Summer holiday security measures

Fox 2 in St. Louis reports on the increased security for Amtrak passengers that has been made possible by the injection of stimulus dollars.

This comes on the heels of Amtrak President, Joseph Boardman, stating that, "Amtrak has no plans to follow most U.S. airlines and charge passengers for baggage. Security screening in major rail stations will be handled without installing the types of screening machines used at airports. Amtrak is increasing the use of dogs trained to detect explosives and vapors, especially on Northeast Corridor trains."

Federal HSR dollars delivered to Wisconsin

The FRA announced yesterday that nearly $80 million, of the $8 billion allocated to high speed rail, was distributed to states. As far as the Midwest is concerned, Wisconsin received "$5,700,000 for environmental assessments of planned new stations on the route between Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin that will host passenger rail service operating at speeds up to 110mph."

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Congressional Subcommittee meets in Chicago to discuss HSR

The Congressional Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials met yesterday at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago to discuss the high-speed intercity passenger rail grants that were recently awarded under the stimulus act and the impact the grants will have on the region. Among the notable attendees were:

• Wisconsin Gov Jim Doyle reiterated the positive effect that HSR projects will have on Wisconsin's construction, engineering, and design & supply industries. Gov Doyle's testimony can be found here.
  
• Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky stated that rail funding would create more than 57,000 jobs, while making a long neglected national investment in rail transportation.
• Illinois Congressman Dan Lipinski said Amtrak and Metra users should notice a difference in commuter times within two years.
• Our own Rick Harnish testified on the importance of 220 mph service.
  
• FRA Administrator Joe Szabo's testimony can be found here.

*After the hearing, Administrator Szabo stated that Positive Train Control, which under federal mandate must be implemented by 2015, could have prevented the tragic accident in University Park.
"Positive train control is probably the most significant safety initiative in the history of railroading and certainly something that would have the ability to prevent a tragedy like this,''

Perspective on CREATE

Chicago Business Today provides some perspective on the CREATE program and the funding challenges for completing each of it's 71 projects (formerly 78 projects until CN acquired the EJ&E railway). I am aware that this blog devotes quite a bit of attention to news on CREATE, but the full realization of this program will have an enormous impact on the frequency and punctuality of passenger rail travel in the Midwest and the future of American HSR.

CREATE's $3 billion grand total has thus far acquired funding from:

• Class I railroads ($232 million collectively committed, half has been received)
• State of Illinois ($10 million received and an additional $400 million committed from the capital construction program, which is now in doubt with the state's budget woes)
• Federal Stimulus funds ($100 million TIGER Grant and $133 million for Englewood Flyover)
  
• 2005 Congressional earmark ($100 million)
  

Below, Senator Durbin speaks at the site of the new Englewood flyover and the impact it will have on HSR, while CREATE project manager, Jeffrey Sriver, highlights some of the funding challenges-

Final list of TIGER grants and news from St. Paul

Sect. Ray LaHood remarks on the recently released TIGER Grants -- The White House's official release on the grants -- For a complete list of TIGER Grants - click here

Midwestern rail projects include:

• Project NameState(s) TIGER Grant Amount
• CREATE Program Projects IL $ 100,000,000
• National Gateway Freight Rail Corridor OH, PA, WV, MD $ 98,000,000
• Kansas City Transit Corridors & Green Impact Zone Project MO, KS $ 50,000,000
• Saint Paul Union Depot Multi-Modal Transit and Transportation Hub MN $ 35,000,000
• M1/Woodward Avenue Light Rail Project MI $ 25,000,000
• Normal Multimodal Transportation Center IL $ 22,000,000
• Kent Central Gateway Multimodal Transit Facility OH $ 20,000,000
• Ames Intermodal Facility IA $ 8,463,000
• The Southwestern Illinois Intermodal Freight Transportation Hub IL 6,000,000$

-----

Meanwhile the Star Tribune highlights the $35 million just received for the St. Paul Union Depot.

