|
PENSACOLA - Backed into a corner, union leaders said today that they will fight key legislation being drafted for a special legislative session that is expected to be called for later this week.
Mike Williams, president of the Florida AFL-CIO, called plans for a $1.2 billion SunRail commuter system in Central Florida and to bail out an ailing Tri-Rail commuter system in South Florida, as union-busting attempts.
Published by The Pensacola News Journal, November 30, 2009 (www.pnj.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
Want to learn more about Florida high speed rail?
Click HERE to join the Support Florida High Speed Rail Facebook page.
Click CONNECT US to visit this website of supporters.
|
ST. PETERSBURG — For two decades, the Center for Urban Transportation Research has advised Florida policymakers on how to spend billions of taxpayer dollars to improve the state's overwhelmed transportation system.
The University of South Florida think tank says every transportation option it examines undergoes a rigorous and objective analysis. It says it plays no favorites.
Published by St. Petersburg Times, November 28, 2009 (www.tampabay.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
 |
|
ST. PETERSBURG - As a special session seems likely on rail issues, opponents of the proposed SunRail commuter system say it's the same old bad deal. The issues: cost, liability for taxpayers and federal protections for railroad workers on the tracks the state wants to buy from CSX for Central Florida commuter rail.
Will taxpayers be liable if CSX, which will continue to operate on the taxpayer-owned lines, causes an accident? Who knows? FDOT isn't producing any documentation showing what the deal is. Lakeland Sen. Paula Dockery has had to put in a public records request to find out. No response so far. What will the cost of the deal be? Who knows? FDOT isn't saying. Will railroad workers, who enjoy federal railroad protections, lose their labor rights? Who knows? FDOT isn't saying.
Published by tampabay.com, November 27, 2009 (blogs.tampabay.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MILWAUKEE - In fiscal-year 2009, which ended Sept. 30, Amtrak’s Illinois ridership totaled more than 1.8 million passengers, up 1 percent vs. FY2008 ridership and up 20 percent vs. FY2007’s total. Amtrak trains in the state are operated under a contract with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
Ridership on the Chicago-St. Louis route increased 6 percent year over year to 577,801, but Chicago-Carbondale route ridership fell 5 percent to 290,6262 and Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha service ridership declined 2 percent to 738,231. The Hiawatha service is provided in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Published by Progressive Railroading Daily News, November 25, 2009 (www.progressiverailroading.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK - ABOARD AMTRAK AUTO TRAIN 52 TO WASHINGTON — All aboard on this train doesn't mean just people. It means minivans, cars and motorcycles, too.
To board you have to be packing some serious luggage: every traveler must also be transporting a vehicle. Amtrak's Auto Train, the only one like it in the nation, has only two stops: one near Orlando, Fla., and the other in Virginia near Washington, D.C. For more than 25 years it has carried vacationers and their vehicles, and a new $10 million station expected to open in Florida in 2010 may mean even more passengers.
Published by The Palm Beach Post, November 23, 2009 (www.palmbeachpost.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MOSCOW - The peregrine falcon, or sapsan in Russian, is the fastest bird in the falcon family, so it was an appropriate name for this new train, which can reach speeds of up to 250 kmph. Produced with true German precision by Siemens, the Peregrine Falcon is fully adapted to the harsh climate of Russia.
Published by JSC Russian Railways (eng.rzd.ru)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON - The U.S. High Speed Rail Association has tapped Eric Peterson to be its new president.
Peterson formerly served as executive director for D.C.-based Rural Cellular Association and will lead the association’s efforts to create a national high speed rail system in the U.S.
The non-partisan, non profit group recently hosted the a high speed rail conference in the District that drew 300 people from 20 states and 10 countries.
Published by The South Florida Business Journal, November 20, 2009 (southflorida.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
SACRAMENTO - California’s cleanest passenger locomotive, which will operate on the Capitol Corridor route between Sacramento and the Bay Area, was unveiled Tuesday during an event in San Francisco hosted by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and its partners.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last year tightened locomotive engine standards for all diesel line-haul, passenger and switch engines in the United States. The regulations will reduce harmful particulate matter emissions by 90 percent and oxides of nitrogen (gases from engine combustion) by 80 percent, by 2030.
Published by The Sacramento Business Journal, November 17, 2009 (sacramento.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON - It's a shame that it has taken accidents, deaths and injuries for the federal government to wake up to the danger posed by inadequate, and in some cases nonexistent, oversight of many or most subway and light-rail systems around the nation. By the same token, it is to the Obama administration's credit that it has begun grappling with this intolerable problem after less than a year in office.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told The Post that his department intends to push legislation that would allow the federal government to provide safety oversight for subways and light rail. The feds already regulate and enforce safety standards for air travel, ports, commuter trains, Amtrak and ferries. The fact that subways and light rail are exempt is due to circumstances and thinking that applied a half-century ago but that have been irrelevant for decades and that make no sense.
