Non-Ohio Transit News & Discussion

[Dougal]

Purple Line woes continue.  A state court has ruled that the contractor can walk next week. The budget hole is now being talked about as about $1 BILLION. Maryland says the state itself will take over construction, although the state budget is already facing a $3 bilion deficit in promised transportation programs over the next six years. 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/judge-purple-line-builders-may-quit-mid-construction-over-cost-disputes/2020/09/10/ae8e5fb6-f2dc-11ea-b796-2dd09962649c_story.html

[thebillshark]

On 9/9/2020 at 5:04 PM, Dougal said:

The 16-mile project is projected to cost well over $100 million a mile.  There will be nothing usable at the point the money runs out. 

It just boggles my mind where this kind of money is going. You could pay a crew of 100 people $200k a year and that would still only be $20 million

[Dougal]

20 minutes ago, thebillshark said:

It just boggles my mind where this kind of money is going. You could pay a crew of 100 people $200k a year and that would still only be $20 million

One reason is incrementalism.

 

It started as a $56 million two-car shuttle to run 5 miles using a county-owned, single-track Chessie right-of-way from Bethesda to Silver Spring (two satellite downtowns both on the DC Metro system). And then the politicians got at it. "We can't have that old Connecticut Avenue grade crossing. Better build a bridge."  "Let's extend it to Tacoma Park."  "With that length it has to be double-tracked."  "Maryland will pay if we extend it to Prince George's County." "If we extend it all the way to New Carrollton, it will connect to Amtrak and another Metro line." "We need elevated stations, so what if they will quintuple ADA-compatibility costs." Etc, etc, etc, ...

[mrnyc]

jacksonville is getting autonomous transit:

 

 

JTA receives first Olli 2.0 autonomous vehicle in the U.S.

 

This is the sixth autonomous vehicle the JTA has tested since it launched its Ultimate Urban Circulator program in 2017.

 

Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)

Sep 16th, 2020

 

 

Olli 2.0, the autonomous vehicle from Beep, Local Motors by LM Industries and Robotic Research LLC, has entered the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s (JTA) Test & Learn Program.  

 

The Olli 2.0 was delivered to Jacksonville in late August through a partnership with Beep, Local Motors by LM Industries and Robotic Research LLC. This is Local Motor’s first electric, autonomous, 3D-printed shuttle to be built in the United States. It will lead the next phase of the JTA’s Test & Learn activities at Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Cecil Center Campus and the JTA’s Armsdale Test & Learn facilities. 

 

This is the sixth autonomous vehicle the JTA has tested since it launched its Ultimate Urban Circulator program in 2017. The U2C program will transform and modernize the existing Skyway APM system in downtown Jacksonville to support autonomous vehicles and related technologies. The multi-phase program includes the full conversion of the existing Skyway infrastructure and neighborhood expansions through ground-level connections, creating a 10-mile urban transit network. 

 

https://www.masstransitmag.com/alt-mobility/autonomous-vehicles/press-release/21154569/jacksonville-transportation-authority-jta-jta-receives-first-olli-20-av-in-the-us

 

 

Local Motors’ Olli 2.0 is equipped with Robotic Research's AutoDrive® Autonomy kit, which provides driver-warning, driver-assist and connected autonomous functionality.

[ColDayMan]

Columbus had that like 6 months ago.

[GCrites]

^I think that got pulled off of the Riverfront and is headed to... Linden!

[mrnyc]

automonous is in the cota fleet? or a demo?

[ColDayMan]

53 minutes ago, mrnyc said:

automonous is in the cota fleet? or a demo?

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/02/06/photossmart-columbus-self-driving-shuttle-starts.html

[Cleburger]

Here's something you don't see every day...BART cars driving on I 71! 

 

I spotted at least 3 headed southbound yesterday on my trip home from Columbus.   

 

 

 

 

[mrnyc]

^ pretty cool sighting!

 

bombardier was supposed to open a california facility last year for bart --- maybe it didn't happen? or cali 'rona issues?  i dk.

 

https://www.bart.gov/about/projects/cars

 

 

 

*****

 

 

ugh!:

 

nyc mta shared a recent daily ridership snapshot of monday, sept 14th: 

 

subway trips down 71% and bus rides down 52% --- vs 2019

[taestell]

The latest Portland transit tax proposal just failed, but if approved, it would have included the construction of a new funicular called the Marquam Hill Connector. This "inclined elevator" would have connected the Oregon Health & Science University campus with the newly extended MAX Green Line. The campus is already served by the Portland Aerial Tram which connects it to the Portland Streetcar and MAX Orange Line.

