Thursday, December 11, 2008
Find Out What You're Asking For
For San Francisco, here's the link. Definitely needed things including a new control room and midlife overhauls for buses and the Bredas. I wonder if they have pong on their current control room computers.
And the city that sees this as an opportunity to do big things, Salt Lake City. Asking $403 million for five different light rail projects.
Another quirky thing, Austin asks for $80 million to update the current commuter rail line ($220 in rail asks). Does this mean electrification? Double tracking? Is that possible? What does urban rail vehicle purchases mean. Soooo confused!
If you find something interesting, let us know in the comments.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday, This Is What We're Up Against
It seems crazy that a business like this could be going under right before demand could kick in.Based on Milwaukee's northwest side, the company makes rail cars for freight railroads and commuter rail systems.
"In the past few months, we have seen dramatic and unprecedented reductions and cancellations of orders by our customers in the freight locomotive, transit and transportation sectors of our business," the company's statement said. "Without substantial new orders, we cannot sustain the employees at the plant beyond the time frame outlined above."
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Colleges Are Good Destinations
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Doling Out Stations
New Poll: Worst Rail Project in Planning
BART to San Jose
NJ Access to the Regions Core
LIRR East Side Access Project
San Francisco Central Subway
Montreal Train de l'est
LA Gold Line to Montclair
Toronto Spadina Extension
NY Subway 7 Line Extension
Metro to Dulles (Silver Line)
MBTA BRT Silver Line Phase 3
US 36 Denver BRT
Miami Metrorail North
Anacostia Streetcar
So those are the list. Usual week for voting applies. Vote for Other if there is a project not listed.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Expanding or Contracting?
But then there is the other article from the Denver Post. It states that the cost projections are all messed up by the global economic slowdown. Sure sales taxes have taken a hit, but so have commodity prices.Instead, Calongne says, the debate centers less on transportation and more on lost opportunities for development near rail stations. "If there's no train, then a train won't go through downtown Louisville or the south part of Westminster," she said. "That's what this is about." Officials agree that's a big part of the push for rail. "
FasTracks allows all of us to develop our urban centers," said Louisville Mayor Chuck Sisk. "Transit-oriented development keeps our population densities in the core areas," he said. "We made choices not to expand and grow our population outward, and this transit piece is the important part of growing and developing our cities."
Pointing to the volatility of some commodity prices, Heimowitz presented a chart showing the price of steel (using an index cost of 100 for January 2001 as the base) bouncing from 252 last year to a high of 507 in June before tumbling to 384 in September, 257 in October and 144 on Nov. 14. "People were completely apoplectic about the price of steel four months ago," Heimowitz said, "and here we are, it's a whole other world."If it continues this way, it could be a real boost to the program and lower construction costs, especially since fuel costs are down. And a stimulus boost would probably help even more, getting these projects moving faster. So what will happen? It would be nice to say that things will continue to go down, but we know that is bad for the overall economy. Perhaps some simple balance of the two would be best. But for now, we'll have to wait and see the true effect.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Auto - Centricity
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Transit Election Results Central
Update 2:28 AM PT - So I get in bed and am about to shut my computer down when Measure R jumps to 97% complete! 67.3% looks great!
Update 2:04 AM PT - I have a flight to NC in the morning so I'm packing it in. Currently HSR is leading by a good amount and Measure R looks like it might pass as well. Hawaii looks good but I don't know where those missing precincts are and if they are pro-Mufi/pro-Rail. Measure B is a tough sell though. All in all it was a good night for transit. As I said earlier, Missouri was the only loser out of all of them. And when I get back, I'll put Seattle back on the Space Race list.
Update 1:42 AM PT - It looks like Missouri is just anti-transit. Everywhere else "won" even if they didn't win. ie: 66% is a really annoying threshold.
Update 1:32 AM PT - Measure R and HSR are looking good. The BART measure is really close teetering over and under the 66% it needs.
Update 12:53 AM PT - It's a pretty safe bet to say that KK (Requiring a vote to take away car lanes for transit) went down in flames while VV (AC Transit Parcel Tax) passed with a wide margin of error. The complete results are not in yet, but its probably fair to say it passed.
Update 12:42 AM PT - Sonoma Marin seems to have passed their commuter rail line. With three precincts left, it's at 69% which means its likely to pass the 66% mark.
Update 12:36 AM PT - It looks as if the transit tax passed in all New Mexico Counties. Rail Runner and possibly a streetcar in Albuquerque.
Update 12:23 AM PT - HSR is going strong at 52% With 61% reporting
Update 11:48 PM PT - Honolulu up almost 53% with 76% in
Update 11:46 PM PT - Aspen Returns are in. Yes for BRT There.
