North-Link Partnership awards Edmonton LRT contract

The North-Link Partnership made up of Graham Group and SNC-Lavalin Constructors has awarded HJ Skelton (Canada) Ltd. a contract to supply the trackwork for Canada’s Edmonton North LRT project.

The company will provide two intersecting double crossovers, curved and acute, with a third track-exit diamond crossing. It will be manufactured by DT in the Czech Republic and the special trackwork close crossties will come from LB Foster’s CXT concrete tie plant in Spokane, Wash.

TriMet names new General Counsel

TriMet promoted Jana Toran to the agency’s new General Counsel in July. She replaced M. Brian Playfair who retired from this position.

Toran has been with TriMet for 10 years and was previously the company’s director of legal services. Prior to her tenure at TriMet, Toran was sole practitioner of her own firm.

"She has made significant contributions to TriMet, building a strong in-house litigation team," said TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane.

 

APTA: Transportation impacts varied by debt deal

President Obama signed legislation on Aug. 2 to raise the nation’s debt limit, following the implementation of the Budget Control Act passed by the House on Aug. 1.

An initial analysis of the Act by the American Public Transportation Association reveals no specific impact on transportation accounts or the Highway Trust Fund/Mass Transit Account. Spending authority from the HTF/MTA is treated as mandatory spending, and thus not subject to the discretionary spending caps set forth in the Act. The Act does not provide for any additional revenues, to any federal accounts and thus does nothing to ensure the solvency of the HTF/MTA.

As a result, the scenario facing House and Senate Transportation Authorizing committees remains unchanged. It is expected that House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica will continue to proceed with his six-year bill at revenue-constrained funding levels.

While the leadership of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), which has jurisdiction over the federal highway program, has proposed a two-year authorization bill that funds transit and highway programs at current levels, it is not clear how the Act will affect efforts to raise the estimated $12 billion needed to fund that bill.

The APTA is suggesting its members contact their congressional delegations during the August district work period to urge a surface transportation authorization bill in September. This may help preserve current levels of funding for transit and highway programs and possibly provide funding for a six-year, multimodal surface transportation authorization bill.

Despite initial plans of the EPW committee to hold a hearing on its two-year surface transportation authorization proposal, action was put on hold in light of the debt limit debate and no further action will occur until congress returns in September.

The date for markup of the bill remains fluid as Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), the EPW committee-ranking member, has expressed opposition to moving forward without the financing for the bill in place. Currently, the two-year proposal needs approximately $12 billion over two years to fund the bill at proposed levels as discussed in this previous legislative alert. Once EPW moves forward, it is expected that the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, which has jurisdiction over transit and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over rail and safety programs, will release their respective titles shortly thereafter.

FTA selects six transit agencies for pilot program

The Federal Transit Administration has selected six transit agencies from around the U.S. to participate in its Transit Asset Management pilot program and share $4 million to help take a more systematic approach to determining and anticipating when equipment needs maintenance or when it needs to be replaced.

The program encourages urban, suburban and rural transit agencies to find new, cost-effective ways to manage and maintain the condition of their systems.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (San Francisco Bay area), Regional Transportation Authority (Chicago and Northeast Illinois), Utah Transit Authority, Valley Regional Transit (Meridian, Idaho) and Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation were selected to participate in the pilot program.

Union Pacific ups speed of Kansas line

As part of Union Pacific’s $3 million investment in track improvements, the railroad will increase the speed of its trains in several central Kansas communities. The speed will increase from 25 mph to 49 mph across UP’s 20-mile line between Whitewater, Kan., and Wichita, Kan.

Train speeds will be increased five mph each week beginning Sept. 1, and four mph on Sept. 22, when the new maximum speed limit of 49 mph is reached.

 

KCS appoints Cline VP and treasurer

Kansas City Southern has appointed Michael Cline to vice president and treasurer, replacing Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer Paul Weyandt, who retired this summer.

Cline has worked in finance for 28 years. He joins KCS from Great Plains Energy, where he spent 10 years, most recently as vice president of investor relations and treasurer.

 

Amtrak names new leadership to Mayors’ Advisory Council

Amtrak has named Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City, Okla., as chairman and Mayor Susan Kluttz of Salisbury, N.C., as vice chairman of the Amtrak Mayors’ Advisory Council.

"I look forward to leading the Amtrak Mayors’ Advisory Council in our focus on expanded national transportation mobility and travel options," said Mayor Cornett.

