Mid-Jordan Light Rail TRAX Construction Update: July 10, 2009*
Please forward this information on to others that would be interested.
*This schedule is subject to change due to weather, materials issues, or unanticipated utility conflicts.
Bangerter Bridge
Activity: Crews will be performing work on the Bangerter Highway overpass at approximately 8700 South. Traffic Impacts: The median will be closed through July.
Sugar Factory Area
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through July at 2700 West near the tracks to accommodate construction vehicles; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through July at 3200 West near the tracks to accommodate construction vehicles; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Old Bingham Area
UPDATED-DATE CHANGE Activity: Work will be taking place on 4000 West at the trackway located near Old Bingham Highway. Traffic Impacts: 4000 West will be closed at the trackway from 7/27 (Monday) to 8/16 (Sunday). Old Bingham Highway will also be closed at 4000 West during these dates. Please use 4800 West or Bangerter Highway as alternate routes.
UPDATED Activity: Waterline work. Traffic Impacts: On Old Bingham Highway just west of the Bangerter Highway overpass, traffic will be restricted to one lane with flagging operations during working hours (7 am to 5 pm) and lane shifts during non-working hours through 7/23 (Thursday). Traffic barriers will remain in place during the holiday weekend for your safety.
Activity: Eastbound shoulder closure on Old Bingham Highway west of Bangerter Highway through July.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at 4800 West near Old Bingham Highway to accommodate construction vehicles. Please note that left turns are not restricted; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at Wasatch Meadows Drive near Old Bingham Highway to accommodate construction vehicles. Please note that left turns are not restricted; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at 5200 West and the railway to accommodate construction vehicles.
Activity: Utility work is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: Shoulder work with possible lane restrictions.
Gardner Village Area
NEW Activity: Bridge work. Traffic Impacts: 7200 South will be closed at approximately 600 West from 10:00 pm on July 11 (Saturday) to 6 am on July 12 (Sunday). The eastbound right lane of 7200 South will be closed July 13 (Monday) through July 23 (Thursday), except on the weekend. The westbound left lane of 7200 South will be closed July 27 (Monday) through August 2 (Sunday).
Activity: Bridge work at 7800 South near Gardner Village. Traffic Impacts: The centermost lanes in each direction are closed until 7/26 (Sunday).
UPDATED Activity: Utility work. Crews will be working on 700 West near approximately 7400 South. Traffic Impacts: The northbound right lane will be closed through 7/19 (Sunday). The southbound shoulder of 700 West will be closed in this immediate area through July.
Activity: Access to Gardner Village from the Jordan River Parkway Trail is closed until August 2009.
Activity: Construction on the Jordan River TRAX bridge. Traffic Impacts: A temporary detour began the week of October 13th, 2008 on the Jordan River Parkway Trail near approximately 7500 South. The trail will be intermittently detoured through August 2009. Please be aware that the detour does cross a live railway track, and as such, the detour will be closed daily from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when freight is actively running on the track. Please plan accordingly. UPDATE (7/10/09): The trail will be detoured during daytime hours on 7/13 to accommodate girder installation.
Cottonwood Area
UPDATED Activity: Bridge girder installation. Traffic Impacts: Winchester Street will be closed approximately 1000’ west of Cottonwood Street to accommodate bridge girder delivery on July 15 (Wednesday).
Traffic is also subject to intermittent periods of one lane restrictions with flagging operations during daytime hours through 7/24. Please plan accordingly and use detour routes as posted.
If you have any construction-related questions or concerns, please call the construction hotline at (888) 550-2211.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the project, please let me know.
Construction is progressing on UTA’s FrontRunner South Provo to Salt Lake Commuter Rail line.
Below is the FrontRunner South construction update for July 11 – 17. To learn more about the FrontRunner South project, click here.
Area 16 — Downtown Salt Lake City to 4500 South (Murray)
Construction Activity:
Utility potholing will take place between 2100 South and 4500 South.
Traffic Impacts:
There are currently no impacts to motorists in this area.
Salt Lake Central Station:
Station complete.
Area 15 — 4500 South (Murray) to Wasatch Street/8000 South (Midvale)
Construction Activity:
Construction continues on bridges over eastbound I-215 and Center (7800 South) and Wasatch (8000) Streets in Midvale. These bridges will run parallel to existing Union Pacific Railroad main line bridges.
At I-215, storm drain relocation work will continue, and on the north side of the bridge crews will continue installing temporary shoring and permanent pile. At Center Street, crews will continue installing temporary shoring on the north abutment and continue wall construction. At Wasatch Street, crews will continue abutment wall construction.
Traffic Impacts:
Lane and sidewalk closures will take place in conjunction with bridge construction at Center and Wasatch Streets. There will be a single lane closure at Wasatch Street and lane closures in each direction at Center Street. Flaggers will be at both bridges to direct traffic.
Murray Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Area 14 — Wasatch Street/8000 South (Midvale) to 14600 South (Bluffdale)
Construction Activity:
Progress continues behind Salt Lake Community College’s Miller Campus at 9800 South as crews construct a bridge that flies over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. This is the area where FrontRunner will move from the east side to the west side of the tracks.
Wall construction will continue on the northeast side of the bridge and crews will begin mass embankment work near the bridge. Crews will strip forms from piers #3 and #5 of the flyover bridge and will also continue work on a crash wall at the bridge.
Between 10000 South and 10600 South, crews will begin sub-grade stabilization.
Traffic Impacts:
Flaggers will be stationed at 9400 South in Sandy to direct truck traffic delivering lightweight fill to the site of the flyover bridge.
The outside northbound lane on South Jordan Gateway at approximately 10400 South will be closed as flaggers direct truck traffic moving lightweight fill.
South Jordan Station:
Lightweight fill for the flyover bridge construction is being stored at the site of the future South Jordan park and ride lot.
Draper/Bluffdale Station:
The location of this future station is to be determined.
Area 13 — 14600 South (Bluffdale) to Thanksgiving Point (Lehi)
Construction Activity:
Crews continue to establish access and prepare the site along the railroad corridor in Bluffdale and Lehi.
At the Jordan River bridge, crews will form and pour a back wall for one of the abutments and form and pour a wing wall on the other abutment. Crews will continue mass excavation and storm drain work north of Clubhouse Lane in Lehi.
Traffic Impacts:
There are currently no impacts to motorists in this area.
Area 12 — Thanksgiving Point (Lehi) to Main Street (American Fork)
Construction Activity:
Irrigation line work will take place at 300 North 500 West in Lehi Monday through Wednesday.
Traffic Impacts:
There will be flaggers stationed at 900 North in Lehi to direct truck traffic and at 300 North 500 West to assist irrigation line work.
Lehi Station:
Crews will be working at the Lehi Station Park and Ride lot throughout the week to balance the grade.
Area 11 — Main Street (American Fork) to University Parkway (Orem)
Construction Activity:
Work continues at the sites of the future Vineyard Station, see details below.
Utility work will take place near the site of the future American Fork Station and north of University Parkway in Orem. Utility work will also continue near 800 South in Orem.
Traffic Impacts:
There will be truck traffic at Millpond Road on Monday.
American Fork Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Vineyard Station:
Crews will continue work on stem walls at the site of the future station as well as install duct bank.
Orem Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Area 10 — University Parkway (Orem) to Center Street (Provo)
Construction Activity:
Significant progress has been made in Area 10 along the Union Pacific Railroad corridor between University Parkway in Orem and West Center Street in Provo. Crews have prepared a path for FrontRunner by grading and clearing the right-of-way and relocating water lines. Drainage and irrigation installations are generally complete in this area.
Utility work continues south of University Parkway in Orem. Crews will conduct mass embankment work from the Provo River bridge to Center Street, balance the grade from Center Street to 900 West at 500 South and place sub ballast from 900 West at 500 South to 700 West at 600 South.
Traffic Impacts:
There will be truck traffic all week in Provo at 2150 West just south of 2000 North and at 900 West.
Construction progress continues on the Airport TRAX Line. To keep business and traffic impacts to a minimum, this six-mile project has been separated into seven construction “reaches,” or segments, for management and planning purposes. The map below shows each construction reach in a different color, starting with Reach 1 in dark red by the airport and ending with Reach 7 in light green on the east end of the project.
A description of what is happening in each area is listed below. If you need further construction information, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
Reach 1
Reach Description: Reach 1 is the area that extends from Terminal One at the Salt Lake City International Airport on the side of the Airport Access Road to the surplus canal bridge just north of the Wingpointe Golf Course.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Summer 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 2
Reach Description: Reach 2 extends from the surplus canal bridge just north of the Wingpointe Golf Course along Airport Access Road fence line to 2400 West.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Summer 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 3
Reach Description: Reach 3 extends from 2400 West along North Temple to I-215. This is the reach where TRAX will move from the side of the road to the center of North Temple.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Fall 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 4
Reach Description: Reach 4 extends from I-215 to just east of Redwood Road on North Temple. TRAX will be center running in this reach and will include a station located at approximately 1950 West. Access to the many businesses and governmental organizations will be maintained.
Current Construction: Nighttime construction has begun at the Redwood Road and North Temple intersection. During daytime hours, all traffic movements will be maintained; however, from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m., two left-hand turn movements will be restricted and motorists will be required to use the detours listed below.
We encourage businesses to call our 24-hour hotline at 1-888-800-8854 with questions or concerns.
Upcoming Construction: In approximately one week, crews will install a new water line from Redwood Road to Orange Street on the south side of North Temple. Access to businesses will be maintained. We will meet with businesses individually with more detailed information.
Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Please see the above listed night detours beginning on July 6th.
Reach 5
Reach Description: Reach 5 extends from just east of Redwood Road on North Temple to the Jordan River. TRAX will be center running and includes a station at 1500 West. Access to the many businesses and office complexes will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 6
Reach Description: Reach 6 extends from the Jordan River to I-15 along North Temple. TRAX will be center running and will include two stations located at approximately 1100 West and 800 West. Access to the many businesses and the State Fairpark will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: In approximately one week, water line work is scheduled to take place from I-15 to 700 West along North Temple. We will meet with all impacted businesses to discuss further details regarding this work.
Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 7
Reach Description: Reach 7 is the area where the Airport Line will connect with the current north/south TRAX Line at the Arena Station. This reach extends from I-15 to 400 West along North Temple and turns south on 400 West proceeding to South Temple. Access to offices and the Gateway will be maintained throughout the construction project.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Winter 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
General Information
Access during Construction
UTA is committed to maintaining 24-hour access to all of the businesses and residences along the construction corridor. We will coordinate with businesses in cases where access may be temporarily limited.
Construction Hours
Construction is permitted to take place between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additionally, specific activities may require different working hours depending upon the conditions and will be coordinated with city officials.
