Chicago’s Mayor-elect Emanuel names city transportation team

Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s Mayor-elect, selected the city’s transportation team on April 19, 2011.

Forrest Claypool was named Chicago Transit Authority president. Claypool served two terms as Cook County commissioner and is also a former Superintendent of the Chicago Park District. Claypool has served as Illinois’ deputy state treasurer, deputy commissioner of the Cook County Board of (Property Tax) Appeals and as chief of staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Terry Peterson will continue to serve as Chicago Transit Board chair, a position he has held since 2009. During his tenure, he has been an advocate for CTA customers. He fought for federal and state funds to make the CTA more reliable and convenient for Chicagoans across the city. Prior to his time on the Board, he served six years as the chief executive officer of the Chicago Housing Authority.

Gabe Klein was named Chicago Department of Transportation commissioner. Klein served as director of the District Department of Transportation under Mayor Adrian Fenty in Washington, D.C. Klein’s tenure at the DDOT coupled bold policy initiatives with improvements in existing infrastructure, including the expansion of Circulator bus lines, initiating the largest number of complex infrastructure projects in DDOT history and launching the nation’s largest bikesharing program.

California elected officials call for “blended” HSR plan

California State Senator Joe Simitian and Representatives Anna Eshoo and Rich Gordon have released a statement on high-speed rail in the state, where it is and where it is going.

As funding is an issue, the statement said, "If we can barely find the funds to do high speed rail right, we most certainly cannot find the funds to do high speed rail wrong.

"Accordingly, we call upon the High-Speed Rail Authority and our local CalTrain Joint Powers Board to develop plans for a blended system that integrates high-speed rail with a 21st Century CalTrain."

Three key points were made:

• We explicitly reject the notion of high-speed rail running from San Jose to San Francisco on an elevated structure or "viaduct" and we call on the High-Speed Rail Authority to eliminate further consideration of an aerial option;

• We fully expect that high-speed rail running from San Jose to San Francisco can and should remain within the existing CalTrain right of way; and,

• Third and finally, consistent with a project of this more limited scope, the Authority should abandon its preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for a phased project of larger dimensions over a 25 year timeframe. Continuing to plan for a project of this scope in the face of limited funding and growing community resistance is a fool’s errand; and is particularly ill-advised when predicated on ridership projections that are less than credible.

"Within the existing right-of-way, at or below grade, a single blended system could allow high-speed rail arriving in San Jose to continue north in a seamless fashion as part of a 21st Century CalTrain, while maintaining the currently projected speeds and travel time for high-speed rail," the statement explained.

All of this is possible, but only if the High-Speed Rail Authority takes this opportunity to rethink its direction, the officials noted in the statement.

 

MTA revives “If you see something, say something” safety campaign

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority has launched its newest round of television, print and poster advertisements intended to remind customers to remain alert while using MTA services. The latest update of the MTA’s award-winning "If You See Something, Say Something" security awareness campaign will appear on television beginning immediately and in print in the beginning of May.

Building on the success of earlier ads produced under the widely-recognized campaign, this new round uses stark images that renew the seriousness of the message. Prior ads portrayed images of unattended packages in transit facilities with passengers busily walking past. The new round of ads depicts what appear to be potential terrorists planting bags on subways, buses and trains.

"The safety and security of our customers is our top priority," said Jay Walder, the chairman and CEO of the MTA. "We are hardening our infrastructure and conducting enhanced policing in coordination with our regional law enforcement partners. But these ads reinforce the important role our customers will always play in ensuring the safety of transit users throughout the entire MTA system."

The $10 million campaign is funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which last year requested permission from the MTA to use the slogan nationwide. The campaign includes four 15-second television spots as well as newspaper print ads and posters on subways, buses and trains. It was created by MTA ad agency Korey, Kay & Partners.

Honolulu Mayor, City Council announce transit authority members

Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle and the Honolulu City Council have appointed the Council’s nominees to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, which will oversee the rail transit project connecting East Kapolei with Ala Moana Center.

