High Speed Rail: Round the Second

Later this week, the Obama Administration will announce the recipients of a $2.5 billion investment in high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects around the nation. The grants – appropriated as part of the FY 2010 federal budget and awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation – are intended to build upon the $8 billion provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which established the groundwork for true high-speed rail service, while also improving, introducing or reintroducing contemporary intercity passenger rail operations to a number of corridors. RAIL Magazine's full analysis of those projects supported by ARRA is available here.

The largest awards are not surprising, as they'll support the two projects most likely to introduce true high-speed rail in the shortest timeframe: those in California and Florida. Through a more than $900 million investment in California's high-speed rail effort – the nation's largest and most fully realized high-speed rail campaign – will be able to advance work on the project, especially on the segment through the Central Valley between Merced and Bakersfield. Other elements will include the purchase of new rolling stock, an automatic braking and control system, work on the San Jose and San Francisco segment and infrastructure upgrades in Del Mar.

Meanwhile, Florida will receive $800 million, nearly all of which will be devoted to the construction of the nation's first true high-speed route between Orlando and Tampa. The investment will allow the project's aggressive planning and construction schedule to continue, with operations at top speeds of 186 mph targeted for 2014. Upon receipt of the expected award, the project will have secured $2.06 billion of its $2.7 billion pricetag, and is expected to receive the remainder from the $1 billion for high-speed and intercity passenger rail provided in the FY 2011 federal budget. Proponents for high-speed rail, starting with President Obama himself, along with Vice President Biden – have identified the Orlando-Tampa corridor is a test case for the development of additional routes around the nation, including California's planned network. In early 2011, Florida will select some entity – likely one based on significant overseas experience in high-speed rail, such as those in Europe or Asia – to build, operate and maintain the service, along with supplying the high-speed equipment and technologies. The operation is expected to attract more than $2.4 million rider's in its debut year, produce positive revenue and make the 84-mile trip between the two cities – on express runs – in about 50 minutes.

While the investment directed to California and Florida will constitute the bulk of the $2.5 billion available, a number of other important, conventional intercity passenger rail projects also will likely be selected. Continuing on the ARRA-rail investment trend to support the development of new, non-high-speed passenger rail lines – such as those connecting Milwaukee and Madison, Wisc., and Ohio's 3-C corridor between Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati – this round of investment will channel $230 million to support a new service between Chicago, Ill., and Iowa City. The new service – which smartly leverages a $10 million TIGER II grant to Moline, Ill., to prepare a new intermodal facility there – is expected to be underway in 2015 with two daily roundtrip trains and generate more than 240,000 annual trips in its first year of operation. The 220-mile route has not hosted scheduled, daily passenger rail service since Amtrak's formation in 1970 and has already received more than $65 million in investment from Illinois, Iowa and local government sources.

Additionally, $150 million will likely be awarded to Michigan, for upgrades to Amtrak's corridor between Dearborn and Kalamazoo, which will increase train speeds and improve reliability. The project will build upon ARRA investment to Indiana to upgrade sections of the same route that leads to the Dearborn-Kalamazoo line. Likewise, probable grants to corridors in Connecticut and Massachusetts ($121 million), Virginia ($45 million) and Oregon ($9 million) will build on initial ARRA support to further advance conventional passenger rail services in those areas. Moreover, a partnership of North and South Carolina, along with Georgia, will conduct a $4.1 million study on an improved route between Charlotte and Atlanta. Other projects could also be selected with this week's official announcement.

Rail Projects in TIGER II

Rendering of the Atlanta Peachtree Corridor Streetcar

Today, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced a series of investments in a range of transportation projects across the nation. As part of the Department of Transportation's TIGER II (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) program, 75 projects in 40 states were selected totaling $585 million out of more than 1,000 proposals submitted requesting more than $19 billion. Projects selected – divided between 42 capital projects and 33 planning efforts – focused on a range of transportation improvement activities, including new roadway and transit infrastructure, transit-oriented development, freight capacity enhancements and intermodal facilities. 


Passenger rail-related projects fared well, as 11 capital and 11 planning projects were chosen that directly impact various passenger rail modes. Indeed, the largest single project selected was more than $47 million to support the construction of the Atlanta Peachtree Corridor Streetcar, which will connect with the existing MARTA heavy-rail metro network at its Peachtree Center station and stretch 2.7 miles reaching 12 stops within Atlanta's Peachtree Corridor. Meanwhile, the Utah Transit Authority received $26 million in investment to aid in the construction of the Sugar House Streetcar project, which will link to the existing TRAX light-rail network at the Central Pointe station, extending two miles to serve seven stops. The service is projected to attract 3,000 daily riders upon its opening in 2013. 