Construction Tours
If you are interested in learning more about the construction project, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
For More Information
Timely and helpful information is available to assist business and residential communities as well as commuters and stakeholders.
If you have questions or comments regarding the project, please contact our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854 or e-mail tcamp@rideuta.com. You can also visit UTA’s Web site at www.rideuta.com.
Please note that construction information provided is subject to change.
Construction progress continues on the West Valley TRAX Line. To keep business and traffic impacts to a minimum, this five-mile project has been separated into seven construction “reaches,” or segments, for management and planning purposes. The map below shows each construction reach in a different color, starting with Reach 1 in light green on the south end of the project and ending with Reach 7 in dark green on the north end.
Construction progress continues on the West Valley TRAX Line. To keep business and traffic impacts to a minimum, this five-mile project has been separated into seven construction “reaches,” or segments, for management and planning purposes. The map below shows each construction reach in a different color, starting with Reach 1 in light green on the south end of the project and ending with Reach 7 in dark green on the north end.
A description of what is happening in each area is listed below. If you need further construction information, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
Reach 1
Reach Description: Reach 1 is the area along Constitution Boulevard (2700 South) from West Valley City Hall at 3600 South extending north to 3100 South. This area includes both large and small businesses, as well as many residents. Access to all businesses and residences will be maintained throughout construction.
Current Construction:
· Significant progress continues south of 3500 South on 2700 West as crews prepare the roadway so traffic can be switched to the east side of Constitution Boulevard on July 22nd.
· Progress continues on the station platform between West Valley City Hall and the Public Safety Building. Work is taking place on the embedded track and the parking lot in this area.
· Third party utility work continues along both sides of Constitution Boulevard and curb and gutter work is taking place in front of Valley Fair Mall.
Upcoming Construction:
· Traffic is scheduled to switch to the east side of Constitution Boulevard on July 22nd.
· Work is scheduled to take place on the tail tracks near the end of the line the last week of July.
· Crews will begin replacing current fencing along the west side of Constitution Boulevard with temporary fencing on July 22nd. We will meet with each resident with backyards bordering the west side of Constitution Boulevard early next week to talk about this process.
Traffic Impacts: Traffic on 2700 West between 3100 South and 3500 South is operational on the west side of the road. There are also lane restrictions south of 3500 South; however, access is maintained at all times. Please be mindful of construction crews and obey posted speed limits.
Reach 2
Reach Description: Reach 2 is the area along 3100 South from Constitution Boulevard to Decker Lake Drive. The E Center and a few other businesses are located in this reach, as well as residents on either side of 3100 South. Access will be maintained throughout construction and we will work with the E Center to coordinate our efforts so you can continue to visit the great events they have to offer. When TRAX is completed along 3100 South, it will operate on the south side of the roadway.
Current Construction: Crews continue to build the TRAX bridge approach between Maple Way and I-215. Work also continues on the actual bridge crossing I-215 south of 3100 South. Utility work also continues at the E Center.
Upcoming Construction:
· Nighttime construction is taking place on the TRAX bridge over I-215 on the south side of 3100 South. Work will begin at 7 p.m and last until 5 a.m. Noise impacts are anticipated to be minimal during nighttime work activities. Residents are encouraged to call the 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854 if there are questions or concerns.
Traffic Impacts: Currently there are lane restrictions on 3100 South; however, access is being maintained.
Reach 3
Reach Description: Reach 3 is the area along Decker Lake Drive from 3100 South to Research Way (2770 South) and running east to Redwood Road. This area includes many commercial office buildings with thousands of employees who access this area on a daily basis. We will continue to ensure access is maintained.
Current Construction: The west side of Decker Lake Drive is open and access is being maintained. Crews have started work on the storm drain on the east side of the road. Preliminary utility work has also begun on Research Way near Redwood Road.
Upcoming Construction: Foundations for the overhead wiring system are scheduled to be installed along Decker Lake Drive in the next couple of weeks. Curb and gutter work is scheduled to begin toward the end of the month on the east side of Decker Lake Drive.
Traffic Impacts: There are lane restrictions on Decker Lake Drive; however, access is being maintained.
Reach 4
Reach Description: Reach 4 runs through the Chesterfield residential area along 2770 South and proceeds along the Decker Lake Canal and the Crosstowne Trail. We will work with residents to ensure a safe working environment that provides access to their properties.
Current Construction: Significant work has been accomplished in the Chesterfield area. Crews are currently preparing the trackway and have placed ties and rail in various areas throughout the reach. Rail has been installed at the Lester Street crossing between Claybourne Avenue and Southgate Avenue.
Upcoming Construction: Light poles are scheduled to be reinstalled at Lester Street in mid-July. Construction on the eastbound track will begin toward the end of July. We appreciate your patience.
Traffic Impacts:
· The Crosstowne Trail along 2770 South just east of Redwood Road to the Brighton Canal has been paved but will remain closed until TRAX is completed in this area.
Reach 5
Reach Description: Reach 5 will include construction along 1070 West in the Chesterfield industrial area. This reach will include one bridge structure over the Jordan River and another over 900 West.
Current Construction: Storm drain work is scheduled to be completed in this area toward the end of July. Work will begin on the east side water line on July 21st. Work is also being completed on the Jordan River TRAX bridge. Access is being maintained and we appreciate the businesses’ patience.
Upcoming Construction: After utility work is complete, crews will begin work on the curb, gutter and roadway on the west side of 1070 West, which should last until the end of the summer season. Once the west side of the roadway is complete, crews will then begin work on the east side of the roadway. Construction is anticipated to take place for the next several months.
Traffic Impacts: As construction proceeds, there will be lane restrictions, although access will be maintained.
Reach 6
Reach Description: Reach 6 runs through the Union Pacific Railroad’s Roper Yard area. Although there are no businesses and residents, extensive coordination will take place to ensure that freight deliveries and other train travel is maintained. Reach 6 includes plans for an extensive bridging system that will enable TRAX to operate over other train traffic.
Current Construction: Significant progress continues on the TRAX bridge structures over the Roper Yard area near 2200 South and 600 West. Crews are also excavating the TRAX guideway just south of SR 201 between the Jordan River and 900 West. Construction is proceeding just east of 900 West along the south side of SR 201.
Upcoming Construction: Coordination will continue with the Union Pacific Railroad to install utilities and bridge structures.
Traffic Impacts: Not applicable.
Reach 7
Reach Description: Reach 7 is the area where the West Valley Line will connect with the current north/south TRAX Line. Construction will take place along Andy Avenue in South Salt Lake. Crews will closely coordinate activities with businesses to ensure access is maintained.
Current Construction: Roadway construction is currently underway along Andy Avenue and is scheduled to be repaved by July 27th. We thank businesses for their support during this phase of construction.
Upcoming Construction: Roadway work will continue on Andy Avenue for the next two weeks. Crews will then move to work on the waterway and slope protection under I-215.
Traffic Impacts: Bearcat at Andy Avenue is now permanently closed. Flaggers are on sight to direct traffic and access will be maintained during construction.
General Information
Access during Construction
UTA is committed to maintaining 24-hour access to all of the businesses and residences along the construction corridor. We will coordinate with businesses in cases where access may be temporarily limited.
Construction Hours
Construction on the project is permitted to take place between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additionally, specific activities may require different working hours depending upon the conditions and will be coordinated with city officials.
Construction Tours
If you are interested in learning more about the construction project, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
For More Information
Timely and helpful information is available to assist business and residential communities as well as commuters and stakeholders.
If you have questions or comments regarding the project, please contact our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854 or e-mail tcamp@rideuta.com. You can also visit UTA’s Web site at www.rideuta.com.
Please note that construction information provided is subject to change.
A weekly digest of events, opinions, and forecasts from
United Rail Passenger Alliance, Inc.
America’s foremost passenger rail policy institute
1526 University Boulevard, West, PMB 203 • Jacksonville, Florida 32217-2006 USA
Telephone 904-636-7739, Electronic Mail info@unitedrail.org • http://www.unitedrail.org
Volume 6, Number 21
Founded over three decades ago in 1976, URPA is a nationally known policy institute which focuses on solutions and plans for passenger rail systems in North America. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, URPA has professional associates in Minnesota, California, Arizona, New Mexico, the District of Columbia, Texas, New York, and other cities. For more detailed information, along with a variety of position papers and other documents, visit the URPA web site at http://www.unitedrail.org.
URPA is not a membership organization, and does not accept funding from any outside sources.
1) Amtrak woke up this Monday morning for the first time in decades without the prospect of having the many services, decades of experience, and wisdom of Victor Francis at its disposal. Mr. Francis retired from Amtrak on Saturday; the Fourth of July was his declared day of personal freedom, too.
Mr. Francis is a young man; he just turned 60 a few days ago. But, with his combined age and over 30 years of experience and the rules of Railroad Retirement, he was able to go out the door and start the next useful phase of his life. Don’t be fooled at that number 60; Mr. Francis could/has/will run rings around lesser folks half his age.
He began his Amtrak career when both he and Amtrak were young in the 1970s, beginning as a trainee in the kitchen of an Amtrak dining care that still used coke logs for fire and heat in stoves. His worthy teachers were salty chefs and cooks first trained by familiar names in the best traditions of passenger railroading such as Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and Southern Pacific, all working out of the Los Angeles, California crew base, where Mr. Francis called home his entire Amtrak career.
His experience under fire taught him the tricks of the trade, and how to turn out a superb meal in a hot, cramped space, often having to improvise to provide the best presentation for passengers.
After the kitchen, Mr. Francis moved into other areas, including a long stint as Chief of Onboard Services for the Coast Starlight and Sunset Limited. After that, other supervisory roles called in the Los Angeles crew base and Los Angeles yard areas, including his last assignment of making sure the Coast Starlight and Sunset Limited were road-worthy and ready to be backed into Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal to being their multi-state runs. It was under Mr. Francis’ watchful eye those consists were released for service after making sure everything was well-stocked and in as much working order as possible.
Mr. Francis is a totally passenger-focused manager; he understands service recovery and also what it takes for passengers to have an enjoyable train experience from the moment they step on the train. Graciousness has always been a part of his demeanor – unless, of course, behind the scenes something is awry and a stronger approach was necessary – and he was always an advocate for those working for him. Be sure, Mr. Francis was never shy about speaking his mind, but his purpose was positive and for improvement, not negative.
So, today, Victor Francis will be missed by his many friends at Amtrak, and all of us who had the privilege of working with him at various times on special projects. Under the direction of former Gulf Coast Business Group General Manager Deborah Wetter, Mr. Francis was one of the group of four of us who invented the successful 24-hour dining car experiments on the Sunset Limited. It was great fun working with him creating menus, figuring out labor requirements, and understanding storage limits in a Superliner dining car. He knows union rules inside and out, and he knows railroad safety rules even more. He took all of this experience and put it to use where it was most important, for his passengers.
