ahead and get very serious about the "Texas T-Bone" — the Bullet Train — traveling at speeds of 180 mph, connecting Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin-San Antonio. The Texas High Speed Rail Transportation Corp. is already in-business, but lacks critical state funding. Imagine boarding a bullet train in downtown Houston and arriving in Dallas an hour and a half later. Linking our major urban centers with high-speed rail would make Texas a global economic powerhouse.

 

Underlying the highways vs. rail debate is the need for a reality check — a basic change in public policy — away from haphazard sprawl and toward sustainable patterns of growth. Business as usual will relegate us to more of the same — more congestion, inefficient sprawl and the highest transportation costs in the nation (yes, that's right; it costs more to travel in Houston than in any other city).

 

The good news for Houston is that pocketbook decisions are changing our driving habits. Tired of commuting and high travel costs, more people are moving back to the city. The pendulum is swinging back to urban living and rail transit. Houston enjoys another benefit — no zoning to curtail innovative urban design appealing to new lifestyle preferences. With bold and decisive leadership, a good dose of smart planning and outcomes-driven development standards, Houston can become a leading transit city in the emerging global economy.

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5-6-25

 

June 24, 2008

New York MTA faces capital spending cuts

 

Soaring construction and operating costs and declining revenues may force the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority to cut up to $2.7 billion worth of projects from its $23.7 billion 2005-2009 capital spending program.

 

Service reductions and fare increases are also in sight. The proposed cuts, which were disclosed June 23, would sideline some station improvements and eliminate or delay other projects, including $223 million in signaling projects. While ridership in this year’s first quarter increased more than 5% on MTA’s three big rail operations—New York City Transit and the Long Island and Metro-North commuter lines—the authority’s income has dropped. For example , revenues from taxes on real estate transactions, a mainstay of operating subsidies, is now projected to be $280 million below projections this year.

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature6-6-25

 

June 24, 2008

 

Colton Crossing meeting seeks public input

 

Citizens will get a chance to weigh in on a multimillion-dollar project aimed at alleviating congestion at the biggest railroad bottleneck in the Inland Empire, the Colton Crossing, local newspapers report.

 

Pollution concerns, funding sources and a timeline for the project will be the key issues addressed at the public meeting, hosted by the California State Assembly Select Committee on Inland Empire Transportation Issues and chaired by Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter, D-Rialto, June 26.

 

More at link above:

If/when this $15 billion funding package is passed, it's going to get spent very fast...

 

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature6-6-25

 

June 24, 2008

 

Amtrak works to repair Pennsylvania infrastructure

 

Throughout the Philadelphia region and much of the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak is struggling to maintain old bridges, tunnels, retaining walls and other infrastructure. Chronically short of money, Amtrak has put off an estimated $5 billion in needed repairs and upgrades nationwide, and most of that is along the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

 

More at link above:

ohio may twiddle its thumbs, but colorado gets it:

 

 

Work begins on west-side light rail

 

posted by: Judy Hosman    3 hrs ago

 

 

LAKEWOOD – All lanes of Kipling Street between Colfax Avenue and 10th Avenue will be closed Wednesday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Thursday.

 

The closure begins the first major West Corridor light rail construction project. Girders will be placed for a light rail bridge over Kipling Street. Motorists are advised to take alternate routes by using Simms Street or Wadsworth Boulevard.

 

The West Corridor project is part of RTD's FasTracks transit program. The 12.1-mile light rail line will run from Union Station in Downtown Denver to the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden. The corridor is scheduled to open to the public in 2013.

 

Up-to-date information on current or future light rail projects can be found at www.RTD-Fastracks.com

 

Here's news from two cities. And extending rail service 4,000 feet at a time sounds like an affordable approach....

 

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature6-6-26

 

 

June 25, 2008

Houston sets ceremonial groundbreaking for LRT expansion

 

Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority will host a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday for the East End light rail line, the first of five scheduled to be completed by late 2012, and the first LRT construction in the city since its initial Red Line opened in 2004.

