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Railroad Newsline for Thursday, December 07, 2006

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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RAIL NEWS

RAILROAD CREWS WORK TO CLEAN UP AFTER DERAILMENT IN LAFAYETTE COUNTY, MISSOURI

Crews from Union Pacific Railroad were working Wednesday to clean up after a coal train derailment in Lafayette County and closed down a main rail line.

No injuries were reported.

Rail traffic was being routed around the spill near Dover. Union Pacific officials said they hoped to have the coal cleared and the line repaired and reopened by 20:00 Thursday.

A 135-car train was heading to southeast Missouri about 07:00 Tuesday when 41 cars derailed.

Late Wednesday morning crews had equipment set up to replace about 1,400 feet of track and ties. - Kevin Hoffmann, The Kansas City Star

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RECORD TRAINLOADS OF COAL MOVING TO NATION'S UTILITIES

OMAHA, NE -- With winter energy needs nearing their peak, Union Pacific is moving record trainloads of coal from Wyoming's Southern Powder River Basin (SPRB) and coal-producing mines in Colorado and Utah.

During November, Union Pacific moved 20 million tons of coal from the SPRB and Colorado and Utah, an increase of nearly 8 percent over November 2005. The railroad posted its third best average daily performance in the SPRB, averaging 35.7 trains per day. The movement of Colorado and Utah coal posted its best daily train numbers of the year in November, averaging 11.6 trains per day.

Union Pacific also set train size records during the months of October and November. UP trains moving coal out of the SPRB averaged 15,135 tons each-an increase of 200 tons over last year's annual average. A new wheel-changing process at Bailey Yard in North Platte, Neb., helped UP achieve the increased tonnage record. Wheels are changed without removing cars from a train, saving handling and processing time. The enhancement has the potential to increase train tonnage out of the SPRB by more than 750,000 tons next year with no additional train starts.

"These records and process improvements are just two more examples of how committed Union Pacific employees are to meeting our customers' needs," said Jim Young, president and CEO. "Every day our employees are on the job to meet the nation's demand for coal, food, construction equipment, and other items. And we will continue to look for new ways to handle rising demand."

Additional rail line improvements are expected to boost the railroad's coal capacity in 2007. The completion of a third main line south of Reno Junction, Wyoming, and five new train landing tracks just completed at the mines will help boost capacity on the Joint Line owned by UP and BNSF to more than 375 million tons. During 2006 the Joint Line is expected to support more than 350 million tons of coal.

Future improvements, including construction of a third main line north of Reno Junction, and a fourth main line south of Nacco Junction, Wyoming, are expected to boost Joint Line capacity to more than 400 million tons per year. Grading is already underway on both of these projects and completion is expected in late 2007. - James Barnes, UP News Release

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WOMAN SUES RAILROAD OVER HUSBAND'S DEATH

GALLUP, NM -- A Ganado woman is still waiting on a response from the U.S. District Court regarding a complaint filed against the Union Pacific Railroad.

Edith Lee filed the complaint of negligence against the Union Pacific Railroad in Phoenix after her husband, Michael Lee, died of injuries sustained while working.

The complaint states that around June 24, 2003, Lee was employed by the Union Pacific Railroad as a track worker, and while employed, suffered personal injuries while working in Cheyenne, Wyo. Lee was reportedly struck by a rail while working. As of result of the injuries, Lee died on July 30, 2003, in a hospital in Seattle, Washington.

Edith Lee filed the complaint on June 21, 2006.

The complaint states that Lee's injury and death were caused by the negligence of railroad employees, who owed him the duty to provide a reasonably safe place to work.

The complaint states that Lee and the Plaintiff suffered physical pain and mental anguish before death, lost earnings in the past and future, and medical and funeral expenses. Lee is asking for money damages in excess of $75,000, post-judgment interest, and costs of suit.

Lee is being represented by attorney Michael Hennen, attorney for Provost Umphrey Law Firm, L.L.P., based out of Friendswood, Texas. Private investigator, Joe Cardenas, based out of Marysville, Calif., has been working on the case since 2003. Cardenas said Hennen and he are still tracking down two of eight witnesses to the case.

Lee has been working with the Navajo Nation to address discrimination incidences that are reported by Navajos who are employed with the railroad. - Natasha Kaye Johnson, The Gallup Independent

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NUCLEAR WASTE RAIL LINE TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN DIVIDES NEVADA TOWNS

SILVER SPRINGS, NV -- Mick fled to this rural Lyon County community six months ago to get away from the crime and high costs of south Florida.

She and her husband paid $230,000 for a manufactured home and 4.7 acres of jackrabbits and sagebrush near an infrequently used railroad track about 40 miles east of Carson City. Only recently did Mick learn the track in her backyard was under study as the rail line on which Energy Department trains would carry high-level nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, including from the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant near Avila Beach.

"I don't want that stuff," she said. "What if there is an accident? There is no telling what could happen."

Mick's thoughts were shared by neighbors a few blocks away. Retired Navy veteran Robert Brittain moved to his track-side Silver Springs home last year. Ruth Curtis purchased her mobile home beside the track 16 years ago.

"I'm pro-military. But I don't care for Yucca Mountain. Ammunition is different. It's for national security," Brittain said.

