April « 2009 « The Transport Politic

Congressional Conference Report Secures $1 Billion Annually for HSR

April 28th, 2009 |

Obama plan for annual high-speed rail funding approved by House and Senate Democratic conferees

I’ve just read through the conference report of the U.S. FY 2010 Budget Resolution, which outlines spending in fiscal year 2010, and serves as the agreement between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The report includes the $1 billion for high-speed rail that President Obama asked to be included in the budget, in addition to the $8 billion already included for fast rail service in the stimulus bill. The report also sided with the House’s larger $481 billion in transportation outlays to be spent over the

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Charlotte Business Taskforce Decides that Roads – Not Transit – Deserve More Funding

April 28th, 2009 |

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The North Carolina city, already incapable of funding its long-term transit plan, will likely not see more revenues dedicated to public transportation

The influential Committee of 21, a sort of local Rotary Club for discussing transportation issues in the Charlotte area, told the city council yesterday that any new transportation funding in the region should be dedicated to roads, not transit. Ned Curran, chair of the committee, said “I don’t want to be anti-transit… My company supported (the transit sales tax). We were against repeal, both with our voice and with our money. But where are we going to get money for

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Toronto Signs Up for 200 Bombardier Streetcars

April 28th, 2009 |

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Huge contract boosts Canadian manufacturer’s position

Yesterday, the Toronto Transit Commission formally approved a contract with Bombardier Transportation for 204 new streetcars at a cost of C$1.2 billion, with a future option for up to 364 more vehicles. Siemens, the other manufacturer whose products were under consideration, was turned down principally because its offer for Avenio trams was said to be 50% more expensive. Alstom, the other major train manufacturer, did not submit a proposal – surprising considering that the French company is number two worldwide in the urban transport market. This contract has solidified Bombardier’s hold on the Canadian market and

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Baltimore Gears Up for Fight on Red Line Transit Plan

April 27th, 2009 |

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Inhabitants of Canton see the line’s proposed route as a potential detriment to their neighborhood’s revival

The Baltimore Sun reported yesterday on the opposition of some residents of the Canton neighborhood of east Baltimore to the proposed routing of the Red Line transit corridor. The line would run 14 miles east-west from Woodlawn west of Baltimore City to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Campus, via downtown. The project, Baltimore’s top public transportation priority and in planning for several years thus far, is currently in the alternatives analysis stage of the New Start federal government funding process. In other words, though if

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