HART will be comprised of three members appointed by the council and three others by the mayor. The city and state transportation directors will also serve on the authority, which will then choose its ninth member. The director of the Department of Planning and Permitting is an ex-officio non-voting tenth member of HART.

Mayor Carlisle appointed retired union representative William Hong, current Corporation Counsel Carrie Okinaga and First Hawaiian Bank Chairman Don Horner.

"These three highly-qualified individuals, with years of valuable experience in their respective fields, will keep politics out of the rail project," said Carlisle. "I am grateful they agreed to serve the public by being part of HART, to ensure the project stays on course to be completed on time and on budget."

Council Vice-Chair and Transportation Committee Chair Breene Harimoto introduced the following nominees, subject to a Council vote: attorney Ivan Lui-Kwan, strategic planner Keslie Hui and Damien Kim of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Auto Truck to open production facility in Canada

Auto Truck Group LLC, a full-line upfitter serving the work truck industry, will expand operations into Canada with the opening of a new production facility in Mississauga, ON. Dennis Jones, ATG’s vice president of sales and marketing, who will manage the operation, says, "We are very excited about the opportunity to extend our company’s services to the Canadian marketplace. This facility will allow ATG to continue to grow our brand in a completely new market, while expanding our services to current customers with operations in Canada."

ATG’s 20,000-square-foot Mississauga production facility will be operational by the end of summer. Applications for CMVSS certifications and OEM Ship-Thru status have been submitted in time for the 2012 model year.

"Our plans are to draw upon the expertise and knowledge that has come from 90 years in the work truck industry to offer innovative upfitting solutions to Canadian clients," says Jones.

Virginia Gov. McDonnell signs $4B infrastructure bill, rail included

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell signed into law the most significant investment in the Commonwealth’s transportation system in a generation. The legislation, HB2527 and SB1446, sponsored by Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford) and Senators Chuck Colgan (D-Manassas) and William Wampler (R-Bristol), creates a framework to invest nearly $4 billion into Virginia’s road, rail and transit networks and fund more than 900 projects over the next three years without raising taxes.

Speaking about the transportation legislation, Governor McDonnell noted, "It has been over 20 years since we have made a major investment in our transportation system. This common-sense legislation takes advantage of previously authorized and innovative new financing mechanisms at a time when interest rates and construction costs are at near historic lows and Virginians are in dire need of jobs."

All regions of the Commonwealth will benefit from 900 projects that will be funded by this legislation, which include rail and transit improvements.

The Governor said, "A recent report by Chmura Economics shows that construction of the 900 projects will grow the Virginia economy by over $13 billion and support an additional 100,000 jobs. This transportation legislation that we are signing today is a bipartisan achievement that will benefit Virginians in every corner of the Commonwealth."

Of the many improvements, investments in Washington Metro, Hampton Roads Light rail and other transit providers, including VRE to extend to Spotsylvania County are included in the legislation.

Jeff Southard, executive vice president of the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance said, "Virginia’s transportation system is finally receiving the significant investment that will not only improve the travel experience for the millions who depend upon Virginia’s roads and transit systems each day, but it will support much-needed jobs for construction professionals throughout the Commonwealth. The transportation construction industry is a major economic driver and provider of employment in Virginia that has struggled because we have neglected our responsibility to invest in the Commonwealth’s infrastructure for so long. The legislation signed today will help Virginia’s economy to once again thrive."

 

 

St. Paul’s Mayor says FTA to commit Central Corridor funds next week

St. Paul, Minn., Mayor Chris Coleman delivered his annual State of the City address on April 18, including an announcement regarding major funds being allocated for the Central Corridor light-rail project.

The new line, a new 11-mile route between downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis, has already begun construction without the federal funding in place, completing more than 11 percent of the project.

The Mayor stated that on April 26, the Federal Transit Administration will sign the long-awaited full funding grant agreement, committing about $460 million in federal funds toward the $957 million project.

