Norfolk « The Transport Politic

How significant an opportunity for reducing U.S. construction costs?

August 23rd, 2011 |

Cost per mile for recent American rail capital projects

» Norfolk, Virginia celebrates the opening of a relatively cheap new rail corridor. It’s not as out-of-the-ordinary as we might hope, though.

Last weekend, Norfolk’s Tide light rail line opened to big crowds and lots of excitement in a state that has never before seen modern light rail technology in action. But the project was overbudget and the subject of years of controversy. What was once supposed to be a $232 million line had ballooned in cost to $318.5 million and in the process taken down political leaders who had supported it. Perceived mismanagement delayed consideration of extensions into nearby Virginia Beach. And

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Midwest HSR News; Jerusalem and Virginia Beach LRT

January 14th, 2009 |

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Midwest High-Speed Rail Has Many Backers for Stimulus Funds in Wisconsin, but Controversy Abounds in Minnesota

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle wants to see federal stimulus money used for the Midwest High-Speed Rail program. Meeting in Milwaukee, the Governor suggested that a line would run from Chicago to Minneapolis, through Milwaukee and Madison, with a potential extension to Green Bay. Mr. Doyle seems to know a little something about transportation, eschewing the typical superficial arguments to point out that all forms of transportation are subsidized by the government, so a public investment in rail isn’t somehow inappropriate:

“Just as we heavily subsidize our road

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Big News Day: DC, Balto, Seattle, SF, Norfolk, NYC

December 10th, 2008 |

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There’s so much news today, we’re just going to summarize it quickly:

Washington‘s Metro is testing new seats on its trains that will be covered with fabric instead of the vinyl it has been using for the last thirty years. There will be more than one color tested.

There’s increasing support in Baltimore for the construction of the $1.6 billion Red Line light rail system. It will run partially underground, partially overground, and complement the existing light and heavy rail systems in the city.

Sound Transit in Seattle got a huge rebate on its plans for an extension of its light rail line underconstruction:

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