Published by The Washington Post, November 21, 2009 (www.washingtonpost.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
ATLANTA - A plan to build a major passenger terminal in downtown Atlanta might soon boast new life, in the form of an $80 million-plus jump start, state officials said at Transportation Board meetings Wednesday and Thursday.
The idea has reeled in big supporters, but raised questions too -- including whether it's legal.
Published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 19, 2009 (www.ajc.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON - The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday officially endorsed building a light rail line and adding two reversible highway lanes to ease traffic congestion in the growing Interstate 270 corridor.
The 6 to 3 vote for light rail over a bus rapid-transit system mirrored a straw vote taken last week. The two new lanes on I-270 would be free for buses, carpools and van pools; others would pay a toll.
Published by The Washington Post, November 18, 2009 (www.washingtonpost.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
SARASOTA - With the economic and transit future of Florida at stake, state elected officials from Gov. Charlie Crist on down are wheeling and dealing instead of addressing a simple problem in a straight forward manner.
Here's the simple problem:
Tri-Rail, Florida's only rail-transit system, is failing because past and current governors and legislators have not been able to approve a dedicated revenue source of funding.
Published by The Herald Tribune, November 17, 2009 (www.heraldtribune.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
CHARLOTTE - Citing an increase in the number of subway and light-rail crashes and resulting passenger injuries, the Obama administration will push for legislation that would allow the federal government to set and enforce safety standards on the nation's transit systems, officials said on Sunday.
The federal Department of Transportation currently enforces safety regulations for airlines and Amtrak, but it lacks the authority to do so for subways and light-rail systems, even though the DOT helps finance those operations.
Published by The Charlotte Observer, November 17, 2009 (www.charlotteobserver.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
SEATTLE - LIGHT rail to the airport begins Dec. 19. Now there's a concept, and a good one.
The true test of the usefulness of current light-rail service didn't really begin when Sound Transit light rail opened in July, running from downtown to Tukwila.
Yes, early numbers show usage so far is not overwhelming. Since light rail opened, the agency reports about 16,000 one-way trips a day, about 10,000 fewer than the agency's target by late 2010.
Published by The Seattle Time, November 15, 2009 (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
JACKSONVILLE - It's a project that could improve public transportation in Northeast Florida while also helping to bring back the historic LaVilla section of downtown Jacksonville.
For almost 20 years, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and the Florida Department of Transportation have been working on a plan to create a regional transportation center that would house Amtrak, Greyhound, bus rapid transit and, possibly, commuter rail - all at the existing Prime Osborn Convention Center
Published by The Florida Times Union, November 12, 2009 (jacksonville.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
NEW PORT RICHEY — Like others in the Tampa Bay area, Pasco County is looking to Charlotte, N.C., for direction in developing a mass transit system.
A couple of county staffers and County Commissioner Michael Cox, also chairman of the county's transportation board, took a day trip to the Queen City recently with Hillsborough County officials and toured its light rail system.
Published by St. Petersburg Times, November 13, 2009 (tampabay.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
By Angela Cotey
Progressive Railroading
October 2009
To say it’s been a year of ups and downs in the transit industry would be an understatement.
In February, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law. The legislation included $8.4 billion for transit and $1.3 billion for Amtrak.
The influx of funds is giving the transit industry an opportunity to prove what advocates have been saying for years: that for every $1 billion invested in public transportation, 30,000 jobs are created.
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MILWAUKEE - Late last week, Amtrak released a new strategic guidance and five-year financial plan that aim to continue ridership growth and position the national intercity passenger railroad to maximize federal and state support for more passenger-rail service, including the development of high-speed rail corridors.
The strategic guidance outlines the opportunities and challenges facing Amtrak in the "new passenger-rail environment," where states have the primary role in developing new or expanded intercity and high-speed rail services. It establishes six broad goals governing safety, environmental stewardship, financial performance and customer service.
Published by Progressive Railroading Daily News, November 2, 2009 (www.progressiverailroading.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MILWAUKEE - Earlier this week, the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) selected light rail as the locally preferred alternative for the Monterey transit corridor. The 16-mile corridor would extend between Monterey and Castroville, Calif., on publicly owned tracks adjacent to Highway 1.
During the past few years, TAMC has considered bus rapid transit or light rail for the planned corridor. The agency chose light rail because it can “provide superior transportation in the long term, while best meeting the vision and future plans for each of the peninsula cities,” TAMC officials said in a prepared statement. In addition, light-rail vehicles can hold more riders than bus rapid-transit vehicles and rail cars can be added at a nominal cost, officials said.
