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Dec 04, 2009: Hotline #632Hotline #632 Vote for NARP in Chase Community Giving. Chase Bank has started a Facebook application that allows Facebook users to vote for their favorite charities. Each person gets 20 votes. The top vote getting organizations will receive a share of $5 million. NARP is eligible. If you are on Facebook, click here to join Chase Community Giving and vote for NARP. “We cannot hang back and hope for the best when we’ve seen the kinds of job losses that we’ve seen over the last year,” said the President in a speech delivered to labor leaders, business executives, economists, and manufacturers at a White House sponsored jobs-forum on December 3. He told USA Today that another major stimulus bill was not possible, but said he intended to pursue his national infrastructure bank idea. While lawmakers are cautious about more government spending, with the 2010 mid-term elections looming and the ballooning national debt on many voters’ minds, high unemployment rates have created bipartisan agreement that increased spending on infrastructure is an economic necessity. In a news conference held the day before the President’s jobs forum, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar called for a minimum of $69 billion in new federal spending on highway and transit projects. With Congress deadlocked on health care and climate change legislation, the current surface transportation funding law expired before a reauthorization could be completed. Oberstar is hoping the need for a second stimulus will act as a short term fix while he attempts to push a full, six-year reauthorization through both the House and the Senate in 2010. The rough economy and decades of underinvestment in the national infrastructure had the private sector clamoring for Congress to agree on a bill and get money out the door. “We have an infrastructure crisis looming in this country,” Norfolk Southern’s Chairman and CEO, Charles Moorman, told Bloomberg News. “What better way to fix it than to plow money out there for worthwhile projects?” Moorman was one of several corporate executives at Obama’s jobs forum. The push to create new jobs has seen the train industry emerge as a key target for development, with the Administration announcing an agreement with 32 companies, who have pledged to establish or expand rail-manufacturing operations and workforces within the U.S. in return for the awarding of high speed rail stimulus contracts. “Our goal is to develop a national high-speed rail network, create good jobs here in America and help reinvigorate our manufacturing base,” said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement about the agreement. “We know these are tough economic times for many folks and we believe that U.S. rail manufacturers and suppliers will benefit greatly from this new program.” The companies include industry leaders General Electric, Bombardier, and Siemens. The FRA’s release on today’s conference on domestic high-speed rail manufacturing is available online. While some are attacking the 61 mile, $1.2 billion commuter line as too expensive—most notably State Sen. Paula Dockery, a Republican representing an area in central Florida—locals suffering from effects of congestion see the investment as well worth it. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has been one of the most vocal supporters. “I’m… concerned with making sure that we have 21 votes in the Florida Senate. I do think we have them, but there are still some labor issues ongoing. Things move and change every day, so we want to make sure we have 21 on the day that we vote in the Florida Senate,” Dyer told MSNBC. The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) is paid millions of dollars by state entities to provide consulting services, and claims to provide rigorous and objective analysis. However, an analysis by the St. Petersburg Times shows that since noted train-critic Jeb Bush became governor in 1999 the think tank’s public statements were three times more likely to be negative about rail than positive—even going so far as to reverse their previous stance touting the benefits of intrastate high speed rail. The Times noted Governor Bush had a great deal of influence over the budgets of the University of South Florida and the Florida Department of Transportation, both of which give the think-tank millions of dollars. CUTR has received more than $6 million from the DOT since 2006 to study and advise on bus rapid transit, and $26 million since 2003 to study and advise on roads and automobile related issues…but has not received any money to spend on rail. Many lawmakers and elected officials argue that the anti-rail stances are not a coincidence, but rather a direct result of this funding pattern. “I’ve been very disappointed in the role CUTR has chosen to play,” Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio told the Times. I do believe academic think tanks can play a very important role in shaping public policy. But CUTR is such a waste of resource. It’s one of the reasons why we haven’t moved forward with rail. It’s really a shame.” U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood made the announcement at a streetcar facility in New Orleans during a tour of the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. The restoration of the iconic Canal Street line with cherry-red streetcars was a key step in the city’s revival. “This