"Nuclear waste?" Curtis questioned, then answered herself: "Oh, no."

Ninety percent of homeowners interviewed in Silver Springs oppose the proposal to haul nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain through their inexpensive but rapidly growing community.

They've found peace and quiet in Silver Springs' wide-open spaces. They knew trains have occasionally carried bombs past their homes to the Army Ammunition Depot at Hawthorne since the 1930s. But they were not aware that the Energy Department was considering using the same tracks to carry waste from commercial nuclear power plants across the country to Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

State laws require county planning departments to notify homeowners when new developments are planned in their neighborhoods, but the federal government isn't obliged to notify people when it wants to haul radioactive waste through their backyards.

The Energy Department placed advertisements in the Fallon newspaper about a recent hearing at which residents could discuss the railroad plan, but in Silver Springs, news travels largely by word of mouth.

Whether hauling 77,000 tons of radioactive waste within a few yards of Silver Springs' bedrooms poses any danger depends on whom you ask.

Bob Loux, executive director of the state Agency for Nuclear Projects, said a terrorist with a shoulder-held, anti-tank missile launcher could put a hole in a cask containing nuclear waste.
"If 1 percent of the cargo escaped, it would contaminate a 42 square-mile area and take a couple of decades and $8 billion to $10 billion to clean up," Loux said.

It is not just Silver Springs residents who have reason for concern, he added. Trains from power plants will move along the main Union Pacific line paralleling Interstate 80 from the east and west. Nuclear waste would be hauled through downtown Reno.

The nuclear trains would veer off the Union Pacific line north of Fallon and head more than 300 miles south to Yucca Mountain along a route near U.S. Highway 95 that goes through Silver Springs and close to the rural communities of Schurz, Hawthorne, Mina, Tonopah and Goldfield.

Costs of constructing this "Mina Corridor" route, including laying 209 miles of track from Hawthorne to Yucca Mountain, have been estimated at more than $1 billion.

Allen Benson, director of external affairs for the Energy Department's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, does not share Loux's alarm.

He noted the federal government has been hauling nuclear waste by truck for 50 years with no problems, including more than 4,000 shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Project in New Mexico.

"The safety record is quite remarkable," Benson said.

Benson noted the waste going to Yucca Mountain would be in solid, not liquid, form. If a cask were penetrated, some pellets might fall onto the ground, but a hazardous materials team would be sent out "to clean it up and move on," he said.

Security officers will accompany the trains, according to Benson, and the Energy Department "is not going to advertise" when shipments will move. He anticipates about two trains a week over a 24-year period.

"There is no such thing as a 100 percent safety guarantee," Benson said. "But this is definitely not Chernobyl. People have this fear of nuclear. We understand that. But nuclear is medicine. Nuclear is electricity."

The public reaction to the word nuclear is far different farther south in economically depressed rural Nevada. Of 25 people interviewed in Goldfield, Hawthorne, Tonopah, Schurz and Mina, 22 expressed support for the rail line.

Hawthorne businessman Rex Mills expressed their views during a hearing in Hawthorne. He said rural Nevadans want the Energy Department to share its Yucca Mountain track with commercial trains.

"If they put the railroad here, it will be great," Mills said. "It will give an incentive for companies nationwide to move into a lower-taxed area. The waste is going into Yucca Mountain, whether we like it or not."

So far the Energy Department has spent $9 billion on the project. Costs could top $58 billion, based on an estimate made in 2001.

Postmistress Theora Janis and resident Dollie Murillo stood in front of the Mina Post Office and discussed the desperate need for economic revival in their community.

The town's population has dropped to about 100 people, most of them senior citizens. Many homes and businesses are abandoned. The elementary school was closed five years ago. The train tracks were pulled out 10 years ago.

"They already carry (hazardous) waste through here by trucks," Janis said. "We need jobs. A railroad would help us."

Whether the Energy Department allows private business to share its Yucca Mountain line has not been determined.

Bob Halstead, a transportation consultant for the state, said the Energy Department has been trying to win favor for the new rail line by suggesting that the line will be shared with commercial trains.

Loux said a new rail line would provide little upside to rural Nevada.

"They had a rail line to Mina for 50 years and it didn't do anything for them," Loux said. "Every rail line there in the past has been torn out."

The only reason the Energy Department can contemplate construction of the Mina route is because of a change in thinking by the Walker Lake Paiute Indian Tribe, Loux said.

The tribal council in 1991 rejected an Energy Department move to study moving waste through the reservation by rail. Last April, council members agreed to the study.

Ammunition bound for the Hawthorne depot is carried by rail past tribal headquarters, homes and a school in the town of Schurz. Under the Energy Department study plan, the rail line would be relocated about four miles outside of town.

Chairwoman Genia Williams responded to questions by handing out a prepared statement saying the council opposes the new rail line unless the Energy Department addresses all safety issues and agrees to ban shipments of nuclear waste by truck on U.S. Highway 95.

"Historically our tribe has been a victim of federal government decisions," Williams said. "I do not like the idea of Nevada being a dumping ground for nuclear waste, but this may be a chance to make my tribal community safer from nuclear waste that may come through our community on a highway," she added.

Williams wouldn't discuss whether the Energy Department has offered financial incentives to win the tribe's support.