 

[ColDayMan]

Meanwhile...

 

[Guest jmecklenborg]

40 minutes ago, taestell said:

This "inclined elevator" would have connected the Oregon Health & Science University campus with the newly extended MAX Green Line. 

 

I am pretty unimpressed by this proposed line.  It seems like more the same for Portland - a medium-slow radial line into a hum-drum postwar area where 30+ years of a growth boundary and quality bus service has failed to create a built environment that differs significantly from a midsized midwestern city with neither of those things.  

 

It seems like Portland intends to build-out a network of suburban lines before putting everything downtown underground.  But if this line continued in a tunnel due south from the downtown it could serve the medical campus with a deep station and give the trains a big advantage over cars and existing bus service on an arterial lined by single-family homes.  

 

[taestell]

^ It seems like some transit advocates didn't like the proposed Green Line extension because it travels through areas that aren't very dense and they claim don't have much TOD potential. An alternative that would have put the extension in a tunnel under Marquam Hill was studied but was found to be too expensive...hence the need for the funicular connection to OHSU.

 

There was also some opposition to this particular tax because it was a combination road/transit tax pushed by Metro, not a transit-only tax led by TriMet.

 

I think a downtown transit tunnel is being studied separately from this ballot issue but it would be for the red/blue lines rather than the green/yellow/orange lines.

[Guest jmecklenborg]

^I just looked it up and they're looking at a 12-14 minute time advantage if you are coming from one of the eastern lines to the westermost point of the proposed tunnel, so it's a pretty profound improvement.  My guess is that only the yellow line will still use the steel bridge, with the red, green, and blue all sharing the tunnel. 

 

If they combine the green line extension as a 2~ mile tunnel south of downtown then they're building something profoundly better than what just failed at the polls.  I think right now that switching trains just doesn't happen that much on the max system because it's not time-competitive at all with taking a cab. 

 

There are a lot of similarities between Portland's puzzle and what Los Angeles is mostly solving with the new downtown light rail subway.  After it opens the only big problem with the light rail network will be the junction near the Staples Center and then the Expo Line's surface running near USC.  Putting all of that underground is already under study. 

[taestell]

 

Quote

 

Transit's Big Day at the Ballot Box

 

First up: the few measures that didn't pass were "designed to appeal to people who don’t ride transit," according to the article. "The strategy of diluting transit investment to get more votes may have worked in the past, but the winning formula this cycle was different."

 

"In Austin, San Antonio, Seattle, and other cities, voters not only supported transit — they supported smart, rider-focused transit investment. These winning initiatives will benefit entire transit networks by investing in frequent service on several routes. And in Austin, high-capacity expansion projects will be built where such large-scale investment is justified — within walking distance of where lots of people live and work."

 

 

For example, Portland's proposal to extend light rail into auto-oriented neighborhoods failed, but Seattle's Transportation Benefit District (TBD) renewal, which funds higher frequency transit service within the city, passed easily (82% yes).

[mrnyc]

mourning swan halts service:

 

https://news.yahoo.com/amphtml/swan-mourning-friend-death-delays-225000349.html

[JaceTheAce41]

While I hate the pork-barrel talk of creating more highways in a place with some of the nation's worst air quality; it's refreshing to see transit (commuter rail) front of mind among some Utah legislators.

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/utah-lawmakers-to-consider-1-billion-transportation-bond

[JaceTheAce41]

I thought my fellow urban-planning forum folks would like to take a look at this. This plan was thought up by a local guy in Salt Lake who regularly posts on the local Skyscraper Page forum and the Salt Lake development subreddit. Among those who've seen this, the reception has been positive. I don't know how his meeting with the city government went but I really hope this citizen-led plan can get built.

https://www.buildingsaltlake.com/new-plan-puts-trains-in-downtown-slc-underground-and-makes-the-rio-grande-depot-a-real-central-station/

[taestell]

Kirkland, WA may upzone parcels near a new BRT route to allow 300 ft. towers. Not bad for Costco's hometown!

[Dougal]

Maryland's DOT projects that Wash DC's suburban Purple Line will be back under contract by September; time and cost should become clearer when proposals are opened in June.  The local Jane Garvey, heading the program, is NOT the Jane Garvey associated with Boston's "Big Dig".