Published by Progressive Railroading Daily News, October 30, 2009 (www.progressiverailroading.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
Trains Magazine November
By Joseph M. Welsh
WAUKESHA - The people made Sound Transit’s Sounder what it is today, and they will decide what it will become. See how commuter rail succeeded in one of the most congested cities in the U.S.
Two decades ago, the running joke among transportation professionals in the Pacific Northwest was that if you wanted to use Seattle’s rail transit system, you had to travel to Atlanta. The basis of the comment was more truth than fiction. In the wake of a downturn in the Northwest’s economy in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Seattle area residents rejected a $1.15 billion 1968 proposal and a $1.32 billion 1970 initiative to fund rail mass transit. The failure of the propositions resulted in the loss of a $900 million federal funding earmark secured by powerful U.S. Democratic Sen. Warren G. Magnuson to match the local bond initiatives. Instead, the money went to fund Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s system.
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
LAKELAND - There's no reason to hold a special session to re-visit plans for a commuter rail system in Central Florida, Sen. Paula Dockery said Friday in Lakeland.
In saying that, Dockery is breaking with at least one fellow member of Polk County's legislative delegation, Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, who is also the Senate budget chief, and with other key Senate members, including President Jeff Atwater. Gov. Charlie Crist has also said there should be a special session on the issue.
Published by The Ledger, November 6, 2009 (www.theledger.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
TAMPA - Charlotte, N.C.'s mayor politely suggested Monday that the Tampa Bay area was behind its competition when it comes to the transportation networks necessary for job recruitment.
Then Mayor Patrick McCrory shared with 300 community leaders the experiences that led to Charlotte's recent transit-oriented success.
Published by Tampa Bay Online, November 3, 2009 (www2.tbo.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
CHICAGO - Heeding John McCarron's call to make only little plans as part of "damage control" ("Post-Olympic event: Damage control," Commentary, Oct. 26) would mean America and Chicago have lost their mettle.
In addition to cutting the trip to one hour and 54 minutes from nearly 5.5 hours today, a 220-mph high-speed rail link between Chicago and St. Louis would reduce harmful emissions and stimulate the economy like no other mode of transportation can.
Published by The Chicago Tribune, October 29, 2009 (www.chicagotribune.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON - Virginia Railway Express officials have denied Amtrak's challenge to a plan to have an international company operate the commuter rail service's trains.
On Oct. 30, Amtrak sent a letter to VRE officials contesting their plan to award a five-year, $85 million contract to Keolis Rail Services America, a U.S subsidiary of a French company. Amtrak has operated VRE trains for 17 years.
Published by The Washington Post, November 5, 2009 (www.washingtonpost.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
AUSTIN - Amid revelations this month about missteps delaying passenger rail, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials still hope to win another $81 million stimulus request.
About 1,400 applicants nationwide are competing for $1.5 billion in U.S. Department of Transportation funds.
Published by The South Florida Business Journal, October 30, 2009 (southflorida.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
KANSAS CITY - Local transit authorities hope to step toward a regional rail plan with an abbreviated, two-mile streetcar route in Downtown that could be running by late 2012.
The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority applied in September for $6 million in federal stimulus financing to initiate the project, which is expected to total $68.4 million.
Published by The South Florida Business Journal, October 30, 2009 (southflorida.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
RALEIGH – After writing off $140 million and going into virtual hiatus for three years, Triangle Transit is launching a new bid to build a regional rapid rail system.
The government authority will pay $2 million to consultants in the coming year to get the planning train rolling again. It will be the first major expenditure on a rapid rail project since a previous effort veered badly off track in 2006 after failing to win a long-term federal funding commitment.
Published by The South Florida Business Journal, October 30, 2009 (southflorida.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON - Amtrak is challenging a recommendation made by Virginia Railway Express officials this month that VRE abandon its 17-year relationship with Amtrak and allow an international company to operate and maintain the commuter rail service's fleet.
On Friday, Amtrak officials sent VRE a letter challenging its intent to award a five-year, roughly $85 million contract to Keolis Rail Services America -- a U.S subsidiary of a French company. The contract, which needs to be approved by the Northern Virginia and Potomac and Rappahannock transportation commissions Nov. 5, would give Keolis its first foothold in the U.S. transportation industry.
Published by The Washington Post, October 30, 2009 (www.washingtonpost.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MIAMI - Commuters who travel by rail into downtown Miami from points north might have their journeys shortened considerably if a new plan to bring Tri-Rail into the central business district succeeds.
The tri-county commuter train runs daily from Miami to West Palm Beach on tracks owned by CSX, which means riders must disembark at Northwest 79th Street in northwest Miami-Dade and board Metrorail to get downtown. But Florida East Coast Railway tracks just blocks from the transfer point head directly downtown, and switching Tri-Rail onto those tracks would give the train — and commuters — a straight shot.