Update 11:31 PM PT - All of the returns are in for Marin so we'll have to wait for Sonoma. They both have to total 66%. Marin is 63% currently and Sonoma is 73%. HSR is really close at 52% For.
Update 11:02 PM PT - It's official, no Space Race Expansion for St. Louis. Measure M goes down by 51- 49. A close race for sure.
Update 10:38 PM PT - It looks like Light Rail in Seattle will pass and Streetcars have passed in West Sacramento. High Speed Rail is in a tight race and AC Transit looks to raise a parcel tax while KK, the anti-BRT measure looks like its getting shot down.
Update 10:17 PM PT - Looks like Milwaukee has a new source of money for transit. The electricity in the streets here is amazing as I just walked down Valencia street and cars were honking horns and people were biking and yelling on the street.
Update 9:52 PM PT - It looks good in New Mexico. We might see more Commuter Rail and a Streetcar there soon.
Update 9:04 PM PT - Prop 1 in Seattle Looks good so far.
Update 8:20 PM PT - We're starting to see West Coast Measures. Coming fast and Furious.
Update 7:57 PM PT - Missouri measures are looking bad.
Update 7:25 PM PT - It's good for Obama but rough out there for the transit measures. All are hovering around 50%. I don't know what parts of the counties these are in but New Mexico looks strong.
Update 6:47 PM PT - Starting to come in but slowly.
Update 5:41 PM PT - Results are going to be slow since we're working mostly on the West Coast. Wisconsin and St. Louis will probably be some of the first results we get so I'm keeping closer tabs on those.
Wheeee!!! Here we go...
Breakin it down below:
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St. Louis Proposition M - A half cent sales tax for Metrolink Operations and Expansion Results Below (LOSS)
Update 1: 3:43 PT - No Results Up Yet
Update 2: 50.2% No (1% in)
Update 3: 51% No (16% in)
Update 4: 52% No (44% in)
Update 5: 52% No (86% in)
Update 6: 51% No (93% in)
Update 7: Measure M Lost 51% No
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kansas City - Question 1 Light Rail (LOSS)
A 3/8 cent sales tax to build and operate a starter light rail line.
Update 1: 4:46 PM PT - No Results Yet
Update 2: 6:41 PM PT - 59% No 0% In
Update 3: 7:27 PM PT - 54% No (40% in)
Update 4: 7:49 PM PT - 56% No (84% in)
Update 5: 8:02 PM PT - 56% No (96.7%)
Update 6: 8:47 PM PT - 57% No (97%)
It looks like Kansas City burned its chance for light rail. A shame really.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Milwaukee Wisconsin - Sales Tax Increase (WIN)
A ballot measure that would increase the sales tax by a half cent to pay for transit service among other services.
Update: 4:55 PM PT - No Results Yet
Update 2: 6:43 PM PT - 53% No (1% in)
Update 3: 7:10 PM PT - 52% No (2% in)
Update 4: 7:21 PM PT - 50.1% Yes (3%)
Update 5: 7:34 PM PT - 54% Yes (19%)
Update 6: 7:52 PM PT - 54% Yes (38%)
Update 7: 8:04 PM PT - 54% Yes (42%)
Update 8: 8:49 PM PT - 53% Yes (71%)
Update 9: 9:07 PM PT - 53% Yes (76%)
Update 10: 9:33 PM PT - 53% Yes (86%)
Update 11: 10:17 PM PT - 52% Yes (94%)
It looks like we can probably put this one to bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Santa Fe/Albuquerque - A quarter cent sales tax to bring Rail Runner into Santa Fe from Albuquerque and provide transport funding for local agencies. The Abq Streetcar could get a jump start from this source. (WIN)
4 Counties of Results
Valencia | Bernalillo | Sandoval | Santa Fe
Update 1: 3:44 PT - No Results Up Yet
Update 2: 7:15 PT - 52.9% For (Bernalillo County Absentee Only)
54 % For (Sandoval County Absentee Only)
Update 3: Valencia County 62% For (Unknown)
Update 4: 9:45 PT Bernalillo up to 53.5% For with 66% or so in
Santa Fe 52.7% For
Valencia County 61% For
All counties have come in for the Transit Tax.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CALIFORNIA SUBSET
From North to South
West Sacramento - Measure U Streetcar (WIN)
A half cent transportation sales tax that would in part pay for streetcar service across the river to the city.
Update 1: 5:15 PM PT - No Results Up Yet
Update 2: 8:24 PM PT - 63% Yes (0% in)
It looks like this has passed.