"I am truly honored to serve on the Amtrak Mayors Advisory Council. The railroad has been an important part of my City’s history since 1855 and the addition of Amtrak service in 1971 has been a tremendous asset," said Mayor Kluttz.

 

Watco names Diemert GM Louis transload facility

Watco Transload and Intermodal Services has named Ed Diemert general manager of its St. Louis, Mo., transload facility. Diemert will be responsible for managing operating activi¬ties and will also be tasked with managing operating and financial resources.

According to Watco, Diemert brings a high level of customer service created from his background in truck sales at Kenworth of St. Louis, where he worked for four years.

 

Schumer: Get New York rail projects rolling

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer sent a personal letter to the leaders of CSX, Amtrak, the New York State Department of Transportation and the Federal Railway Administration, urging them to work together and reach the necessary agreements to move forward with rail projects across the state.

From Fiscal Year 2009 and 2010 and the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, Senator Schumer has helped New York secure $250 million in rail funding, but only $6.5 million has been obligated for specific projects.

Senator Schumer’s letter:

Dear Administrator Szabo, Commissioner McDonald, Mr. Boardman and Chairman Ward:

I write to underscore the critical need for timely and effective allocation and utilization of the funding for high-speed rail projects in upstate New York awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. I appreciate the effort each of your organizations has put into reaching an agreement that will allow the projects that define New York’s overall effort to move forward and I urge you to work quickly to finalize those agreements so that work can begin on these important projects.

Specifically, I urge the Federal Rail Administration, New York State Department of Transportation, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) and CSX Corporation to quickly finalize the necessary agreements and allow New York to utilize the nearly $240 million awarded to rail projects in Upstate New York that remains to be obligated. This funding is critical for putting hundreds of New Yorkers to work making desperately needed improvements to New York State’s rail infrastructure – improvements that will create the infrastructure needed to build a vibrant economy for decades to come – and delaying the work will only put the funds at risk.

There have been several attempts in Congress to rescind transportation infrastructure funding which has not yet been obligated, including a recently passed House of Representatives Energy and Water Appropriations bill which would rescind unobligated money for ARRA-funded rail projects. This is a short-sighted and mistaken policy that will eat our seed corn, rather than wisely investing in projects that will both put people to work in the short term – when unemployment remains unacceptably high – and lay the foundations of an economy capable of competing and creating jobs in the global marketplace. I will work to keep this provision from being included in the final appropriations bill and will fight against any other efforts to rescind money awarded to New York. However, the best way to prevent high-speed rail funding from the threat of rescission is to finalize the necessary agreements so that the money can be obligated and put to its intended use, and I strongly urge you to do just that.

I worked very hard with my colleagues from the New York State congressional delegation to secure funding for the Empire Corridor, which runs from Niagara Falls to Albany, and south to New York City. Rail passage on the corridor, as it currently exists, is constrained by a bottleneck from Schenectady to Albany that adds significantly to trip times. A portion of the ARRA award totaling more than $87 million will add a second track from Schenectady to Albany, thus eliminating the backlog. This project is of the utmost importance in improving rail travel in New York State, and we cannot afford to waste any time in completing it.

In addition to the second track project between Albany and Schenectady, many other projects in New York State will benefit from the $240 million in ARRA funding that has yet to be obligated. These include much needed track improvements in the Rochester area and important grade crossing and signal improvements across the. All of this work is critical to ensuring faster, safer and more efficient trips for passengers.

I understand that FRA, NYSDOT, Amtrak and CSX are working together to reach an agreement on how these rail projects and subsequent operations will serviced, maintained and financed. I ask that all parties promptly conclude these discussions so as to allow funding to be obligated and the projects to commence. The operating agreements between NYSDOT and Amtrak are of particular importance and will determine how NYSDOT and Amtrak will divide responsibility for maintenance and operating costs. I urge NYSDOT and Amtrak to continue working together to find an agreement through which Amtrak takes responsibility for some portion of the maintenance and operations of the tracks.

Thank you for your continued attention to this important matter. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact my Washington, DC office at 202-224-6542.

Sincerely,
Senator Charles E. Schumer

MBTA GM appointed MassDOT Secretary and CEO

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has appointed Richard Davey as Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, effective September 1. Davey will replace outgoing MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jeffrey Mullan, who last month announced his decision to resign in order to return to the private sector.

"Rich has a proven record of commitment to safety and customer service, along with an energetic leadership style that will allow him to hit the ground running in continuing to implement transportation reform at MassDOT," said Governor Patrick. "I look forward to working with Rich and want to express my deep appreciation for Jeff Mullan’s passion and outstanding service to the citizens of the Commonwealth."