There are many like Victor Francis in Amtrak’s national system; people who go to work everyday determined to make a difference for their passengers. These fine people often have to pick up the slack for co-workers who don’t share this creed, but they do it because they understand the passenger – not government subsidy – is what makes Amtrak possible.
Victor Francis will be missed at Amtrak. In the end, he knows he goes into the next positive phase of his life with the knowledge of a job well done.
2) The fans of failure often incorrectly point to Amtrak’s host freight railroads as the primary reason Amtrak can’t expand, citing track congestion and an unwillingness for freight railroad managers to deal with passenger trains.
Norfolk Southern Corp., owner of Norfolk Southern Railroad (along with Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad) has always taken a more business-like approach to passenger rail. While other railroads have often expressed a knee-jerk negative reaction when the subject of passenger rail is even brought up, the folks at NS have taken their cue from the top.
Wick Moorman, the CEO of Norfolk Southern, recently spoke to business leaders in the NS hometown of Norfolk, Virginia. Mr. Moorman in June told members of the Greater Norfolk Corp. civic development group his thoughts were his own, and not necessarily those of his company, but, please, when the CEO expresses an opinion which is made public for the press, that opinion always carries some extra weight.
When speaking on the subject of the need for high speed passenger rail to come to the Hampton Roads area of Tidewater Virginia, the Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk’s daily newspaper quoted Mr. Moorman as saying “... (H)e signaled in an interview that his company is open to becoming an active partner. ‘If we think it makes sense for us financially to take some role in the ongoing operation, we’d be willing to at least consider that,’ he said. ‘We certainly are more than willing to be engaged in the dialogue.’”
The Virginian-Pilot went on to say “Moorman’s comments represent a sea change in Norfolk Southern’s attitudes. The company historically has had understandable heartburn about trying to coordinate fast-moving passenger trains and slower freight cars. But Moorman and other executives are proud residents of Hampton Roads, and they understand the economic consequences if a network of high- and higher-speed passenger rail along the Eat Coast bypasses the region.
“They also understand their own business model is changing. Moorman told business leaders that cargo traffic has dropped by about 45 percent for automobiles, 40 percent for steel and 25 percent for coal compared to last year’s figures. Although Moorman sees signs of improvement he believes recovery will be slow. While the recession has been painful, it’s also encouraged Moorman and his colleagues to consider new opportunities, including passenger rail.
“Moorman said 16 states have contacted his company eager to engage Norfolk Southern in passenger rail projects. He’s met with officials in Virginia, and his expertise is already helping to level barriers impeding the project.
“For example, he said in an interview that the state’s $475 million price tag for a southern route [From the Norfolk area to other parts of the East Coast in the Carolinas and elsewhere.] exceeds his company’s own estimates for necessary upgrades. Norfolk Southern boasts a rail network perfectly capable of handling passenger trains with additional side tracks for passing and improved road crossings.”
“While Moorman is willing to work with Virginia on passenger rail, issues of capacity, liability and financing must be resolved. ‘The trick is the money,’ he said.”
Well. So, to the surprise of many socialists and others of their ilk, basic business and the desire to make money for corporate shareholders does trump the perceived distaste for passenger rail that came from generations past of railroad executives, not necessarily those of today who are responsible for corporate growth and prosperity.
The time has come to discard the old, outdated thought patterns. People tend to forget railroads are a business charged with producing the highest possible return on investment for shareholders. If part of that process includes the reintroduction of passenger rail on much of America’s railroad infrastructure, there is a higher chance that is going to happen than there was 25 years ago. Stop thinking in the past and embrace the future, or you may just miss the train.
3) Okay, so we’re seeing an overt willingness by at least two of the four largest railroads in the United States to talk about passenger rail. Most likely, the others will fall in line when they realize what it can do for the bottom line. So, what about Amtrak? Is there a willingness on Amtrak’s part to embrace this new culture of expansion?
It really doesn’t look that way. While everybody and their dog in the country has created a vision for the future based on stimulus money and all sorts of other goodies as the recession wanes, Amtrak has been steadfast in its silence.
Amtrak Interim President and CEO Joseph Boardman publishes a column two weeks ago in the Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch heralding the virtues of high speed rail and how Amtrak is poised and ready to assist states grab free federal monies (Something Amtrak is very adept at doing.) to start high speed passenger services.
But, the column was totally devoid of any mention of Amtrak as we know it – America’s passenger railroad – and the future of Amtrak as a provider of conventional rail.
More and more people with the ability to look at Amtrak with their eyes wide open – as opposed to those True Believers who believe Amtrak can do no wrong – are questioning Amtrak’s ability to move forward in a meaningful way. No one is seeing any vision, and no one is seeing any plan for the future. In reality, we’re not even seeing a holding pattern, just the continued decline in national operations.
Since Mr. Boardman’s one year contract expires in less than five months, and he was the product of the previous White House administration, what will happen today and tomorrow? Will the current White House want to put its own imprint on Amtrak, complete with a new CEO? Will the current White House fill the five vacant seat on the Amtrak Board of Directors so the company can move forward in a legal manner?
Will Amtrak ultimately have the management team it deserves; a team committed to expansion, not retrenchment?
Amtrak’s current enablers always want us to believe to tired old canard of “just give Amtrak the money it needs, and everything will be fine.” Please, that line of thinking has got to stop. Amtrak, because of its lack of vision, doesn’t make full use of the money it receives now, but instead, chooses to plow money into the least productive and most socialistic lines of business, short distance trains.
4) Since Mr. Boardman has offered a helping hand to states wanting to get into the high speed rail biz, is he willing to do that to states looking to improve their state funded trains, too?
Michigan is going through some serious heartburn at the moment, with a sure cut coming in its funding of its state trains, including the Pere Marquette and Blue Water services. Michigan state senators have passed a budget resolution which will cut the annual Pere Marquette and Blue Water subsidy from the current $7.3 million to about $3.7 million next year. The governor and house, from a different political party than the majority of the senate, want to cut the Amtrak subsidy to about $5.7 million, still a 22% cut. Either way you look at it, there is going to be a cut in state funding in Michigan. These numbers are just preliminary, final budget resolutions haven’t been proposed or voted on by both chambers of the Michigan legislature.
As said before, this is the inherent problem of relying on state monies for routes, because not only will Michigan take a hit, but so will service in and out of Chicago. Both of these routes traverse Indiana to get to and from the Chicago terminal, but neither route makes a stop in Indiana. This is a vivid demonstration of how everything is connected, even when it’s paid for separately.
And, even though Michigan pays for these trains, what is Amtrak doing to promote the trains outside of listing them in its printed and virtual timetables? Does Amtrak have any responsibility to make these trains successful? Yes, it does. These state paid-for trains still carry the Amtrak logo and are part of the Amtrak system. The states are Amtrak’s clients, so Amtrak has a duty to make these trains as successful as possible, beyond just taking a monthly check from the states for operations. Amtrak will try and tell you promotion is the problem of the states, not Amtrak. While California and North Carolina take this to heart and heavily promote their trains to try and hold down their Amtrak subsidies, that is not often the case elsewhere.
5) Good news came in the past couple of days from Canada. The Canadian federal government has decided to wave its scandalous daily fee of $1,500 for border crossing services for a second daily train from Seattle, Washington to Vancouver, British Columbia. This train is designed to be a boost for the upcoming Olympic games in Vancouver, and much nail-biting has been going on over the Canadian’s refusal to provide border crossing checkpoint services at the same level it charges for other trains and forms of conveyance.
Finally, someone in Ottawa came to their senses and waved the fee so service on this train can begin. The new service will begin in August in time for the Olympic winter games in February 2010. There is desperate need for much more cross-border traffic between the United State and Canada beyond this new train in the Pacific Northwest. Can anyone say Boston-Montreal for starters?
6) Remember those Rohr Turboliners that caused so much controversy a decade ago in New York State? The trains, originally owned by Amtrak were being upgraded at great expense to the State of New York for runs on the Empire Service route between Albany and New York City. The Turboliners travel at a high rate of speed, but the tracks were never upgraded to handle the service.
Even though $65 million was spent to bring the Turboliners up to modern specifications, they ended up being stored at Amtrak’s facility in Bear, Delaware instead of being put on the road. Amtrak said since the tracks were never upgraded in New York State, these trains were too expensive to run in regular service, and chose to store them, instead.
New York took exception to this, and did all sorts of huffing and puffing, but Amtrak won the day and the trainsets remained in storage.
Now, you, too, can own your very own Turboliner. They have been put up for sale to the highest bidder. Be the first on your block to own a trainset; moving expenses must be handled by the buyer. Just think of that $65 million investment by the State of New York as a decade-old jobs stimulus program.
7) We’ve talked about this before recently in this space; here’s the formal press release of the good news.
[Begin quote]
COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 1 /PRNewswire/ – Private investors affiliated with Value Recovery Group, Inc. (VRG) of Columbus, OH, have acquired the Colorado Railcar DMU and will resume manufacturing this modern domestically produced passenger train in a new manufacturing facility to be established later this year pending state/local incentives and final round investments. Assets acquired by US Railcar include the former Colorado Railcar DMU proprietary rights and information, manufacturing documentation, inventory, and other equipment necessary for production.
According to VRG Chairman & CEO Barry H. Fromm, "US Railcar intends to reestablish passenger train production in the United States." Currently, passenger trains purchased in the U.S. today are produced by European and Asian suppliers typically importing 40 of content from overseas. "We want to keep American jobs and U.S. public investment at home," said Fromm. "There is a major commitment by the Obama Administration and the Congress to make investments in intercity and high-speed rail to promote economic growth and mobility, create jobs, conserve energy and address climate change. This opens a new era for passenger trains and railcar manufacturing in the United States."
US Railcar, LLC will be led by Michael P. Pracht, its President & CEO, a rail industry veteran with extensive past experience at two of the world's leading rail transportation companies, Siemens and Ansaldo. US Railcar will manufacture both single- and bi-level Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) which are self-propelled railcars eliminating the need for more costly locomotive-hauled push/pull trains in lower density corridors. Both platforms are fully compliant with existing Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety standards for crashworthiness as established by Department of Transportation and approved for immediate use on the national rail system.
Unlike European & Asian DMUs, the US Railcar DMU can operate in all mixed-mode freight corridors throughout the country without waivers and/or temporal separation agreements currently required for non-compliant foreign platforms. "There are extraordinary growth opportunities for passenger rail development," said US Railcar CEO Mike Pracht. "The US Railcar DMU will enable new cost-effective passenger rail service across a range of corridors and routes, all with a proven, existing equipment platform already in service."