Back in Silver Springs, Brittain walked beside the tracks and wondered if the hoopla about the nuclear trains is meaningless.

"I can't believe Harry Reid will let Yucca Mountain happen," he said.

Reid, D-Nev., the new Senate majority leader, said he controls what comes up on the Senate floor and he will continue his opposition to Yucca Mountain. - Ed Vogel, The Las Vegas Review-Journal, The San Luis Obispo Tribune

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SOUTHERN ILLINOIS RAILROAD STRETCH REOPENS A DAY AFTER DERAILMENT

CHRISTOPHER, IL -- A stretch of Union Pacific railroad near this southern Illinois community reopened Tuesday, a day after a freight train derailed and spilled 20,000 gallons of chemicals.

Crews reopened the route Tuesday afternoon after testing the stability of 1,200 feet of track replaced since the derailment of about one-fourth of the 83-car train bound for Chicago from Houston, said James Barnes, a spokesman for Omaha, Nebraska-based Union Pacific Railroad.

The accident occurred about 02:30 Monday near Christopher, a town of about 2,800 about 20 miles north of Carbondale.

The spill prompted the voluntary evacuation of more than 70 homes within a half mile of the wreckage site. About a dozen people were treated at area hospitals for mild symptoms related to the spill, including burning or irritation of the throat, eyes and nose, officials said.

Residents were allowed back in their homes later Monday.

Ben Burkhamer, a spokesman for the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency, said Tuesday that efforts to clean up the spill -- largely a petroleum product used as an additive for lubricating oil and a petroleum diesel-type lubricant -- could continue into the week.

"It is not considered a threat to the general public," he said.

The cause of the derailment has not been determined, Barnes said. - The Associated Press, The Beatrice Daily Sun

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ALL ABOARD THE PERCH EXPRESS

@#$%&'S LAKE, ND -- The Perch Express is coming to @#$%& Lake again.

Senator Byron Dorgan says Amtrak has agreed to continue offering the service, which offers a discount fare to bring Chicago-area residents to @#$%& Lake for some fishing. Amtrak had decided to end the Perch Express.

But Dorgan says he contacted the railroad and urged them to continue the promotion. Officials say the Perch Express brought between 250 and 300 Chicagoans to @#$%& Lake last year. - KFYR-TV5, Bismarck, ND

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FREIGHT TRAIN STRIKES FARM TRACTOR, DRIVER WEARING HEADPHONES

SALINAS, CA -- A farm tractor driver wearing headphones drove onto railroad tracks and was struck by a freight train.

Jose Dorado-Mojarro, 38, was wearing a hood and headphones, preventing him from seeing or hearing the train when he drove the Kuboto tractor onto the tracks about 07:35 Tuesday.

The tractor was traveling about 5 mph on a private dirt road north of San Jon Road and just east of Highway 183, the California Highway Patrol said.

The Union Pacific freight train heading to San Luis Obispo from Oakland was approaching the railroad crossing between 45 and 50 mph, the CHP said. The train's engineer blew its horn, but the tractor continued toward the track. - The Associated Press, The San Diego Union-Tribune

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TIETEK OPENS HOUSTON MANUFACTURING PLANT

HOUSTON, TX -- Railroad cross-tie manufacturer TieTek LLC has opened a 50,000-square-foot production plant in Houston, in a move to boost capacity and product flexibility.

TieTek expects the facility to increase the production of its composite cross-ties by 50 percent. The improved manufacturing flexibility of the new plant allows for production of cross-ties and switch-ties as long as 22 feet. The new products are required to meet the need for both track maintenance and new construction nationwide.

With three lines in production, each week TieTek will consume 500 tons of recycled plastic and rubber from more than 15,000 used tires to produce the railroad ties.

TieTek is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marshall, Texas-based North American Technologies Group Inc. - The Houston Business Journal

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DON'T LET THE SUN SET ON RAIL SERVICE

The sun hasn't yet set on the Sunset Limited.

The Mobile Register reported in November two rail passenger advocacy groups want Amtrak to restore service on the rail line between Mobile and New Orleans, including a stop in Gulfport.

Amtrak ended service between Mobile and New Orleans just before Hurricane Katrina hit. Those who want to see the service restored claim the company is using the hurricane's devastation as an excuse to keep the unprofitable line closed.

True, Katrina did destroy the CSX owned rail lines between the cities, which also run through south Jackson County. But the company has since restored the rails at a cost of $250 million.

CSX also sold its property in Mobile that housed Amtrak's station. Plans currently call for converting the property into a residential and commercial development. The plan also includes a new Amtrak station.

A restored Sunset Limited run between New Orleans and Mobile could be a boon for the entire Gulf Coast. Rail service through Mississippi's three coastal counties was one focus of the charrette process initiated by the Governor's Commission on Rebuilding, Recovery and Renewal.

Though the current plan doesn't include stops in Jackson County, a viable Sunset Limited stop in Gulfport could spur enough activity to justify one in the future.

Talks are already underway between the Louisiana Association of Railroad Passengers and Coast casinos to promote rail travel here. The New Orleans City Council has also proposed a resolution touting rail travel on the Sunset Limited as an economic boost to the hurricane-ravaged region.