 

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/light-rail/who-will-finish-marylands-purple-line/

 

[mrnyc]

new hatteras - oracoke ferry for virginia:

 

 

https://www.masstransitmag.com/alt-mobility/water-transportation/news/21219419/va-new-ocracoke-passenger-ferry-could-be-ready-by-summer-after-3-years-of-delays

[Boomerang_Brian]

Delays in Boston’s MBTA Green Somerville/Medford extension. New Lechmere station and Union Sq branch to open in December. Medford branch next May. 
 

 

[JaceTheAce41]

I don't know if anyone is familiar with Salt Lake City's Little Cottonwood Canyon. This canyon leads to two of the area's most popular ski resorts (Snowbird and Alta) and is a traffic nightmare. The state has been looking for transit solutions for some time now and it seems they've narrowed down the choices to "enhanced bus service" and a gondola. At one time they were talking of building a cog electric railway (my preferred method as it would have spurred more rail to the surrounding area, but we all know what happens to rail plans. Anyway, here's a simulation of the gondola system. It's my preferred system as it stands because the environmental impact would be lessened and extending the system over the ridge to Big Cottonwood Canyon and the Brighton and Solitude resorts would be easier.

 

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/video-simulation-shows-gondola-proposal-for-little-cottonwood-canyon?fbclid=IwAR0a40wHt9UQpQ8dG2hyv5kQ_kKo9GZsf4TAsigXbD2uP-dYAJdlshqZ-wc

[Boomerang_Brian]

DC Metro: Silver Line setback likely to delay rail service to Dulles:
 

Commuters and travelers eager to ride the Silver Line to Washington Dulles International Airport might have to wait a few more weeks — or months — after officials conceded Tuesday they might not make a Labor Day deadline because of more work needed to merge systems between the line’s first and second phases. The additional work involves the automated train control system, which ensures that trains move properly through the system. The delay is the latest setback for the $5.8 billion rail extension and comes as employers across the region are bringing workers back to offices, prompting fresh looks into commuting options after more than a year of working from home. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokeswoman Marcia McAllister said Tuesday it could take “several more weeks” to determine the impact on the project’s schedule, adding “it’s just not clear.”

 

 

[Boomerang_Brian]

Nice thread to the voter-approved Austin light rail subway system proposal. 
 

It seems to me those stations are WAY too close together, which is going to slow the whole thing down. Other than that I love it and wish we were actively planning something like it here in Cleveland. 
 

 

[surfohio]

Good news on the horizon, however with lack of funding it could be a fairly distant one. But you got to love this guy. 

 

Voice of San Diego 

Morning Report: RIP, These Highway Projects

Aug. 11, 2021

 

Hasan Ikhrata has been clear since taking over SANDAG that the agency doesn’t have the money to build everything that voters approved with the 2004 sales tax measure TransNet, and that he wouldn’t want to build those projects even if the agency had the money, but he’s now getting more clear than ever about which old projects don’t fit into his new vision.

 

During a meeting last month of an oversight committee for TransNet, Ikhrata spelled out that 21 unbuilt projects — 19 of them freeway enhancements — are not part of the regional plan through 2050 that officials on the SANDAG board are expected to approve this fall. SANDAG staff in a follow-up interview confirmed that unless the board objects, those old TransNet projects are dead.

 

“These projects, not only do we not have the money to do them – they’re not the right projects for San Diego,” Ikhrata said. “We’re telling you that straight out. I thank you for listening to us.”

 

Faulty revenue projections over-estimated how much TransNet would bring in, and the projects the agency completed ended up costing way more than expected, as Voice of San Diego first revealed in 2016. Now, Ikhrata said, the agency expects to have only $700 million available between now and 2048, almost all of it coming after 2035. Plus, state mandates have forced the agency’s hand in departing from its previous focus on highway expansion projects, to its new approach of building an integrated regional network with its backbone as a new, fast and frequent commuter rail system covering hundreds of miles around the county.

 

[eastvillagedon]

okay, I'm totally hooked on this guy's videos (he's planning on coming to NY next week), but here's one I found interesting. Obviously everyone knows about Toronto's extensive mass transit network, but apparently Ottawa has a very impressive light rail system (much of it underground), which he highlights here. I realize that as Canada's capital that would be expected, but its metro area is roughly just 1.4 million, which makes it all the more remarkable

 

[Boomerang_Brian]

Milwaukee streetcar - second route getting closer to reality with the groundbreaking of Couture, which will have a streetcar station in its pedestal. Pictures in the photo thread:

 

 

 

[mrnyc]

seattle northgate link opens!