Cabinet Members travel in support of HSR

From the White House: Office of the Press Secretary

Obama Administration officials are traveling across the country this week to announce funding for the high speed rail projects and discuss how this investment will create local jobs and rebuild the economy.
Today:

• EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson will travel to Durham, North Carolina,
• Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis will visit Columbus, Ohio and
• Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood will hold an event in Washington, DC,
• Executive Director of the White House Council on Auto Communities and Workers Ed Montgomery will visit St. Louis, Missouri and
• Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

On Friday:

• a senior Department of Transportation official will travel to California and
• FRA Administrator Szabo will hold an event in Chicago, Illinois.

For further details on the major corridor projects, click here:

• Florida
• California
• Chicago-St. Louis-Kansas City
• Madison - Milwaukee – Chicago
• Charlotte - Raleigh - Richmond - Washington, D.C.
• Eugene-Portland-Seattle
• Detroit-Chicago
• Ohio
• Northeast

HSR Money released in Tampa

During the President's trip to Tampa this morning, he announced the recipients of the Stimulus Package's $8 billion in High Speed Rail Grants. The Midwest region received roughly $2.6 billion in federal grants, which is second only to the West region, due largely to the $2.25 billion going to California. Illinois will receive about $1.23 billion of the $4.5 billion it requested. For more read this article from Chicago Breaking News

Secretary LaHood talks more about the announcement on his blog. Below is a picture from the USDOT of the Midwest's grants:

Also, a tour a the historic and soon to be refurbished Union Depot in St. Paul is courtesy of Minnesota Public Radio and Secretary LaHood offers a brief synopsis of 2009 in the Department of Transportation:

Charlie Crist wishes a Merry Christmas with HSR

 

U.S. Rep (Florida) John Mica has stated that the finalists for the HSR stimulus funding has been narrowed down to Chicago, Texas, California and Florida. The announcement is expected to be made in late January or early February of 2010.

HSR & Job Creation from Sect. LaHood

The Tribune reported, "Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said at a rail manufacturing conference that more than 30 foreign and domestic companies have promised to establish or expand operations in the United States if they are chosen to build high-speed lines. The commitments will ensure the rail program will create jobs in the U.S. and boost domestic manufacturing."

LaHood said he hopes rail-related manufacturing is located in states including Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, which leads the nation with 15.1% unemployment.

Keep in mind the FRA has received 45 requests totaling about $50 billion from 24 states. The Transportation Department’s Federal Railroad Administration will award the rail money to states “early next year,” LaHood said. Each State will decide how to spend their share.

In a great article from The Tribune, the superb quality of meals on the Baltimore & Ohio is remembered. One hopes of the day when passenger rail in this country will be not only fast, frequent and dependable, but healthy and delicious... just the way 007 would have it.

Thanksgiving update and A Conservative Voice

With the busiest travel day of the year, the day before Thanksgiving, occurring this week, it seems appropriate to post on just how many people will be traveling this holiday (Thank you to the AAA Auto Club):
By car: 33.2 million travelers
By air: 2.3 million
By Amtrak: 125,000

The jaw dropping gap in popularity between Amtrak and the other modes is not reason to smile at first glance, especially given the wishes of myself and so many others that Passenger Rail quickly evolve not only into a fast and affordable option for a majority of Americans, but become the preferred option for all of those traveling 500 miles or less.

The glimmer of hope for the move away from air and towards rail can be found in the above linked article:

• "There will be a 6.7 percent decrease in the number of air travelers, totaling 2.3 million this year, continuing a decade-long decline of Thanksgiving air travel."
• "2.9 million people will take other modes of transport, including trains and buses. That's up about 1.2 percent from last year. Amtrak expects Wednesday to be its heaviest single travel day of the year, with as many as 125,000 passengers nationwide. The rail system is bracing for the holiday by running more trains with higher capacity on its lines in the Pacific Northwest, Chicago area and the Northeast corridor. Most of those will run on the busiest days — the day before Thanksgiving, and the Sunday after."

