Hotline # 748 - March 2, 2012
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is looking to expedite
movement on a two-year, $109 billion transportation bill today, hoping
to clear the Senate version of the bill in an effort to push the House
into adopting a similarly structured proposal.
The bill essentially extends current law for another two years,
pushing a longer reauthorization into the next Congress when (hopefully)
political strife will have eased following the presidential election.
Republicans have been cautiously supportive of the bill’s broad
strokes, but have objected to some of the proposals for paying for its
investments. Additionally, some are looking to use the bill as a
vehicle for non-transportation themed amendments; a controversial
amendment that addressed birth control was already defeated.
“All the nongermane, nonrelevant amendments, let them do it on a
piece of legislation… that is not so vital to the economy of this
country,” Reid told reporters. “I certainly hope that we can get seven
Republicans to join with us.”
NARP is endorsing three proposed amendments to the Senate bill:
Bennet-Warner #1705 Encouraging Development Near Transit This would provide local governments and others federal credit instruments – similar to TIFIA loans that would be paid back – for public infrastructure near transit stations, to help encourage private sector development. It will prioritize applicants that do scenario planning.Carper-Lieberman #1665 Protecting Air Quality This reinserts the requirement that states need to include congestion mitigation and air quality performance targets in state transportation planning.Cardin-Cochran #1549 Local Access and Control This provides local communities and metropolitan regions with access to the “Additional Activities” pot of funding through a competitive grant program — funding that they can use for main street revitalizations, boulevard conversions, new bike facilities or safety improvements to make streets safer for everyone. Large metro areas will receive some funds directly.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has reached an agreement with Amtrak on the outline of a feasibility study for new passenger train service to connect the Bossier City-Shreveport area in Northwest Louisiana to Dallas and Fort Worth.
Members of the East Texas Corridor Council (ETCC) joined with TxDOT
and Amtrak officials yesterday to kick off a study of new service that
would run along the Interstate 20 (I-20) corridor. Two trains a day in
each direction would run at conventional speeds, topping out at 79 mph.
“The council has been working on this project for more than four
years. It has been a ‘bottoms up’ process, with the Corridor Council
taking the lead in working with Senator [Kay Bailey] Hutchison’s office
in obtaining two grants totaling almost $750,000 for the purpose of
conducting planning and engineering work on the Interstate 20 corridor
passenger rail enhancement. We very much appreciate the Senator’s
efforts on our behalf,” said Richard Anderson, ETCC Chairman and former
Texas State Senator.
The study, to be undertaken by Amtrak, will determine capital
requirements and operating costs for the proposed twice daily roundtrip
service. The study will look at the number of stops, potential
schedules, projected ridership and revenue, equipment requirements, and
the infrastructure upgrades that would be necessary. TxDOT has
requested the study look at new stations at Centre Port/DFW Airport (the
train would use the Trinity Railway Express commuter line), Mesquite,
Forney, Terrell and Wills Point. Union Pacific, which owns much of the
route, will perform capacity modeling for the route; in addition to
freight trains, the Dallas to Marshall, Texas portion of the route
already hosts the Texas Eagle.
“As always, TxDOT is pleased to partner with Amtrak to advance a
much-needed study on the much-needed study on the feasibility of
passenger rail service between Shreveport/Bossier City and the
Metroplex,” said Bill Glavin, TxDOT Rail Division director. “Passenger
and freight rail services are important components of the state’s
multi-modal transportation system and a major player in expanding
economic opportunity in Texas. These funds will advance the initiative
to strategically plan and coordinate rail corridors across the state.”
Amtrak has promised to produce a final document by the end of 2012.
Since the service would be state-supported, the state-legislatures in
Texas and Louisiana will have to review the materials and approve
funding; while the annual operating cost would be borne by the states,
the project would be eligible for whatever High Speed and Intercity
Passenger Rail Program grants Congress makes available. Click here for KLTV coverage.
It appears that the start of construction on California’s high speed
rail line may have been pushed back a year to 2013 to accommodate the
concerns vocalized by residents along the line, according to reports
coming out of Sacramento.