The US Railcar DMU was prototyped through a demonstration project in 2002 and is currently the only FRA-compliant DMU operating in revenue service in North America. Available in both regional and intercity configurations, the US Railcar DMU is uniquely suited for incremental corridor development at speeds from 79-to-90 mph. Platform enhancements currently anticipated include a diesel-electric upgrade, increasing speeds to 125 mph, making this American-made DMU the ideal solution for both mature and emerging passenger rail agencies around the country.
VRG is an asset recovery and management firm that specializes in asset management, advisory and asset recovery services for state and local governments, commercial banks, private investors and several federal agencies, including the FDIC. VRG also manages a brownfield remediation and redevelopment partnership and serves as consultant to advanced energy programs for state and federal agencies. More information about Value Recovery Group can be found at www.valuerecovery.com. US Railcar's website www.usrailcar.com is currently under development.
[End quote]
8) We get lots of mail here at This Week at Amtrak. Here’s a sampling from the mailbag after the last issue.
[Begin quote]
There are so many comments, suggestions, solutions, etc, on how the federal government will invest/spend the billions of dollars in stimulus funds (wisely). In my opinion, as long as politics are involved (Congress), the money isn't going to be spent wisely nor will such a passenger rail network be effectively planned and structured.
Recently, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) commented that the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) strategic plan for high-speed rail is less of a plan and more of a vision. Additional comments are that the plan does not establish clear high-speed rail goals for the federal government, other than a longer-term goal of developing a national intercity passenger rail network, and doesn't define a clear federal-role for high-speed rail involvement other than providing recovery act dollars. Source: Progressive Railroading Daily News 6/25/2009 (www.progressiverailroading.com)
It's a tremendous challenge to create a coordinated, reliable, passenger rail network after so many years of neglect. Would it be a consideration to offer the private railroad sector the opportunity to structure/restructure our passenger rail network? Could there be an incentive that would ignite an interest in the private sector to create an efficient, long-lasting, passenger rail system? It might even be less costly and more reliable.
Again, my personal opinion, but presently an excessive amount of emphasis is being placed on the NEC and on "high-speed rail". Equal emphasis should be placed on an integrated, nationwide network for passenger rail service.
One issue that concerns me is, what organization is most influential, or respected, in contributing to the improvement of passenger rail service? My observation is that NARP obtains the most publicity. However, I've seen no dramatic, or noticeable improvement in our current passenger rail system over the years from their advice, judgment, or speculation.
J. C. Tietgens
Fargo, North Dakota
[End quote]
And, a second offering.
[Begin quote]
Greetings,
I'm a fairly regular reader of This Week at Amtrak, a mechanical engineer who lately lives in the Portland area and I admit I get curious about the Dr. Herzog's matrix operations theory and other technical aspects from time to time, and anyway the thought of the proposed revivals that have been much-mooted in certain circles gave me some pause for consideration.
I know there has been mandated studies for the revival of the Pioneer and the North Coast Limited. Now the question is – why should the Pioneer continue all the way to Chicago? Seattle has perfectly good maintenance facilities and so does Portland, and it doesn't seem to make very much sense to run it to Chicago especially if the North Coast Limited were to be revived (the main issue with reviving the North Coast Limited to be would see that an ideal trip would require the re-commissioning of Homestake Pass, though I know this wasn't necessary before, but it would make a more direct journey and serve Lewiston then, if I'm correct about the route of the old NP main). Anyway it seems the ideal trip matrix would be to have the Pioneer leave Seattle - Portland in separate sections (one going over Stampede pass) to combine in eastern Oregon in Pendleton, in the late evening/early night (around 10:30 PM departures at the latest, anything else would be an inconvenience). The goal would be to allow a morning arrival in Boise and then proceed by day to Salt Lake City. At that point I'm not sure if it would make more sense to try the Union Pacific main through Wyoming or just keep on the existing route – probably the later unless there's strong demand from Wyoming's congressional delegation, seeing how politicized it is these days.
Anyway, the basic thought is that once the train gets to Denver, why should it go to Chicago? It would seem more worthwhile to run to Trinidad Colorado (and worth establishing a station at least in Colorado Springs) and then mirror the route of the Southwest Chief as far as Albuquerque ... And then head south to El Paso. This would allow mid-route connections with all three of the Chicago-California routes of Amtrak and feed those connections into the Pacific Northwest. Is there something about the route that would make it unfeasable, or is this just another case of a lack of imagination at Amtrak?
As another question, for all that the Superliner equipment is better for the western routes, because Amtrak doesn't run the trains at nearly full capacity for the ability of head end power to provide hotel power to the train, wouldn't a fair bit of savings be achieved via economies of scale if the build order for single-level long distance equipment which is now going through was simply massively increased and the transition sleepers used to combine the two equipment types as necessary? It may be un-ideal, but with Amtrak's chronic refusal to spend money on infrastructure (perhaps America's chronic refusal is a better thing to say, sadly) it might make sense for now to try and squeeze as many cars as possible out of as little money as possible by just expanding the build orders for single-level equipment and starting to use it on western routes again.
If the cost of restarting production of the Superliners and having two separate production lines going at the same time is prohibitive it makes much more sense to just run 12-car single level trains in the future instead of the current trains which at most are eight Superliner cars, anyway – two deck equipment only truly makes sense when you have sold out trains of the maximum operating length with single-deck equipment, which is manifestly not the case with modern Amtrak. It does also offer the advantage of universal system interoperability in addition to the economies of scale from a single large order that I'd mentioned before.
Sincerely,
Marina Collette
[End quote]
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What: Utah Transit Authority advises its riders and the public of changes to bus, TRAX and FrontRunner service for the Independence Day holiday weekend.
When: Friday, July 3, 2009 – Independence Day observed
Saturday, July 4, 2009 – Independence Day
Info: TRAX will run on a Sunday schedule with extended evening service each night to accommodate late fireworks or other festivities:
· The last westbound University train to Salt Lake Central station departs Medical Center at 11:04 p.m.
· The last eastbound University train to Medical Center station departs Salt Lake Central at 11:09 p.m.
· The last southbound train to Sandy departs Salt Lake Central station at 11:55 p.m.
· The last northbound train to Salt Lake Central departs Sandy Civic Center station at 10:25 p.m.
UTA Buses will operate on a Sunday schedule on both July 3 and 4
FrontRunner will not operate on either July 3 or 4
Sunday, July 5, will follow the regular Sunday service schedule.
For more information, visit www.rideuta.com or call 1-888-RIDE-UTA (743-3882).
Construction is progressing on UTA’s FrontRunner South Provo to Salt Lake Commuter Rail line.
Below is the FrontRunner South construction update for July 4 – 10.
To learn more about the FrontRunner South project, click here.
Area 16 — Downtown Salt Lake City to 4500 South (Murray)
Construction Activity:
There are no construction activities planned for this area this week.
Traffic Impacts:
There are currently no impacts to motorists in this area.
Salt Lake Central Station:
Station complete.
Area 15 — 4500 South (Murray) to Wasatch Street/8000 South (Midvale)
Construction Activity:
Construction continues on bridges over eastbound I-215 and Center (7800 South) and Wasatch (8000) Streets in Midvale. These bridges will run parallel to existing Union Pacific Railroad main line bridges.
At I-215, crews will continue installing permanent pile on the north side of the bridge and also continue work on a storm drain relocation. At Center Street, crews will continue installing temporary shoring on the north abutment and begin wall construction. At Wasatch Street, crews will continue abutment wall construction and form and pour the south abutment of the bridge.
Traffic Impacts:
Lane and sidewalk closures will take place in conjunction with bridge construction at Center and Wasatch Streets. There will be a single lane closure at Wasatch Street and lane closures in each direction at Center Street. Flaggers will be at both bridges to direct traffic.
Murray Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Area 14 — Wasatch Street/8000 South (Midvale) to 14600 South (Bluffdale)
Construction Activity:
Progress continues behind Salt Lake Community College’s Miller Campus at 9800 South as crews construct a bridge that flies over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. This is the area where FrontRunner will move from the east side to the west side of the tracks.
Construction will continue on a wall on the northeast side of the bridge and crews will begin clearing and grubbing the corridor near the bridge. Crews will also continue work on the crash wall at the bridge.
Mass embankment work will take place between 10000 South and 10600 South.
Traffic Impacts:
Flaggers will be stationed at 9400 South in Sandy to direct truck traffic delivering lightweight fill to the site of the flyover bridge.
The outside northbound lane on South Jordan Gateway at approximately 10400 South will be closed as flaggers direct truck traffic moving lightweight fill.
South Jordan Station:
Lightweight fill for the flyover bridge construction is being stored at the site of the future South Jordan park and ride lot.
Draper/Bluffdale Station:
The location of this future station is to be determined.
Area 13 — 14600 South (Bluffdale) to Thanksgiving Point (Lehi)
Construction Activity:
Crews continue to establish access and prepare the site along the railroad corridor in Bluffdale and Lehi.
At the 144th South bridge, crews will begin soil mixing at the south side wall. At the Jordan River bridge, crews will form and pour wing walls for one of the abutments and strip forms on the other. North of Clubhouse Lane in Lehi, crews will continue excavation and storm drain work.
Traffic Impacts:
There are currently no impacts to motorists in this area.
Area 12 — Thanksgiving Point (Lehi) to Main Street (American Fork)
Construction Activity:
This week crews will continue work near the site of the Lehi station with water line work taking place at Ashton Boulevard. Utility work will continue at 300 West in Lehi on Monday and all week at 500 West. Drainage work will take place on Thursday and Friday between 300 East and the American Fork Park and Ride lot. Also, crews will clear and grub the corridor between 500 West and 900 North in Lehi.
Traffic Impacts:
There are currently no impacts to motorists in this area.
Lehi Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Area 11 — Main Street (American Fork) to University Parkway (Orem)
Construction Activity:
Work continues at the sites of the future American Fork, Vineyard and Orem Stations, see details below.
Sub grade stabilization will take place between 100 East and the American Fork River and utility work will continue near 800 South in Orem.
Traffic Impacts:
There are currently no impacts to motorists in this area.
American Fork Station:
Utility work will take place on Thursday and Friday at the Park and Ride lot.
Vineyard Station:
Crews will continue work on stem walls at the site of the future station.
Orem Station:
Crews will form and pour platform footings.
Area 10 — University Parkway (Orem) to Center Street (Provo)
Construction Activity:
Significant progress has been made in Area 10 along the Union Pacific Railroad corridor between University Parkway in Orem and West Center Street in Provo. Crews have prepared a path for FrontRunner by grading and clearing the right-of-way and relocating water lines. Drainage and irrigation installations are generally complete in this area.