represents a significant effort to promote livable communities, improve the quality of life for more Americans and create more transportation choices that serve the needs of individual communities,” said LaHood. “Fostering the concept of livability in transportation projects will stimulate America’s neighborhoods to become safer, healthier and more vibrant.” The Obama Administration has been vocal about using public transit to create more livable communities, and LaHood was joined in applauding the program by Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff, who will oversee the distribution of money “Not only will these urban circulator and bus projects provide Americans with new neighborhood-friendly transit systems, they will give us a cleaner environment and create much-needed jobs,” Administrator Rogoff said. There will be a $130 million pot of money that will be funneled through the New Starts/Small Starts program, and will be eligible for streetcars and other urban circulators (the other $150 million will go towards bus and bus facility programs). While the grants will not require new spending, a maximum of $25 million can be spent per project, so local money will be required in most cases. CAHSRA’s board decertified an environmental study years in the making to comply with a court decision. The authority’s board directed their staff to gather more information to address concerns cited in a lawsuit—specifically, looking at additional options for how high speed trains might go from Gilroy to San Jose if the state cannot reach a deal with Union Pacific Railroad that would allow them to run trains on UP’s right-of-way. Some Californians have argued that a route running through the Altamont Pass would be superior, since much of that area is currently developed. Additionally, some residents along the currently proposed route are concerned about how the noise and sights of high speed trains will affect their property. “It’s going to be interesting now. They really don’t have a right of way between San Jose and Gilroy,” said Richard Tolmach, president of the nonprofit California Rail Foundation. While many train and environmental advocates who have worked hard to bring high speed rail fear the project getting bogged down, CAHSRA has made an effort to assuage fears, and stated that construction will not be delayed “By no means are we starting from scratch on this,” said Jeff Barker, CAHSRA’s deputy director. “Pacheco Pass is our preferred route.” California must be on track to begin construction by September of 2012 to be eligible for federal high speed rail stimulus money. The stimulus grants will be awarded later this winter. In the wake of a 28-car derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train, crews quickly cleared the tracks. NS said the only car containing hazardous material in the 121-car train stayed upright and intact. An Amtrak spokesman confirmed that the company provided bus service to the passengers of canceled trains, and was able to cover all planned stops. The Amtrak model train is 1:22.5 in scale, includes two GE Genesis P42 diesel locomotives, four single-level Amfleet passenger cars, and will even have a café car. The model represents Amtrak Northeast Regional service south of Washington, D.C. as well as Midwest Corridor service, where trains operate using this configuration. Several model trains will circle the 42-foot spruce, which stands just south of the White House. Dec 11, 2009: Hotline #633Hotline #633 The Amtrak Board yesterday directed management to begin negotiations with Union Pacific aimed at creating a daily Chicago-San Antonio-Los Angeles full-service train, and a daily, connecting New Orleans-Houston-San Antonio coach-and-lounge train. The deal hinged on the successful resolution of three obstacles. The first was winning the support of southern Florida Democrats by directing $15 million a year in state funds to help the Miami/Fort Lauderdale TriRail commuter rail system overcome budgetary shortfalls. Lawmakers also had to appease labor unions who were worried 184 union members would lose federal pensions and job protections if the deal went through. Finally, supporters of the proposed SunRail commuter rail line had to hash out a deal with CSX to provide the railroad a measure of liability protection, which CSX had set as a precondition before they would sell the tracks to the state. The Senate was able to overcome these impediments in large part due to the work of Senator Jeremy Ring (D-Margate), who worked tirelessly to keep all sides at the table. “This will transform the future of Florida,” Ring told the Miami Herald. “Today, the Florida Senate took the bold step of planning for a 21st century transportation system.” Florida will now turn its attention to the U.S. Department of Transportation, hoping that this display of local confidence in the integral role rail will play in the state’s transportation future helps secure some of the $8 billion in Recovery Act funds for high speed rail projects. There are also high hopes that SunRail will, in addition to easing congestion headaches, stimulate real estate development through smart growth—the Orlando Sentinel has published a list of the communities that stand to benefit. Governor Charlie Crist (R) publicly stated his intention to sign the bill into law, telling reporters the deal “really thrusts Florida into the future.” The bill passed the House 221 to 202 almost entirely along party lines. The bill is expected to pass the Senate, but due to a different set of procedural rules faces stiffer resistance. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) immediately offered an amendment to strip any spending provisions not explicitly included in the original versions passed by the House and Senate; the amendment was voted down in a 60 to 36 vote. As this is written, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) has indicated that a vote to limit debate (which will require 60 votes for passage) will happen Saturday morning, and the actual vote to pass the omnibus will come Sunday. The transportation portion remains one of the less controversial sections of the spending bill, with legislators from both sides of the aisle looking to get construction funding flowing into their regions. The rail funding section will be viewed as a mixed bag by passenger train advocates. High speed rail received $2.5 billion, which is more than the $1.5 billion provided in the Senate’s original version and the $1 billion requested by the President, but less than the $4 billion provided by the House. Amtrak received $1.57 billion for its operating and capital budget, which is about $75 million more than the company received from the government last year, but $254 million less than the it requested (before taking into consideration a $144 million set-aside for ADA work). Importantly, the provision requiring Amtrak to begin accepting firearms as checked baggage survived, with the deadline for service pushed to one year after enactment. The directive also states that within 180 days of enactment Amtrak—in consultation with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)—must submit a report to Congress that contains “a comprehensive, system-wide, security evaluation; and proposed guidance and procedures necessary to implement a new checked firearms program,” and that within one year of enactment Amtrak and TSA “shall develop and implement guidance and procedures to carry out the duties and responsibilities of firearm storage and carriage in checked baggage cars and at Amtrak station that accept checked baggage.” Unless Congress follows through in their response to the report created by Amtrak and TSA and provides the additional funding necessary to enact the program responsibly Amtrak’s operating budget will be squeezed but yet another “unfunded mandate,” with unfortunate consequences. OneRail wrote the letters in an effort to affect legislation which has been proposed in the face of persistently grim unemployment figures. President Obama has identified government investment in infrastructure as a mechanism to stimulate job growth. The coalition of rail groups argues that trains are an essential piece of economic recovery. “U.S. Department of Commerce data indicates that rail infrastructure investment generates a 3:1 return in total economic output.” the letter states. “Thus, $1 billion in additional rail capacity investment would result in $3 billion in overall economic stimulus, including the creation of 20,000 new jobs.” The President has previously identified rail as a sector the administration was looking at during a jobs forum held by the White House last week, with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announcing an agreement between the government and 32 companies, who have pledged to establish or expand rail-manufacturing operations and workforces within the U.S. in return for the awarding of high speed rail stimulus contracts (see Hotline #632). Specific proposals put forth by OneRail include putting more money into multimodal programs created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, additional investment in Amtrak capital projects, providing tax credits for private sector rail capacity investments, extending the short line railroad track maintenance credit, and ensuring that any money that is transferred from treasury funds (as opposed to funds from the gasoline tax) are eligible for states to use for rail projects. Amtrak carried 685,876 passengers during the holiday week, including 127,577 on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving alone. That is a 4% increase over last year’s numbers, and smashed the previous record of 666,716 riders, which was set in 2007. “More and more people are choosing Amtrak for their traveling needs and the record number for Thanksgiving shows what this railroad is capable of achieving,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman. The Thanksgiving holiday travel week (November 24-30) saw increases compared to 2008’s numbers over the entire system, including a 5.5 percent increase in ridership on the Northeast Corridor, a 2.9 percent increase on state-supported trains and short distance corridors, and a 4.7 percent increase on long-distance trains. Just as importantly, perhaps, Amtrak showed a significant improvement in on-time performance, even reaching the 100% mark in the state of Missouri. This advancement is particularly encouraging, considering in past years passengers traveling in Missouri suffered with on-time performance ranging between 55% and 79%. “This represents a dramatic improvement to Amtrak service in our state,” Pete Rahn, Director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, told reporters. “We have made a commitment to make Amtrak a more reliable transportation option allowing Missourians to arrive at their destinations on time.” The improvement reflects the advancement in railroad