SFRTA receives TIGGER grant to build “green” station

South Florida Regional Transportation Authority will receive $5.7 million through the Federal Transit Administration’s TIGGER III Grant Program. The funds will be used to construct Tri-Rail’s first green, LEED certified, sustainable station at Pompano Beach. The SFRTA project was one of 46 nationwide selected to receive grants.

The FTA reviewed 266 project applications representing more than $1 billion in funding requests from transit providers across the country. The awards to the projects selected totaled over $100 million.

“We are grateful to the FTA for providing the funds to go forward with this very important project. It is a win-win for South Florida. A win for the environment and a win for the economy due to the construction jobs it will create,” said SFRTA Chair, Commissioner Kristin Jacobs.

The rebuilt Pompano Beach Station will generate more than 100 percent of the station’s energy demand through solar panels. The project will send the excess energy to the power grid and store daytime energy for nighttime lighting of the station, parking area, and other parts of the facility.

Implementation of this demonstration project will result in a significant reduction in energy consumption, which is consistent with the FTA’s livability and environmental sustainability goals to support green building. Tri-Rail’s Pompano Beach Station will be the first transit station in the State of Florida to be 100 percent supported by solar energy and will become SFRTA’s green station prototype for future improvements at all Tri-Rail stations.

TriMet ridership up in October

Portland-area TriMet’s ridership during the month of October showed strong upward trends and reached new records. For the month, there were 8.8 million trips taken on buses, MAX and WES Commuter Rail, up more than two percent compared to October 2010.

EIS issued for proposed Corman line in Pennsylvania

The Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis has issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines Inc. proposed construction, operation and reactivation of a 20-mile railroad line between Wallaceton and Gorton, in Clearfield and Centre Counties, Pa.

Wabtec acquires Fulmer Company

Wabtec Corporation has acquired Fulmer Company, manufacturer of motor components for rail, power generation and other industrial markets. Based in Export, Pa., Fulmer has annual sales of about $15 million. Wabtec expects the transaction to be accretive in the first year.

TxDOT receives $5.6 million grant for Oklahoma City-South Texas Corridor

The Federal Transit Administration awarded $5.6 million to the Texas Department of Transportation for planning and environmental work to advance the development of the Oklahoma City-South Texas Corridor. Future intercity passenger rail service will connect Oklahoma City, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and South Texas, some of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the nation.

“Gateway to San Gabriel Valley” final design approved

The I-210 Gold Line Bridge, which will one day serve as the “Gateway to the San Gabriel Valley,” moved closer to completion with the approval of its final design by Caltrans and the The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority. The bridge is the first component of the 11.5-mile Gold Line Foothill Extension light-rail project from Pasadena to Azusa, Calif., to advance from the design phase to the construction phase.

MWAA approves Dulles extension funding agreement

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution ratifying a Memorandum of Agreement that will ensure the continuation of the Dulles Rail extension to Loudoun County. The Memorandum of Agreement is a multi-party agreement that outlines the fiscal responsibilities of federal, state and local entities in the estimated $2.8 billion phase 2 of the rail project.

PANYNJ hires HDR to rehabilitate Greenville Yard

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey hired HDR to rehabilitate the Greenville Yard in Greenville, N.J., to improve ongoing rail-to-barge-to-rail freight movements across New York Harbor. The work includes rehabilitating a barge and transfer bridge used to move freight rail cars from the yard to the barges, designing a new barge and two new bridges, demolishing two bridges, rehabilitating the rail yard and waterfront structures and environmental permitting.

CTA approves $1.24 billion budget

The Chicago Transit Board approved a $1.24 billion budget for 2012 that holds the line on fares and maintains current service levels, relying on deep management cuts and work rule changes from labor unions. The proposed budget is $66.2 million, or 5.1 percent, less than the 2011 budget.

Study finds Quebec City-Windsor HSR feasible, but pricey

The feasibility study for a high-speed rail service in the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor in Quebec and Ontario, Canada, was conducted on behalf of Transport Canada, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation of Quebec by EcoTrain, a group of international consulting firms led by Dessau and comprising Deutsche Bahn International, KPMG, MMM Group, and Wilbur Smith Associates.

The joint study included an assessment of high-speed train technologies; potential routings; traffic forecasts; financial and economic (cost-benefit) analyses. The study also evaluated socioeconomic, environmental and transportation system impacts of developing high speed rail.

The study evaluated two technologies based on speeds of 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph) using diesel traction and 300 km/h (186 mph) using electric traction. It further identified potential routes to accommodate each of the 200 and 300 km/h (124 and 186 mph) technologies including stations at Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, London and Windsor.

The financial analysis considered a government financing case (wholly public) and a partly private sector-funded case (private sector). The total development costs in 2009 dollars for the full Quebec City – Windsor Corridor are estimated to be between $18.9 billion (US$18.5 billion) for the 200 km/h (124 mph) technology and $21.3 billion (S$20.86 billion) for the 300 km/h (186 mph) technology. Developing the section between Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto could cost between $9.1 (US$8.9 billion) for 200 km/h (124 mph) and $11 billion (US$10.77 billion) for 300 km/h (186 mph). The main findings from the financial analysis for both the public case and the private sector case for the full Quebec City – Windsor Corridor indicate that while the project could cover all operating costs, governments would need to contribute significantly to the project development cost and receive no financial return on investment.

The economic analysis assessed the viability of the project and its contribution to the economy as a whole by taking into account non-financial costs and benefits, such as changes in atmospheric emissions, public safety improvements and impact of HSR on transportation operators within the corridor. From the point of view of the Canadian economy as a whole, the economic analysis showed that HSR between Quebec City and Windsor would not generate a positive net economic benefit. However, a project between Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto only could generate a positive net economic benefit at both 200 and 300 km/h (124 and 186 mph).