Meanwhile, the southern Rapid Rail Transit Commission, which includes members from Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, is pushing Amtrak to developed a detailed investment and implementation plan to create a rail corridor along the Coast.

The commission has also vowed to work with Amtrak to pursue federal, state and local funding for operation and infrastructure costs. To that end, the commission is asking for $22 million in federal funding and matching amounts from the three states served by the rail line.

That amount to restore Amtrak service in the region seems to pale compared the $700 million Gov. Haley Barbour and Sen. Trent Lott sought from Congress to remove the CSX lines that bisect Mississippi's three coastal counties.

That proposal, which would create a new highway along the rail's footprint, is still alive and continues to be a major hurdle to restoring the Sunset Limited.

In the end, however, the best decision is to reopen the rail line and reintroduce coastal citizens to the joy or rail travel. - Editorial Opinion, The Pascagoula Mississippi Press

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NORTH POLE EXPRESS SCHEDULES HOLIDAY RUNS

GRAPEVINE, TX -- The North Pole Express, a special project of the Grapevine Vintage Railroad, will continue its holiday runs planned this month.

The 30-minute excursions depart from the Cotton Belt Depot, 705 S. Main St. The family-oriented ride includes children's Christmas activities, plus free admission to North Pole Fun Park. The park features visits with Santa Claus and other entertainment.

Train rides start at 17:30 Friday and continue hourly runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 17. The fun park closes at 21:45 Fridays, 20:45 Saturdays and 17:45 Sundays.

Tickets are $12 per person. Children under 2 who can ride in an adult's lap are admitted free. 817-410-3123. - The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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FORT WORTH HONORS BNSF FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT

The City of Fort Worth recently presented BNSF Railway Company with an award for "Outstanding Environmental Compliance" at the North Yard and Alliance Yard.

Accepting the award for BNSF was Lew Bird, supervisor, Facilities. The North Yard has had 10 years and the Alliance Yard nine years of continuous compliance with the wastewater discharge permit.

BNSF holds a permit from the city for the release of industrial wastewater generated from the locomotive fueling facility at each yard. Before the water is released to the city, any residual diesel fuel is removed using an oil-water separator. The BNSF Structures department keeps the separators clean, which is crucial to discharging water that meets the permit limits. Every drop of diesel fuel that isn't spilled is one drop that doesn't have to be removed from the waste water.

Thanks to all the employees who fuel the locomotives at the Fort Worth North Yard and Alliance Yard. You do your jobs well and keep the environmental compliance streak alive. - BNSF Today

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RAILROADS EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR STB OBJECTIVE TO ADDRESS SMALL RATE CASE ISSUES

The nation's major freight railroads support the Surface Transportation Board's (STB) objective to develop new and improved rules for small rate cases, and challenged major shipper groups to offer constructive alternatives.

"The shippers are long on criticism and short on constructive suggestions," said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads.

Hamberger said the STB proposals "constitute a serious and thoughtful attempt" to address small rate case issues. In a filing Nov. 30 with the STB, the railroads offered suggestions and modifications to refine the Board's proposals consistent with the requirements of the Staggers Act.

But the proposals filed by the shippers "do not advance the goal of simplification" for small cases, which was the STB's objective. The shippers "make no effort to propose procedures that would give shippers with low-value cases improved access to the Board," the railroads said.

Instead, they appear to be trying to avoid any STB rate relief that is consistent with federal transportation policy.

The objective of the shippers is to "shift the Board's focus from guarding against market power abuse towards insulating shippers from competitive market forces," said the railroads in their STB filing. This, the railroads noted, contradicts the basic principles laid out by Congress, which established "that rail rates are to be determined by the operation of market forces and that regulation of rail rates should be the exception rather than the norm."

The railroads stated that "The Board plainly faces a daunting task in attempting to formulate simplified maximum rate standards.to protect shippers from paying unreasonable rates in the absence of effective competition and to assist railroads in attaining the revenues necessary to support viable rail networks that meet shipper needs. The shippers should acknowledge the challenge faced by the Board and seek to improve upon the Board's proposals - or suggest a superior alternative approach - rather than condemn the Board's proposals out of hand."

The AAR's filing came in Ex Parte 646 (Sub-No. 1), "Simplified Standards for Rail Rate Cases."
The proceeding was initiated by the STB earlier this year in an effort to develop a procedure to challenge rail rates that was less complicated and less costly in cases where the Stand Alone Cost standards used in major rate cases is too costly given the value of the case. - BNSF Today

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LITCHFIELD TRAIN DEPOT STIRS RENOVATION INTEREST

GOODYEAR, AZ -- The Old Litchfield Train Depot is on track for salvation.

After learning the structure was in danger of demolition, several people have started looking for ways to save the piece of southwest Valley history. Railroad enthusiasts, non-profit organizations, private investors and Avondale officials are all working on plans that could transport and renovate the building. Built in the 1920s and originally owned by Southern Pacific Lines, the depot greeted many of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.'s top executives during their visits.

Tim Vitta owns the depot and the land in Goodyear where it sits. He has received several calls from people who want to save the depot.

"It would be best for it to stay local where it makes more historical sense," Vitta said. He plans to donate the structure to a non-profit agency but hasn't decided who gets the building. Whoever takes the depot would have to pay for moving and renovating the building, not a cheap endeavor.