A recent article from ABC News Australia states, "an estimated 1.3 million people die on the world's roads each year", which in turn "costs the world economy $540 Billion." While I do not know how they arrived at this figure, there is no denying that in the United States our roads are a dangerous place that annually consumes far too many lives (pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and passengers) and far too much money in the form of accidents and severe congestion.

Public transportation and passenger rail offer the freedom of movement for those who are not able to drive, cannot afford to drive or fly, but like all other Americans deserve the mobility to get where they want to go. A poll conducted in 2008 showed that 60% of Americans consider themselves "conservative". Millions of these conservatives are the people who do not believe in supporting quality public transportation. A new book, Moving Minds: Conservatives and Public Transportation by: William Lind addresses these concerns for many of my countrymen who lean to the right.


While, there is not much about High Speed Rail in the Midwest to report on until the FRA doles out the $8 Billion of Stimulus fund in early 2010, there is some great news out of Minnesota where the new Northstar Commuter Rail is up and running between Big Lake and the new home of the Twins, Target Field in downtown Minneapolis.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and travel safely.

HSR stimulus money will start flowing this fall

Thank you to the Wall Street Journal

Federal Railroad Administrator, and fellow Midwesterner, Joseph Szabo said "grants will be awarded beginning in late September or early October".

Sen. Durbin and refurbished Amtrak car

Thank you Pantagragh.com -- http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/article_352854fe-878d-11de-a429-001cc4c03286.html


Stimulus side note: Amtrak's Ray Lang, said that the car was refurbished by an Indiana company that rehired 108 employees to help rehab the steel, water and electrical units on this and other railroad cars previously sidelined in storage. An Illinois company made the new seats for the two-deck car.

The car is one of 81 that are being put back in service with the help of the stimulus money, Lang said. The Superliner brought to Normal on Wednesday now is part of the Texas Eagle train, which runs from Chicago to San Antonio, Texas.

Railcar features

A 1981 Superliner that was damaged in a 2005 accident has been fixed up and was on display Wednesday in Normal. The $709,464 refurbishment included:

- Replacing the lower-level floor and rebuilding wheel and suspension assemblies

- Updating inside color scheme (from orange and brown to blue and white) and amenities

- Replacing seating, carpet, cushions, batteries, lamps, door motors, toilets, water heaters and windows

- Modernizing the second-story lounge with outlets for laptop computers; the addition of a recycling bin

SOURCE: Amtrak

WTTW Chicago Discusses High Speed Rail Debate

[Hat tip Progress Illinois]

I'll say a bit more about this later tonight.

Obama Sees Rail Potential - "Railroads Were Always The Pride Of America"

President Barack Obama speaking Wednesday covered in Thursday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

"'I think there's enormous opportunities here,' he said. 'Railroads were always the pride of America and stitched us together. Now, Japan, China, all of Europe, have high-speed rail systems that put ours to shame. And the potential economic benefits of a high-speed rail link between Chicago and Milwaukee, so that people are avoiding I-94, or the link between Chicago and St. Louis, Detroit, all those Midwestern cities, I think is enormous and is a very real option. Although gas prices are low right now, it becomes a very meaningful option for people who don't want to take off their shoes (for screening), drive to an airport, pay for parking, suffer delays.'

He also said improving freight rail in the region was critical and 'would help with the whole distribution of goods in the region (and) would save businesses a lot of money.'"

IL High-speed Rail Predicted To Get $500 M Stimulus - Develop Corridor Within 5 Years

Greg Hinz reports that Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, at a Union Station appearance with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Amtrak Chair Tom Carper, said Illinois expects to get at least $500 million of the $8 billion stimulus money for high speed rail. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Senator Durbin said that he and Governor Quinn would work to develop a high speed rail corridor between Chicago and St. Louis within five years. You can listen to Governor Quinn's Q&A here (Update: the beginning and towards the end of the prior link deal with rail. This link of Senator Durbin and Governor Quinn contains *Much More Rail Discussion* - listen to it first).

Capital Times Gives Wisconsin High Speed Rail Summary

The Capital Times article gives monetary breakdowns, scheduling and a bit of background information - worth a read!