Published by Miami Today, October 29, 2009 (www.miamitodaynews.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MILWAUKEE - Amtrak and the Southern California Regional Rail Authority recently signed a memorandum of understanding calling for Amtrak to provide Metrolink train and engine crews on all seven of the agency’s Los Angeles-area lines.
The parties expect to reach a final agreement by year’s end. SCRRA and Amtrak would sign a four-year contract — set to take effect on July 1, 2010 — with options for two three-year extensions.
Published by Progressive Railroading Daily News, October 28, 2009 (www.progressiverailroading.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MILWAUKEE - Last week, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Federal Transportation Administrator Peter Rogoff announced a $75 million federal grant agreement for the Portland streetcar system expansion — the first streetcar project to be funded through the federal Small Starts Program.
Portland plans to extend the downtown streetcar system across the Willamette River and into the city’s east side.
Published by Progressive Railroading Daily News, October 26, 2009 (www.progressiverailroading.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
TAMPA - Local officials are asking the state to come up with a plan more quickly for how the Howard Frankland Bridge could accommodate a light-rail line.
The Florida Department of Transportation expects to have such a plan by 2013 or so. Pinellas County officials, though, would like the plan as early as next year.
Published by The Tampa Tribune, October 24, 2009 (www2.tbo.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
LAKELAND - You may have seen that U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood supposedly said recently that Florida won’t get high speed rail money unless the state senate agrees to CSX’s blackmail payment, eerrr, Sunrail deal.
I say supposedly because this entire muddled Sentinel story by the usually reliable Dan Tracy contains exactly two quotes from Lahood.
Published by Lakeland Local, October 22, 2009 (www.lakelandlocal.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
JACKSONVILLE - Jerry Sullivan is a rail enthusiast who wants to see Amtrak’s Sunset Limited service come back through Jacksonville.
“I probably took the Sunset 20 times over the years to see my grandchildren in Houston,” Sullivan said. “I don’t like to fly unless I have no other choice.”
Until 2005 the Sunset Limited ran from Orlando to Los Angeles going through Jacksonville. But service from here died when Hurricane Katrina decimated the Gulf Coast in August 2005 and damaged CSX tracks between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala.
Published by The Florida Times Union, October 19, 2009 (jacksonville.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
TAMPA - A special December session of the Legislature is being pushed by Gov. Charlie Crist and Senate President Jeff Atwater to show the Obama administration that Florida is serious about supporting rail transit.
Assuming lawmakers are indeed serious, it's a good idea. All indications are that a key factor in winning the competition for a share of $8 billion for high-speed rail will be a commitment to funding local and regional rail projects.
Published by The Tampa Tribune, October 21, 2009 (www2.tbo.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
DUBAI - Over the past few years the world has looked on in amazement as the unprecedented amount of investment in rail projects continues to grow at astonishing rates in the Middle East.
Owing to the boom in population and increased traffic on the roads, governments are recognizing the need for quality rail infrastructure as a means to stimulate and sustain the economy.
Published by South Florida Business Journal, October 20, 2009 (southflorida.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
PALM BEACH - After a four-decade hiatus, the Last Train to Paradise may soon pull back into the station.
Plans are rolling ahead to possibly invest more than $5 billion to turn 350 miles of the Florida East Coast Railway, whose rusty freight cars now rattle straight through the state's coastal downtowns, into a sleek, intercity passenger rail system that would rival those of Europe.
Transit gurus say South Florida's future, as much as its past, will depend on passenger rail. The state's population is expected to grow several times faster than its highway capacity, virtually guaranteeing bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic on all major roads by 2025.
Published by The Palm Beach Post, October 19, 2009 (www.palmbeachpost.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MILWAUKEE - On Friday, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released a preliminary National Rail Plan (NRP) aimed at formulating a strategy to address the nation’s rail needs. The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 directed the FRA to develop a NRP.
The preliminary plan directs the FRA to provide assistance to states in developing their rail plans to ensure that the federal long-range NRP is consistent with approved state rail plans. In addition, the plan sets the framework for the development of high-speed rail in the United States and the development of policies to improve the nation’s transportation system.
Published by Progressive Railroading Daily News, October 19, 2009 (www.progressiverailroading.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
ORLANDO - Florida officials like their chances of winning billions of federal dollars for a high-speed train, but almost every contender from California to Georgia insists its rail pitch is the best.
Actually, the proposals are far from equal. Some applicants bring money, land or potential passengers. Others offer little more than what they think to be a great idea.
