Robert Bradway has been elected a director of Norfolk Southern Corporation.
Bradway has been president and chief operating officer of the biotechnology company Amgen since May 2010. He is responsible for the company’s global commercial operations, manufacturing operations, information technology, global government affairs and worldwide compliance and business ethics organizations.
The city of Houston has concluded there is "strong sentiment" within the East End community for an underpass at Harrisburg/Hughes St. and has requested METRO’s Board of Directors vote in support of a plan to create a grade separated betterment for light rail and vehicular traffic.
This "all-under option," according to Houston Mayor Annise Parker, is intended to "promote pedestrian and vehicular safety in the area and encourage community development and enhance overall mobility in the East End."
The city has committed $20.6 million in financial support for the project.
Although the underpass route is influenced by numerous considerations, the decision of whether or not to support the request will ultimately rest with the METRO Board of Directors. METRO Chairman Gilbert Garcia hopes to bring the complex matter up for vote by the directors July 28.
"We appreciate Mayor Parker’s efforts to build consensus in this lingering community debate. I congratulate the Mayor, Council members Ed Gonzalez, James Rodriguez and Melissa Noriega, as well as community representatives, the Mayor’s staff and METRO’s staff for working together on this issue." said Garcia.
METRO President and CEO George Greanias said the "all-under option" will take longer to build, possibly two years longer and the extra cost of $20-23 million does not cover a pedestrian tunnel.
Of the $20.6 million in financial assistance being offered by the city:
• $10.0 million – CIP funds previously committed to this issue
• $4.9 million – Postponement of the Fulton Paving and Drainage Project
• $3.2 million – Postponement of the Telephone Road Reconstruction
• $2.5 million – Harrisburg TIRZ funds
METRO’s original design for the crossing accommodated light-rail only. The city of Houston, after extensive dialog with the community, commissioned a study on the feasibility of constructing an underpass. The betterment will require collaboration with Houston Belt and Terminal (HBT) Railroad and creation of a new and temporary terminus at Altic. Offsetting the higher cost, however, is an added value to railroad operations. The new design, according to the city, will ease flooding impairments.
The Dallas-to-Oak Cliff Streetcar project in Texas may proceed toward construction after the project received environmental clearance this week with the Federal Transit Administration issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on July 21. The decision means local, state and federal agencies concluded the project will not adversely affect the environment.
The 1.6-mile streetcar project is a collaborative endeavor involving the North Central Texas Council of Governments, City of Dallas and Dallas Area Rapid Transit, as well as the FTA. The FTA awarded the agencies $23 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant funding for the transit project that will provide streetcar service from near Union Station in downtown Dallas to the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Beckley Avenue in Oak Cliff, Texas. The $35 million project also includes $12 million in Regional Toll Revenue funds.
"In addition to creating much-needed jobs for workers in Dallas, this proposed streetcar line will advance economic growth in downtown neighborhoods by linking them with major employment centers throughout the region," said Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff.
The FTA announcement means the project moves toward final design and construction. DART will soon seek a design/build contractor and begin purchasing streetcar vehicles.
The Chicago Transit Authority will hold an open house on Tuesday, August 2, to update the community on the proposed Red Line Extension project. The Red Line Extension proposal includes expanding service from the 95th St. station to 130th Street. The CTA has completed the first step of the federally-mandated Federal Transit Administration process.
The next step is the Environmental Impact Study, which will evaluate the various Red Line Extension proposals along with potential impacts on environment, construction and operation. Earlier this week it was announced that funding for the EIS process had been secured. The funding provided will allow CTA to conduct the Environmental Impact Statement step in the federally-mandated five step process that must be completed in order to apply for funding.
The open house will be held:
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
St. John Missionary Baptist Church
211 E. 115th St.
Chicago, IL 60628
6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Axion International has received three additional purchase orders from Australia in the past 30 days for a combined $130,000. The orders relate to Axion’s Recycled Structural Composite railroad ties, referred to as sleepers in Australia.