Crews will continue placing sub ballast between 900 West at 500 South and 650 West and will remove existing Union Pacific track from University Avenue to 600 West. Utility work will also take place just south of University Parkway in Orem.
Traffic Impacts:
There will be truck traffic all week at 700 West and 900 West.
Mid-Jordan Light Rail TRAX Construction Update: July 2, 2009*
Please forward this information on to others that would be interested.
*This schedule is subject to change due to weather, materials issues, or unanticipated utility conflicts.
Bangerter Bridge
UPDATED Activity: Crews will be performing work on the Bangerter Highway overpass at approximately 8700 South. Traffic Impacts: The median will be closed through July.
Sugar Factory Area
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through July at 2700 West near the tracks to accommodate construction vehicles; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through July at 3200 West near the tracks to accommodate construction vehicles; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Old Bingham Area
NEW Activity: Work will be taking place on 4000 West at the trackway located near Old Bingham Highway. Traffic Impacts: 4000 West will be closed at the trackway from 7/13 (Monday) to 7/26 (Sunday). Old Bingham Highway will also be closed at 4000 West during these dates. Please use 4800 West or Bangerter Highway as alternate routes.
NEW Activity: Utility work. Traffic Impacts: On Old Bingham Highway just west of the Bangerter Highway overpass, traffic will be restricted to one lane with flagging operations during working hours (7 am to 5 pm) and lane shifts during non-working hours through 7/19 (Sunday).
Activity: Eastbound shoulder closure on Old Bingham Highway west of Bangerter Highway through July.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at 4800 West near Old Bingham Highway to accommodate construction vehicles. Please note that left turns are not restricted; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at Wasatch Meadows Drive near Old Bingham Highway to accommodate construction vehicles. Please note that left turns are not restricted; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at 5200 West and the railway to accommodate construction vehicles.
Activity: Utility work is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: Shoulder work with possible lane restrictions.
Gardner Village Area
NEW Activity: Bridge work at 7800 South near Gardner Village. Traffic Impacts: The centermost lanes in each direction are closed until 7/26 (Sunday).
Activity: Utility work. Crews will be working on 700 West near approximately 7400 South. Traffic Impacts: The northbound right lane will be closed through 7/7 (Tuesday). The southbound shoulder of 700 West will be closed in this immediate area through July.
Activity: Access to Gardner Village from the Jordan River Parkway Trail is closed until August 2009.
Activity: Construction on the Jordan River TRAX bridge. Traffic Impacts: A temporary detour began the week of October 13th, 2008 on the Jordan River Parkway Trail near approximately 7500 South. The trail will be intermittently detoured through August 2009. Please be aware that the detour does cross a live railway track, and as such, the detour will be closed daily from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when freight is actively running on the track. Please plan accordingly. UPDATE (6/26/09): The trail will be detoured during daytime hours on 7/8 and 7/13 to accommodate girder installation.
Cottonwood Area
UPDATED Activity: Bridge girder delivery. Traffic Impacts: Due to unforeseen delays, the Winchester Street closure has been rescheduled for 7/9 through 7/10. Winchester Street will be closed approximately 1000’ west of Cottonwood Street to accommodate bridge girder delivery. Traffic will also be subject to one lane with flagging operations on from 7 am on 7/3 (Friday) to 2 am on 7/4 (Saturday).
Traffic is also subject to intermittent periods of one lane restrictions with flagging operations during daytime hours through 7/24. Please plan accordingly and use detour routes as posted.
If you have any construction-related questions or concerns, please call the construction hotline at (888) 550-2211.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the project, please let me know.
Construction progress continues on the Airport TRAX Line. To keep business and traffic impacts to a minimum, this six-mile project has been separated into seven construction “reaches,” or segments. The map below shows each construction reach in a different color, starting with Reach 1 in dark red by the airport and ending with Reach 7 in light green on the east end of the project.
A description of what is happening in each area is listed below. If you need further construction information, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
To accommodate holiday travel, TRAX construction is not taking place along North Temple during the July 4th weekend.
Reach 1
Reach Description: Reach 1 is the area that extends from Terminal One at the Salt Lake City International Airport on the side of the Airport Access Road to the surplus canal bridge just north of the Wingpointe Golf Course.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Summer 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 2
Reach Description: Reach 2 extends from the surplus canal bridge just north of the Wingpointe Golf Course along Airport Access Road fence line to 2400 West.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Summer 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 3
Reach Description: Reach 3 extends from 2400 West along North Temple to I-215. This is the reach where TRAX will move from the side of the road to the center of North Temple.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Fall 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 4
Reach Description: Reach 4 extends from I-215 to just east of Redwood Road on North Temple. TRAX will be center running and will include a station located at approximately 1950 W. Access to the many businesses and governmental organizations will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Beginning Monday, July 6th, night construction will take place at the Redwood Road and North Temple intersection. During daytime hours, all traffic movements will be maintained; however, from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m., two left-hand turn movements will be restricted and motorists will be required to use the detours listed below.
We encourage businesses to call our 24-hour hotline number at 1-888-800-8854 if there are questions or concerns.
Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Please see the above listed night detours beginning on July 6th.
Reach 5
Reach Description: Reach 5 extends from just east of Redwood Road to the Jordan River. TRAX will be center running and includes a station at 1500 W. North Temple. Access to the many businesses and office complexes will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 6
Reach Description: Reach 6 extends from the Jordan River to I-15 along North Temple. TRAX will be center running and will include two stations located at approximately 1100 W. and 800 W. Access to the many businesses and the State Fairpark will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 7
Reach Description: Reach 7 is the area where the Airport Line will connect with the current north/south TRAX Line at the Arena Station. This reach extends from I-15 to 400 W. along North Temple and turns south on 400 W. to South Temple. Access to offices and the Gateway will be maintained throughout the construction project.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Winter 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
General Information
Access during Construction
UTA is committed to maintaining 24-hour access to all of the businesses and residences along the construction corridor. We will coordinate with businesses in cases where access may be temporarily limited.
Construction Hours
Construction is permitted to take place between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additionally, specific activities may require different working hours depending upon the conditions and will be coordinated with city officials.
Construction Tours
If you are interested in learning more about the construction project, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
For More Information
Timely and helpful information is available to assist business and residential communities as well as commuters and stakeholders.
If you have questions or comments regarding the project, please contact our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854 or e-mail tcamp@rideuta.com. You can also visit UTA’s Web site at www.rideuta.com.
Please note that construction information provided is subject to change.
Construction progress continues on the West Valley TRAX Line. To keep business and traffic impacts to a minimum, this five-mile project has been separated into seven construction “reaches,” or segments. The map below shows each construction reach in a different color, starting with Reach 1 in light green on the south end of the project and ending with Reach 7 in dark green on the north end.
A description of what is happening in each area is listed below. If you need further construction information, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
Reach 1
Reach Description: Reach 1 is the area along Constitution Boulevard (2700 W.) from West Valley City Hall at 3600 S. extending north to 3100 S. This area includes both large and small businesses, as well as many residents. Access to all businesses and residences will be maintained throughout construction.
Current Construction:
· Progress continues on the station platform between West Valley City Hall and the Public Safety Building. Embedded track is scheduled to be installed beginning the first week of July.
· Third party utility work continues along both sides of Constitution Boulevard, and curb and gutter work is taking place in front of Valley Fair Mall.
· Crews continue to do roadwork on Constitution Boulevard between 3100 S. and 3500 S., and have completed the 16” waterline work.
Upcoming Construction:
· Traffic is scheduled to switch to the east side of Constitution Boulevard on July 22nd.
· Crews will begin replacing current fencing along the west side of Constitution Boulevard with temporary fencing on July 22nd. We will meet with each resident bordering the west side of Constitution Boulevard early next week to talk about this process.
Traffic Impacts: Traffic on 2700 W. between 3100 S. and 3500 S. is operational on the west side of the road. There are also lane restrictions south of 3500 S.; however, access is maintained at all times. Please be mindful of construction crews and obey posted speed limits.
Reach 2
Reach Description: Reach 2 is the area along 3100 S. from Constitution Boulevard to Decker Lake Drive. The E Center and a few other businesses are located in this reach, as well as residents on either side of 3100 S. Access will be maintained throughout construction and we will work with the E Center to coordinate our efforts so you can continue to visit the great events they have to offer. When TRAX is completed along 3100 S., it will operate on the south side of the roadway.
Current Construction: Crews continue to build the TRAX bridge approach between Maple Way and I-215. Work also continues on the bridge crossing I-215 south of 3100 S. Utility work also continues at the E Center.
Upcoming Construction:
· Nighttime construction is scheduled to take place on the TRAX bridge over I-215 on the south side of 3100 S. on July 6th. Work will begin at 7 p.m. and last until 5 a.m. Noise impacts are anticipated to be minimal during nighttime work activities. Residents are encouraged to call the 24-hour hotline number at (888) 800-8854 if there are questions or concerns.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are lane restrictions on 3100 S.; however, access is being maintained.
Reach 3
Reach Description: Reach 3 is the area along Decker Lake Drive from 3100 S. to Research Way (2770 S.) and running east to Redwood Road. This area includes many commercial office buildings with thousands of employees who access this area on a daily basis. We will continue working with businesses to ensure access is maintained.
Current Construction: The west side of Decker Lake Drive is open and access is being maintained. Crews have started work on the storm drain on the east side of the road. Preliminary utility work has also begun on Research Way near Redwood Road.
Upcoming Construction: Foundations for the overhead wiring system are scheduled to be installed along Decker Lake Drive in approximately three weeks.
Traffic Impacts: There are lane restrictions on Decker Lake Drive; however, access is being maintained.
Reach 4
Reach Description: Reach 4 runs through the Chesterfield residential area along 2770 S. and proceeds along the Decker Lake Canal and the Crosstowne Trail. We will work with residents to ensure a safe working environment that provides access to their properties.
Current Construction: Significant work has been accomplished in the Chesterfield area. Crews are currently preparing the trackway and have placed ties and rail in various areas throughout the reach. Rail has been installed at the Lester Street crossing between Claybourne Avenue and Southgate Avenue.
Upcoming Construction: Paving is scheduled to take place today on Lester Street and the Crosstowne Trail. The trail will not re-open until construction is complete. We appreciate your patience as we work in this area.
Traffic Impacts:
· The Crosstowne Trail along 2770 S. just east of Redwood Road to the Brighton Canal is currently closed. Once TRAX construction is completed, the trail will open again.
Reach 5
Reach Description: Reach 5 includes construction along 1070 W. in the Chesterfield industrial area. This reach will include one bridge structure over the Jordan River and another over 900 W.
Current Construction: Crews are scheduled to continue installing retaining walls on the east side of 1070 W. until the first week of July. Storm drain work is also scheduled to continue until the first week of July. Work is being completed on the Jordan River TRAX bridge. Access is being maintained and we appreciate the businesses’ patience.