Published by The Sun Sentinel, October 19, 2009 (www.sun-sentinel.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MILWAUKEE - Earlier this week, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) announced the Federal Transit Administration approved the city of Honolulu’s application to begin preliminary engineering for the Honolulu Rail Transit commuter-rail project through the New Starts funding program.
The project calls for constructing a 20-mile elevated line to connect West Oahu with downtown Honolulu and Ala Moana. The line eventually will be extended to Honolulu International Airport, Waikiki, the University of Hawaii-Manoa and Kalaeloa.
Published by Progressive Railroading Daily News, October 14, 2009 (www.progressiverailroading.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
SACRAMENTO - Siemens Industries Inc., having just landed its second-largest contract in 25 years in Sacramento, says it would create 1,000 jobs for its south Sacramento plant if the manufacturing giant is chosen to build trains for California’s high-speed rail project.
On Wednesday, Siemens Mobility announced a $205.2 million contract to provide the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System with 57 light-rail vehicles over a two-year period.
Published by Sacramento Business Journal, October 9, 2009 (sacramento.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
CHICAGO - Europe is investing in its infrastructure, and travelers know the results are breathtaking. With the English Channel tunnel, trains speed from Big Ben to the Eiffel Tower in about 2 1/2 hours. You zip under the English Channel in 20 minutes, looking out the window for fish.
More travelers now connect London and Paris by train than by air -- and high-speed rail between these two cities may get even faster and cheaper in the near future.
Published by The Chicago Tribune, October 11, 2009 (www.chicagotribune.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO - California’s bullet train planners said for the first time they will consider placing tracks underground along the Peninsula, a victory for communities that favor a subterranean route.
High-speed rail authorities released an analysis of the 48-mile route between San Francisco and San Jose. It includes the possibility of up to 20 miles of track placed in an underground trench or tunnel. High-speed tracks, which would run parallel to Caltrain tracks, might run under cities like Millbrae, Redwood City, Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto and Mountain View.
Published by The South Florida Business Journal, October 9, 2009 (southflorida.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
LEESBURG - In a move that may finally push even the stubborn Florida state legislature to hop on board, Disney announced last week that it has decided to join the state of Florida in reaching for $2.5 billion in federal aid to build a 90-mile, high-speed rail project linking Orlando and Tampa -- complete with a very important stop at the Magic Kingdom.
We applaud that decision because it brings a regional rail network that much closer to fruition in the Sunshine State.
Published by The Daily Commercial, October 11, 2009 (www.dailycommercial.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
SACRAMENTO - A Sacramento County judge decided Thursday to let planning continue for a high-speed rail route between the Bay Area and the Central Valley through the Pacheco Pass.
The cities of Atherton and Menlo Park sought to stop planning while they challenge the California's high-speed rail authority's decision. They prefer a northern route through the Altamont Pass in part because it would have less effect on cities south of San Francisco.
Published by The San Francisco Chronicle, October 8, 2009 (www.sfgate.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MELBOURNE - Restarting passenger train service down Florida’s East Coast — including stops in Brevard County — has always made good economic sense.
It made sense in 2001, when the first effort to revive the 350-mile Jacksonville-to-Miami route was proposed but failed.
It makes even more sense now to create badly needed jobs, boost economic development and promote greener transportation.
Published by Florida Today, October 8, 2009 (www.floridatoday.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
CHARLOTTE - In the midst of the deepest economic slowdown since the Great Depression, the state of North Carolina has made an ambitious request in Washington: Give us $5.3 billion and we'll build much of the infrastructure needed for a Southeast high-speed passenger train corridor linking Charlotte and Washington.
It's a visionary request but it didn't come out of nowhere. The state has been preparing for high-speed rail for two decades, dating to Gov. Jim Martin's administration when passenger rail service was restored between Raleigh and Charlotte and planners began seriously contemplating remaking the region's rail system to move people, not just freight.
Published by The Charlotte Observer, October 6, 2009 (www.charlotteobserver.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
LAS VEGAS - A proposal for moving passengers between Las Vegas and Anaheim, Calif., features a maglev train that would flow powerfully, cleanly and silently — no friction, no moving parts — on a cushion of air at 300 mph.
Representatives of the American Magline Group, a coalition of companies partnering to build the proposed low-maintenance maglev system, say it would be built entirely in California and Nevada, creating thousands of local jobs.
Published by The Las Vegas Sun, September 30, 2009 (www.lasvegassun.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
MIAMI - The Florida Department of Transportation formally committed itself Friday to building the first segment of a high-speed rail line from Miami to Tampa -- so long as the federal government awards the state the $2.53 billion it wants for the project.
Competition is intense, but transportation experts said Florida is well positioned -- along with California and Illinois -- to share the $8 billion the Obama administration is offering to develop a national high-speed rail network. Awards will be announced in December.