Californian transportation reporter Robert Cruikshank had this to say about the announcement at the California High Speed Rail Blog:
The CHSRA didn’t have to propose any changes at all. They could have plowed right ahead. But in an effort to be responsive to community concerns, they are taking the time to revise the EIR and propose the West Hanford bypass option.…The delay is unfortunate, especially for getting thousands of badly-needed jobs to the Central Valley. But neither is it a serious problem. The federal government has given its blessing to the delay, and it is not expected to affect the completion of work by the end of 2017.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (CTSB) released the initial findings yesterday of its investigation of a VIA Rail derailment that killed three employees and injured dozens of passengers, revealing that the train was traveling more than four times the speed authorized for going through a switchthat track segment.
CTSB revealed that black box data shows the Toronto-bound train,
which derailed outside of Burlington last Sunday while switching tracks,
was traveling over 67 mph when it crashed—the train should not have
been going faster than 15 mph as it approached the switch. CNTB
indicates that the breaks and signals appear to be in good working
order, but the black box data indicates the breaks weren’t applied.
“I wasn’t surprised it was going faster than it was supposed to be,
but I’m surprised it was going that fast,” passenger Faisal Abid told the National Post. “It’s kind of upsetting.”
Forty-five of the 71 passengers on board were taken for medical
treatment, although 40 had been released from the hospital as of
yesterday. Crewmembers Ken Simmonds, Peter Snarr and Patrick Robinson
were killed.
The safety board’s revelations have produced anger and shock from the
victims and their families, eliciting a call for safety reform from
politicians and transportation officials. Many analysts say Positive
Train Control would have prevented the accident; the U.S. began a
program to implement the technology following the deadly commuter rail
crash in Chatsworth, California in 2007. The CNTB has also indicated
that locomotive cab voice recorders would have provided valuable insight
into the reasons behind the accident.
“Voice recordings allow investigators to understand the environment
in which crews operated and the decisions they made leading up to an
accident,” Transportation Safety Boar chair Wendy Tadros said. “The lack
of this information in rail investigations deprives the TSB of a key
tool it needs to help make Canadians safer.”
The California Transportation Commission announced it is awarding $3.7 million to Metrolink to make safety upgrades to one its busiest crossings in Glendale, California.
The California Transportation Commission announced it is awarding $3.7 million to Metrolink to make safety upgrades to one its busiest crossings in Glendale, California.
The money will go towards safety enhancements at the Broadway/Brazil
crossing. The crossing will feature additional warning devices and
barriers for driver and pedestrians, and include features that make more
it difficult for drivers or pedestrians to go around lowered crossing
gate arms. The rail and traffic signals will also be synched, to ensure
the two systems work together in directing pedestrian and vehicular
traffic.
“Approximately a hundred trains and thousands of cars travel through
this intersection every day. This funding will be used to enhance safety
at one of the region’s busiest crossings,” said Glendale City
Councilman and Metrolink Board Member Ara Najarian. “Working with cities
such as Glendale and Los Angeles, this is part of Metrolink’s
initiative to upgrade rail crossings across its system to create a
sealed corridor of safety.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced $16.9 million in grants to relocate, replace, and improve sections of railroad track in 12 states and cites across the country. The grants are part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Financing program.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced $16.9 million in grants to relocate, replace, and improve sections of railroad track in 12 states and cites across the country. The grants are part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Financing program.
“The overwhelming number of applications we received for this program
shows that state and local officials recognize the economic boost that
comes with improving transportation infrastructure,” Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood. “These investments will help advance President
Obama’s vision of an ‘America Built to Last’ by putting people back to
work on transportation projects while creating livable communities and
stimulating economic growth.”
The program is designed to mitigate the adverse effects of rail
infrastructure on safety, motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic, quality
of life, and economic development in the communities which tracks run
through. The FRA received over $67 million in applications for the
$16.9 million available.
The grants are targeted at freight owned infrastructure, but will benefit some passenger service by easing congestion on the national rail network. A full list of projects is available on the FRA’s website.
The grants are targeted at freight owned infrastructure, but will benefit some passenger service by easing congestion on the national rail network. A full list of projects is available on the FRA’s website.
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