Upcoming Construction: After utility work is complete, crews will begin working on the roadway on the west side of 1070 W. which should last until the end of the summer. Crews will then begin work on the east side of the roadway.
Traffic Impacts: As construction proceeds, there will be lane restrictions, although access will be maintained.
Reach 6
Reach Description: Reach 6 runs through the Union Pacific Railroad’s Roper Yard area. Although there are no businesses and residents, extensive coordination will take place with the Union Pacific Railroad to ensure that freight deliveries and other train travel is maintained. Reach 6 includes plans for an extensive bridging system that will enable TRAX to operate over other train traffic.
Current Construction: Significant progress continues on the TRAX bridge structures over the Roper Yard area near 2200 S. and 600 W. Crews are also excavating the TRAX guideway just south of SR 201 between the Jordan River and 900 W. Construction is also proceeding just east of 900 W. along the south side of SR 201.
Upcoming Construction: Coordination will continue with the Union Pacific Railroad to install utilities and bridge structures.
Traffic Impacts: Not applicable.
Reach 7
Reach Description: Reach 7 is the area where the West Valley Line will connect with the current north/south TRAX Line. Construction will take place along Andy Avenue in South Salt Lake. Crews will closely coordinate activities with businesses to ensure access is maintained.
Current Construction: Storm drain installation along Andy Avenue has been completed. Crews continue roadway construction at Andy Avenue and 400 W. This work is anticipated to be completed on July 18th. We thank businesses for their support during this phase of construction.
Upcoming Construction: Roadway work will continue on Andy Avenue for the next two weeks. Crews will then move to work on the waterway and slope protection under I-215.
Traffic Impacts: Bearcat at Andy Avenue is now permanently closed. Flaggers are on sight to direct traffic and access will be maintained during construction.
Access during Construction
UTA is committed to maintaining 24-hour access to all of the businesses and residences along the construction corridor. We will coordinate with businesses in cases where access may be temporarily limited.
Construction Hours
Construction on the project is permitted to take place between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additionally, specific activities may require different working hours depending upon the conditions and will be coordinated with city officials.
Construction Tours
If you are interested in learning more about the construction project, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
For More Information
Timely and helpful information is available to assist business and residential communities as well as commuters and stakeholders.
If you have further questions not answered by this report or any comments regarding the project, please contact our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854 or e-mail tcamp@rideuta.com. You can also visit UTA’s Web site at www.rideuta.com.
Please note that construction information provided is subject to change.
There is good points and bad points about outsourcing. While it does reduce cost, a transit system also has to play watchdog on the company to ensure that their buses are maintained properly. Experience in both Los Angeles and Denver shows that outsourced transit operations can be poorly maintained.
A weekly digest of events, opinions, and forecasts from
United Rail Passenger Alliance, Inc.
America’s foremost passenger rail policy institute
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Volume 6, Number 20
Founded over three decades ago in 1976, URPA is a nationally known policy institute which focuses on solutions and plans for passenger rail systems in North America. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, URPA has professional associates in Minnesota, California, Arizona, New Mexico, the District of Columbia, Texas, New York, and other cities. For more detailed information, along with a variety of position papers and other documents, visit the URPA web site at http://www.unitedrail.org.
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1) There has been so much going on these past couple of weeks that needs to go on the record, we’re producing a third This Week at Amtrak in less than a week. We have read about the sudden departure of Amtrak former Inspector General Fred Weiderhold, Jr. and the follow-up to that departure by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. Also making a buzz in the past 10 days was the presentation of a report by the United States General Accountability Office entitled “High Speed Passenger Rail: Effectively Using Recovery Act Funds for High Speed Rail Projects.” Reading all the way through it could prove to be a snoozer for some, but this report by the GAO’s director of physical infrastructure issues raises some important points about the need for clarity and focus in government, particularly relating to the subject of passenger rail. That report is presented at the end of today’s TWA.
2) First, some good news from here in Florida. We’ve been following the saga of Tri-Rail, South Florida’s commuter rail system which operates in three counties, Palm Beach, Broward (Ft. Lauderdale), and Miami-Dade. (Note, if you’re like this writer and wondered how Dade County suddenly got to be Miami-Dade County in recent years, you are not alone. It seems the county fathers decided since Miami pretty much completely dominates Dade County, the county should officially be renamed Miami-Dade County. Which, if you’re a map printer, created some headaches for you. One interesting note: further north, in Central Florida is Seminole County, which is adjacent to Orange County the home of Orlando and partially to Walt Disney World. Originally, Seminole County was named Mosquito County, and the name was changed sometime prior to the Florida Land Boom. It would be tough to draw tourists to a location named Mosquito County.)
Tri-Rail has been publicly struggling with its upcoming annual budget since once again, no permanent funding source was declared for the commuter system by the gutless, do-nothing Florida legislature this year. Tri-Rail officials have been publicly wringing their hands, hoping for a government miracle to save having to slash all weekend and holiday service, and cut huge amounts out of daily service, effectively creating a revised system which would meet very few needs of its total ridership, and drive passengers away. Add to all of that the feds telling Tri-Rail if it didn’t run a full complement of service, the United States Government would demand all sorts of money be repaid in full for infrastructure improvements made (Double tracking the system, and more.) with signed contracts saying Tri-Rail would operate a certain size schedule, no matter what.
Suddenly, it was a miracle. Well, no, not really. What it was amounted to was transit officials accustomed to lots and lots of funding from other sources (Mainly, the county governments.) and never having to say you’re sorry for anything “finding” some money for operations.
So, what happened? Gosh, golly, gee, wow, it turns out the money for next year’s full operations was there all of the time, just sitting unused and unloved in another account. Yes, you guessed it, Tri-Rail bosses figured out money could be borrowed from accounts to improve parking and some other equipment upgrades to keep the system operating while a final solution is found for a permanent source of funding.
The transit-riding public, and all of the businesses in the Tri-Rail area which support the system with paid subsidies for employees and other programs read account after account in the news media saying Tri-Rail was in crisis. Yes, it was – a crisis of its own making. It would have been wonderful if the gutless, do-nothing Florida legislature had done something this year about solving the funding problem for Tri-Rail on a permanent basis. But, keeping true to form, they punted and said it was someone else’s problem.
What the various denizens of Florida’s legislative branch of government fail to recognize in a huge state such as Florida (Fourth in the nation for population.) is what brings prosperity to one corner of the state brings prosperity to all of the state. Transit is not a regional issue for Florida; it is a state issue. It’s a given in state government highways and other infrastructure will be built and maintained; why isn’t it a given commuter rail should be built and maintained, too, as long as it’s a viable system like Tri-Rail?
3) The plight of Tri-Rail is similar to the plight of Amtrak. There was a belief at Tri-Rail someone else would bail them out and keep the system running, while the real answer to the immediate problem was just sitting in a Tri-Rail bank account.
Much the same is true at Amtrak. As long as it’s business plan – a favorite of the fans of failure – continues to emphasize money from outside sources instead of first finding every possible way to generate revenues by full use of the company’s various assets, Amtrak will lurch from crisis to crisis.
Amtrak probably thinks the failed experiment of the heartstrings-pulling Heartland Flyer, funded by the State of Oklahoma for seven figures a year, is a good train. Harrumph. The Heartland Flyer is a waste of good Superliners and locomotives which could be producing far more revenue elsewhere, and could be replaced by a bus or two for the average of a total of 111 passengers per day the train hauls over its 206 mile, two-state route. Amtrak nationally only captures one tenth of one percent of domestic transportation output; the taxpayers of Oklahoma are taking a huge bath with the Heartland Flyer as on a statewide basis it falls far below Amtrak’s national average.
Rational people hope this more than decade-long operating junior train will one day grow into a real, productive, adult train if the consortium of states working together right now figures out a way to correctly stretch this route north of Oklahoma City and connect it with the route of the Southwest Chief in Kansas. When you consider the tiny consist of the Heartland Flyer still has only a 43% load factor, one has to wonder if anything at all is being done to bolster this train. While it does serve as a feeder to the Texas Eagle in Fort Worth, Texas, (And, the Eagle itself only has a 53% load factor, well below what it should be.) the Heartland Flyer is an example critics can point to and say, “Look at the millions of dollars Oklahoma has fed into this train, and the impact on the mobility of Oklahomans is near zero in the overall picture of state transportation output.” While a tiny, vocal, misinformed minority group of supporters of this train can boast and say Oklahoma has Amtrak service, the real question is, “at what price?”
Amtrak’s critics constantly point to the high cost of low return on many routes, and the Heartland Flyer is a prime example of when a real, gut-wrenching decision has to be made whether or not to provide a transportation alternative at an exorbitant price, or use those assets elsewhere. Having a train for the sole sake of having a train helps no one except those who like to stand by the side of the track and watch the train go by.
From the standpoint of Amtrak’s business plan, it doesn’t care where government money comes from, as long as it comes. The only states which have a viable train that can be pointed to by other states as a success story are North Carolina and the Carolinian, with a load factor of 77.9%, Pennsylvania’s Pennsylvanian with a load factor of 74.3%, and Michigan’s Pere marquette, with a load factor of 67.3% (But, as reported earlier this month in TWA, even the State of Michigan is looking cross-wise at continued funding for this train as ridership has slipped this fiscal year.). If North Carolina’s model can be followed, it would be easier for other states to justify the cost of state-funded passenger rail service.
While starter projects are important, the 11-year run of the Heartland Flyer has proven nothing more than a half of a blip on the transportation radar in Oklahoma, and realistic people have to seriously look at this train and how the assets to operate this train could create a better return on investment elsewhere. It’s notable North Carolina’s other state funded train, the Piedmont, with a load factor of 44.6%, operates solely with equipment owned and maintained by the State of North Carolina.
So, in summary, Tri-Rail found fiscal religion in its own bank account, and will live to fight another day for better state funding, perhaps in the form its has advocated for years, a small, local sales tax on rental cars only in the three tourist-laden counties Tri-Rail serves. Oklahoma has shelled out millions of dollars for a junior train (If there were any Rail Diesel Cars still available for intercity service, this train as it is today would be a good candidate for those.), and, unless a solution is found to extend the train to its logical endpoint further north in Kansas, will have to make some serious decisions about the worth of the Heartland Flyer.
Amtrak, as our national passenger rail provider, still lacking a long term vision, has got to make some decisions, too, before someone else makes them for it. Amtrak has to decide whether it is happy to drain money out of state bank accounts or develop its own plan for as much self-sufficiency as possible. As long as there are annual fights over money being paid to Amtrak to run these small routes, there will be anxiety and wonder every budget year. As one president of a state passenger rail association so eloquently said, “it’s not a matter of making 55% return at the farebox, it’s a matter of straining every muscle and ounce of energy and squeezing out every dime of assets to get to 56% that’s important.” Amtrak and its various fans of failure have been too happy for too long to never worry about reaching that extra point of self-reliant liberty.
