Hotline #730 - October 28,2011

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) have reached an agreement on a $75 million transit grant to upgrade the 50-mile Fitchburg commuter rail line, a project that will enhance travel in the region and create 260 jobs.

The Federal Transit Authority (FTA) approved the project, which will increase the top-speed on the line by 20 mph, increase safety, and improve on-time performance for the 17 communities and 18 stations served by the line.

“Making these long overdue improvements to the Fitchburg rail line will attract more people to try transit while enabling thousands of daily commuters to get home in time for dinner with their families and help their kids with homework,” Administrator Rogoff said. “The President’s American Jobs Act includes funds to make much-needed repairs like these to rail and bus transit systems around the country, and create jobs we need now.”

According to MBTA officials, the Fitchburg line is “the oldest, longest and slowest running rail branch within the MBTA system,” with a top speed of 60 mph—although it is much slower on many sections in reality. The $159 million project—the $75 million is the federal share, with the rest coming from local sources—will allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 79 miles per hour, raise platforms height for improved accessibility, replace outdated grade crossing warning systems, and enhance the connectivity between suburban Fitchburg and the MBTA’s Red Line at Porter Square (just outside Boston). This will grant Fitchburg residents better access to the Boston job market, generating economic activity in the region.

“Congress needs to pass the transportation portion of the American Jobs Act as quickly as possible so we can continue to invest in critically needed projects like this one,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, using the opportunity to advocate for the infrastructure component of President Barack Obama’s jobs plan. “Repairing and rebuilding our nation’s rails, roads, ports and airports will put tens of thousands of people to work today building the infrastructure we need to keep our economy moving forward in the future.”


The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this week that driving on U.S. roads has fallen to the lowest levels since 2003.

Through the first eight months of 2011, Americans drove 26 billion vehicle miles less than over the same period last year, a decline of 1.6 percent.

The DOT reports that the largest drop came in rural interstate travel, with a drop of 2.7 percent. Urban interstate travel, meanwhile, decline by just half a percentage point.

There are a number of likely sources, with the likeliest cause being increasing fuel prices. But a poor economy and increased awareness of alternatives—during this same stretch Amtrak has set all-time ridership records—could also be playing a part.


Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a $250,000 feasibility study to extend the No. 7 subway train under the Hudson River to New Jersey this week, with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) indicating through a spokesman that he is “intrigued” by the idea.

The No. 7 extension west to the Javits Convention Center (it currently terminates at Times Square) is currently under construction and, as Bloomberg pointed out, on-schedule and on-budget. The Mayor has indicated that a further extension to New Jersey, at an estimated cost of $10 billion, is economically justified.

“I’ve always argued that if you’re going to depend on cars to come into the city we’re always going to have delays,” Mayor Bloomberg said this week. “This is something where the economics seem to make some sense.”

Governor Christie seems to share Bloomberg’s vision. Though both parties were clear that the talks are in the early stages, Christie’s support would be a boost for an extension. The New Jersey Governor was the principal actor in killing the Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) trans-Hudson rail tunnels, citing the potential for cost overruns and the lack of an intercity rail component. His support will be vital in moving the project forward.

“We have been intrigued all along by this as a potential alternative to the ARC tunnel project, which was an albatross for New Jersey and its taxpayers with its billions in cost overruns to be absorbed entirely by New Jersey,” said Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak.

NARP supported the ARC project in its original design, which included a link to Amtrak’s intercity network. When a latter revision to the tunnels design eliminated this link, NARP—along with the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers (NJ-ARP)—worked hard to restore the intercity component. An intercity connection would have provided redundancy to Amtrak’s existing, 100-year old tunnels, and afforded much needed capacity expansion for future Northeast Corridor operations.

It is not yet clear how the tunnels would interface with Amtrak’s Gateway project, a Hudson River intercity rail tunnel that was initiated by Amtrak shortly after the ARC project was killed. In the near term, the prospect for obtaining federal funding for either of the projects is highly uncertain.