When Goodyear considered buying the structure in 2003, it estimated that it would cost $45,000 to move it and an additional $550,000 to $800,000 to renovate it. Because of the cost and staff time, along with other complications, the city quit pursuing the depot. Goodyear Communications Director Paula Ilardo said the city doesn't have plans to get involved again, but could, depending on direction from the City Council.

Meanwhile, the High Desert Heritage Museum has expressed interest in the depot for a museum that would feature Arizona's history of mining, railroading and ranching. The new non-profit agency is working to build a museum and park in Cordes Junction. "We've got everything we need, except a centerpiece," said Lee Digges, museum president. He hopes the Old Litchfield Train Depot could become the star of park.

Closer to home, Avondale is exploring similar plans. The city is looking for grants that would help acquire the depot. The building could be renovated to showcase southwest Valley relics, said Janeen Gaskins, Avondale grants administrator. "We'd like to keep something on our side of town with historical significance," Gaskins said. "The sad thing is that this area doesn't really have anything that's been preserved because things weren't built sturdy enough." - Lynh Bui, The Arizona Republic, courtesy Marc Pearsall

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SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO BUY DOWNTOWN TRAIN DEPOT

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The City of Sacramento moved a step closer Tuesday to taking over the historic Union Pacific train depot located on prime downtown real estate.

Councilman Kevin McCarty was the lone dissenting vote in a move to secure the land for future development. The Sacramento City Council is expected to pay developer Stan Thomas $55 million for the land. The deal is contingent on Thomas completing a deal with Union Pacific to buy all 240 acres of the former rail yards at 401 I Street by December 29.

The city plans to build a new transportation center on nine acres and move the current passenger and freight tracks about 300 feet to the north.

The site's history as rail yards dates to 1863 when first Central Pacific and then Southern Pacific Company operated maintenance and locomotive rebuilding facilities there. Union Pacific took over Southern Pacific in 1997. All maintenance operations ceased by 1999.

The California Environmental Protection A gency, Department of Toxic Substances Control designated the land as a Superfund site, due to contamination caused by decades of metals, particularly lead seeping into the soil and groundwater. Union Pacific has spent millions to clean up the site.

Under the agreement with Thomas, Sacramento would make a $30 million down payment to the developer for the depot and nine acres. The remaining $25 million would be due in 2009.

The funds for the land purchase, transportation hub and track relocation would come from a transportation sales tax approved by Sacramento County voters in 2004.

Tuesday the council instructed city staff to return December 12 with a plan to buy and relocate the railroad tracks and a plan to finance the deal. - KXTV-TV10, Sacramento, CA, courtesy Coleman Randall, Jr

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TRANSIT NEWS

RTD TO REVIVE IT'S PAY-TO-PARK PROPOSAL

DENVER, CO -- Pay-to-park at RTD lots is back on the front burner.

Prohibited under legislation passed last year from charging for parking at any of its park-n-Ride facilities, the Regional Transportation District says it wants to go back to lawmakers next month for permission to charge a fee to riders who now park in its lots for free but live outside its taxing boundaries.

RTD also wants to be able to charge people who park for more than 24 hours.

Led last year by Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, the state legislature preempted RTD's plan to use parking fees to regulate parking at some of its more crowded park-n-Ride lots.

RTD staff had devised a plan to allow some commuters to pay a premium to reserve parking, and to scan license plates in the lots to charge people who don't live inside the district and, therefore, don't pay as much into the sales-tax-supported system.

RTD believed the legislation went too far because, while it allows RTD to attempt to charge nondistrict residents, it withholds from RTD access to the state's license plate database that would allow enforcement of the charges. The pay-to-park bill is one of four pieces of legislation that RTD is considering proposing.

Another crucial piece is a bill that would indemnify the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad from civil liability for commuter train accidents in the freight corridors if the railroads sell or lease their existing tracks to RTD in the $4.7 billion FasTracks program. - Kevin Flynn, Rocky Mountain News

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NORTHSTAR COMMUTER RAIL COULD BE RUNNING BY 2009

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Plans are moving ahead for the proposed Northstar Commuter rail. The current proposal will use existing rail lines that run about 40 miles from Big Lake to Minneapolis and back again.

According to oversight consultant with the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) Ken Stevens, the Federal Transit Administration found that the cost to benefit would not be met offering the commuter rail from Rice to Minneapolis, therefore the service line will end at Big Lake. Big Lake will also be the site for the maintenance yard, he said.

The line, expected to be completed in 2009, would use existing track and right-of-way owned by the BNSF Railway Company. The tracks parallel highways 47 and 10.

The proposal includes six stations: Big Lake, Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids, Fridley and Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the NCDA studied options for development of the corridor to handle the increase in commuters, and decided that a commuter rail line was the best option.

According to MnDOT, the improvements and stations are expected to cost about $265 million, estimated to be approximately 1/3 the cost of upgrading existing highways.

"Because most of the rail that would be used is already in existence, the costs will mostly go into building new train stations, upgrading track, enhancing crossings and adding railroad sidings so that commuter trains and freight trains (which currently run on the track) can pass by each other," Stevens said.