4) Something fun from half-way around the world: Fox News reported in mid-June many Japanese women choose to commute in female-only passenger rail coaches during rush hour to avoid being groped by men, and now men are requesting men-only coaches for fear of being accused of groping.
You can’t make this stuff up. Ten representatives of male commuters petitioned the commuter train operator for men-only coaches, noting there have many cases of groping, as well as false charges of groping, so, since the female-only coaches have been successful, in the spirit of gender-equality, men-only coaches should also be available.
No word on whether married couples would be allowed to ride in the same car.
5) Here is the GAO report mentioned above.
[Begin quote]
Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, U.S. Senate
HIGH SPEED PASSENGER RAIL
Effectively Using Recovery Act Funds for High Speed Rail Projects
Statement of Susan A. Fleming, Director Physical Infrastructure Issues
For Release on Delivery Expected at 2:30 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Thune, and Members of the Subcommittee:
I am pleased to be here today to discuss the implementation of high speed intercity passenger rail projects in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act). The $8 billion provided by the Recovery Act for high speed and other intercity passenger rail projects has focused more attention on and generated a great deal of anticipation about the possibility of developing high speed rail systems in the United States. These projects are seen by some as serving an important transportation role, by moving people quickly and safely, reducing highway and airport congestion, and being environmentally friendly. My statement today focuses on (1) the factors that we have identified that affect the economic viability of high speed rail projects and (2) how the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) recent strategic plan incorporates those factors. 1 My testimony is based on our recent report on high speed rail, our review of FRA’s strategic plan, and discussions with FRA and selected transportation experts. 2
In summary, we found that while the potential benefits of high speed rail projects are many, these projects—both here and abroad—are costly, take years to develop and build, and require substantial up-front public investment, as well as potentially long-term operating subsidies. Determining which, if any, high speed rail projects may eventually be economically viable will rest on factors such as ridership potential, costs, and public benefits. FRA largely agrees with our March report. FRA’s strategic plan for high speed rail outlines, in very general terms, how the federal government may invest the $8 billion in Recovery Act funds for high speed rail development. However, this plan does not establish clear goals for the federal government in high speed rail—other than establishing a “longer term goal of developing a national high speed intercity passenger rail network of corridors”—and does not define a clear federal role for involvement in high speed rail projects other than providing Recovery Act funds. As such, in our view, it is more a vision than a strategic plan. As part of a discussion to prepare for this hearing, FRA told us that it sees its strategic plan as a first step and that it intends to seek structured input from stakeholders and the public to help develop strategies to implement its vision.
Factors That Affect the Economic Viability of High Speed Rail Projects
The factors affecting the economic viability of high speed rail projects include the level of expected ridership, costs, and public benefits (i.e., the benefits to non-riders and the nation as a whole from such things as reduced congestion), which depend on a project’s corridor and service characteristics. High speed rail is more likely to attract riders in densely and highly populated corridors, especially where there is congestion on existing transportation modes (such as highways or airports). Characteristics of the proposed service are also a key consideration because high speed rail is more likely to attract riders where it compares favorably to travel alternatives in terms of trip times, frequency of service, reliability, and safety. Costs largely hinge on the availability of rail right-of-way, and a corridor’s terrain. To stay within financial or other constraints, project sponsors typically make trade-offs between cost and service characteristics.
Once projects are deemed economically viable, project sponsors face the challenging tasks of securing the significant up-front investment for construction costs and of sustaining public and political support and stakeholder consensus. We found that in other countries (France, Japan, and Spain) with high speed intercity passenger rail systems, the central government generally funded the majority of the up-front costs of high speed rail lines. 3 The $8 billion in Recovery Act funds for high speed rail (and other intercity passenger rail) lines represents a significant increase in federal funds available to develop new or enhanced intercity passenger rail service. This amount, however, represents only a small fraction of the estimated costs for starting or enhancing service on the 11 federally authorized high speed rail corridors. For example, the San Francisco-Los Angeles portion of the California high speed rail corridor alone, which already has about $9 billion in state bonding authority, is estimated to cost about $33 billion dollars. 4 Furthermore, federal funds for high speed rail in the past (as with the Recovery Act) have been derived from general revenues, not trust funds or other dedicated funding sources. This makes ongoing capital support for high speed rail projects challenging, as they compete for funding with other national priorities such as health care, national defense, and support for ailing industries. In addition, the challenge of sustaining public-sector support and stakeholder consensus is compounded by long project lead times, the diverse interests of numerous stakeholders, and the absence of an established institutional framework for coordination and decision making.
FRA’s Strategic Plan Is a First Step
FRA’s strategic plan attempts to address the absence of an institutional framework for investments in high speed intercity passenger rail service. In our recent report and in 2005, 5 we discussed the need for:
1. Clear federal objectives and clear roles for all stakeholders (federal, regional, state, and local governments and freight, commuter, and passenger railroads).
2. Clear identification of outcomes expected.
3. Ensuring the reliability of ridership and other forecasts to determine the viability of high speed rail projects.
4. Including high speed rail with a reexamination of other federal surface transportation programs to clarify federal goals and roles, link funding to needs and performance, and reduce modal stovepipes that hinder financing transportation improvements that will lead to the greatest
improvements in mobility.
FRA’s plan, which the Recovery Act required the FRA to issue 60 days after the act was signed, outlines in very general terms how the FRA will allocate the Recovery Act high speed rail funds. It does not define goals for investing in high speed rail, how these investments will achieve them, how the federal government will determine which corridors it could invest in, or how high speed rail investments could be evaluated against possible alternative modes in those corridors. In our opinion—and as FRA recognizes—this strategic plan is a first step in planning federal involvement. FRA has emphasized that its approach is to involve the ultimate “owners” of high speed rail—the states and communities in which they will reside—to help flesh out the approach to developing high-speed rail that are under its control. FRA officials also told us that it plans to spend Recovery Act funds in ways that show success to help keep longterm political support for these projects at the local level.
Overall, FRA generally agrees with the issues that we raised in our March report, with the report’s recommendations, and with the observations that we are making today. Last week, FRA took its next step by issuing interim guidance for applying for Recovery Act funds. 6 The guidance lays out the evaluation criteria for grant funding, the weights to be applied to the criteria, and the selection criteria.
In conclusion, the infusion of up to $8 billion in Recovery Act funds is only a first step in developing potentially viable high speed passenger rail projects. The host of seemingly intractable issues that have hampered development of these projects remain as challenges, and these issues will need to be resolved to effectively spend Recovery Act funds. Surmounting these challenges will require federal, state, and other stakeholder leadership to champion the development of economically viable high speed corridors and the political will to carry them out. It will also require clear, specific policies and delineations of expected outcomes, and objective, realistic analysis of ridership, costs, and other factors to determine the viability of projects and their transportation impact.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared remarks. I would be pleased to answer any questions you or other Members of the Subcommittee may have.
1 By economically viable, we mean that a project’s total social benefits offset or justify the project’s total social costs.
2 See GAO, High Speed Passenger Rail: Future Development Will Depend on Addressing Financial and Other Challenges and Establishing a Clear Federal Role, GAO-09-317 (Washington D.C.: Mar. 19, 2009); and Federal Railroad Administration, Vision for High- Speed Rail in America (Washington D.C.: April 2009). We conducted this performance audit from May 2009 to June 2009 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. These standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
3 GAO-09-317.
4 The corridor would extend from Sacramento and San Francisco through Los Angeles to San Diego.
5 GAO-09-317 and GAO, 21st Century Challenges: Reexamining the Base of the Federal Government, GAO-05-325SP (Washington D.C.: February 2005).
Please contact Susan Fleming at (202) 512-2834 or Flemings@gao.gov about this statement. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Relations can be found on the last page of this statement. Greg Hanna and James Ratzenberger made key contributions to this statement.
[End quote]
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Mid-Jordan Light Rail TRAX Construction Update: June 26, 2009*
Please forward this information on to others that would be interested.
*This schedule is subject to change due to weather, materials issues, or unanticipated utility conflicts.
Bangerter Bridge
Activity: Handrail installation. Traffic Impacts: Northbound and southbound traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction from 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM on 6/27 (Saturday).
Activity: Crews will be performing work on the Bangerter Highway overpass at approximately 8700 South. Traffic Impacts: The median will be closed through July.
Sugar Factory Area
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through June at 2700 West near the tracks to accommodate construction vehicles; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through June at 3200 West near the tracks to accommodate construction vehicles; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Old Bingham Area
Activity: Eastbound shoulder closure on Old Bingham Highway west of Bangerter Highway through July.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at 4800 West near Old Bingham Highway to accommodate construction vehicles. Please note that left turns are not restricted; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at Wasatch Meadows Drive near Old Bingham Highway to accommodate construction vehicles. Please note that left turns are not restricted; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at 5200 West and the railway to accommodate construction vehicles.
Activity: Utility work is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: Shoulder work with possible lane restrictions.
Gardner Village Area
Activity: Utility work. Crews will be working on 700 West near approximately 7400 south. Traffic Impacts: The northbound right lane will be closed from 6/30 (Tuesday) through 7/7 (Tuesday). The southbound shoulder of 700 West will be closed in this immediate area through July.
Activity: Utility work and new crossing installation at 1300 West at the trackway located at approximately 7900 South. Traffic Impacts: From June 22nd through July 1st, 1300 West will be closed at the railroad tracks. Please plan accordingly and use Redwood Road as an alternate route.
Activity: Access to Gardner Village from the Jordan River Parkway Trail is closed until August 2009.
Activity: Construction on the Jordan River TRAX bridge. Traffic Impacts: A temporary detour began the week of October 13th, 2008 on the Jordan River Parkway Trail near approximately 7500 South. The trail will be intermittently detoured through August 2009. Please be aware that the detour does cross a live railway track, and as such, the detour will be closed daily from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when freight is actively running on the track. Please plan accordingly. UPDATE (6/26/09): The trail will be detoured during daytime hours on 7/7 and 7/8 to accommodate girder installation.
Cottonwood Area
UPDATE Activity: Bridge girder delivery. Traffic Impacts: Due to unforeseen delays, the Winchester Street closure has been rescheduled for 7/6 through 7/7. Winchester Street will be closed approximately 1000’ west of Cottonwood Street to accommodate bridge girder delivery. Please plan accordingly and use detour routes as posted. Upcoming work will require a period of approximately two weeks lane restrictions with intermittent flagging operations; more information will be posted as this work nears.