dispatching of Amtrak trains since passage of the passenger reauthorization in October, 2008, particularly on Union Pacific. The law had significant on-time performance provisions. In addition, an $8.1 million, 9,000-foot siding just west of California, MO has helped unclog what had become a serious bottleneck for passenger and freight trains. The new siding was constructed in a partnership between MoDOT, Amtrak, and Union Pacific. “Amtrak and MoDOT have been partners since 1979 and our passengers over that time have endured delays caused in many cases caused by too little infrastructure for too many trains…” said Steve Strachan, Amtrak Chief Transportation Officer. “We are supporting Missouri’s pending application for additional funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to relieve other bottlenecks on this route and look forward to working together to improve passenger train operations while accommodating growth in freight traffic.” The Cascades fleet refurbishment will begin with a complete overhaul of the bistro and lounge cars, and the Washington State Department of Transportation has released a first look of a bistro car concept drawing. Renovations are scheduled to begin in March 2010, after the conclusion of the Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver, Canada. Amtrak will be running an extra train to accommodate the expected Winter Games attendees. The line will run for over 315 miles, reach a top speed of about 220 mph, and is projected to cost around $19.4 billion. State news agencies reported that Brazilian authorities will be looking for more than the lowest cost when selecting a bid. Just as important is how willing the high speed rail firm is to allow the transfer of technology. The government has set a deadline of 2015 for the completion of the line’s construction. The Bank would look to expand on a $2 billion commitment with the state-owned Indian Railways, allowing the company to expand outside of India’s border to lease equipment, upgrade infrastructure, and share management expertise with African nations. “It fulfils what I was hoping to achieve when I first came to the bank, which is to draw in some of the emerging economic development [countries] into the development process whether by sharing information, sharing business models and expanding investment,” Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, told the Financial Times. Indian Railways has already made limited moves to expand into the African market, supplying locomotives to Mozambique, Tanzania, Mali and Senegal; supplying coaches to Angola; and performing track reconstruction in Mozambique and Liberia. Indian Railways carries 20 million passengers a day on roughly 18,000 trains, employs 1.4 million people, and generates revenues of around $18 billion. IR also is severely challenged in operating its own railroad safely and efficiently. In a memo sent November 18, Capitol Corridor Executive Director Dorothy Dugger revealed Kutrosky would replace (former NARP Board Member) Eugene Skoropowski as director of the route, which runs daily from the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento. Dugger praised Kutrosky’s nearly 25 years in transportation—with 16 years of railroad related experience. Kutrosky is a NARP member, as well. Dec 18, 2009: Hotline #634Hotline #634 Congress is considering a major bill (H.R. 2847) that will include additional one-time investments aimed at creating more jobs. The House Democratic leadership’s measure, dubbed “Jobs for Main Street,” has $48 billion for transportation, including $8.4 billion for transit and $800 million for Amtrak. It also makes passenger and freight rail eligible for $27.5 billion in “Highway Infrastructure Investment” funds (a huge win for trains). The House passed the measure on Wednesday, Dec. 16; the Senate will likely take it up in January. These transportation investment levels are similar to the amounts provided earlier this year in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The current bill allow transit agencies to flex up to 10% of the funds they receive for capital improvements to go towards operations, a much needed boon for our nation’s cash-starved transit systems. Take action, and tell your Senator to support the robust funding for rail transportation contained in H.R. 2847. The cuts—set to begin in June but subject to further review—would reduce frequencies of both rail and buses during off-peak weekdays hours, weekends, and late nights, as well as wholly eliminate two subway lines, the W and Z. The MTA board passed the cuts by a 12-0 vote, with one member absent. MTA’s recently appointed chairman, Jay Walder, was extremely critical of the way the authority has been utilizing public funds, and promised an agency wide audit of spending. Passengers were granted at least one reprieve, when the MTA board decided against a fare increase in 2010 (a fare increase of 7.5% is already scheduled for 2011). That one bit of good news has mostly been lost in the furor surrounding the most controversial provision, which rescinds free and discounted rides to more than half a million New York City students. New York City does not have a traditional school bussing program, and a huge number of students rely heavily on the public transit system. “You sit here and bring anxieties to young children,” said City Councilman Charles Barron. “What do you want them to do? Jump the turnstiles and turn them into criminals?” The