In his speech, he spoke on how the light-rail project would create educational opportunities.

"Education will be at the core of our mission. A strong transit system will allow children to get from their school to an after school program, downtown for an internship, or, after graduating from high school, to one of the many colleges or universities connected to the corridor."

Later in his address, in concluding the segment on transportation improvements, he said, "After 30 years of discussion, on April 26, next week, the full funding grant agreement will be signed. While that will be an incredible day to celebrate, we should also note a more interesting fact. As of February 28, 11.9 percent of the corridor construction has already been completed. Who says we Saint Paulites aren’t over-achievers?"

Trains are expected to begin running in 2014.

Granite awarded $41M rail relocation project in Northern California

Granite Construction Incorporated, a heavy civil contractor and construction material producer, has been awarded a $41 million rail relocation project by the City of Sacramento, Calif. Granite booked the project into its first quarter 2011 backlog.

Located in downtown Sacramento, the Railyards project includes the relocation of approximately 2.3 miles of heavy rail track, major utility infrastructure and site improvements, construction of multiple access tunnels for pedestrians and service vehicles, as well as new passenger tracks and platforms. The project is part of a 245-acre redevelopment effort designed to improve connectivity in downtown Sacramento in preparation for future expansion plans including residential and commercial development.
Work is estimated to begin in May 2011 and be completed by December 2012.

Caltrain study to focus on feasibility of initial HSR service

California’s Caltrain is preparing to conduct a series of feasibility studies to determine whether the electrification and modernization of the commuter rail system can be designed and constructed to meet Caltrain’s future operational needs, while also accommodating initial high-speed rail operations on the Peninsula corridor.

The analysis marks the first time Caltrain has undertaken an independent assessment of the commuter rail agency’s infrastructure needs in a manner that focuses on the possible additional elements that could be necessary to operate an initial level of high-speed rail service in the future on the Caltrain right-of-way.

In 2009, following the approval of billions of dollars in state and federal high-speed rail funding, Caltrain engaged in a collaborative effort with the California High Speed Rail Authority to jointly plan, design and construct the project between San Francisco and San Jose. The goal was to accommodate high-speed rail in a manner that provided meaningful assistance to Caltrain’s long-term modernization goals.

In 2010, after the selection of the Central Valley as the starting point for the statewide high-speed rail project, Caltrain announced that it would reexamine its approach and called on CHSRA to revise its planning process to study the concept of phased implementation of the project.

At its February Board meeting, CHSRA CEO Roelof Van Ark directed Authority staff to analyze the potential for a phased approach on the Peninsula. The CHSRA Board is scheduled to receive more detail about this approach at its May meeting to be held in San Jose.

In a phased approach, the first phase is envisioned to electrify the Caltrain system and potentially allow CHSRA to operate enough service to satisfy initial ridership demand. Subsequent phases would expand the capacity of the system to meet additional ridership demand if needed.

Additional studies that will be part of the planning exercise will include ridership projections, service plans, cost estimates and impacts analyses. The planning effort would inform the HSR draft environmental document, scheduled for public release in the Fall of 2012.

Modernization would generate additional revenue for the system by attracting more riders. If the project proceeds on time this additional revenue would reduce the agency’s operating deficit by 45 percent in 2019.
Modernization includes electrification of the corridor, installation of a new signaling system and the operation of electric trains.

 

Perella Weinberg Partners affiliate to acquire AIG Rail Services

An affiliate of Perella Weinberg Partners’ Asset Based Value strategy has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AIG Rail Services Inc., a provider of customized full service and net leases servicing the railroads. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

As part of the transaction, certain funds within the Asset Based Value strategy have formed a new entity to purchase and manage AIG Rail Services Inc., which will be converted into a limited liability company as part of the transactions and continue operations under the name Flagship Rail Services LLC. Eugene Henneberry, president and CEO of AIG Rail Services, will assume the title of president CEO of Flagship Rail Services and will continue to run the business, along with AIG Rail Services’ existing management team. Subject to certain conditions, the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2011.