In addition, a significant portion of the cost is for extending the Hiawatha Line to just above the station proposed on the west side of I-394 and 5th Street, he said. Work is underway there to relocate utilities, he added.

Bus line connections

According to Stevens, buses would bring residents who live along the corridor to the nearest train station. Once in downtown Minneapolis, commuters would be able to walk upstairs to the Hiawatha Line light-rail corridor, or take a bus into neighboring St. Paul and other areas. Current plans would have eight trains run in the morning and evening rush hour periods, along with a few during the day and limited service on weekends and holidays, he said.

Funding

During the 2005 legislative session, a bonding bill passed that was very similar to a proposed 2004 bonding bill that included $37.5 million of funding for the corridor.

The bill, for $866 million, was signed April 11, 2005, by Gov. Tim Pawlenty at the Riverdale Station in Coon Rapids. This funding, along with $55 million in local funding, is matched with federal funds and has allowed the NCDA to enter the final design phase.

A nearly $1 billion budget bill passed by the Legislature in May of 2006 will provide funding to complete the corridor to Big Lake.

The total project cost is $307 million, with funding sources proposed to be 50 percent federal, 33 percent state and 17 percent local.

The Northstar operating and maintenance costs are estimated at $9.3 million per year, according to MnDOT. This will be covered through fare box revenues, FTA grant, and operating subsidies that are proposed to be split between state and local sources.

"The final design plans are in place. Local and state funding is in place. Now, the final phase is to obtain the full-funding grant agreement from the Federal Transit Administration," Stevens said. "When the administration gives their okay, then we can advertise for bids."

Design of Big Lake station

According to Stevens, the Big Lake Station is to be located off County Rd. 43 and the railroad tracks, where currently there is a Park and Ride facility. The plans include spaces for about 400 cars.

"We plan to work closely with the city for property acquisitions in the area and will need to annex properties for utilities. We will work with property owners and do talk with city staff on a regular basis," Stevens said. "It is a matter of timing, so everyone is in sync."

With exception of the downtown Minneapolis commuter rail station, all stations will have a Park and Ride facility. - Kathleen Ostroot, The Monticello Times

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PRESSURE FROM MAYOR TO BUILD HONOLULU RAIL REACHING A FEVER PITCH

HONOLULU, HI -- Over the past several months the "push" to build a Honolulu Transit System has reached a fever pitch with Mayor Mufi Hannemann continuously promoting his personal favorite, the "light" rail system. He insists that this system will appreciably reduce both traffic congestion and air pollution -- concerns he deems "critical" to all those residing on Oahu -- and has vigorously marketed his chosen option until this approach almost sounds believable even with its exorbitant price tag.(1).

After spending considerable time perusing numerous articles by independent sources, the inevitable conclusion must be reached that rail transit has not and is not by its very nature, capable of reducing traffic congestion or air pollution.(2). As James V. Delong, lawyer and consultant specializing in urban transport issues, states," faith in light rail transit is based on a series of myths. The truth is that these systems drain off astonishing amounts of tax dollars, exacerbate auto congestion, harm bus transportation and undermine desirable development plans." (3).

Is Mr. Delong alone in his criticism of this antiquated trolley-like technology? -- not by a long shot. Jonathan Richmond of Harvard University, writing in the Transit Review states that "in no case has new rail service been shown to have a noticeable impact upon highway congestion or air quality."(4). Harry E. Teasdale, Jr. of The Reason Foundation in Los Angeles, CA states," Since 1981, two dozen communities across this country have created light rail systems. Not one of these systems has validated the rationales or lived up to the rosy projections used by planners and advocates to justify investment in rail. All systems have been abject failures in reducing congestion. Not even one of these rail systems carries 1 percent of all travel or even ! percent of work trips."(5). San Diego, San Antonio, St. Louis, Baltimore, San Jose and yes -- even Portland, the poster child for light rail -- have systems that have failed to achieve promised results. The list just continues to grow.

Numerous local voices have spoken out against the cost and purported benefits of the light rail system. Rep. Colleen Rose Meyer from the 47th District questioned the mayor's interpretation of results from a recent poll conducted by The Honolulu Advertiser.

Although "24 percent of the respondents said traffic congestion was the number one need requiring attention, only 2-3 percent saw public transport or mass transit/rail as a need."(6). Noting a recent panel discussion held at the State Capital to discuss transport options and hosted by the Hawaii Highway Users Alliance, Rep. Meyer relates that panelist Brian D. Taylor, professor and director of UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, gave a presentation titled " How Do We Get The Most Bang For Our Transit Dollar Buck". Professor Taylor stated that "advocates of rail transit define the problem by using the most preferred solution. Hence, the problem of traffic congestion is because Honolulu does not have rail transit. This frames the question to arrive at a predetermined answer. Investigate the most cost-effective options to address your traffic problems."(7).

What do people really want when it comes to life style choices? Before the advent of the motorized vehicle, most people lived in densely populated cities with few mobility options -- you walked or used horse power in some fashion. Around 1880 the electric streetcar (trolley) and heavy rail (subways and elevated rail) were invented, adding more mobility and sanitation to city life. The radial city developed with dense population allowing for a downtown central core for employment and major retail with residential suburbs concentrated around the trolley line.(8).