Since March 2010, Davey has served as MassDOT’s rail and transit administrator and as general manager of the MBTA. As GM, Davey has overseen an increase in MBTA ridership that hit a record 379 million unlinked passenger trips in the year ending June 30. He has made safety for customers and employees his highest priority, starting an MBTA Safety Hotline to encourage employee reporting of safety concerns. Davey started customer service programs including "Where’s the Bus, Subway, and Commuter Rail" Open Data Initiative to encourage development of smart phone applications at minimal cost to the MBTA. The Open Data Initiative alone has led to the creation of more than two dozen apps for smart phones and other hand-held devices, giving thousands of commuters real-time information on transit services. Davey also convened regular "Join the GM" customer outreach visits to MBTA stations and other facilities across the state in an effort to bring transparency and openness to the T.

"I am honored by Governor Patrick’s appointment and promise to build on the demonstrated commitment of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to create a unified transportation enterprise that puts safety first, serves the customer and makes the most efficient use of our resources," said Davey. "I am fortunate to follow Jeff Mullan and benefit from his mentorship in taking on this responsibility. As the first Secretary of MassDOT, Jeff has brought a depth of knowledge and boundless energy to the task, and I join the Governor and Lieutenant Governor in wishing him well."

In his role as Secretary and CEO of MassDOT, Davey will be responsible for day-to-day management of the transportation organization created by the Transportation Reform legislation signed by Governor Patrick in June 2009.

Parsons Brinkerhoff-led joint venture named GEC for Maryland transit program

PB/RK&K, a joint venture of Parsons Brinckerhoff and RK&K in association with AECOM, has been selected to serve the Maryland Transit Administration as an on-call general engineering consultant for statewide transportation projects.

Under its contract PB/RK&K will provide project management, project controls, environmental, structural, tunneling, rolling stock and train signal engineering services during the preliminary and final design phase of any open-ended transportation project throughout the state. In addition, PB/RK&K will perform the associated safety and security and quality assurance functions for these projects.

PB/RK&K’s principal assignment is the design of the proposed Red Line, a 14-mile light-rail system that would extend from Woodlawn in Baltimore County into Baltimore City, through Edmondson Village, West Baltimore, downtown Baltimore, Inner Harbor East, Fells Point and terminate at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Campus. This alignment includes 15 surface stations, five underground stations, one mile of aerial structure and approximately four miles of dual-track tunnel.

Final design is expected to be completed by 2016.

 

NuStar, EOG Resources enter agreement to build Louisiana rail offloading facility

NuStar Logistics, EOG Resources Rail Yard (Louisiana) LLC and EOG Resources Marketing, Inc., have entered into a definitive agreement to jointly develop, build and own a 70,000-barrel-per-day unit train offloading facility at NuStar’s crude oil terminal in St. James, La. The project will facilitate movement and storage of crude oil production from the Bakken, Eagle Ford and other developing shale plays in the United States.

NuStar’s 8-million-barrel terminal is one of the largest in the growing St. James crude oil hub and has interconnectivity to major crude infrastructure including major onshore and offshore pipeline systems, as well as marine, truck and rail access. The new project will include the addition of new rail and unit train unloading facilities. Two new storage tanks with a combined 360,000 barrels of capacity will also be built in conjunction with the project. The new facility will be equipped to receive at least one 70,000-barrel train per day and will have enough track and other infrastructure to stage an additional train to await offloading. The rail project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2012 and the tanks are expected to be completed and in service in May 2012.

"This project will give our customers much greater ability to move and store production from very significant crude discoveries throughout the U.S.," said Curt Anastasio, president and CEO of NuStar. "Our St. James terminal is ideally situated in a major crude oil hub and has access to all modes of transportation to effectively get the crude to any number of markets. And given EOG’s vast resources and leadership in our industry, they are the ideal partner for us in this effort."

"We are pleased to be a partner in the new St. James unloading facility that will provide diverse market opportunities for our crude. Given the price differentials that exist within the marketplace today, we view this project as an important part of our crude-by-rail strategy," said Mark Papa, chairman and CEO, EOG Resources, Inc.

LACMTA Board of Directors adopts green construction policy

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors has adopted a Green Construction Policy. The policy requires identifying and mitigating the impacts of emissions on human health, the environment and climate for on-road, off-road construction and equipment used in LACMTA construction.