Through this transaction, Perella Weinberg Partners’ Asset Based Value strategy will continue to expand its rail leasing and investments. Upon consummation of the transaction, the Asset Based Value strategy will own over 10,000 railcars that are deployed in the North American rail industry, making it the 9th largest lessor of railcars in the region.

David Schiff, partner at Perella Weinberg Partners and portfolio manager of the Asset Based Value strategy, stated, "Today’s announcement reflects our ongoing commitment to pursuing compelling investment opportunities that generate cash flow. We continue to see long-term value in rail and this transaction will allow us to expand our portfolio of rail-related assets, including railcars, chassis solutions and intermodal leasing. Rail remains the most efficient mode of transportation and we expect to benefit from the positive industry dynamics going forward."

Henneberry said, "This transaction enables the AIG Rail Services employees and management team to partner with David Schiff and his team to continue providing our clients with the best-in-class service that they have come to expect. We are pleased to be joining forces with such an experienced team that shares our desire to grow Flagship Rail Services."

Pennsylvania receives $6.8M from feds for freight upgrades

The Federal Railroad Administration awarded a $6.8 million grant to upgrade freight rail service in four central Pennsylvania counties supporting the Marcellus Shale natural gas deposits. Thanks to these projects, one of the world’s largest natural gas deposits will receive the rail transportation improvements needed to meet growing demand.

The project, which includes 200 miles of track improvements and bridge rehabilitation, is expected to create more than 300 construction jobs in Pennsylvania. These upgrades will expand the capacity, efficiency and safety of Pennsylvania’s short line rail network in Lycoming, Centre, Blair and Northumberland counties.

The grant from the TIGER II program will be matched by $4.6 million from the Susquehanna Economic Development Association – Council of Governments Joint Rail Authority.

UP to put $17M into Illinois track improvements

Union Pacific will continue improving Illinois’ transportation infrastructure with a nearly $17 million investment to enhance the rail line that runs from Dupo to about five miles south of Valmeyer. The nearly 26-mile project includes removing and installing new rail, renewing the surfaces in 38 road crossings and replacing five switches.

Additionally, the rail yard at Dupo will receive improvements including the removing and installing more than 11,000 ties, replacing seven switches and spreading more than 4,000 tons of ballast.

CTA, Parsons Brinkerhoff receive award for Dearborn Subway track renewal Project

The Chicago Transit Authority and co-recipient Parsons Brinkerhoff received an Honors Award for exceptional engineering achievement in the transportation category from the American Council of Engineering Companies for the track repair and replacement in the Blue Line’s Dearborn subway.

The criteria for this award involved complexity and innovation, quality, safety, cost control, sustainability, customer service and public benefits.

The Dearborn Subway Track Renewal Project rehabilitated more than 39,000 feet of track on the second busiest of CTA’s rail lines. As part of the project, crews replaced nearly seven miles of running rail, contact rail and ties, including all wooden ties dating back to the 1950s, which were replaced with concrete. In addition, 6,000 feet of ballasted track in the subway was replaced with a direct fixation concrete slab track system. CTA began work in April 2009 and the work was completed in March 2010.

"Receiving this high honor from National Council of Engineering Companies is a great accomplishment and recognizes CTA’s continued efforts to improve the reliability of service for our customers," said CTA President Richard Rodriguez. "CTA worked hard under an aggressive schedule in order to minimize the impact of construction on our customers and completed the project on-time and under budget."

The $87.8 million project was one of the first construction projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. General contractor Kiewit-Reyes, J.J.V. handled the construction with numerous local subcontractors.

 

Koppers to market rail joints

Koppers Inc., producer of crossties and related pressure-treated wood products for railroads, is now designing, manufacturing and marketing an extensive line of rail joint products acquired from Portec Rail Products Inc. late in 2010.