Other significant capital projects include the rehabilitation of Tower 55 in downtown Fort Worth, Tex., where busy rail lines owned by BNSF and the Union Pacific intersect. The $34 million effort will allow not only freight, but Amtrak's Texas Eagle and Heartland Flyer trains, as well as Trinity Railway Express [see our full-length feature article in RAIL #1] commuter trains to and from Dallas, to navigate the intersection easier. Additionally, Niagara Falls, N.Y., will receive $16.5 million to construct a new passenger station and customs and immigration facility near the Niagara Gorge at the Whirlpool Bridge to better serve Amtrak's Maple Leaf – which operates between Toronto, Ont., and New York City, as well as the terminal destination for its Empire Service corridor trains to Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany and New York City. 


Perhaps the most interesting approach supported by the new round of investment is a $20 million award to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for the development of the Crenshaw Corridor light-rail line. The grant leverages a previously-announced $546 million loan through the Department of Transportation's TIFIA program that will accelerate the 8.5 mile project by perhaps a decade or more. The route will connect the Expo/Crenshaw station on the currently-under construction Exposition Line [see our full-length feature article in RAIL #22] with Los Angles International Airport (LAX) and the existing Green Line light rail near the airport, providing rail service for the first time to communities such as Inglewood and Westchester. 


Other capital projects will include new or upgraded intermodal stations in Moline, Ind., and Des Moines, Iowa ($10 million each) as well as rail station revitalization and improvement projects in Philadelphia, Pa. ($15 million), Cleveland, Ohio ($10 million) and the Fordham Transit Center in New York, N.Y. ($10 million). A number of freight capacity improvements were also selected, and while they might not directly impact passenger rail systems, a more efficient and effective freight network benefits the entire rail sector. Likewise, TIGER II also includes investments for a number of transit improvements and great streets projects that enhance sustainable communities through new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, accessibility features and livability enhancements that affect communities and neighborhoods with existing passenger rail service. A full list of, and fact sheets on the capital projects selected for Tiger II funding is available here. 


Moreover, the 11 planning-related projects directly related to passenger rail allow for plans and studies to move forward on transit-oriented development (TOD) efforts at the West Oakland Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Oakland, Calif. ($2 million) [see our profile on TOD at BART's Fruitvale station in RAIL #15], the Canal Crossing project in Jersey City, N.J. served by NJ Transit's Hudson-Bergen light-rail line ($1.9 million) [see our profile in RAIL #1], Denver's West Corridor light-rail extension currently under construction ($1.1 million), and at Greenville, S.C.'s Amtrak station ($235,000). Planning grant investment will also advance plans for new stations in Newark, Del. ($2.2 million), Madison, Wisc. ($950,000) and Lexington, N.C. ($700,000), as well as supporting studies on the east rail corridor in Pittsburgh, Pa. ($825,000), relocating the South Shore commuter railroad in Northern Indiana off of street-running trackage in Michigan City, Ind. ($800,000) [see our profile in RAIL #1), a new urban circulator system – possibly a streetcar – in Oklahoma City, Okla. ($378,000), and revitalization of neighborhoods surrounding the Metrolink light-rail system in University City, Mo. ($150,000). A full list and descriptions of the Tiger II planning projects can be found here.   

Rail & State of Good Repair

Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff announced $776 million in investment to support the ongoing maintenance and vehicle needs of transit providers across the nation. While the bulk of the investment is rightly targeted to help transit agencies purchase new buses and bus maintenance facilities – which also helps those systems also operating rail networks by improving the organization's overall stability – there were a few projects that have real or potential benefits for passenger rail operations.

The most prominent is the $7.4 million investment to the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) to renovate its historic Carrollton streetcar barn, which houses the agency's equally historic St. Charles Streetcars. The 1893 barn is the nation's oldest continually operating transit maintenance facility and was mercifully spared from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, unlike its newer counterpart on Canal Street. The renovation process will make the building ADA-compliant and introduce improved and energy-efficient lighting, new floors and waste treatment systems as well as security devices. 

Additionally, the Jacksonville Transit Authority will receive more than $2.3 million to rehabilitate the bus facilities at three of the system's eight Sykyway elevated people mover stations. The work will improve the electrical and structural components at the stations to enhance the passenger experience for travelers connecting between the Skyway and local bus routes. The 2.5-mile Skyway – similar to other people movers in Detroit and Miami – opened in 1989 to serve downtown Jacksonville attractions and spans the St. John's River to reach the south side of the downtown area. 

Finally, although not yet connected to any passenger rail service, one of the largest grants – $16 million – was awarded to the Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) for the construction of the Twin Points Multimodal Transportation Terminal. In addition to serving local bus routes of the DTA, intercity bus lines, taxis, car rental providers and bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, the facility could serve as the northern terminus for the planned Northern Lights Express intercity passenger rail operation to Minneapolis. The 155-mile corridor would host trains every two hours and reach speeds up to 110 mph. The presence of an established multimodal facility in Duluth will make the project more attractive for federal and state investment.