TIGER VIII & FASTLANE grants

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CHamilton said:
SEATTLE

Feds give Seattle $45 million to finish Lander Street Overpass
http://www.king5.com/mb/news/local/seattle/feds-give-seattle-45-million-to-finish-lander-street-overpass/265176761
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Charles, your link takes me to a map, showing the overpass over railroad tracks marked "Amtrak - Sounder - B" (for BSNF I think). The article then only mentions freight.

How much Amtrak are we looking at here, basically the daily Empire Builder OR the Cascades trains and the Coast Starlight from Portland? Obviously I haven't figured out if this is north or south of the King Street station, but it is in SoDo -- South? Downtown?? and south would be those Cascades.

And thanks, your link took me to a link to the FASTLANE list we'd been waiting for.
 
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The overpass is going to be between the coach yard and the station. That means every passenger train going to/from king street station except for one or two sounder round trips, would pass under it.
 
Both the Virginia and Seattle projects will have positive impacts on passenger rail. The Coos Bay, OR, project is for freight rail. That part of the world hasn't seen passenger rail in decades, although one could envision it being a popular tourist rail destination.

Woody, scroll down past the map for the article. The area in question is just south of King Street Station, and is used by the Cascades, the Coast Starlight, and the south line Sounder commuter rail trains. It is a project that Amtrak, Sound Transit, the state and the city have all been pushing for.

I'm guessing that between freight, intercity and commuter trains, there are easily 6-10 trains an hour that go through that area.
 
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CHamilton said:
Both the Virginia and Seattle projects will have positive impacts on passenger rail.

Woody, scroll down past the map for the article. The area in question is just south of King Street Station, and is used by the Cascades, the Coast Starlight, and the south line Sounder commuter trains.
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I did read the article. It didn't use the words "Amtrak" or "Cascades". Thanks to you and CCC1007 for the complete info.

I'm liking this project. Four Cascades trains Seattle-Portland, soon to be six, two Cascades Seattle-Vancouver, the Coast Starlight, and even the Empire Builder will be helped a bit by this one simple fix. A ten-fer for Amtrak, plus Sounder and BNSF.

And it's not part of the Stimulus package of Cascades upgrades, but over and above. Portland Seattle is 3 hrs 40 min now, with "about 10 minutes" coming out from the Stimulus investments, so it could be 3 hrs 30 minutes. If the Lander Street overpass takes another minute out of that schedule -- hey, c'mon, a guy can dream!
 
To clarify, the empire builder only benefits while moving to and from the maintenance yard.
 
CCC1007 said:
The overpass is going to be between the coach yard and the station. That means every passenger train going to/from king street station except for one or two sounder round trips, would pass under it.
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Curious to know why only one or two Sounder trips would not pass under.
 
Palmetto said:
CCC1007 said:
The overpass is going to be between the coach yard and the station. That means every passenger train going to/from king street station except for one or two sounder round trips, would pass under it.
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Curious to know why only one or two Sounder trips would not pass under.
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The trips to Everett I was unsure how many stay in the station for the day, my understanding of the schedule is a little dated.
 
WoodyinNYC said:
Here's the link to the FASTLANE awards. Quick scan I didn't see anything else much for Amtrak.

http://transportation.house.gov/uploadedfiles/fastlane_project_awards_7.1.pdf
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Good find. I expect the US DOT press release with more details will be posted sometime today or by Friday AM. The FASTLANE program is authorized for 5 years in the Transportation authorization bill, so it should be funded in the $700 to $800 million range each year. The Virginia award is the largest FY2016 grant at $165 million, so the FASTLANE program is structured for larger single awards in the $100 to $200 million range while TIGER grants (post stimulus rounds) tend to top out at $25 or $30 million.

The FASTLANE program is not aimed at intercity passenger rail in any way. But we could see one or two freight rail track capacity or upgrade projects and a couple of grade separation projects funded each year that may be on routes that are used by Amtrak. Such as the 2 projects selected this year. There are any number of long stalled rail-highway grade separation projects due to funding gaps that could funded by FASTLANE grants in the next few years. Something to monitor as a secondary item to the TIGER grant program.

