If the American Public Transportation Association and House Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar are correct, the answer to the nation's jobless rate and economic woes is funding for transit. APTA wants $15 billion for public transportation, while Oberstar wants $69 billion for highway and transit projects.

APTA called on Congress to invest at least $15 billion in public transportation citing it's recently completed survey of public transit systems nationwide, which identified more than $15 billion in public transportation capital projects that can be started in 90 days. It is estimated that this investment in public transportation would support and create more than 450,000 jobs. The vast majority of public transit systems also identified additional needs beyond $15 billion for federal assistance to avoid employee layoffs and service cuts.

According to APTA, research has shown that new jobs in public transportation provide jobs to American workers in industries, which have been hit hardest by the economic downturn, particularly construction and manufacturing.

Meanwhile, Mr. Oberstar (D., Minn.) called for a second stimulus bill to provide at least $69 billion for highway and transit projects. About $48 billion was secured for highway, transit and rail projects in this year's economic stimulus package. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Oberstar said stimulus spending on transportation has directly sustained 21,000 jobs and supported an additional 130,000 indirectly.

 

--> ...

The Central Alabama Intermodal Container Transfer Facility in Bessemer, Ala., has been operating since September, but had its official opening on Dec. 1. The $6 million hub operates on 25 acres, with an option to develop 25 additional acres, has 5,000 feet of working track, parking for 1,000 sta ...

The Federal Highway Administration has issued its authorization for the Chester Branch Rehabilitation project, enabling Morris County to seek bids to improve the four-mile active freight line in Roxbury, NJ. In February, the county applied to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Aut ...

Approximately $9 million in track improvements will allow UP to increase the speed limit of its trains to 50 mph on nearly 26 miles of its rail line between Eau Claire and Fairchild, Wis. The train speed limit will be increased 10 miles per hour starting December 11, 2009, and another 1 ...

The city of Horn Lake will receive $520,000 to construct a railroad spur to service the plant expansion of Newly Weds Foods, a Chicago-based company that produces food coatings, seasonings, breading and other food processing products. The money was given by the Mississippi Freight Rail ...

The federal government will make $280 million available for urban circulator projects such as streetcars, buses and bus facilities to support communities, expand business opportunities and improve people's quality of life while also creating jobs. The money represents the first batch o ...

Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater and House Speaker Larry Cretul called a special lawmaking session to begin Thursday to dedicate funds for Tri-Rail and advance plans for Central Florida's SunRail.

The proposal, which is still being drafted, calls for $15 million annually for South Florida's Tri-Rail system, would establish the Florida Rail Enterprise to oversee all passenger rail, pay CSXT $1 billion for tracks to build the 61-mile Orlando area SunRail system and spare taxpayers from lawsuits should a freight accident occur on tracks shared with passenger trains. Legislators hope that in passing the proposal it will show the state's commitment to commuter rail and improve its chances of securing stimulus funds.

Currently, the Senate has 20 votes, one shy of the total needed for the yet to be completed legislation to pass. The sticking point in the proposal is that it currently has no legal protections for railroad employees who would work on the SunRail commuter line once the state bought the tracks from CSXT.   

A final vote on the legislation will not occur until next week, when legislators planned to be in Tallahassee for a week of committee hearings.

 

--> ...

  Construction is now underway on a new link that will connect the future Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension mainline to the existing Wilson Subway Yard and expand yard storage facilities. The Government of Canada is contributing $5.5 million to this portion of the proj ...

David Brown will be named executive vice president and chief operating officer when Tony Ingram retires at the end of the month. Cindy Sanborn will succeed Brown as vice president and chief transportation officer.

Matthew K. Rose, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation, has been named 2010 Railroader of the Year by Railway Age. Matt Rose is Railway Age’s 47th Railroader of the Year. Modern Railroads magazine founded the ...