 

 

On the eve of Northgate Link’s grand opening, a ceremony and preview ride kicks off a month-long celebration of the Puget Sound region’s latest expansion of rapid transit, this time 4.3 miles north to 3 new stations in the U District, Roosevelt, and Northgate. For a summary of the speeches, read STB’s live coverage of the ceremony on Twitter. On opening day Saturday, various community organizations have prepared events and activities at each station beginning at 10 am.

At Northgate Station, there will be a grand opening ceremony for the John Lewis Memorial Bridge, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge spanning I-5 to North Seattle College from 10 am to noon. For Roosevelt Station, the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association has organized an opening celebration with live music & dancing and food trucks from 10 am to 4 pm at 12th Ave NE & NE 66th St between the station entrances. The U District Station opening festival runs from 10 am to 8 pm and features a $3 food walk, live entertainment, activities for kids, and a beer garden. Sound Transit has exhibits explaining design features and public art along with photo/selfie spots at all three stations that will be up throughout October.

Decades in the making, the Northgate extension to the Link 1 Line, formerly Central Link, will transform travel within North Seattle and beyond by providing a fast, frequent, and reliable transit artery that combined with frequent buses forms a network that expands access to work, education, and leisure opportunities.

 

https://seattletransitblog.com/2021/10/02/the-ribbon-is-cut-for-northgate-link/

 

 

What's next for Sound Transit?

 

While the opening of the Northgate expansion marks a major milestone for transit in the region, the next few years will also see huge service expansions. Set to open sometime in 2023, the East Link extension will bring a total of ten new stations and 40 miles of tracks to Judkins Park, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond.

 

The Federal Way extension is then expected to open in 2024, bringing service south through Angle Lake, Kent/Des Moines and Federal Way. The Lynnwood extension is also expected to open that year, serving four new stations including two in Shoreline, one in Mountlake Terrace, and one at the Lynnwood City Center.

 

Another two stations will also open in 2024 in Redmond, connecting the downtown retail core and Marymoor Village near Marymoor Park. Once completed, the travel time between Redmond and downtown Seattle's Westlake station will be approximately 45 minutes.

 

Project schedules for ST3 — a voter approved ballot measure that would add 62 new miles of light rail with stations serving additional areas in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties — underwent a realignment process in August due to rising real estate and construction costs in the region.

 

Several Seattle projects received accelerated timelines as part of the realignment, with the estimated completion date of the 130th Street Station moving from 2036 to 2025. The completion date for both the Graham Street and Boeing Access Road also jumped from 2036 to 2031.

 

Other projects saw delays in their timelines. The board voted to delay several parking projects, including one at Lake Forest Park Town Center for bus-rapid transit customers. The Ballard station is also delayed until 2039 instead of the voter-approved 2035.

 

https://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/northgate-link-light-rail-opens-saturday-16503091.php

 

 

 

[mrnyc]

 

dallas dart news:

 

 

https://www.dmagazine.com/commercial-real-estate/2021/10/underground-space-in-urban-planning-creating-opportunities-for-a-more-resilient-future/?fbclid=IwAR3MEYfu-FwGM7BHkc-E6qvtBNkdO6I22qksB8Ca2gvdOjjg9GGlo5vdbVA

[KJP]

Walt Disney World is 46 square miles which makes it bigger than San Francisco. 

 

 

[KJP]

 

[Boomerang_Brian]

19 hours ago, KJP said:

 

For those avoiding the bird app, here’s the complete illustration. Oh Canada indeed! Cleveland’s sliver appears to be dark gray, but should be red and blue (for now, but maybe just blue light rail in the future?)

 

 

 

[mrnyc]

ok!!!!

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVJCzfWFEMG/?utm_medium=copy_link

[mrnyc]

i saw mta contractor work laying overhead wiring at my station this weekeend.

 

sure i was stuck waiting for a train, ha, but it was fascinating to watch and i figured some of you would like to geek on it too.

 

it basically spools out and they tie it up as the train slowly moves along.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mrnyc]

pics of the beautiful tashkent metro stations. photography has been allowed since fall, 2018:

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2018/aug/24/uzbekistan-secret-underground-tashkent-metro-in-pictures

[mrnyc]

mo money coming back.

 

mo money.

 

mo money.

 

nyc is getting the same infrastructure amount in covid relief $$$:

 

 

New York public transit gets nearly $11 billion in federal COVID relief after months-long dispute with New Jersey, Connecticut

 

By Kevin Duggan
Posted on November 9, 2021

New York public transit will get $10.85 billion in federal COVID-19 relief to keep service running and avoid layoffs, after the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut reached an 11th-hour agreement for how to divvy up the funds from Washington.