These rail joint products are continuing to be manufactured at the former Portec Rail Products Inc. plant in Huntington, W.V., which was acquired in the transaction.

Progress Rail to acquire Balfour Beatty trackwork business

Progress Rail Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the trackwork manufacturing business of Balfour Beatty Group Ltd., based in Sandiacre, England. Upon completion of the transaction, Balfour Beatty’s trackwork business will become part of Progress Rail Services UK Ltd., a U.K.-registered associated company of Progress Rail Services Corporation.

"With the acquisition of Balfour Beatty’s trackwork business, which includes five locations in the United Kingdom, Progress Rail will complement and globalize its existing Engineering and Track Services business unit, allowing even broader service coverage for its customers," said Progress Rail CEO Billy Ainsworth.

Balfour Beatty’s trackwork business, includes manganese steel castings, track panels, turnouts and crossings, which will allow Progress Rail to focus on improved rail engineering and coordinate customer-focused efforts through Progress Rail’s existing trackwork facilities.

"Investing in transit systems technology will enable Progress Rail to participate in the early stages of high-speed rail projects, while exceeding our customers’ expectations for the latest rail products," said Dave Roeder, Progress Rail senior vice president of engineering and track services. "We continue to aggressively grow our ETS business unit and the acquisition of Balfour Beatty’s trackwork manufacturing business will allow us to significantly broaden our trackwork operations."

The relevant people and assets currently utilized in Balfour Beatty’s trackwork business will be transferred to the Progress Rail family of companies.

"In Progress Rail we have found an industry partner that will develop the switching and crossing business further and will integrate it into their worldwide manufacturing program," said Manfred Leger, CEO of Balfour Beatty Rail Division. "I am looking forward to working with Progress Rail as a strong supply chain partner for our global rail infrastructure contracting activities."

The acquisition is expected to close in May 2011. The acquired trackwork business will remain headquartered in Sandiacre, England, in addition to its four other facilities located in the United Kingdom.

Transport funding hit hard by congressional cuts

The vote by Congress April 15 on a budget that keeps the federal government operating through Sept. 30 contains harsh spending cuts for Amtrak, transit and high-speed rail.

As for the budget bill keeping the federal government operating through Sept. 1, the cuts include:

• Amtrak funding for the remainder of this federal fiscal year through Sept. 30 was cut by some $78 million. The fiscal year 2011 Amtrak budget is thus cut from more than $1 billion to $924 million.

• Federal Transit Administration funding was cut by $400 million, plus an additional $280 million was cut from unobligated fiscal year 2010 funding, all of which will affect transit system capital and operating subsidies and expanded training for transit workers.

• All funding was cut for the high-speed and intercity passenger rail program for the remainder of fiscal year 2011, and an additional $400 million in unobligated funds from the fiscal year 2010 budget were eliminated. This is an especially harsh blow to President Obama’s vision to spend $53 billion to create high-speed and higher-speed rail corridors and expand conventional passenger rail to where 80 percent of Americans would have access to passenger trains by 2035.

Among the funds lost will be the billions initially intended for high- and higher-speed rail lines in Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin. As those funds had been rejected by those states and not reallocated yet to other states or Amtrak, the funding is now lost as part of the budget cuts.

Also lost in the budget cutting agreement were federal grants of some $50 million to help develop and implement positive train control technology, plus some $24 million to assist with rail line relocation and improvement.

The House voted 260-167 and the Senate voted 81-19 to pass the budget-cutting bill, President Obama said he will sign the bill into law.

LACMTA reaches agreement with BNSF for Foothill Extension project

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and BNSF Railway have entered an agreement that will result in BNSF abandoning its rights to use the corridor between the future Arcadia and Irwindale stations along the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension from Pasadena to Azusa, Calif. The agreement was completed just over one year following approval of full funding for the project in March 2010.