 

Metro spokespeople say the agency will build the future lines in 4,000-foot segments, completing each before work starts on the next, to minimize disruptions of traffic and business that marred construction of the Red Line and generated negative coverage and political resistance.

 

Metro also expects to break ground for the North and Southeast lines this summer, but only after it receives assurance that the Federal Transit Administration will pay half the cost of those lines. By contrast, Metro expects to build the East End and Uptown lines using oher revenue sources.

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

 

June 25, 2008

Virginia legislators introduce bill to extend 'The Tide'

 

Catching Virginia Beach local officials off guard, two Virginia legislators whose districts include the municipality have introduced a bill to extend Norfolk's light rail line, "The Tide," across the border and close to the Virginia Beach oceanfront.

 

Delegate Robert Tata and state Sen. Frank Wagner, both Republicans,envision LRT reaching the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Tata said the extension would offer a hassle-free commute to those who live in Virginia Beach and work in downtown Norfolk.

 

Legislation introduced by the two, HB6028, would seek a public/private partnership to advance the extension, with the state soliciting private-sector interest. The private company or consortium would theoretically recoup its investment and a profit by being given a contract to run the rail and charge riders a fare.

 

In response to observations that Virginia Beach officials remained undecided (or indecisive) on such action, Tata said, "It's time for this to happen, whether they favor it or not."

 

Hampton Roads Transit President Michael Townes, said, "We’re excited that Delegate Tata understands that extending The Tide into Virginia Beach is important to Virginia Beach and the region of Hampton Roads," he said. "Whether this bill passes or not, the indication is that our General Assembly members are understanding of light rail and are trying to find ways to be supportive." Townes declined comment on the public-private partnership approach.

 

By contrast, HRT board member Jim Wood, who also serves on the Virginia Beach City Council, expressed surprise, observing, "It’s kind of out of the blue."

 

Norfolk expects to open its 7.4-mile, $232 million light rail line in early 2010.

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5-6-27

 

June 26, 2008

Minneapolis OKs its portion of Central Corridor LRT

 

Minneapolis city leaders have approved the Metropolitan Council's proposed layout for the Central Corridor Light Rail line, which runs primarily through sister city St. Paul but which will join the existing Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis near te Downtown East/Metrodome Station.

 

Construction on the 11-mile Central Corridor Line is expected to begin in 2010, with revenue service beginning in 2014.

 

"Minneapolis is showing our enthusiastic support for this important light rail link," said City Council Member Sandy Colvin Roy, who chairs the City Council's Transportation and Public Works Committee. "We also know there are a lot of details left to be worked out with out partners, and that’s not surprising, considering that we’re talking about making such a significant investment in improving out transportation system."

this looks to be how ny is doing brt:

 

 

Transit

New Select Bus Service Drives Through Bronx

June 29, 2008

 

City transit officials began operating a new frequently-running bus service in the Bronx Sunday.

 

The Select Bus Service is running on the Bx12 route in a dedicated bus lane painted red.

 

The service features street-side fare machines where riders buy their tickets before boarding, and onboard sensors that let traffic lights stay green for a longer time.

 

The buses will make the same stops as the Bx12 Limited, but will run more frequently.

 

Similar rapid transit routes are set to eventually roll out throughout the five boroughs.

 

 

edit: more from gothamist blog

 

June 29, 2008

Faster MTA Bus Service Starts in the Bronx Today

 

 

After years of planning, the MTA has re-launched bus service along the Bx12 route, which travels through the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. A NYC Transit director for bus service planning, Ted Orosz, tells the NY Times, "It looks cooler, it’s faster, it will run a little more frequently. All those things should increase ridership.”

 

The new "Select Bus Service" initiative includes more buses (up to ten more during peak hours), new designs on the outside of buses (shades of blue and a new logo treatment), clearly marked station, and faster fare collection, which means riders will be paying and swiping at curbside machines, instead of on the bus itself (passengers will get a receipt, and if they board a bus without one, they risk a $100 ticket). Bus lanes are also painted "terracotta," and law enforcement will make sure only buses are in that lane.