Sonoma Marin - SMART Rail (WIN)
Would build and operate a commuter rail line from Larkspur North. MUST HAVE 66% in the counties combined. Last time it just barely missed passing.
Update1: 4:22 PM PT - No Results Up Yet
Update 2: 10:22 PM PT - Marin 62% For (67% in) Needs 66% to pass
Sonoma 70% For (40% in) Needs 66% to pass
Update 3: 10:51 PM PT - Marin 62% For (97% in)
Update 4: 11:14 PM PT - Sonoma 73% For (52% in)
Update 5: 11:28 PM PT - Marin 63% For (100%) This means that Sonoma needs to bring it up to 66%. It looks like it might be able to.
Update 6: 11:51 PM PT - Sonoma 73% (68% in)
Update 7: 12:46 AM PT - Sonoma 73.5% (100% in)
If i'm correct, this adds up to 69% in both counties which means it wins.
Oakland/Berkeley - 2 Measures
Measure VV would give AC Transit a parcel tax increase to fund operations. Measure KK would require a vote to change street priority from cars to HOV, BRT, or other street running motorized dedicated transportation.
Update 1: 4:15 PM PT - No Results Up Yet
Update 2: 8:27 PM PT - 78% No on KK (0% in)
Update 3: 8:28 PM PT - 68% Yes on VV (o% in)
Update 4: 11:23 PM PT - 69% Yes on VV (10% in)
79% No on KK (4% in)
Update 5: 12:09 AM PT - VV 71% Yes (66% in)
KK 76% No (77% in)
At this point we can probably say that KK got shot down while VV passed.
San Jose - Measure B BART to San Jose (MUST HAVE 66% to pass)
An 1/8th cent measure to operate an extension of BART to San Jose.
Update 1: 4:28 PM PT - No Results Up Yet
Update 2: 8:34 PM PT - 65.6% Yes (Partial Results)
Update 3: 11:54 PM PT - 66% (37% in)
Update 4: 12:15 AM PT - 65.7% (46% in)
Californa Full - Prop 1A High Speed Rail
Float $10B in bonds to build High Speed Rail between San Francisco and Los Angeles
Update 1: 4:36 PM PT - No Results Yet
Update 2: 8:32 PM PT - 51% Yes (5% in)
Update 3: 9:37 PM PT - 51% No (14% in)
Update 4: 10:23 PM PT - 51% No (22%)
Update 5: 10:43 PM PT - 51% For (31%)
Update 6: 11:06 PM PT - 51% For (35%)
Update 7: 11:21 PM PT - 51% For (38% in)
Update 8: 11:27 PM PT - 52% For (43% in)
Update 9: 12:05AM PT - 51% For (50% in)
Update 10: 12:21 AM PT - 52% For (58%)
Update 11: 1:20 AM PT - 52% For (70%)
Update 12: 1:34 AM PT - 52% For (75%)
Update 13: 2:04 AM PT - 52% For (83%)
Los Angeles - Measure R (MUST have 66% to pass)
A half cent sales tax that would pay for an expansion of transportation such as light rail and subway.
Update 1: 4:37 PM PT - No Results Yet
Update 2: 8:18 PM PT - 64% Yes (10% in)
Update 3: 10:29 PM PT - 65% Yes (16% in)
Update 4: 10:46 PM PT - 65.9% Yes (23%)
Update 5: 11:06 PM PT - 66.3% Yes (29%)
Update 6: 11:44 PM PT - 66.3% Yes (44%)
Update 7: 12:04 AM PT - 66.5% Yes (51%)
Update 8: 12:50 AM PT - 66.9% Yes (64%)
Update 9: 1:07 AM PT - 67% Yes (70%)
Update 10: 1:25 AM PT - 67.2% Yes (77%)
Update 11: 1:43 AM PT - 67.3% Yes (83%)
Update 12: 2:04 AM PT - 67.3% Yes (90%)
Update 13: 2:28 AM PT - 67.3% Yes (90%)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Honolulu Hawaii - Steel on Steel Rail Election
An election to decide whether to move forward with a steel on steel rail line.
Update 1: 4:44 PM PT - No Results Yet
Update 2: 10:48 PM PT - 52% Yes (28% in)
Update 3: 11:49 PM PT - 52% Yes (76% in)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seattle - Prop 1 Sound Transit Expansion (WIN)
A ballot measure to increase the sales tax to pay for expanded regional light rail and bus service.
Update 1: 4:49 PM PT - No Results Yet
Update 2: 8:17 PM PT - Snohomish County 55% For (100% In)
Update 3: 10:33 PM PT - Looks like ST2 is passing in all 3 counties. In King by 60%
Update 4: 12:31 AM PT - 58% passing with 335,000 votes cast
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aspen - Prop 4A Bus Rapid Transit (WIN)
A ballot measure that would increase the sales tax by a .3% to pay for bus rapid transit expansion.