"These orders support the use of our innovative recycled plastic technology in locations around the world," stated Jim Kerstein, Axion’s chief technology officer. "By utilizing our patented material, designed from 100 percent recycled plastic, we will be diverting another 150,000 pounds of plastic that would normally end up in landfills for these three orders alone.
Supplementing Axion’s first order to Australia in March, Axion’s three additional purchase orders bring the total number of orders to the country to four. The composite sleepers of various sizes are to be used as a replacement for wooden sleepers in Western Australia.
Under the Federal Transit Administration’s Tribal Transit program, there will be $15 million available for rural American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments across the United States to invest in public transit options that provide convenient access to employment centers and promote new economic development on tribal lands.
"These dollars will [improve tribal transportation resources] and more by creating jobs and stimulating development of new tribal-owned businesses," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
The Tribal Transit program provides grants to Indian tribes for capital transportation projects and operating expenses to meet the growing public transit needs of rural tribal communities.
"Public transportation gives those who live on tribal lands better access to jobs and health care and provides an incentive for much-needed economic development," said FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff.
BNSF is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality to construct a new railroad bridge and off-line single-track crossing over the Missouri River near Plattsmouth, Neb., and Pacific Junction, Iowa.
This crossing is a vital connection to BNSF’s coal route from Powder Basin in Wyoming to the utilities and power plants that use the coal. The line also carries intermodal traffic, as well as two Amtrak trains daily between the west coast and Chicago.
The crossing will be constructed adjacent to the existing bridge with new line south of the existing line. The existing bridge and track will remain operational after the new bridge is completed and its siding length will have a minimum of 10,000 feet clear for chambering trains.
The proposed bridge is 1,676 feet in length and will be ballasted with cast-in-place concrete deck composite with deck plate girders and with truss stringers. The piers will be solid shaft cast-in-place concrete. The layout of the main truss over the navigation channel will meet the requirements of the Coast Guard for horizontal and vertical clear opening.
The Corps of Engineers in soliciting comments from the public, federal, state and local agencies and officials, India Tribes and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this project.
TriMet saw more than 100 million rides in Fiscal Year 2011, topping this number for the second time in its history; FY2009 was the first.
MAX trips were up 7.5 percent or 41,200,200 since FY2010 and WES trips were up 21.2 percent or 370,800.
For June 2011, TriMet monthly ridership totaled 8.7 million trips, up 2.2 percent from June 2010.
Since FY2010, MAX weekly trips increased by 6.7 percent, weekday and rush hour trips by 6.6 percent and weekend trips increased by 6.8 percent.
MAX Green Line weekday trips increased by 15.9 percent and its weekend trips increased by 6.8 percent. WES weekday/rush hour and weekly trips increased by 22.77 percent.
The Twin Cities & Western Railroad marks its 20th anniversary on July 26.
TC&W is one of more than 500 smaller railroads operating in the United States. Since beginning operations in 1991, the 229-mile railroad reports employment has more than doubled from 30 to 68 and its freight volume has increased by 26 percent.
"Employees have been the key to our growth," noted TC&W President Mark Wegner.
TC&W operated a series of diesel-powered special trains July 22-24 to thank employees, customers, government leaders and railroad officials who helped make the railroad a success.
In 2008, TC&W was named "Regional Railroad of the Year" by Railway Age magazine.
Wegner noted TC&W has benefited from its strong partnership with Canadian Pacific. "We greatly appreciate their support," he said.
Buses will replace train service on Long Island Rail Road’s Montauk Branch for 48 hours beginning Aug. 2 through Aug. 4 so the company can replace the damaged railroad bridge that spans Hill Station Road in Southampton.
The Hill Station Road bridge suffered serious structural damage when it was struck by a flatbed truck in April.
Service was immediately suspended while the LIRR’s engineering department determined the extent of the damage and how to shore up the structure so that train travel could resume Monday morning.