 

Another interesting feature is the "Traffic Signal Priority" system, which will, per Streetsblog, will keep "signal lights green, and [quicken] the cycle of changing red signals back to green, to allow buses to move through intersections more smoothly." The MTA hopes to bring SBS to other routes, like the 1st / 2nd Avenues' M15, 34th Street's M34 and M16, and 5th / Madison Avenue's M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 & Q 32 routes in Manhattan, Hylan Boulevard's S79 route in Staten Island and the Nostrand Avenue B44 in Brooklyn.

 

^I think the other borough's BRT projects died with congestion pricing's defeat.  Good news for the Bronx though.  It's nice to see NYC transit news other than the cancellation of projects :( and dire budget warnings.

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature4-7-1

 

June 30, 2008

NJ Transit proposes rail links in state's southern counties

 

New Jersey Transit, often accused of focusing too intently on the Garden State's rail travel needs driven by New York City, last week proposed three rail improvement projects bolstering three distinct rail lines in southern New Jersey.

 

More at link above:

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature3-7-2

 

July 1, 2008

EJ&E aquisition adversaries float commuter rail option

 

House Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) will introduce legislation next week tagging 36 miles of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway as a "Corridor for Inter-Suburban Commuter Rail." The bill seeks to jump-start a decades-old vision for Chicago's suburbs, the Suburban Transit Access Route (STAR), which would link numerous communities with Metra rail services via a circumferential route.

 

More at link above:

New bus route bustling

By Jean Tarbett Hardiman, Herald-Dispatch, July 1, 2008

 

IRONTON -- Brenda Turner got on the TTA Tuesday in Ironton. She took it to Ironton Hills Plaza, and then right to Huntington to buy a monthly bus pass.

 

"I pay $35 for a monthly pass, and I go anywhere I want, any time," she said. "You can't fill your tank up with gas for that."

 

Click headline for full story:

http://www.rtands.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature5-7-3

 

July 2, 2008

 

Missouri gives Amtrak $5M to increase track capacity

 

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt approved legislation giving Amtrak $5 million to increase track capacity on its twice-daily runs between St. Louis and Kansas City.

 

The Union Pacific main line could see as much as $10 million for capital improvements if the Missouri Department of Transportation is successful in getting an additional $5 million in federal matching funding from a new Federal Railroad Administration program.

 

Passenger traffic on the line is backed up due to freight traffic and the capital improvements would go toward extending current sidings near California, Mo., and Strasburg, Mo., to 8,500 feet in order to accommodate longer freight trains and expedite passenger train movement.

 

 

 

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature3-7-3

 

July 2, 2008

Siemens withdraws from Toronto streetcar bidding

 

Siemens AG has ended its effort to secure a contract with the Toronto Transit Commission to provide up to 600 new streetcars. The company withdrawal leaves the field to Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. and Bootle, U.K.-based manufacturer TRAM Power Ltd., both of whom submitted bids to TTC for an initial-phase order of 204 streetcars, expected to be worth roughly $1.2 billion.

 

Siemens earlier had insisted that it could have provided the subway cars at significantly lower cost had it been allowed to bid, generating enough public and political sway to force TTC to revamp its bidding process for the streetcar order.

 

A spokesman for Siemens said the company decided not to try for the streetcar project two weeks ago, but wouldn't elaborate on why Siemens had chosen to pass up its chance the large bid.

 

Canadian observers believe that Bombardier, already dominant in its home market, likely will win the order, pointing out that TRAM Power, a smaller competitor, has less global experience and less local political clout.

More on Missouri Amtrak funding from the MoDOT:

 

MISSOURI Provides $5 Million For Improved Amtrak Service

Will Fund New Track Capacity on Busy Cross-state Route

 

        CHICAGO and JEFFERSON CITY – Reliability of Kansas City to St. Louis trains operated by Amtrak for the Missouri Department of Transportation can improve, thanks to $5 million provided by the Missouri state legislature and approved by Gov. Matt Blunt to increase track capacity on the route.  The Missouri Mules (Trains 311, 313, 314 & 316) provide twice-daily round trips across the state and have been plagued by lengthy delays due to heavy freight traffic on the Union Pacific Railroad line.