 

“As a result of a series of productive conversations with my fellow governors, I’m glad that we have reached an agreement that is beneficial to all,” said Governor Kathy Hochul in a statement Tuesday, Nov. 9. “The New York City and tristate region can’t fully recover from the pandemic without our transit agencies effectively and efficiently moving millions of people in and out of New York City each day.”

 

...

 

The money is separate from the $10 billion the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is slated to get from the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that just passed in the House on Friday, Nov. 5.

 

more:
https://www.amny.com/transit/new-york-to-get-10-6-billion-in-federal-covid-relief-after-months-long-dispute-with-new-jersey-connecticut/

[mrnyc]

i wondered what was happening with eastern downtown manhattan flood planning - it got slammed during sandy and other big storms -- the lower fdr will have to come down:

 

FDR Drive tear-down and Samantha Maldonado, THE CITY

Posted on November 16, 2021

 

A higher waterfront and a lower highway may be on tap for Lower Manhattan.

 

The city has a new proposal for protecting the Financial District and Seaport from future flooding: extending the eastern edge of Manhattan’s tip by up to 188 feet — while raising the shoreline and possibly taking down the elevated FDR Drive from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Battery.

 

The city’s Economic Development Corporation plans to reveal a master plan for the FiDi – Seaport resilience project — first proposed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2019 as a possible 500-foot extension of Lower Manhattan into the harbor — by the end of the year.

 

more:
https://www.amny.com/news/fdr-drive-tear-down-and-manhattan-land-extension-eyed-in-downtown-flood-plan/

[Boomerang_Brian]

Using a battery bus instead of stringing catenary for a trolley bus on a frequent service route is not a good decision. Tearing out existing catenary and replacing trolley buses with battery buses is outright stupidity. It’s frustrating that our country is so bad at mass transit. 
 

Batteries are heavy (translation- takes more energy to move AND slows acceleration) and require heavy metals that have to be mined. And we’re going to need LOTS of batteries for so many other applications- we shouldn’t be wasting them on fixed-route transit applications. 
 

[Boomerang_Brian]

Conversely, this plan out of Boston looks much better:

 

[Dev]

On 11/18/2021 at 9:45 AM, mrnyc said:

i wondered what was happening with eastern downtown manhattan flood planning - it got slammed during sandy and other big storms -- the lower fdr will have to come down:

 

FDR Drive tear-down and Samantha Maldonado, THE CITY

Posted on November 16, 2021

 

A higher waterfront and a lower highway may be on tap for Lower Manhattan.

 

The city has a new proposal for protecting the Financial District and Seaport from future flooding: extending the eastern edge of Manhattan’s tip by up to 188 feet — while raising the shoreline and possibly taking down the elevated FDR Drive from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Battery.

 

The city’s Economic Development Corporation plans to reveal a master plan for the FiDi – Seaport resilience project — first proposed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2019 as a possible 500-foot extension of Lower Manhattan into the harbor — by the end of the year.

 

more:
https://www.amny.com/news/fdr-drive-tear-down-and-manhattan-land-extension-eyed-in-downtown-flood-plan/

 

Absolutely wild to me that a place like NYC would think it's a great idea to put such an absurd car sewer along their riverfront. I get why it happened, just like it happened just about everywhere else, but damn frustrating to see it.

[mrnyc]

^ i know — people forget the waterfront was industrial at the time.

 

but the manhatten waterfront ring highways have been coming down piecemeal over the years. first was the westside (miller) highway. it was all about the westside for the longest time. now its the eastsides turn.

 

unfortunately not due to just decay or aesthetics this time, but global warming response.

[surfohio]

Here lies a good overview of the political difficulties in getting large projects off the ground. SANDAG is San Diego's metro area planning agency, they recently released a 30-year outline for a 200-mile rail system. Financing this plan is hitting a major roadblock. 

 

Morning Report: Dems Killed SANDAG’s Driving Fee. Now What?

Dec. 9, 2021

 

For years, the head of the San Diego Association of Governments has been advocating for a proposal to charge drivers for every mile they drive. It’s part of a long-term plan to remake mobility.

 

Conservatives, particularly in car-dependent North County, hated the idea. But progressives from coastal and urban cities may have actually killed it.

 

One week before a vote on the outline of the region’s infrastructure priorities, Mayor Todd Gloria and fellow elected Democrats announced their opposition, opening up a host of new questions.