By the early 1900s the automobile and bus development offered Americans unparalleled mobility. A personal vehicle gave the driver and passengers flexibility, scheduling convenience, comfort, carrying capacity and speed-options highly valued by today's society and not easily relinquished. Cities also began to change in form toward decentralization due to this increased mobility, with commercial and employment centers spaced out around the periphery.
The majority of all commuting trips are now suburb to suburb, not suburb to city. The automobile has also permitted lower-density residential development which agrees with the majority of peoples life-style goal: a home with a yard.(9).

What possible motivation could our local politicians have for promoting a transit rail system that has proven itself to be the most costly of any transit project option and will not reduce unwanted road congestion as promised? State Sen. Gordon Trimble of the 12th District suggests that "good public policy is the antithesis of old-boy politics. Frequently, our elected officials seek to undertake expensive multi-year construction projects to repay debts (to special interest groups). They might say that these projects are for you, but they do not fully respect you with the ultimate test -- a referendum vote" (here the public chooses whether the largest transit project in the history of the state of Hawaii should move forward with its present fixed rail system format as the only option).(10).

"SMART GROWTH" -- a term used to describe city planners' lust to revitalize cities by bringing business, services and residents back to the core city format -- feeds on high urban density and can only hope to pay for multi billion dollar fixed transit projects by promoting even more expensive and congesting development along the line. Who wins in this scenario? The developer, as usual, who can walk away fatter than before; the city tax base with officials who have the power to tax no matter who doesn't use the system, the planners, the builders, etc. Only the lowly tax payer is left to continue to subsidize and maintain this "white elephant." And we will hemorrhage money.(11).

"If we build a mass transit system for 600,000 people, will the next set of politicians attempt to increase our urban density to accommodate 4 million - 6 million people so the mass transit system will pay for itself? Does the rail transit system make sense for our community of 600,000 when the cities like Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris, London and New York have systems that service well over 6 million people?" queries Sen. Trimble. "Down what road is such a system taking us? How many people, tourists, concrete and noise is too much?"(12).

The Independence Institute in Colorado published an article which describes The Regional Transportation District planners in Denver as being well aware from their own research that light rail will not decrease traffic congestion or air pollution. However, if their "current system expands, this agency's budget will grow from $300 million per year to almost $1 billon per year."(13). Only the state of Colorado would have a larger budget than the RTD.

Even the city of Honolulu consulting firm, Parsons Brinckerhoff, concedes that rail will do little to reduce traffic congestion. This engineering firm, founded in 1885 and employing over 9,000 people, has a well entrenched foothold on large transit projects. They are responsible for the New York Subway, Hoover Dam and Alaskan Pipeline to name a few. Of late, the Big Dig fiasco in Boston is one of their projects. Being one of only a few engineering firms capable of handling these larger transit projects, they have garnered tremendous power over the years with real political pull to help secure federal monies needed to finance these billion plus dollar transit projects.(14).

According to Danish Professor Bent Flyvbjerg and colleagues who conducted a worldwide study of the cost of estimating on 258 transit projects," In 9 out of 10 transportation infrastructure projects, cost are underestimated and for rail projects actual costs are on average 45 percent higher than estimated costs. This underestimated percentage of true cost has not varied in 30 years."(15). So while costs could easily mushroom to the $6 billion range, the artificially inflated potential rider estimates will not materialize.

Fiscal responsibility and accountability are easily overlooked, as noted by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, when highly concentrated benefits of light rail projects can be quite large for a relatively small group of people (such as elected officials, environmental groups, labor organizations, engineering and architectural firms, developers and regional businesses who campaign vigorously to obtain federal funding). Costs are dispersed over a large group of people (the taxpayers) over time, which appears to be acceptable, as costs and benefits are "shaped" to suit the interests of the concentrated/smaller group.(16). In this scenario, appearances are terribly deceiving.

As a society, we pay taxes to all levels of government -- federal, state and local municipalities. In order to fund the transit rail project on Oahu over a 15-year period, the city of Honolulu and the state of Hawaii have agreed to increase the general excise tax -- or GET -- by 0.5 percent from 4 percent to 4.5 percent on all goods and services. This works out to increase the present tax by 12.5 percent. For purposes of clarity for this example we will ignore the fact that this pyramiding GET tax, if converted to a conventional sales tax would average about 15 percent for the taxing agency's pot. While relevant, it is a discussion for another day. Moving forward, the expectation of our city government is to raise about $150 million from the GET increase for this 15 year period, which would produce $2.25 billion.

If the federal government is generous enough to donate another $1 billion (only New York City got close to that amount for rail transit), there would be enough money for the shorter version of the rail system -- $3.25 billion. By the way, the state of Hawaii will make a nice piece of change from this process as they oversee the collection of the tax increase. Although Gov. Linda Lingle says the cost to set up the new collection system is $5 million, the state will receive 10 percent of each years $150 million -- a mere $15 million for each of the 15 years collected. That amounts to $225 million collection fee to the state for this GET tax increase.(17). --a stealth tax on many levels.