NJ-ARP has gone on record supporting both Gateway and the No. 7 extension.

Image: DesertXpress concept graphic

The Federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) gave the green-light to the DesertXpress this week, clearing the way for the mostly privately-financed Southern California to Las Vegas high-speed rail project.

The STB is tasked with determining if a transportation project will “significantly affect either the quality of the human environment or the conservation of energy resources.” The Board found that not only would there be no adverse affect, but that the 190-mile high-speed rail corridor would “reduce air pollution, fuel consumption and congestion along the busy I-15 corridor.”

The approval is conditioned on the implementation of 146 environmental mitigation measures, recommended by the Federal Railroad Administration and the STB.

Although the train’s private developers have cleared this hurdle, they are still waiting on the status of a $4.9 billion federal grant application. With $100 million being the likely ceiling for the High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Program in the current year appropriations process, it is unlikely that the project will receive that kind of federal assistance anytime soon. It is uncertain at this point what kind of private-sector assistance would be forthcoming in that event.

However, the project is forecast to create around 50,000 jobs in San Bernardino County, California and 32,000 jobs in Clark County, Nevada. That kind of economic growth is sure to grab the attention of a few members of Congress.


It would cost $106 million in railway improvements and $28 million in capital purchases to link East Peoria to Normal, Illinois, according to findings from an Amtrak feasibility study that was leaked to the press this week.

The link to Normal would connect East Peoria to the Chicago-St. Louis rail corridor, which is in the process of being upgraded to allow shorter trip times, more frequencies and greater reliability. The link would use existing tracks owned by Norfolk Southern Railway. Leaders in East Peoria and Peoria view the connection as vital to the town’s economic well-being, and were not deterred by the price tag, saying the project would reap net benefits in the long run.

“This isn’t something that we’re going to find funding for in a year. It’s going to take time, but it’s definitely something we definitely cannot afford to take lightly,” Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis told the Journal Star, who broke the story. “Peoria missed the boat many years ago when they let Interstate 55 take its current route, and if people want to just sit back and let an opportunity for us to connect with high speed rail go by, I think it would be just as big, if not a bigger, mistake.”

The service would come with a $2.6 million annual operating cost, $2.2 million of which would have to be initially covered by the public.

Amtrak and Illinois Department of Transportation Officials declined to comment on the report, which hasn’t been made available to the public yet.

“I hope people understand at some point 10 or 20 years down the road, petroleum-based products are not going to be getting any cheaper,” said Ardis. “[P]assenger rail is going to be very critical to travel around our country.”


Caltrans announced October 21 that California’s intercity passenger rail program will be the first in the U.S. to begin a conversion of its fleet of locomotives to exceed the emission-control standards currently required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements.

“These new environmentally-sensitive locomotives will not only protect California’s natural beauty, but will also encourage more Californians to consider passenger rail as a reliable, clean transportation alternative,” said Acting Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.

Four grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) totaling almost $190 million will enable Caltrans to modernize existing F40PH locomotives for the San Joaquin and Capitol Corridor routes. The upgrades include new emission-control equipment and an automatic start/stop system for the engine, reducing fuel and oil consumption by eliminating unnecessary idling. Caltrans estimates that these improvements will reduce smog-forming emissions by 43 percent, hydrocarbon emissions by 84 percent, and toxic diesel particulate emissions by 78 percent.

The agency will also use the ARRA funds to order new equipment, scheduled for delivery by 2015.


Travelers Advisory:

Amtrak is giving passengers an even better reason to hop on board in California, offering a “buy one get, one free” deal on Amtrak California trains.

If you purchase one regular adult fare before January 31, 2012 (for travel before that date), Amtrak will give you one free companion fare for the Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin, and Pacific Surfliner routes.

Restrictions, blackout dates and details apply. Read more about the deal on InsideAmtrak.


Correction: Hotline #729 incorrectly stated that Karen Rae would be serving as Deputy Secretary of Transportation at the New York State Department of Transportation. In fact, Rae will be serving as the Deputy Secretary for Transportation to the Governor.