NPR Interviews Governor Doyle About Visit To See Spain's High Speed Rail

In addition to interviewing Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, the story talks about how the Spanish went from terrible commuter rail service and no high speed rail, to an impressive (and expanding) high speed rail service with some obvious implications for the U.S.

Obama Seeks High Speed Rail Presidency - $8 Billion Stimulus Just Start

Today NPR reports Transportation Secretary (and former Illinois Congressman) Ray LaHood said, "high-speed rail could be a signature issue for Obama. 'I do think this is the transformational issue for this administration when it comes to transportation,' LaHood said. 'I think President Obama would like to be known as the high-speed rail president, and I think he can be.'"

In a regional context the report notes,

"Illinois, the home state of both Obama and LaHood, also will likely get a large chunk of federal funds. Chicago is already a major rail hub for the region and the nation. Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, an advocacy group, says his region could use the money to improve and speed existing service.

'What we're hoping the stimulus money gets used for is upgrading the existing route between Chicago to St. Louis, to get the trip down to three-and-a-half or four hours,' Harnish said. He also hopes to start the engineering work for 'a true high-speed line that would bring that service down to two hours.'

High-speed rail advocates also would like to see service between Chicago and Minneapolis."

Meanwhile the California High Speed Rail Blog quoted LaHood a few days earlier from the National Journal:

"Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today emphasized the administration's long-term commitment to expanding high-speed rail service in 'five or six regions' of the country, not just with the $8 billion provided in the economic stimulus package President Obama signed into law last week, but also 'in subsequent years a very substantial effort.' Meeting with reporters earlier today, LaHood said that for Obama building high-speed rail networks is, 'if not his No. 1 priority, certainly at the top of his list. What the president is saying with the $8 billion is this is the start to help begin high-speed rail projects.' He added that the administration 'is committed to finding the dollars to not only get them started but to finishing them in at least five parts of the country,' although he declined to elaborate on where these projects might ultimately be built."

High Speed Rail Gets Additional $9.3 billion in U.S. Stimulus

In the final stimulus bill ("American Reinvestment and Economic Recovery Act") High Speed Rail and intercity rail got a lot more funding than either the House or Senate bills, which is great news for rail! Unfortunately other forms of mass transit took a real hit. While the stimulus is a great start, mass transit in general needs a lot more funding - including rail - and we need to work to get better, consistent and long-term funding. A chart from The Transportpolitic:

House, Senate, and Final Versions of the Stimulus Bill
Program	House Bill	Senate Bill	Final Bill
Grants to Amtrak	$800 m	$850 m	$1.3 b
State Rail Grants	$300 m	$250 m	0
High-Speed Rail	0	$2 b	$8 b
Total Rail	$1.1 b	$3.1 b	$9.3 b
Transit Formula Funds	$7.5 b	$8.4 b	$6.9 b
Fixed Guideway Modernization	$2 b	0	$750 m
New Starts	$2.5 b	0	$750 m
Discretionary Grants*	0	$5.5 b*	$1.5 b*
Total Transit	$12 b	$8.4 + $5.5 b*	$8.4 + $1.5 b*

* Discretionary grants would be distributed by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation to qualified “shovel-ready” transportation projects. Most of this money would probably go to highway and bridge projects, but some of the funds would likely go to transit and rail as well.

The news from CALPIRG:

In a bold and far-sighted move, Congress added $9.3 billion in the American Reinvestment and Economic Recovery Act for development of high speed rail and other intercity rail. This amount was large increase from the Senate version of the bill and came on top of $8.4 designated for other public transit agencies.

“This bill, especially the money for high speed rail, marks a bold step for 21^st century transportation,” said John Krieger, Transportation Advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG). “After decades of looking on with envy at efficient bullet trains overseas, American high speed rail is finally leaving the station.”

The additional high speed rail funds mark the second time that public transportation has bucked the general trend in the Recovery Act. When the bill came to the floor of the House, dozens of amendments for additional were all defeated – with the sole exception of a measure to add $3 billion to public transportation. That amendment passed on a voice vote without opposition and with speeches of support from Republicans.