 

“This is great news for Missouri,” said MoDOT Director Pete Rahn.  “This funding will lead to improved service, helping make Amtrak trains an even better travel alternative.”

 

New track extensions, called sidings, will reduce bottlenecks between Kansas City and Jefferson City in west central Missouri.  These parallel tracks can allow trains to pass each other without having to stop.  In addition to the state appropriation, MoDOT is seeking an additional $5 million in federal matching funding from a new Federal Railroad Administration program.

 

“This marks a major change in Missouri’s approach to passenger rail,” Rahn added.  “State-supported Amtrak service has been running between Kansas City and St. Louis since 1979 and each year legislators have budgeted only enough money to operate the trains; nothing to build improvements.  This capital improvement funding shows a new level of commitment by our legislators to Amtrak service.”

 

Missouri Senate Leader Mike Gibbons was instrumental in the legislative push to provide the additional funding.

 

        "As gas prices continue to rise, Missourians need and deserve a reliable and affordable alternate mode of travel,” he said. “This funding allows trains to pass without delay, relieves congestion and will improve on-time performance of passenger rail, meaning it will be a real option for travelers.”

 

        Improvements on the line could not be occurring at a better time.  Ridership between Kansas City and St. Louis increased sharply in April and May, compared to the same period last year.

 

“Much of this route is a single set of tracks and Amtrak trains share the limited capacity with numerous freight trains,” said Michael Franke, Amtrak Assistant Vice President – State Partnerships.  “Investments in infrastructure have been sorely needed for passenger trains to operate more reliably between St. Louis and Kansas City.

 

“This capital funding is an important first step in addressing the capacity of this heavily-used corridor and such investments in the infrastructure will ultimately lead to improvements in train performance,” Franke added.

 

A study of chokepoints on the route was completed in 2007 by the University of Missouri-Columbia and siding construction and extensions were found to have the most immediate prospect for service improvements.

 

“This study forms the basis of discussions with Union Pacific Railroad as to how the project will be implemented, and discussions with the railroad on how the project will take shape will begin in the next few weeks,” said Brian Weiler, MoDOT Director of Multimodal Operations.  “These improvements will also complement Union Pacific’s own improvements near the chokepoints at the Gasconade and Osage rivers.”

 

About the Missouri Department of Transportation

Our mission is to provide a world-class transportation experience that delights our customers and promotes a prosperous Missouri.  For more information, visit www.modot.org or call 888-ASK-MODOT (within Missouri).

 

About Amtrak

Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 21,000-mile route system.  For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.

I'll wager that Missouri will invest more in this rail corridor. The state now has a financial stake in this, beyond its annual operating support for the trains that could be withdrawn at any time with little if any financial repercussions. Now, the state has a reason to make a go of Amtrak service over the longer term.

this is good news. the layout of el paso really demands a return of rail services:

 

 

7.01.08

 

Overdue trolley study complete; public debut weeks away

 

By ABC-7 I-Team Investigator Martin Bartlett

 

EL PASO -- SunMetro officials now say the feasibility study into returning street cars to downtown El Paso could take another month to make public.

 

 

http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=8585310&nav=menu193_2

 

I'll wager that Missouri will invest more in this rail corridor. The state now has a financial stake in this, beyond its annual operating support for the trains that could be withdrawn at any time with little if any financial repercussions. Now, the state has a reason to make a go of Amtrak service over the longer term.

 

Given that the only other viable alternative is Interstate 70, which is four-lanes for the most part and is woefully congested in many areas (like driving Interstate 81 in Virginia, crammed with tractor-trailers), investing in rail is cheaper and more efficient than adding another lane to the interstate.

I know several members of the Missouri legislature and they tell me it has been a long, hard battle to get this far.  But if these upgrades can demonstrate success, the next round of funding may be a somewhat easier task.  Let us all hope.

 

I went to college at the Univ. of Central Missouri at Warrensburg, which is still a station stop along this line.  This is certainly good news as the bulk of the students are either from the KC or St. Louis areas.