September « 2010 « The Transport Politic

Weekend Links

September 18th, 2010 |

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» This week’s big news. Open thread in the comments.

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The Transport Politic

New York to study Red Hook streetcars, but what are the city’s goals?
New Heartland Corridor increases freight capacity between East Coast and Chicago
Tampa outlines plan for spending after transit tax referendum
Political will disappearing, New Jersey’s ARC project could be on the way out

Bus Rapid Transit in San Francisco’s East Bay, on Next American City

Look Out? Building a BRT line in California is No Simple Matter
Opposition to a Bus Rapid Transit System is More than Just NIMBYism
Envisioning

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Political Will Disappearing, New Jersey’s ARC Project Could be On the Way Out

September 17th, 2010 |

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» Largest-ever federal transit project lacks adequate state funding.

Just to be clear from the start, there are a lot of things to dislike about New Jersey’s Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) project. Despite an expected construction cost of $8.7 billion, it won’t provide New Jerseyans a direct ride to Manhattan’s east side but instead duplicate the existing path to Penn Station. Instead of taking advantage of excess capacity at that west side terminal, the project will force customers into a massive (and very expensive) new terminal deep underground.

Even so, the expansion of direct commuter rail services from New

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Tampa Outlines Plan for Spending After Transit Tax Referendum

September 15th, 2010 |

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» Shorter airport line could be built exclusively with local funds, serving as a down-payment for a future demand of federal funds to pay for a corridor to University of South Florida.

Though Florida is late to join the light rail-bandwagon — none of its cities have yet developed modern networks — Tampa’s leadership is pushing to get the technology on the ground and running as quickly as possible. Promoting a vision for a major transit corridor, local leadership has succeeded in placing a referendum on a tax increase on this November’s ballot. If the proposal passes the voters’ muster, the city

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New Heartland Corridor Increases Freight Capacity Between East Coast and Chicago

September 13th, 2010 |

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» When the government contributes millions to upgrade the freight railroad system, shouldn’t it ensure competition along the route?

The reopening of completion of renovations along Norfolk Southern’s Heartland Corridor last week will undoubtedly improve the transport of goods between the East Coast and the Midwest. After $321 million in investments, double-stacked freight trains will be able to travel directly between Norfolk and Chicago in just two days, shaving 250 miles off the existing route — until now an impossibility.

It’s exactly the kind of infrastructure the United States must develop to encourage the use of efficient and environmentally sustainable railways for the

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