Since the incident, trains have been moving over the bridge at the restricted speed of 15 miles-per-hour for safety reasons. The temporary support system devised by the LIRR has prevented vehicular traffic from passing under the bridge.
The cost of the new bridge, designed by Structural Bridges USA, is $367,505.
The work will result in the suspension of train service between Speonk and Montauk, including some AM and PM Peak trains and the substitution of bus service.
RailComm has been chosen to provide its Track Warrant Control System for Chile’s Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado (EFE), the state railroad company. RailComm’s Domain Operations Controller (DOC®) train control system will be used for dispatching and train management.
The DOC® System will interface with EFE’s existing software systems and will be able to be toggled between Spanish and English, with the Spanish language included in all track warrant and track bulletin forms, as well as in the Graphical User Interface.
An AECOM Technology Corporation-led consortium was awarded a contract by the New South Wales government to plan and design the North West Rail Link in Sydney, Australia.
The project includes six new stations and regular rail services over a 14-mile addition to the CityRail network from Epping to Rouse Hill in North West Sydney, linking the region with more than 300 other CityRail stations. The nine miles of tunnels between Epping and Kellyville will be the longest rail tunnels ever constructed in Sydney.
Under the contract, AECOM is the lead technical advisor with responsibility for engineering, rail systems and architecture. The company will deliver planning, project definition, design definition, systems assurance, design concept approval, reference design, contract documentation and tender assessment phases.
The consortium also includes Parsons Brinckerhoff, Grimshaw Architects and Cox Architects.
Union Pacific has chosen Spectrum Infrared’s SPECTRUM RRSH track switch heating systems to be installed this summer at two locations within New Mexico.
The design of the SPECTRUM RRSH provides a fully integrated control system, eliminating the need for way-side control panels.
According to a release from Spectrum Infrared, UP chose the RRSH-300 series for its ability to run ancillary equipment directly from the integrated control panel. The units operate two crib heaters, have a stagger start and two-stage energy management system, which allows half heat or full heat during more severe weather.
Amtrak Cascades route reached significant ridership growth in the second quarter of 2011, carrying nearly three quarters of a million people and breaking its record reached in 2010.
Ridership for April, May and June recorded the highest second quarter totals since 1994, with 231,194 passengers. Compared to the second quarter of 2010, this is an increase of nearly eight percent, or more than 16,550 new passengers. The month of June had the highest increase of nearly 10 percent and 78,839 passengers.
Ridership on Amtrak Cascades was down 10 percent after the first quarter of 2011. Total ridership on Amtrak Cascades year to date is 398,207 through June 30.
The public review and comment period for the supplemental environmental assessment/recirculated sections of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Regional Connector Transit Corridor project begins July 22.
For this review period, comments are limited to only the revised chapters and sections and the new chapter provided in the new document released July 22. Comments received on the original Draft EIS/EIR during the previous comment period will be responded to in the Final EIS/EIR.
The Regional Connector project would implement a light rail connector in downtown Los Angeles that would directly link the tracks of the LACMTA’s Gold Line light rail system with its Blue Line and future Expo Line. The project would run from the current Blue Line terminus at 7th Street/ Center Station to a point on the Gold Line.
Previously, the Draft EIS/EIR was made available for a 45-day public review on Sept. 3, 2010. The document included five alternatives: no build, transportation systems management and three alternatives utilizing light rail transit technology: fully underground, underground emphasis and at-grade emphasis.
Refinements, including the approach in and out of the underground station at First Street and Central Avenue on the eastern end of the alignment, have since been made to the LPA in response to comments received on the Draft EIS/EIR.
The LACMTA Board will consider certification of the Final EIS/EIR at the Dec. 8, 2011 board meeting. The Los Angeles City Council and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors must also approve the project.
The supplemental EA/Recirculated Draft EIR sections is available at LACMTA’s website: www.metro.net/projects/connector.
Revenue from the General Excise and Use Tax (GET) surcharge targeted for Honolulu’s rail transit project has come in higher than what was projected in the endeavor’s most recent financial plan.