Looking at the FY2016 list, I'm surprised that a Chicago CREATE project did not get selected as the FASTLANE program is structured in part to help fund regional transportation system improvement projects like CREATE. Perhaps CREATE will land a big grant award next year.
 
Palmetto said:
CCC1007 said:
The overpass is going to be between the coach yard and the station. That means every passenger train going to/from king street station except for one or two sounder round trips, would pass under it.
Click to expand...
Curious to know why only one or two Sounder trips would not pass under.
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Sounder has two routes. "Sounder North" ( http://www.soundtransit.org/Schedules/Sounder-Everett-Seattle) terminate at King Street Station, although as Cody says, those train sets may well take advantage of this project as they move to storage.
 
afigg said:
WoodyinNYC said:
Here's the link to the FASTLANE awards.

http://transportation.house.gov/uploadedfiles/fastlane_project_awards_7.1.pdf
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The FASTLANE program is for 5 years in the Transportation authorization, so it should be funded in the $700 to $800 million range each year. The Virginia award is the largest FY2016 grant at $165 million ...

The FASTLANE program is not aimed at intercity passenger rail in any way. ... any number of long stalled rail-highway grade separation projects could be funded by FASTLANE grants in the next few years.

Looking at the FY2016 list, I'm surprised that a Chicago CREATE project did not get selected, as the FASTLANE program is structured in part to help fund regional transportation system improvement projects like CREATE.
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Some folks got carried away with hopes for the FASTLANE funding (All Aboard Ohio, for one). Considering that it NOT for intercity passenger rail, we did real well this year.

Apparently Congress reserved for itself a 90-day period to micromanage the awards. We can hope that Congress will continue its recent policy of doing nothing, not even negative things, while the 90-day clock runs out.

About a tenth of the proposed funding will help Amtrak. Buying the abandoned trackage Petersburg-Raleigh is the one big passenger rail item in the bag, and CSX will tell Congress that the deal is good for freight service as well.

Adding another 14 miles of track south of the Potomac Long Bridge also helps the freights, VRE's commuter trains, and several Amtrak Virginia Regionals (as well as the Palmetto, Meteor, Star, and Carolinian). Clearly most of the funds here will come from Virginia, and some from CSX, so even the haters will not have much to squeal about.

In Seattle, Amtrak is only one small part of it, wrapped inside a project to help BSNF, the Sounders, the state-supported Cascades, as well as drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians who won't have to deal with the grade crossings after the overpass is completed..

Eliminating grade crossings is always good, and I figure chances are that many such projects will be on freight lines that also carry LD or corridor trains.

Maybe CREATE can get federal funding next year, or more likely, next governor. The previous CREATE projects enjoyed matching funding from the great state of Illinois, but it ain't so great at doing that job under the current ideology in Springfield.
 
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Redoing the "S" line may actually be easier with the rail and ties removed. They would have to have been removed anyway. As long as the ROW has been dormant the removal of all the vegetation will be significant. Once observed NJT adding a 2nd MT on maybe the main line a complete excavation of both existing and new track subsoil about 8 ft deep. Then a sub base was installed and the 500 year fabric was installed next. The fabric is to prevent dirt from rising up thru the sub base and ballast.

Would expect same procedure to be completed on the abandoned "S" line.

We see the problems of the older methods of building on the NEC. Amtrak is trying to get enough funds to undercut the track . That will remove the dirt that has risen up thru ballast and blown on the ROW. Good subgrade means much fewer times that surfacing of tracks has to be done. So for some more capital funds you reduce maintenance requirements and slow orders.

As well all the bridges. culverts, overpasses will need to be rebuilt. Utilities will be the first item to be taken care of. All utilities will be required to add casing for all crossings. And of course there will be the undocumented ones done both before abandonment and after. Once an area is cleared then the above subgrade work can proceed . then there are the persons who have put unauthorized crossings for their auto that will scream loudly when they are evicted.
 
Strander Boulevard Extension provides a road underpass under the UP tracks on the south side of Tukwila station, providing a much better walking and biking route from the station to Southcenter.

On the freight side:

The Maine Intermodal Port Productivity Improvement project is for moving freight from ship to rail.

The Coos Bay Rail Line is getting its tunnels repaired, necessary to keep it in operation for freight service (it was actually shut down from 2007-2013).
 