What could go wrong with this rosy equation? First, the feds could fail to respond to our request for $1 billon even though Mayor Hannemann insists on showing the city's ability to raise money for the rail project by raising the GET as of Jan. 1, 2007, and restricting it for the rail option only. Second, our planners, Parsons Brinckerhoff could have underestimated the cost by 30 percent to 40 percent, a predicament they have frequently encountered over the last 30 years. Suddenly, the city of Honolulu finds the transit project has ballooned upwards of $1 billion with no white knight in sight. "What will the city government do?" you ask. It will tax the citizens to cover the shortfall, because it can. It can extend and/or raise the GET tax, or both. It can raise property taxes as the Hannemann Administration has seen fit to do over the last 2 years by about 37 percent. Incidentally, the latest figure to build the shorter 20 mile version of the rail between Kapolei and Ala Moana is now quoted as costing $3.6 billion, not the $3.25 billion price tag projected during the Spring of 2006.

There is probably no single option to permanently ease traffic congestion, but many have been suggested by ordinary citizens who live the daily commuting problems and seasoned experts from around the country who have shared their experiences with the Honolulu City Council members.
At the very bottom of the list sits the light rail transit scheme -- a project that will not do what Mayor Hannemann espouses and will financially prohibit the development of options that can not only offer traffic congestion relief but help maintain the quality of life that Oahu citizens desire.

The elevated Reversible Express Lanes toll road option developed in Tampa, Florida, was recently visited by three city council members. Councilman Charles Djou wrote a thoughtful and straight forward account of this meeting, suggesting that "this system deserves serious attention in Honolulu."(18). Honolulu City Planner, Toru Hamayasu blasted this report as an outright lie.(19). Perhaps the City Council and general public would be interested in reading the rebuttal of Dr. Martin Stone, the Director of Planning for the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority, in the Hawaii Reporter. Dr. Stone clearly identifies all points of contention, and his main focus is relieving traffic congestion for years to come with the most cost-effective method not based on an increase of any burdensome tax to the public.

Tampa had considered and rejected a rail transit system.(20). Toll roads are routinely mentioned in economists' writings as being the only true method of calculating the actual cost of using the highway, otherwise the "external" cost is left out of the equation for the driver( driver's own cost + externalities ). Use of the toll road is a cost value issue -- some people will pay and some will choose the old highway. In either case, congestion eases on both roadways -- the desired result.(21).

Richard Sullivan, a St. Louis Heights resident and construction administrator advocates developing TheBus into a rapid transit for Honolulu. His ideas are worth hearing because he understands that light rail is not an appropriate option for Honolulu. Using dedicated busways is just one idea -- he has a lot of other cost effective thoughts and experience in the field.
Other options such as carpooling incentives from private business and the city, jitneys, express lanes and rolling shift employment are just a few of the pool of options that could be implemented. Foremost is the reconfiguration of identifiable points of congestion by commuters themselves on H-1 and a serious look at the manner in which heavily populated areas have been allowed to develop without adequate outlets to major arteries of transport. Just getting to the H-1 freeway is a battle for many.(22).

Perhaps the most contentious point of this rail project is not only the institution of the increased GET for only one possible option to ease traffic congestion, but also the collection of this tax beginning Jan. 1, 2007 -- well before the federal money approval; years before the approval. Former Governor Ben Cayetano contends "the feds do not require collecting taxes in advance. I spent half of my 12 years in the Legislature chairing the transportation committee in the House and Senate. I know there is no requirement to collect monies in advance. It is foolish to take hundreds of millions of dollars out of Oahu's economy before the feds commit to backing a Honolulu Transit System." Gov. Cayetano expresses grave concerns, stating "I've never seen a project rammed through like this one. The Legislature, Gov. Lingle and the City Council owed the public due diligence and they failed miserably."(23).

If the public -- the taxpayer -- is to be served, "doesn't an issue this big and expensive, one that will affect everyone on Oahu for decades, deserves serious debate and real public participation. Rather than letting ourselves be sold this project by political stakeholders who already have their minds made up, it seems we should demand that the rail issue be decided by the voters of Honolulu, through referendum. Put it on the ballot and make our elected officials convince the electorate why the rail is the right thing to do."(24). - Commentary, Cynthia Frith, The Hawaii Report

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RIPPED CLOTHES COST MTA THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

NEW YORK CITY, NY -- The armrests on some New York trains seem tailor-made for ripping passengers' clothes.

Over the last four years, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has paid $102,009.17 to customers who have torn their clothes on the armrests of train cars known as the M7.

The armrests, made of a rubber-like material, are long and narrow and can slide easily into a trouser pocket as a passenger sits down. Upon standing, the passenger's pocket can get snagged, leading to unfortunate tearing.

The MTA has paid customers from $10 for minor repairs by a tailor to more than $1,000 when a passenger tore his new suit.

The 1,114 M7 train cars -- which have about 48,000 armests -- are found on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad in the MTA network.

Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for the Metro-North, told The New York Times that a prototype for a new armrest expected this week could solve the snagging problems.

But before they can put the new ones in a few trains to test them and to gather comments from passengers, officials must first approve the prototype.

Metro-North officials said replacing the M7 armrests could cost from 1.5 million to $2.5 million. The Long Island Rail Road did not have an estimate of the costs for them on their M7 cars.

The protoype is shorter and it is made of smoother plastic than the current ones on the M7 trains. - The Associated Press, Newsday

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