The GET revenue for the final quarter of fiscal year 2011 came in at $49.8 million, totaling $179 million, nine percent higher for the fiscal year, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation officials reported in its board of directors meeting. The latest figures put the total GET surcharge collections to date at $715 million, $15 million more than projected.
"The overall total bid costs to date are actually below the project’s financial estimates. With 40 percent of the costs known, the project remains on a sound financial footing," said HART Finance Committee Chairman Don Horner.
The San Mateo County Transit District Board of Directors and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board welcomed two new members at its July meetings.
Redwood City, Calif., Councilman Jeff Gee was sworn in as the newest SamTrans board member July 13, replacing former San Carlos, Calif., Mayor Omar Ahmad who recently died of a heart attack. Gee represents South County on the board.
Burlingame, Calif., Vice Mayor Jerry Deal was sworn in July 7, as the newest member of the Joint Powers Board, which owns and operates Caltrain. Deal, who also replaces Ahmad, represents SamTrans on the JPB.
Board member Adrienne Tissier was elected vice chair of the JPB at the same meeting, a position also held by Ahmad.
Progress Rail Services, a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., plans to locate a locomotive manufacturing facility in Sete Lagoas, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, to serve the South American diesel-electric locomotive market. Progress Rail will operate the facility through its subsidiary, MGE, a railroad equipment and services company.
The facility will assemble and manufacture Electro-Motive Diesel-branded locomotives in the 12,000 square meter space on a 100,000 square meter site. Electro-Motive Diesel Inc. is a subsidiary of Progress Rail Services.
"We are proud to announce the opening of this state-of-the-art facility, which will allow us to produce locomotives locally for our Brazilian customers" said Billy Ainsworth, president and chief executive officer of Progress Rail Services.
Beginning July 25, Chicago’s Metra will be asking riders to take a survey that may help the company in putting together its 2012 budget.
The budget deficit Metra has faced has been caused by a variety of factors. The economy has caused the revenues from the regional transportation sales tax to plummet. The projected cumulative shortfall in sales tax revenues alone is $350 million from 2008 to 2013.
Also, diesel fuel will cost Metra about $18.3 million more than budgeted.
At the July 15 meeting of the Metra Board of Directors, Metra presented the board with options to meet its 55 percent recovery ratio by increasing fares with or without service cuts.
Metra staff has proposed cutting two to four trains from every line except the Heritage Corridor, reducing weekend service on the Milwaukee North, UP North and SouthWest service and eliminating extra service for Bears and White Sox games. With proposed service cuts, fare increases could be up to 20 percent depending on other factors such as fuel prices and mandated recovery ratio. Without service cuts, these increases could be as high as 25 percent.
Metra’s board will begin discussing the issues raised by its rider survey beginning at the August 12 meeting. Public hearings will be scheduled in the fall after the board adopts a proposed budget.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have signed a $24.3 million grant agreement, which will allow the state to close the last three highway-rail grade crossings on the Keystone corridor. Eliminating the grade crossings will improve safety and allow future train speeds to increase from 110 mph to 125 mph.
"We are committed to the President’s vision of a world-class rail network providing fast, efficient and affordable service," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Closing these highway-rail grade crossings will allow travelers along the heavily-used Keystone corridor to enjoy a reduction in their trip time with future train speeds boosted to 125-mph."
The Keystone corridor operates between New York, Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa., and is Amtrak’s fourth most heavily traveled route. Since train speeds along the route were increased to 110 mph in 2006, ridership has grown by more than 37 percent to 1,227,075 passengers in 2010. The grants will eliminate grade crossings in Mount Joy Borough, Rapho Township and Leacock Township, all in Lancaster County, Pa. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Amtrak will also contribute a combined $3.4 million for this project.
"Closing highway-rail grade crossings eliminates potential accidents," said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo. "We must keep safety at the forefront in the high-speed and intercity passenger rail program."
Funding also includes engineering and environmental work for the redesign of track crossings and improvements to train control signal systems.