MTA board argued that it had little choice, with a series of financial blows landing one right on top of the other: a $143 million cut in funding made by the state legislature; funds from a payroll tax falling $100 million short of projections; and a recent court decision granting significant raises to transit workers, which will add tens of millions of dollars in operating costs. “[The Legislature] were the ones who put together a deal and said you are fine for the next two years; it was their deal that fell apart,” MTA board member Jeffrey Kay said in a heated speech. “The politics has to stop. The public and the riders have to go through this, and they’re caught in the middle of it.” The delegation wrote to Secretary LaHood (a former Republican Representative of Illinois’ 18th district) to make a case for high speed rail in the Land of Lincoln:
The full text of the letter can be seen on Senator Durbin’s website. The service—a joint endeavor by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Amtrak—took in more than $414,000 in passenger fares—87% higher than projected. Total ridership for the new train in October was 8,500, according to testimony by Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s rail transportation chief Kevin Page before the Commonwealth Transportation Board on December 16. While one month’s worth of ridership figures is not enough to declare the line a success, the fact that it took place in a commuting landscape that has been depressed by a lasting recession and high unemployment is an undeniable indication of the desire for quality travel options. The restored 1950s era Heritage Dining Cars will replace the modified Café Cars that have acted as a temporary solution on the Lake Shore Limited, and feature booth style seating, large picture windows and modern cooking equipment. They have also been refurbished to meet current safety and operating standards. “Putting diner cars back on the Lake Shore Limited has been a priority for Amtrak and is one of the ways we are improving this service for our passengers,” said Emmett Fremaux, Vice President of Marketing and Product Development for Amtrak. The train’s Boston-Chicago sleeping car was restored in March 2009. The revised business plan projects the final cost for constructing the high speed line from Los Angeles to San Francisco to be $42.6 billion, up from the original estimate of $33.6 billion; 80% of the increase is attributed to inflation. The higher price tag forced CAHSRA to raise estimates for ticket prices—the authority now believes a one-way ticket from L.A. to San Francisco will cost $105, up from the previous estimate of $68 to $104. These higher fare projections have in turn lowered projected ridership, from 51 million a year to 41 million, as fewer people will be able to afford to forego the hassles of air travel at that price level. The project took two and a half years to complete, and was a collaboration between North Carolina Railroad Co. (NCRR), Norfolk Southern Railway and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). NCRR provided $4 million towards the project, in addition the $23 million put forth by NCDOT. “Double-tracking this busy section of track will enable us to move more freight faster, offer more competitive service and help relieve highway congestion on this critical corridor,” said NS Chairman, President and CEO Wick Moorman in a prepared statement. The second main track had been removed in the 1970s. David R. Solow will step down as Chief Executive Officer of the transit agency, ending a ten year tenure. Solow joined the company in the early 1990s, rising up through a company that was enjoying the fastest rate of growth of any commuter rail service in the nation. His leadership has been thrown into question since 2008’s deadly Chatsworth crash—25 people died, and 135 were injured—with members of the board expressing doubt about his ability to restore public confidence in Metrolink’s safety, while simultaneously dealing with the lower tax and fare-box revenue that has been plaguing transit systems nationwide due to the recession. Solow will stay with the rail agency, taking over the introduction of a $200 million collision avoidance system, mandated in large part as a response to the Chatsworth Crash. Metrolink’s Chairman Keith Millhouse made the announcement in a prepared statement that he read during a December 11 board meeting, stressing Solow’s experience in the safety operations. Metrolink, which serves around one million passengers every month, is performing a search for a permanent replacement; Eric Haley, the former CEO of Riverside County’s transportation agency, will act as interim head. The provision of the FY2010 budget originally required Amtrak to look at taking firearms as checked luggage, providing the gun was in a locked case. A clerical error, however, morphed the language into requiring the passengers be locked up, and the President signed it before the mistake was discovered. These clerical errors are relatively rare, but not unheard of. It is easily correctable, but with a Congress that has ground to in attempts to health care and climate change legislation, it is unclear how quickly the error will be fixed. Dec 23, 2009: Hotline #635Hotline #635 A record-setting blizzard buried the East Coast over the weekend, grounding the nation’s air fleet and sending travelers flocking to passenger trains in an attempt to reach their destinations during the busy pre-Christmas weekend. Over 3,000 flights were canceled along the eastern seaboard, causing snarls in air traffic booking and stranding thousands of people at airports. With roads freezing and snowed under, highways provided little respite. “I strongly urge everyone to stay at home and off the roads,” Michael Cline, state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, told CNN. “There are hundreds of vehicles abandoned or stuck on roads. There is already one to two feet of snow on the roads, and snow is still falling.” Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor carried 82,500 passengers on Sat.-Sun., Dec. 19-20, an 8% increase over the comparable 2008 weekend, even though Amtrak this year canceled 28 trains over the two days. Several commuter railroads experienced delays, but all were reportedly minor. Unfortunately, a frozen switch in Alexandria caused severe delays for trains serving Virginia, and the Cardinal which left Chicago Friday evening was terminated in Huntington WV without alternate transportation. NARP urged Amtrak to honor fares paid by passengers who missed their scheduled train because of delays caused by severe conditions on local highway and transit systems. Amtrak subsequently issued a reminder to staff regarding their policy of accommodating passengers who have missed trains due to extraordinary circumstances. Additionally, Amtrak outperformed its more illustrious European counterpart, also affected by the snowstorm. Eurostar trains exiting the Chunnel—the rail tunnel that runs under the English Channel between London and Paris—short-circuited due to severe weather conditions on December 18, blocking rail traffic and leaving some passengers stranded inside the tunnel without food or water for 12 hours. The resulting backlog stranded more than 90,000 Eurostar passengers over the weekend, and brought down a public rebuke from French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who called the situation unacceptable. IPH announced it is filing a lawsuit against Amtrak, and is accusing the railroad of imposing unreasonable, last-minute requirements, derailing the return of the historic train. The Ski Train’s previous operator—Ansco Investment Co.—decided this summer to discontinue the seasonal train that carries skiers to and from the ski resort town of Winter Park, Colorado. “We are tremendously saddened that the ski train may not begin a new era of transporting passengers via the scenic mountain rails to Winter Park Resort,” Ed Ellis, president of IPH, told . “We were preparing for a celebratory season with much fanfare, and instead, we’re now left to share in the disappointment felt by thousands of passengers who may not be able to experience this tradition.” Ellis formerly led Amtrak’s express freight initiative. Amtrak has fired back, saying that significant provisions of the deal had yet to be agreed upon, and IPH’s marketing and selling of tickets for the train were premature:
IPH filed a suit in Federal District Court in Denver against Amtrak today, seeking a temporary restraining order and mandatory preliminary injunction that would force Amtrak to operate the Ski Train through the winter. UPDATE (12/24/2009): The Federal District Court in Denver ruled in Amtrak’s favor on December 23, meaning Amtrak will not be forced to operate the train for IPH. A low voltage reading in an area outside New York City forced Amtrak to cease trains around 8:30 A.M., for fear of triggering a larger power failure, leaving thousands of holiday travelers stranded. Service was restored three hours later, and while Amtrak spokesmen Cliff Cole reported that delays for trains operating between Boston and Washington have decreased, evidence of backups and stoppages could still be seen in stations hours later. The delays came at a particularly bad time, mere days after a severe blizzard threw the transportation systems all along the East Coast into disarray during the busy holiday weekend. Amtrak is currently investigating the cause of the malfunction. The downturn is being attributed to the recession by Massachusetts’ highway officials. The trend began, however, during the high gas prices of the summer of 2008, and it is unclear when—or if—a steady, year-to-year growth in vehicle miles traveled will return. The trend seen on the Mass. Pike is being mirrored nationwide, with the Federal Highway Administration reporting that vehicle miles driven are down about 100 billion miles from a similar period in 2007. Customers expecting wireless on their commute found that entering the Transbay Tube resulted in dropped calls, and texting and webpages became unavailable. Spokesmen for AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint Nextel, and Verizon announced that they expect to have the kinks worked out by the end of the week. There have been a vocal contingent of passengers who have been against bringing wireless and phone service to the route, however, dreading the noise that phone conversations will bring. “With any new technology, there are some drawbacks,” said BART spokesman Linton Johnson when asked by the San Francisco Chronicle about the complaints. “But people also want to be able to talk to their loved ones and say, ‘I’m on my way home.’ It isn’t just about them talking; now they can text or e-mail if they want.” Wireless and phone service is scheduled to be installed along the entire BART system by the end of 2011. |
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