Published by The Miami Herald, October 3, 2009 (www.miamiherald.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
CNN ATLANTA - Florida officials are considering incorporating a high-speed railway. Central Florida News 13's Emily Lampa reports.
Published by CNN, October 6, 2009 (www.cnn.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
ORLANDO - Florida has received a last-minute boost from Walt Disney World in its bid for $2.5 billion of federal money to build a high-speed train linking Orlando and Tampa.
Disney says it will support a stop at the Orange County Convention Center, as well as provide up to 50acres of free land for a station. For years, Disney wanted any train that might be built to take a straight shot from Orlando International Airport to its parks, with no other stations.
Published by The Orlando Sentinel, October 2, 2009 (www.orlandosentinel.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON - Virginia launches its first state-funded intercity passenger train Thursday from Lynchburg to Washington, a move that will enhance mass-transit options for Northern Virginia commuters and people across the state.
"This is very big and something that is coming after 2 1/2 years of solid hard work," Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce R. Homer said Wednesday, when the train made an inaugural run. "There is incredible enthusiasm for the kind of mobility this new service has to offer."
Published by The Washington Post, October 1, 2009 (www.washingtonpost.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
TAMPA - Last week the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts announced a multi-year rail transportation agreement with CSX Transportation.
Although most of the agreement's major elements – among them track sales, line extensions, time frames for commuters and freight – were resolved last year, the primary impediment to closing out the deal was not. CSX insisted any assumption of liability on its part was a game stopper. Sound familiar?
Published by The Tampa Tribune, September 30, 2009 (www2.tbo.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
TAMPA - As key political factors fall in place, Tampa, Lakeland and Orlando are leading contenders to launch the nation's first true high-speed rail corridor, with 150 mph trains running by 2014.
On Friday, 40 states will file detailed high-speed rail project applications with the Federal Railroad Administration. In December, President Barack Obama will announce which will get money from the $787 billion federal stimulus plan to generate jobs.
Published by The Tampa Tribune, September 27, 2009 (www2.tbo.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
DALLAS - The French national railway SNCF has filed a detailed proposal with the Federal Railroad Administration stating an interest in operating high-speed rail in Texas.
The route in question would run from DFW through Austin and into San Antonio. It would not be the Gulf Coast route that's been on the USDOT's official list of 10 prospective HSR corridors or the much-promoted Dallas-Houston link (including the Texas T-Bone). But Houston could be in the distance.
Published by The Dallas Morning News, September 25, 2009 (www.dallasnews.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
ST. PETERSBURG - The case for light rail is looking better for Pinellas County. Results from a resident survey, along with key moves by transportation officials, offer fresh hope that the county may finally get serious about mass transit.
Last week, the county's bus operator, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, released a survey of 500 voters that showed 66 percent favor a Pinellas commuter rail system and 80 percent favor one linking other counties. Voters oppose higher property or gas taxes to fund rail, but 62 percent were okay with a 1-cent increase in the 7-cent sales tax, especially if it came with a property tax decrease.
Published by St. Petersburg Times, September 27, 2009 (www.tampabay.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
TAMPA - As key political factors fall in place, Tampa, Lakeland and Orlando are leading contenders to launch the nation's first true high-speed rail corridor, with 150 mph trains running by 2014.
On Friday, 40 states will file detailed high-speed rail project applications with the Federal Railroad Administration. In December, President Barack Obama will announce which will get money from the $787 billion federal stimulus plan to generate jobs.
Published by The Tampa Tribune, September 25, 2009 (www2.tbo.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia | In the last years of the cold war, the ultrasecret research institute that had designed the Soviet Union’s nuclear submarines received an unusual request: could it build a high-speed train?
The Soviet Union, despite its dependence on railroads, had fallen far behind Japan and Western Europe on high-speed transport. That the order came to the Rubin design bureau suggests that Moscow viewed catching up as a matter of national security.
Published by Ocala.com, September, 2009 (ocala.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
CHARLOTTE | Transit ridership in North Carolina in 2008 was up 16 percent over the previous year - a strong increase fueled by Charlotte's light-rail line, according to an Environment North Carolina study released Tuesday.
The study said the state's 16 percent increase in transit trips tied with Louisiana for the largest percent increase in the nation. Louisiana's increase was driven by transit use rebounding after Hurricane Katrina.
Published by the Charlotte Observer, September 23, 2009 (charlotteobserver.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
SACRAMENTO - As a second federal grant application deadline approaches, the California High-Speed Rail Authority board is set to vote Wednesday on a staff recommendation to apply for $4.5 billion of the $8 billion available for intercity and high-speed rail nationwide under the federal economic stimulus program.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $8 billion for high-speed and intercity rail development.