Update: 5:13 PM PT - No Results Yet
Update: 10:36 PM PT - 52% with 2 districts left to vote
Update: 11:47 PM PT - Prop 4A Wins
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If I'm missing something let me know.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Not Quite Dead Yet
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Support for Transit by the Brick Yard
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Could Be Worse
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Thinking Transit by the Brickyard
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Commuter Rail Delays
Sunday, September 28, 2008
It's Like Getting a Raise
But the highway mentality and misunderstanding of investments for people versus cars are still out there.Jeanne Whitworth, wearing a dark blue jacket and skirt, settles into a Sprinter car at the Oceanside Transit Center, awaiting the four-stop ride to Rancho del Oro, where she lives. Whitworth, who works in downtown San Diego, commutes weekdays on both the Sprinter and the Coaster, a conventional Amtrak-style train, which intersect at Oceanside.
The two trains take an hour and a half. Whitworth, 42, could be home 15 minutes earlier if she drove there from Oceanside. "But I don't have to fight the traffic," she says, and she's saving a tank of gas every month. "It's like getting a raise."
Cooke, a retired Marine Corps major-general, contends that $500 million would have been better spent adding two more lanes to six-lane Highway 78. He's also critical of the train's taxpayer subsidy, saying that everyone riding the Sprinter "is getting a free ticket to some degree."
Friday, September 26, 2008
Charlotte Space Race Update
Parker wants to bundle three projects. The first is an 11-mile extension of the Lynx to University City, which is now projected to cost $900 million. The commuter rail line to the Lake Norman area could cost between $250 and $310 million. CATS is also penciling in $50million to improve the existing light rail line. It wants to extend station platforms to handle three-car trains and also wants to buy additional rail cars.It seems like these package deals are starting to catch on as regions are seeking to build more than one line at a time. The FTA is going to get more of these after they made the deal that they did with Salt Lake City paying for 20% of their four lines.
In August 2007, FTA and UTA executed a Memorandum of Understanding to set forth their mutual expectations for Federal financial participation in two of five projects that comprise UTA’s “Transit 2015 Program.” UTA was seeking a combined $570 million in Section 5309 New Starts funding for the Mid-Jordan and Draper LRT extensions. In return, UTA made a commitment to build, by 2015, the West Valley City and Airport LRT extensions, as well as the South Front Runner (commuter rail) extension without Federal financial assistance. The current total capital cost estimate for the five projects in the Transit 2015 Program is $2.85 billion.Now CATS will try a similar deal getting more out of the process. What this tells me is that the process that exists now doesn't really work for regions. They are looking to fill in the gaps that were missing in the last 60 years and there is just not enough money from any source to do it.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Election Day Coverage on The Overhead Wire
St. Louis - An election is being held to give Metro a half cent more in order to keep up with operating expenses and expand Metrolink, the region's light rail system. It's called Proposition M.
Santa Fe - A Sales Tax to extend Rail Runner into the city from Albuquerque.
Oakland/Berkeley - AC Transit is looking to raise the parcel tax $48 annually to pay for operations. This measure is called VV. KK is also on the ballot and would allow AC Transit to build BRT on Berkeley streets.
Los Angeles - This would be a half cent sales tax for capital expansion. It's called Measure R.
Sonoma Marin - SMART will go back to the polls to ask for an 1/4th cent sales tax to build a commuter rail line. It is called Measure Q.
Honolulu - Island residents are being asked whether they approve of a steel on steel transit system. (Crazy huh?)
Kansas City - A half cent sales tax is on the ballot to build a starter light rail line.
Seattle - Prop 1. I'm not going to be covering this as much except for some crucial updates. I'm sure the boys at STB got it covered.
High Speed Rail - $9.9 billion dollar bond for a statewide high speed rail line. This one is Prop 1a.
If I am missing something let me know. I'll be live blogging into the night until we get the Hawaii results. It's still a bit of time away. But I'll be reminding everyone every once in a while to keep your minds off the presidential election.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Turn of the Century
H/T Mike Lydon
Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries
Monday, September 15, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
A Sad Day in LA
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Ridership Away!
Find your light rail city here.
Find your heavy rail city here.
Find your commuter rail city here.
Nothing of big interest. The next quarter is going to be where the sparks fly. But Portland and San Diego are at 113,000. Not bad for 3 line systems. Imagine 6 lines and a streetcar network. Then we're getting somewhere closer.