Windsor rail tunnel proposal moves closer to reality






February 14, 2001

The companies behind a
C$400-million proposal to build a second Detroit River rail tunnel have issued
a pre-bid notice – a call for companies to prove qualifications – to conduct
the environmental assessment for the project, The Windsor Star reports.
Borealis Infrastructure and Canadian Pacific Railway, co-owners of the
100-year-old Windsor-Detroit rail tunnel, plan to build an adjacent tunnel to
accommodate larger double-stacked railway cars and possibly high-speed
cross-border passenger service.

Lawmaker questions Rochester rail bypass






February 14, 2001

A Plainview lawmaker is
backing away from supporting Rochester, Minnesota’s proposed railroad bypass,
The Post-Bulletin reports. DFL House Assistant Majority Leader Andy Welti
recently sent a letter to constituents who live along the potential rail route
saying that it is time to start negotiating with the railroad.

HDR selected for New Orleans environmental, engineering work






February 14, 2001

The New Orleans Regional
Transit Authority has selected HDR to complete an environment assessment and
preliminary engineering for extensions of the New Orleans streetcar network
into the Central Business District and neighborhoods surrounding the French
Quarter. HDR previously did the alternatives analysis identifying streetcar
investments for these areas, and the related conceptual engineering.

ACZA ties listed in AWPA standards






February 14, 2001

The Executive Committee
of the American Wood Protection Association gave final approval on January 26
for listing of ACZA-treated railroad ties in the AWPA Book of Standards.
Ammoniacal Copper Zinc Arsenate (ACZA) has been listed in AWPA standards since
1983 as an accepted wood preservative, but it was not listed for protection of
ties. Recent pressures on creosote-treated ties led Arch Wood Protection, Inc.,
licensor of the Chemonite brand of ACZA-treated wood, to submit test data to
AWPA membership for tie applications.

National Gateway hub showcases environmental commitment






February 14, 2001

Cutting-edge environmental
technologies and green design will make the Northwest Ohio Terminal Facility, a
new freight transit hub under construction in North Baltimore, Ohio, one of the
most environmentally friendly and technologically advanced freight terminals in
the country.

$171 million for Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco






February 14, 2001

The construction of a new
transit center in downtown San Francisco received a financial boost from a
$171-million federal loan, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. The
new Transbay Transit Center will connect the Bay Area to the rest of
California, making daily commutes and longer trips easier, faster and more
convenient.




UP investing nearly $42 million to improve rail lines in Arizona






February 14, 2001

Union Pacific is investing
nearly $42 million to improve its existing rail lines in Arizona.  Projects under way in the first quarter
2010 include track renewal work in the Phoenix and Mesa areas, railroad tie
replacement in Union Pacific’s Phoenix and Tucson rail yards and railroad tie
replacement on Union Pacific’s main line between Casa Grande and Yuma.

Major weekend work on New York City’s 7 Line






February 14, 2001

Beginning the weekend of Jan.
29-Feb 1 and running for nine consecutive weekends, MTA NYC Transit 7 Line trains
will operate between Main Street-Flushing and Queensboro Plaza only. There will
be no 7 train service between Grand Central in Manhattan and Long Island City.
Fare-free shuttle buses will be available.

Amtrak hosts “civic conversation” on San Antonio depot






February 14, 2001

As a part of its Great
American Stations Project, Amtrak is hosting its fifth Civic Conversation in
San Antonio, Texas, to discuss the redevelopment and restoration of passenger
rail stations with a focus on communities along the routes of the Texas Eagle, Sunset
Limited and Heartland Flyer. The two-day workshop, January 27-28, includes
information on design and planning guidelines and a how-to session on getting
started on a station renewal project and the types of state and federal grants
available for station improvements.

Earthquake safety work at BART Daly City station to affect fare gates






February 14, 2001

As part of BART’s system-wide
Earthquake Safety Program, the agency has been strengthening structures at the
Daly City, Calif., station to withstand future earthquakes. Starting early
February 2010, construction crews will start work inside the station. As a result,
BART will close two fare gates at the south end of the station, which may
result in delays during the peak morning and evening commute hours as riders
pass through the remaining fare gates.

Dutch railroad takes steps to prevent trackside metal theft






February 14, 2001

SELECTAMARK’S Dutch
distributor, Rhine Group BV, has won a major contract to protect the main rail
infrastructure in the Netherlands from metal theft, using forensic marking
product SelectaDNA. Rhine Group has been awarded the contract by Dutch rail
company ProRail BV to combat trackside metal theft. The increased risk of
stealing, transporting and handling SelectaDNA-marked copper and other metals
is expected to deter thieves and have a significant impact on the number of
incidents.

RailComm to add shove track detection system at CSXT Erwin Terminal






RailComm has been selected
to provide a shove track detection and indication system to complement its
existing yard control system at CSX Transportation’s Erwin Terminal in
Tennessee. The system will provide remote indication of the shove track status,
allowing the train operator to know when his/her train has reached the detected
limits of the shove zone. The shove track system will interface to the existing
DOC® (Domain Operations Controller) System and will provide field
indications and an indication of the shove track status on the DOC®
System graphical user interface.


BART launches API to spur innovation in transit app development






Jan. 25 marked the
formal launch of BART’s expanded API. API stands for Application Programming
Interface – sets of routines, data structures and protocols that support the
building of applications. BART has a long commitment to making its data open to
the public – such as the schedules for trains, and advisories when there are
delays. We were the first Bay Area transit agency to provide public open data,
starting in 2007.

Could lawsuit jeopardize stimulus money for proposed KC-area rail hub?






The lawsuit probably couldn’t
have come at a worse time for BNSF Railway, the Kansas City Star reports. The
federal government is getting close to announcing whether BNSF will get $50
million in federal stimulus money to start building a massive rail hub in
Johnson County. The project has to be "shovel ready" to get the money, but its
environmental permit is the target of a lawsuit, which could delay one of the
area’s biggest development projects.

CATS seeks $25-million grant for streetcar






Charlotte, N.C., is going
to ask the federal government for $25 million to help build a streetcar line
uptown, The Charlotte Observer reports. The City Council voted 7-4 Jan. 25 to
apply for a grant that would pay for much of a 1.5-mile line from the Charlotte
Transportation Center to Presbyterian Hospital on Hawthorne Drive in the
Elizabeth neighborhood. If successful, the city would need to spend at least
$12 million of its own money to finish construction.

Fresno, Calif., rail consolidation plan halted






A new report on moving BNSF
tracks out of central Fresno to relieve traffic congestion says it would cost
at least $803 million, by far the highest such estimate yet, the Bee reports. As
a result, an organization formed 10 years ago to advocate shifting the BNSF
tracks to the Union Pacific corridor is giving up, its president said.

Cleveland’s Calabrese appointed to federal ITS advisory body






U.S. Secretary of
Transportation Ray LaHood has appointed Joe Calabrese to a two-year term on the
Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Advisory Committee. Since 2000,
Calabrese has been CEO and general manager of the Greater Cleveland Regional
Transit Authority. He has more than 30 years experience in public transit.