LACMTA is one of the first transit agencies in the country to institute a comprehensive policy aimed at reducing harmful emissions from construction equipment used in the course of the agency’s transportation projects.

The policy will be incorporated into the requirements of all future procurement contracts. It is not retroactive. The implementation of the policy for projects funded or programmed through LACMTA will be phased in through a collaborative process. LACMTA will be developing a technical assistance program to provide needed support to local jurisdictions in their efforts to implement the Green Construction Policy.

Metro is the leader in transportation industry in sustainability practices with the retiring of the last diesel bus earlier this year, housing the largest installation of solar panels and a Board mandate that any Metro facility over 10,000 square feet is built to LEED standards.

Feds award $336.2 million for next generation trains in California, Midwest

California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Missouri will receive $336.2 million from the Federal Railroad Administration to purchase next-generation, American-made trains that will run on rail corridors in those states. Previously awarded rail dollars bring the amount received by these five states and Washington State to $782 million for the purchase of 33 quick-acceleration locomotives and 120 bi-level passenger cars.

California and Illinois reached cooperative agreements with the Federal Railroad Administration to begin a multi-state procurement of equipment for passenger rail corridors in California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon and Washington State.

"Building a nationwide rail network is critical to America’s long-term economic success," said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo.

Trains will be designed to travel more than 110 mph along intercity passenger corridors. In the joint procurement process, states will leverage these federal investments, along with state matching dollars. State partners will also first issue a request for information and then a request for proposal to allow for an open and competitive process. The RFI is expected to be issued in late summer 2011.

 

UP achieves its best ever reportable injury rate

Union Pacific employees achieved the best first half of the year safety performance in the company’s nearly 150-year history. For the period Jan. 1 through June 30, UP’s employee-reportable injury rate was 1.01, a 23 percent improvement versus 2010’s record of a 1.31 reportable injury rate.

In addition, UP’s 0.95 employee reportable injury rate for the second quarter of 2011 was the best quarterly safety performance ever and represented a 33 percent improvement over the 1.41 reportable injury rate from the second quarter 2010.

"More employees than ever are participating in the Total Safety Culture
initiative, which along with increased risk identification understanding and enhanced training played significant factors in our employees’ safety performance," said Bob Grimaila, UP vice president of safety, security and environment.

 

Houston Metro to begin bridge work for LRT project

Work will begin on Houston Metro’s North Main Street bridge on Aug. 8 as part of the North Line light-rail project.

"We are configuring two major-bridge structures for the light-rail expansion on the new North Line," said David Couch, Metro senior vice president for Capital programs.

The closure between Naylor and Franklin streets allows crews to begin rebuilding the northern section of the Main Street bridge for light-rail use. Metro will also construct the southern part of the bridge, over the Union Pacific tracks.

 

KCS appoints Anderson as automotive sales VP

Kansas City Southern has appointed Kelley Anderson as vice president of automotive sales.

Anderson has 32 years of transportation experience. He joins KCS from RJ Corman Railroad Group, where he served as vice president of strategic sales and marketing. He has held positions with BNSF Railway, Southern Pacific and Burlington Northern railroads.

"Kelley brings extensive rail industry experience and an outstanding reputation," said Patrick Ottensmeyer executive vice president of sales and marketing

NCRR board adds five members

The North Carolina Railroad Company has elected five new directors to its 13-member board, with terms officially commencing July 1, 2011.

The directors appointed by Senate President Pro-Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) are Duane Long of Wake County who is the chairman and co-founder of Longistics and Franklin Rouse of Brunswick County who is the owner of Franklin Rouse State Farm Agency.

The directors appointed by Speaker of the House Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) are George Rountree of New Hanover County who is the senior partner and attorney of Rountree, Losee & Baldwin L.L.P. and Walter LaRoque of Lenoir County who is the president of LaRoque Real Estate Operations, Management Group, Inc., East Carolina Development Company, Inc., and the Piedmont Development Company in Kinston, N.C. Tillis also appointed James Powell of Alamance County who is the former president, chief executive officer and director of Laboratory Corp of America.

 

Gregory joins Parsons Brinkerhoff

John Gregory has been named a senior supervising engineer in the Orange, Calif., office of Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Gregory has more than 20 years of transit industry experience. His vehicle design experience includes supervising a mechanical design team and coordinating engineering design, troubleshooting mechanical design issues, maintaining design quality assurance and monitoring specification compliance, safety, manufacturability, systems integration and cost effectiveness.