The 2016 TIGER grant awards are being announced. The announcements are earlier than the September to early October time frame of previous years.

A google search turned up a $13.1 million award to Rhode Island for a Pawtucket - Central Falls commuter train station for MBTA service. Not involving Amtrak, but another stop on the NEC. Feds award RI $13.1M for Pawtucket train station.

Edit: another one not related to Amtrak, but money for improving a Chicago L station (transit connection category): Sen. Durbin, Mayor Emanuel, Members of Illinois Delegation Announce $25 Million TIGER Grant for Garfield Green Line Gateway
 
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Found a summary of 2016 TIGER awards for California on Streetsblog: California Brings Home Four TIGER Grants, Three for Passenger Rail. The 4th grant award is for a road project.

  • $15 million to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to separate the roadway and rail tracks at the intersection of Rosecrans and Marquardt Avenues in Santa Fe Springs, which sees more than 45,000 vehicles and 130 train crossings daily.
  • $8.7 million to San Bernardino County to construct the Redlands Passenger Rail Project from Redlands through Loma Linda to San Bernardino.
  • $6.3 million to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to refurbish the 19th Street Oakland BART station, including better bicycle and pedestrian access.
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The grant most relevant to Amtrak is the $15 million towards a major $130 million grade separation project on tracks used by the Surfliner, SWC, Metrolink. Looking at the grade crossing on Google map, it is a complex one with 2 tracks going diagonally across at an intersection of two busy roads. According to this article, it is considered the most dangerous railroad grade crossing in the state of California: Californias most dangerous railroad crossing in Santa Fe Springs is finally getting changed.
A search has not turned up much in the way of grant awards related to intercity passenger rail so far. A lot of road and local transit improvement projects this year it appears. Have to wait for a complete list to get posted to find out.
 
US DOT has issued a news release on the 2016 TIGER grant awards: U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Announces TIGER Awards Nearly $500 Million in Grants to Projects Focused on Safety and Economic Opportunity.

A link to the 2016 TIGER award fact sheet listing all the projects selected this year is on this webpage.

Looking through the list, the only projects I see that apply to Amtrak routes are:

  • $14 million for Springfield IL Rail Improvements Usable Segment II. A $48 million project to separate 2 grade crossings on the proposed route for the CHI-STL corridor through Springfield.
  • $15 million to LA Metro for a $137 million grade separation project at the intersection of Rosecrans & Marquardt Avenues in Santa Fe Springs for tracks used by the Surfliner, SWC, Metrolink that I posted about above. The grade crossing is rated as the most dangerous in the state of California.
Several commuter rail projects, including 2 stations on the NEC:

  • $10 million to Delaware for a $40 million new SEPTA Claymont Regional Transportation Center station with high level platforms, ADA compliant station north of the existing station.
  • $13.1 million to Rhode Island for a $40 million new MBTA station at Pawtucket - Central Falls
  • $8.7 million to San Benardino towards a $262 million Redlands Passenger Rail project on BNSF tracks.
There are several freight railroad state of good repair projects, one in MS, one in SC, that qualify for the rural grant allocation, but I don't think Amtrak runs on those tracks. Most of the rest are road, bridge, downtown walkable and bike access improvements, local transit system, port projects. Nothing for the SWC Raton Pass route this year it appears.

If there is a theme for the awards between the FASTLANE and TIGER selections for projects related to intercity passenger rail, it is grade separation projects were emphasized this year.
 
The New Haven "Downtown Crossing" project -- an expressway stub teardown -- improves the district near the Amtrak station and improves the ability to walk or bike to and from it. Could increase ridership.

The Goldsboro (NC) Main Street Revitalization Project seems to include Complete Streets treatment for the streets near the bus station. Could increase ridership.
 
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Interesting background:

...the state [of Rhode Island] committed $22.5 million in April as part of its application to the federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. The cities agreed to chip in a combined $3 million for the $40 million project, which includes track and signal upgrades to accommodate a new stop without slowing down Amtrak trains. In July, the feds awarded $13.1 million, just shy of the $14.5 million the state was seeking.
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http://www.citylab.com/commute/2016/08/for-a-better-economy-add-commuter-rail/494957/?utm_source=feed
 
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