The $8.4 billion total for transit agencies is the same amount as in the earlier Senate version and less than proposed by the House. According to a statement from Speaker Pelosi’s office outlining the amounts, the transit money, “Includes funds for new construction of commuter and light rail, modernizing existing transit systems, and purchasing buses and equipment to needed to increase public transportation and improve intermodal and transit facilities.” Pelosi’s office noted that, “states have 787 ready-to-go transit projects totaling about $16 billion.”

The money for high speed rail development and for intercity rail will be spent largely on projects to build and improve tracks, signals, and stations, as well as to make pedestrian, auto and transit crossings safer near corridors where trains will reach speeds in excess of 150 mph. Some of it will be spent to modernize Amtrak, which has seen six years of record ridership gains. Californians recently passed a $10 billion ballot question for a North-South high speed rail link for trains which will travel over 200 mph. The project will avoid the need for costly airport and highway expansion and millions of gallons of oil consumption.

The push for rail and other transit comes at a time of record levels of public transportation and Amtrak ridership and growing frustration with airports. Europe, Japan, and China, our major economic competitors, already have thousands of miles of high speed rail. Experts generally see high speed rail as a more efficient and time-saving option than airplanes for trips less than 500 miles.

Said Krieger, “funds for transit and other rail will get Americans back to work while reducing dependence on oil and congestion at highways and airports.”

The stimulus bill also includes for transportation: $27.5 billion for highways, $1.5 billion for competitive state and local grants, and $1.3 billion for investment in air transportation systems. A copy of the press release from House Appropriations appears at: http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/PressSummary02-12-09.pdf

APTA - Senate Continues to Consider the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

From the American Public Transit Association (APTA): "The U.S. Senate today will continue to consider the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Senate version of legislation currently contains $8.4 billion for public transportation through existing formula programs, $5.5 billion for a multi-modal discretionary grant program for states and local governments for highway, transit and other surface transportation projects of national or regional significance, and $2 billion for high speed rail.

Yesterday, an amendment offered by Senator David Vitter (R-LA) to strip several programs from the bill, including the $2 billion for high speed rail and $850 million for Amtrak was defeated by a vote of 65-32. An additional amendment to remove high speed rail funds from the legislation may be offered by Senator Kit Bond (R-MO). No other additional amendments relevant to transportation and infrastructure were considered. However, several significant amendments remain pending and others are expected to be offered as the Senate proceeds with its consideration of the bill.

There are a number of amendments that may be offered on the Senate floor that could add additional funding for public transportation, including:

* An amendment sponsored by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Diane Feinstein (D-CA) that would add $25 billion for infrastructure, including $5 billion for transit. (This amendment, which would add funds for the New Starts and Fixed Guideway Modernization programs, was set aside after it failed on a procedural vote, but the amendment sponsors may to attempt to revive it.)

* An amendment sponsored by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) which would add $6.5 billion for transit, and allow a portion of the funds to be used to cover operating expenses; and

* An amendment sponsored by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and James Inhofe (R-OK) that would redirect stimulus funds not obligated within one year of passage to highway, transit and water resources projects.

In addition, APTA continues to track an amendment expected to be offered by Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) that would eliminate the multi-modal discretionary grant program described above and transfer the funds to the Federal Highway Program to be distributed under the federal Surface Transportation Program (STP). The intermodal program as currently drafted would make funding available for the New Starts, fixed-guideway rail modernization programs, as well as passenger and freight rail projects not otherwise eligible under the bill.

Action Alert

Contact your Senators immediately and urge them to:

* Support amendments to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that increase funding for public transportation;

* Oppose amendments that would eliminate funding for passenger and high-speed rail initiatives;

* Oppose the Bond amendment to eliminate the $5.5 billion multi-modal discretionary program and transfer the funding to the Federal Highway Administration's Surface Transportation Program."

The Midwest High Speed Rail Association recommends you

Contact Your Senators by Clicking Here.