 

Andrew Keatts reports that SANDAG executive director Hasan Ikhrata and his staff are scrambling to find alternatives. Although the regional planning agency doesn’t yet have the authority to charge per mile, Ikhrata’s proposal would have raised money to pay for new transportation projects while slashing emissions longer term. Pulling it could now put the region in legal jeopardy. There’s a deadline looming: SANDAG must adopt a plan satisfying certain state requirements by year end.

 

https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/the-last-waltz-of-sandags-mileage-fee/?goal=0_c2357fd0a3-12b9b39f2d-84112189

[mrnyc]

the new sandy ground staten island ferry is on its way. it will join the new micheal ollis in the ferry fleet. its the second of three new s.i. ferries.

 

the last one, the dorothy day, is being built.

 

https://www.masstransitmag.com/alt-mobility/water-transportation/news/21249696/ny-staten-island-ferry-new-sandy-ground-vessel-on-its-way-to-nyc

[KJP]

 

[mrnyc]

hmm, seems like a nice idea:

 Transit
Bolt move: MTA to build all-electric bus depot in Jamaica

 

By Kevin Duggan
Posted on December 14, 2021

 

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to build its first all-electric bus depot in Jamaica, transit leaders announced at the existing depot in the southeastern Queens neighborhood on Tuesday.

 

“Transit is the antidote to global climate change,” said MTA’s acting Chairperson and CEO Janno Lieber during a Dec. 14 press conference with local leaders. “This is exactly the kind of investment New York needs to be able to build back better, as we all say, at this critical moment in transit.”

 

The agency will launch the search for contractors through a so-called Request for Qualification in March 2022, and expects the construction to take about 4.5 years for the $400 million project.

 

The new facility will house upward of 60 electric buses when it opens and eight zero-emissions people movers will charge and be dispatched from the site during construction, according to New York City Transit interim President Craig Cipriano.

 

The existing depot will stay open while the new one is built and NYCT will store buses in a new parking facility at nearby York college.

 

more:
https://www.amny.com/transit/mta-to-build-all-electric-bus-depot-in-jamaica/

[mrnyc]

second ave subway phase II is hella ridiculously expensive, but you know, lookin good on a cost per rider basis lol — also its held up because trump:

 

 

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-second-avenue-subway-mta-project-federal-funding-trump-cuomo-20211219-zi42ibfqwnfkfl2lvm2digy5ky-story.html

[mrnyc]

san diego is narrowing plans to get their metro to the airport:

 

 

 

Mott MacDonald presented to the MTS Board three options for extending the San Diego Trolley to the airport, which were evaluated as part of a preliminary feasibility study. These included an elevated guideway off Laurel Street, and two underground options at Hawthorne (see rendering above and map below). “MTS staff favored the underground option along Hawthorn Street due to no airspace restrictions, minimized private property impacts and lowest cost,” the agency said. “With this option in mind, Mott McDonald examined two types of undergrounding to be considered in a final plan—tunnel boring and cut and cover. The study concluded the project is feasible.”

 

The project would not only allow for expansion further to the west (including Point Loma, Liberty Station, Sports Arena and beach communities), but also provide greater accessibility (connecting directly to all three Trolley lines, five Rapid routes, six bus routes, COASTER and Amtrak) and a quick timeline (the extension to the airport could be built in as soon as 10 years at a cost estimated at $1.5 billion to $2 billion), according to MTS.

 

The proposal includes a station at each airport terminal running parallel with Harbor Drive, including aligning with Terminal 1 reconstruction. The San Diego International Airport has set aside more than $500 million for transportation improvements, including transit to the airport.

 

The MTS Board authorized staff to pursue federal and state grants for the project, and to continue outreach to the community as well as the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, Port of San Diego and Solar Turbines.

 

 

more:

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/transit-briefs-dart-marta-mbta-metrolink-san-diego-mts/

 

 

[mrnyc]

on to the public comment process for extending the blue line in minneapolis:

 

 

Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County officials in Minneapolis are soliciting public comment on a draft route modification report for the proposed Metro Blue Line extension project.

 

The report describes the process, public input and technical evaluation that will inform the recommendation of a community-supported route, project officials said in a press release.

 

Comments are due Jan. 25, 2022. Final evaluation and route recommendations are expected to be released in spring 2022. The project will advance to an environmental review and further engineering after the route recommendation is made.

 

The project calls for extending Metro Transit's Blue Line light-rail service from Target Field Station in Minneapolis northwest to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, with stops along the way.

 

 

more:

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Minneapolis-Metro-Blue-Line-extension-report-open-for-public-input--65456