Published by The South Florida Business Journal, September 21, 2009 (southflorida.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
PHOENIX — Among the many detractors — and they were multitudinous — who thought a light rail line in this sprawling city would be a riderless $1 billion failure was Starlee Rhoades, the spokeswoman for the Goldwater Institute, a vocal critic of the rail’s expense. “I’ve taken it,” Ms. Rhoades said, slightly sheepishly. “It’s useful.”
She and her colleagues still think the rail is oversubsidized, but in terms of predictions of failure, she said, “We don’t dwell.”
Published by the Herald Tribune, September 20, 2009 (www.heraldtribune.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
JACKSONVILLE - French National Railways (SNCF), which owns and operates France’s TGV, the country’s high-speed rail network, said today that it would bid on the FRA’s “Request For Expression of Interest” process in four corridors – Florida, California, Texas, and the Chicago Hub Network.
Guillaume Pepy, SNCF and Eurostar Chairman, said “Each of the highly detailed proposals filed on September 14 outlines SNCF’s project rationale in the respective regions, including an evaluation of the benefits of high-speed rail networks to the targeted communities and environment.”
Published by the Jacksonville Transportation Examiner, September 21, 2009 (www.examiner.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
TALLAHASSEE - Melbourne International Airport officials on Wednesday endorsed efforts to establish direct Amtrak train service between Jacksonville and Miami that would feature a passenger-boarding platform near the airport terminal.
The Jacksonville-to-Miami Amtrak line would use existing Florid East Coast Railway tracks and would parallel Interstate 95, hitting key communities such as Melbourne along the way.
Published by The Tallahassee Democrat, September 17, 2009 (www.tallahassee.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
LAKELAND | As Florida competes for a slice of $8 billion from the federal government for high-speed rail, groups in Polk County are lining up for a shot at getting the one station that would be built here.
More than 200 people filed into the Sikes Conference Center in The Lakeland Center on Wednesday during the first hour of a three-hour informational session on the Tampa-to-Orlando phase of the high-speed rail.
Published by The Ledger, September 16, 2009 (www.theledger.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
COLUMBUS - As the deadline to apply for a piece of $8 billion in stimulus funding for passenger rail service approaches, Ohio officials have cleared a major hurdle with the delivery of a ridership study that projects annual demand for rail service at nearly half a million Ohioans.
Amtrak on Tuesday sent copies of a draft report to the Ohio Department of Transportation and its Ohio Rail Development Commission. ODOT said the report will be part of an application for up to $400 million in stimulus funding that will be submitted before an Oct. 2 deadline. Ohio is looking to build a “3C” passenger rail system that would run from Cincinnati to Cleveland through Dayton and Columbus, with a “quick start” plan aiming for service as early as 2011. That rail system would be tied into the Chicago Hub Network, which connects with Toledo, Louisville, Ky., and Indianapolis and would serve as a gateway to the western U.S.
Published by The South Florida Business Journal, September 15, 2009 (southflorida.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
CHICAGO | The Obama administration's top railroad official says Americans shouldn't expect to see networks of souped-up, bullet-fast trains after the $8 billion set aside in the federal stimulus bill for high-speed rail is finally spent.
But Federal Railroad Administration head Joseph Szabo said in prepared remarks for an industry conference Friday in Chicago that the White House is committed to upgrading train service, adding that the stimulus cash is just a down payment on what he dubbed "a rail renaissance."
Published by The Ledger, September 11, 2009 (www.theledger.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
ATLANTA - A proposed magnetically levitated rail line northwest from Atlanta has just won a $14.2-million study grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.).
Local advocates of the line, which could run from Atlanta to Chattanooga and possibly beyond, were disappointed this spring when the project was not included in the Obama administration’s map of proposed high-speed rail routes. But Georgia and Tennessee officials say the study will bring new steam to efforts to eventually include it in a national network as well as get the big bucks for construction.
Published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 11, 2009 (www.ajc.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
ST. PETERSBURG - There is a huge disconnect in Tampa between the excitement over light rail and the leadership needed to bring it about. In the last two years, the state created a regional transportation agency and that board has crafted a rail plan. Hillsborough County looks poised to schedule a referendum for next year on a penny sales tax to build the line. Yet political, business and civic leaders are not stepping up. They need to help frame this debate as one about jobs, incomes and quality of life.
Hillsborough commissioners are expected to vote this fall on whether to put a penny sales tax for transit on the November 2010 general election ballot. Approval looks likely, thanks to a growing realization that state and local governments cannot afford to continue condemning private property and building roads as the sole solution to reduce traffic. If voters approve the tax, it would raise billions of dollars in the coming decades for rail, expanded bus service and road improvements.