"This is a truly historic day," said Doug Tessitor, board chairman for the Construction Authority. "This agreement, which has been in the works for many years, will allow a significant portion of the Foothill Extension from Pasadena to Azusa to be built as a stand-alone corridor – reducing cost for the project’s construction and future impacts to the community."

Amendment of the shared-use agreement between the agencies was a critical path item for the Foothill Extension project. It was one of a number of conditions required of the Construction Authority in the Funding Agreement with Metro that needed to be satisfied before significant funds would be released for the project.

The original shared-use agreement was executed in the early 1990s, when the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission purchased the right-of-way between Pasadena and Claremont from Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway as part of a multi-billion dollar county-wide right-of-way purchase. The initial agreement allowed ATSF right to continue use of the rail right-of-way with the understanding that sometime in the future it would be needed for a planned rail line. BNSF Railway inherited the agreement, after ATSF merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad to form BNSF Railway in 1996.

"This has taken a significant effort," said Construction Authority CEO, Habib Balian. "Metro staff made this agreement a priority for the agency and committed themselves to seeing it completed in time for the Construction Authority to award a design-build contract this summer for the approximately $450 million Pasadena to Azusa Alignment work."

FRA extends TTCI

On March 29, 2011, the Federal Railroad Administration extended a Care, Custody and Control contract with the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., for an additional 10-year period ending September 30, 2022.

A mutual partnering agreement also was signed by FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo and TTCI Board of Directors Chairman Edward Hamberger "to maintain and improve the facilities at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo., and to enhance the use of those facilities for transportation research, development, security, training and test activities."

"This is one of the finest rail research and testing facilities in the world," TTCI President Roy Allen said. "And we are pleased with the extension of the contract, which allows us to move confidently forward with meeting the needs of the industry and the government."

AECOM awarded $32.5M contract for downtown Edmonton LRT extension

AECOM Technology Corporation, provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients around the world, has been awarded a US$32.5-million contract extension by the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, to provide project management and engineering services during construction of Edmonton’s Light Rail Transit extension from downtown Edmonton to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

The company recently completed the detailed design phase for the US$782-million LRT extension project. Under this extended contract, AECOM will provide project management and engineering services during construction of the two-mile extension.

"We are very pleased to play a key role on this important infrastructure project," said John Dionisio, AECOM president and chief executive officer. "AECOM is proud to continue this relationship with the City of Edmonton as we enhance mass transit systems in Canada."

The construction phase of the project is scheduled to be complete by December 2013 and service to commence in April 2014.

Rail Link wins Wyoming Governor

Rail Link, Inc., a subsidiary of G&W, received the Wyoming Governor’s Award for Safety and Health in the Large Mine-Site Contractor category. The award is the highest honor given by the State of Wyoming for recognition of an employer’s commitment to excellence in workplace safety and health.

Rail Link loads more than 400 million tons of Powder River Basin coal annually into trains for railroad companies at more than a dozen mines in Wyoming and Montana. This represents approximately 90 percent of Powder River Basin coal production and more than a third of all coal burned in North America. The company has 160 employees in the Powder River Basin.

At the mine sites, Rail Link employees receive empty coal trains from the railroad companies, operate them slowly through the mine’s loading stations where the cars are filled with coal and then hand the loaded, mile-long trains back to the railroad companies in a non-stop cycle of as many as 70 trains daily. Rail Link’s coal loading operations and GWI’s Utah Railway comprise GWI’s Rocky Mountain Region, which worked more than 445,000 man-hours in 2010 without a single reportable injury.

"Receiving the Wyoming Governor’s Award is a great honor," said GWI Rocky Mountain Region Senior Vice President Andrew Chunko. "Safety is our top priority, and our Rail Link employees’ commitment to working safely pays off with every single individual in the Powder River Basin returning home safely every day. It’s wonderful to be recognized by the State of Wyoming, and since safety is also our customers’ top priority, it’s a big part of our competitive advantage in the Powder River Basin."

 

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