February 23rd, 2010
» Bridge connecting Oregon and Washington planned for construction start in 2012, with light rail link included. But its new road capacity isn’t needed.
In most cities, this debate would have ended years ago, and the results would have been far less pretty. The governors of both states involved are highly supportive of the freeway project, and they’ve unearthed enough financing to pay for it. With state departments of transportation pledging their involvement and money, there wouldn’t been much of margin
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January 13th, 2010
Credit: Patrick Houdek
» $500 million project speeds trips and ensures ADA compliance at all stations.
With its century-old rapid transit system, Chicago has a huge maintenance backlog: almost $7 billion in unfunded capital needs, in fact. Fortunately for the city’s commuters, after four years of construction work, the reconstruction of the Brown Line was completed this week. The $530 million renovation program was the largest in the CTA transit system’s history and will provide relief to the corridor’s roughly 100,000 daily riders.
The
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December 15th, 2009
» Network will be 67% electrified by 2017.
Andrew Adonis, the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Transport, announced yesterday that the government would invest £200 million in the increased electrification of the railway system, adding to a commitment made last summer and furthering the country’s investment in carbon-friendly transportation systems.
According to Mr. Adonis, new funds would be allocated by 2016 to three projects in Northwest England: a connection between Blackpool and the West Coast Main Line;
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July 14th, 2009
Investments in public transportation aren’t worth as much if we can’t rely on environmentally friendly power sources.
Earlier this year, Eurostar, which operates trains between London and the European continent, announced that it had met its goal of a 25% reduction in carbon emissions just two years after setting the target for itself. Eurostar, like most high-speed lines, is powered by electric catenary, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the majority of its carbon savings came from buying energy from more environmentally friendly power plants. All the company had to do was buy more of its power
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March 14th, 2009
Connecticut’s Niantic River Bridge will be replaced to increase speed and capacity
Since 2003, Amtrak has been complaining about the condition of the bridges along the corridor it owns in eastern Connecticut between New Haven and Providence. Three specific spans – above the Thames, Niantic, and Lyme rivers – were so old and poorly maintained that if Amtrak didn’t do anything to bring them up to date, a shutdown of New York-Boston service might have been necessary. Fortunately, Amtrak found the funds last year
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February 2nd, 2009
Quick update:
Unlike the House version of the economic stimulus bill, the Senate version will include $2 billion for high-speed rail projects. Here’s the text:
“To make grants for high-speed rail projects under the provisions of section 26106 of title 49, United States Code, $2,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2011: Provided, That the Federal share payable of the costs for which a grant is made under this heading shall be 100 percent.”
The bill also provides funds for capital investments in transportation:
“For an additional amount for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure, $5,500,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2011… That
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Yonah Freemark | 
February 23rd, 2010 | 
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