Published by the St. Petersburg Times, September 13, 2009 (www.tampabay.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO - Wall Street banks, and Wall Street investors, have already spirited away $700 billion worth of taxpayer bailout money. But it's not enough. They want more and more of your money - and they're willing to leave you literally stranded, without a bus or rapid transit car in sight.
If it sounds like a nightmare, that's because it is. And without congressional action, local transit agencies like BART, S.F. Muni and Caltrain could be bankrupted by obscure financial agreements they entered into long ago with these banks and investors.
Published by San Francisco Chronicle, September 6, 2009 (www.sfgate.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
DALLAS - Almost two-thirds of a new shopping strip that opened last year in Dallas' Deep Ellum district is still vacant. But leasing agents aren't sweating the project's performance. Starting next week, hundreds of commuters a day will be streaming through the new DART light-rail station right next door.
"This is what we have been waiting for," said Heather Winn of United Commercial Realty, which leases the ground-floor retail space in the Ambrose apartments on Malcolm X Boulevard at Indiana Boulevard. "We already have two retail tenants, and they are ready for the rail line to open, too."
Published by The Dallas Morning News, September 11, 2009 (www.dallasnews.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
COLUMBUS — State transportation officials agreed Thursday to support a private company's bid to make passenger trains that would run on President Barack Obama's proposed high-speed rail network.
U.S. Railcar LLC, which in June bought the assets of a shuttered Colorado railcar company, intends to build a $14 million factory in suburban Columbus that would make diesel-fueled passenger cars and employ about 160 people.
Published by Atlanta Business News, September 10, 2009 (www.ajc.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
SACRAMENTO - To accommodate more bicycles on board Capitol Corridor trains, the state Department of Transportation and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority have retrofitted all 14 of the Capitol Corridor’s 1995-era cab cars, increasing bicycle storage by 34 percent.
The Capitol Corridor route, between the Sierra foothills and Silicon Valley/San Jose, is the third busiest Amtrak-operated line in the country. More than 150,000 cyclists use the service each year, and that number continues to grow, according to the authority.
Published by South Florida Business Journal, September 10, 2009 (southflorida.bizjournals.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
CHICAGO - Smack among the vast green and gold farm fields of southern Illinois, a steel graveyard filled with unwanted, broken-down locomotives symbolizes the weak state of the train-manufacturing industry in the United States.
A fertile opportunity lies ahead, however, for entrepreneurs who figure out how to safely, comfortably and economically transport passengers at higher speeds than today's Amtrak service over most of the nation.
Published by the Chicago Tribune, September 6, 2009 (www.chicagotribune.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
ORLANDO - Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and a handful of civic leaders squired SunRail opponent Paula Dockery of Lakeland along the proposed path of the would-be commuter train Tuesday.
They called the two-hour-plus session "positive," but conceded there were no breakthroughs with Dockery, a Republican state senator who has helped scuttle SunRail twice during the past two legislative sessions.
"Today wasn't about pressing the deal," Dyer said. "It was about, ‘Look at what this means to people here.'"
Published by the Orlando Sentinel, September 8, 2009 (www.orlandosentinel.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
TRAINS magazine, October 2009
By Wes Vernon
Decades of planning pay off for D.C.’s extension to Dulles International Airport
Europe and Asia have had rails connecting cities for some time; the U.S. is still working on it. The latest U.S. example: Washington Metrorail’s extension to Dulles International Airport, which broke ground this summer.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s effort to build the 23-mile Silver Line to the busiest airport serving the nation’s capital is a case study in the old habits of the fly-drive culture dying hard. All the traditional elements are there: entrenched driving habits, NIMBY (not in my backyard) mentality, legal maneuvers, turf battles, second-guessing, special interest pleading, and political intrigue.
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
TAVARES - How many people would ride the Orange Blossom Express from Eustis to Orlando?
How much would it cost to replace some of the track?
These are just a couple of the questions transportation officials say studies will answer.
Published by The Daily Commercial, September 1, 2009 (www.dailycommercial.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
TACOMA - Washington state is applying for $1 billion in federal stimulus money to pay for high-speed rail projects.
The state Department of Transportation applied earlier this week for $435 million to pay for 20 rail projects along the "high-speed" corridor between Eugene, Ore. and Vancouver, B.C. State officials say the projects will add additional daily Amtrak passenger trains between Seattle and Portland, as well as reduce rail congestion and improve on-time reliability.
Published by The Seattle Times, August 29, 2009 (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
|
|
|
|
VERO BEACH — The historic railroad station north of 23rd Street could be back in service for customers under proposed passenger rail service in the region.
Other possible station locations being considered for Vero Beach include the area of downtown near Pocahontas Park and at the old Diesel Power Plant south of eastbound State Road 60.
Published by TC Palm, September, 2009 (www.tcpalm.com)
Read the Full Story Here.
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