If you have any construction-related questions, please call the construction hotline at (888) 550-2211.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the project, please let me know.
Construction is progressing on UTA’s FrontRunner South Provo to Salt Lake Commuter Rail line.
Below is the FrontRunner South construction update for June 27 – July 3.
To learn more about the FrontRunner South project, click here.
Area 16 — Downtown Salt Lake City to 4500 South (Murray)
Construction Activity:
There are no construction activities planned for this area this week.
Traffic Impacts:
On Monday, crews will be working on the Union Pacific signal at 4500 South.
Salt Lake Central Station:
Station complete.
Area 15 — 4500 South (Murray) to Wasatch Street/8000 South (Midvale)
Construction Activity:
Construction continues on bridges over eastbound I-215 and Center (7800 South) and Wasatch (8000) Streets in Midvale. These bridges will run parallel to existing Union Pacific Railroad main line bridges.
At I-215, crews will be installing temporary shoring and permanent pile on the north side of the bridge and relocating a storm drain. At Center Street, crews will continue installing temporary shoring on the north abutment and begin excavation on the north side, and at Wasatch Street, crews will continue abutment wall construction.
Traffic Impacts:
Lane and sidewalk closures will take place in conjunction with bridge construction at Center and Wasatch Streets. Closures will alternate sides. Flaggers will be stationed at Center Street from 7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. to help area schoolchildren navigate the sidewalk closures and at Wasatch Street there will be a lane closure.
Murray Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Area 14 — Wasatch Street/8000 South (Midvale) to 14600 South (Bluffdale)
Construction Activity:
Progress continues behind Salt Lake Community College’s Miller Campus at 9800 South as crews construct a bridge that flies over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. This is the area where FrontRunner will move from the east side to the west side of the tracks.
Construction will continue on a wall on the northeast side of the bridge, as will mass embankment work. Crews will also continue stripping forms from piers #3 and 5 and work will begin on a crash wall at the bridge.
Crews will also continue sub grade stabilization between 10000 South and 10600 South.
Traffic Impacts:
Flaggers will be stationed at 9400 South in Sandy to direct truck traffic delivering lightweight fill to the site of the flyover bridge.
The outside northbound lane on South Jordan Gateway at approximately 10400 South will be closed as flaggers direct truck traffic moving lightweight fill.
South Jordan Station:
Lightweight fill for the flyover bridge construction is being stored at the site of the future South Jordan park and ride lot.
Draper/Bluffdale Station:
The location of this future station is to be determined.
Area 13 — 14600 South (Bluffdale) to Thanksgiving Point (Lehi)
Construction Activity:
Crews continue to establish access and prepare the site along the railroad corridor in Bluffdale and Lehi.
North of Clubhouse Lane in Lehi, crews will continue excavation and work on a storm drain. At the Jordan River bridge, crews will form and pour a back wall and a wing wall.
Traffic Impacts:
There are currently no impacts to motorists in this area.
Area 12 — Thanksgiving Point (Lehi) to Main Street (American Fork)
Construction Activity:
This week crews will continue work at the Lehi Park and Ride lot by balancing the grade. Also, utility work will take place at 300 West in Lehi Monday through Wednesday.
Traffic Impacts:
Flaggers will be stationed at 300 West in Lehi Monday through Wednesday to assist utility workers. Utility crews will also be potholing in multiple locations throughout Lehi this week.
Lehi Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Area 11 — Main Street (American Fork) to University Parkway (Orem)
Construction Activity:
Work continues at the site of the future Vineyard Station, see details below.
Utility work will continue near 800 South in Orem as crews extend water line casings, and relocate a hydrant and sewer manhole.
Traffic Impacts:
Flaggers will be stationed on 800 South in Orem Monday through Wednesday to support utility work.
American Fork Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Vineyard Station:
Crews will continue work on stem walls and also install duct bank for power at the site of the future station.
Orem Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Area 10 — University Parkway (Orem) to Center Street (Provo)
Construction Activity:
Significant progress has been made in Area 10 along the Union Pacific Railroad corridor between University Parkway in Orem and West Center Street in Provo. Crews have prepared a path for FrontRunner by grading and clearing the right-of-way and relocating water lines. Drainage and irrigation installations are generally complete in this area.
Mass embankment work will take place between the Provo River Bridge and Center Street and crews will be balancing the grade between Center Street and 900 West at 500 South. Also, crews will begin placing sub ballast between 900 West at 500 South and 650 West.
Traffic Impacts:
At 200 North in Provo trucks will be entering and exiting the corridor on Monday.
At 700 West and 900 West there will be truck traffic Tuesday through Thursday, and there is the possibility that crews will begin crossing work this week.
At 200 West and Freedom Boulevard crews will be working on the Union Pacific signal on Thursday. The gates will not be functioning so there will be flaggers directing traffic.
A description of what is happening in each area is listed below. If you need further construction information, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
Reach 1
Reach Description: Reach 1 is the area that extends from Terminal One at the Salt Lake City International Airport on the side of the Airport Access Road to the surplus canal bridge just north of the Wingpointe Golf Course.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Summer 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 2
Reach Description: Reach 2 extends from the surplus canal bridge just north of the Wingpointe Golf Course along Airport Access Road fence line to 2400 West.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Summer 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 3
Reach Description: Reach 3 extends from 2400 West along North Temple to I-215. This is the reach where TRAX will move from the side of the road to the center of North Temple.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Fall 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 4
Reach Description: Reach 4 extends from I-215 to just past Redwood Road on North Temple. TRAX will be center running and will include a station located at approximately 1950 West. Access to the many businesses and governmental organizations will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: On Sunday, June 28th, crews will be working in the Redwood Road and North Temple intersection between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Two left turn movements will be restricted and the following detours will be in place during this time.
Beginning July 6th nighttime construction will again take place at the Redwood Road and North Temple intersection. During daytime hours all traffic movements will be maintained. However, from 7:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. each night the same two left hand turn movements listed above will be restricted and motorists will be required to use the same detours. Before construction begins we will meet individually with the businesses to give more information.
Traffic Impacts: On Sunday, June 28th, two left turn movements will be restricted at the Redwood Road and North Temple intersection from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Please see the detour maps above for alternative routes.
Reach 5
Reach Description: Reach 5 extends from just east of Redwood Road on North Temple to the Jordan River. TRAX will be center running and includes a station at 1500 West. Access to the many businesses and office complexes will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 6
Reach Description: Reach 6 extends from the Jordan River to I-15 along North Temple. TRAX will be center running and will include two stations located at approximately 1100 West and 800 West North Temple. Access to the many businesses and the State Fairpark will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 7
Reach Description: Reach 7 is the area where the Airport Line will connect with the current north/south TRAX Line at the Arena Station. This reach extends from I-15 to 400 West along North Temple and turns south on 400 West, proceeding to South Temple. Access to offices and the Gateway will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Winter 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are currently no traffic impacts.
General Information
Access during Construction
UTA is committed to maintaining 24-hour access to all of the businesses and residences along the construction corridor. We will coordinate with businesses in cases where access may be temporarily limited.
Construction Hours
Construction is permitted to take place between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additionally, specific activities may require different working hours depending upon the conditions and will be coordinated with city officials.
Construction Tours
If you are interested in learning more about the construction project, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
For More Information
Timely and helpful information is available to assist business and residential communities as well as commuters and stakeholders.
If you have questions or comments regarding the project, please contact our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854 or e-mail tcamp@rideuta.com. You can also visit UTA’s Web site at www.rideuta.com.
Please note that construction information provided is subject to change.
Construction progress continues on the West Valley TRAX Line. To keep business and traffic impacts to a minimum, this five-mile project has been separated into seven construction “reaches,” or segments. The map below shows each construction reach in a different color, starting with Reach 1 in light green on the south end of the project and ending with Reach 7 in dark green on the north end.
A description of what is happening in each area is listed below. If you need further construction information, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
Reach 1
Reach Description: Reach 1 is the area along Constitution Boulevard (2700 South) from West Valley City Hall at 3600 South extending north to 3100 South. This area includes both large and small businesses, as well as many residents. Access to all businesses and residences will be maintained throughout construction.
Current Construction:
· Progress continues on the station platform between West Valley City Hall and the Public Safety Building. Embedded track is scheduled to be installed beginning the first week of July.
· Third party utility work continues along both sides of Constitution Boulevard, and curb and gutter work is taking place in front of Valley Fair Mall.
· Crews continue to do roadwork on Constitution Boulevard between 3100 South and 3500 South and have completed the 16” waterline work.
Upcoming Construction:
· Traffic is scheduled to switch to the east side of Constitution Boulevard on July 12th.
· Crews will begin replacing current fencing along the west side of Constitution Boulevard with temporary fencing on July 13th. We will meet with each resident bordering the west side of Constitution Boulevard early next week to talk about this process.
Traffic Impacts: Traffic on 2700 West between 3100 South and 3500 South is operational on the west side of the road. There are also lane restrictions south of 3500 South; however, access is maintained. Please be mindful of construction crews and obey posted speed limits.
Reach 2
Reach Description: Reach 2 is the area along 3100 South from Constitution Boulevard to Decker Lake Drive. The E Center and a few other businesses are located in this reach, as well as residents on either side of 3100 South. Access will be maintained throughout construction and we will work with the E Center to coordinate our efforts so you can continue to visit the great events they have to offer. When TRAX is completed along 3100 South, it will operate on the south side of the roadway.
Current Construction: Crews continue to build the TRAX bridge approach between Maple Way and I-215. Work also continues on the actual bridge crossing I-215 south of 3100 South. And utility work also continues at the E Center.
Upcoming Construction:
· Nighttime construction is scheduled to take place on the TRAX bridge over I-215 on the south side of 3100 South from June 29th until July 31st. Work will begin at 7 p.m and last until 5 a.m. Noise impacts are anticipated to be minimal during nighttime work activities. Residents are encouraged to call the 24-hour hotline number at (888) 800-8854 if there are questions or concerns.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are lanes restrictions on 3100 South; however, access is being maintained.
Reach 3
Reach Description: Reach 3 is the area along Decker Lake Drive from 3100 South to Research Way (2770 South) and running east to Redwood Road. It includes many commercial office buildings with thousands of employees who access this area on a daily basis.
Current Construction: The west side of Decker Lake Drive is open and access is being maintained. Crews have started work on the storm drain on the east side of the road. Preliminary utility work has also begun on Research Way near Redwood Road.
Upcoming Construction: Utility work is scheduled to begin along Decker Lake Drive toward the end of June. Foundations for the overhead wiring system are also scheduled to be installed during the first week of July.
Traffic Impacts: There are lane restrictions on Decker Lake Drive; however, access is being maintained.
Reach 4
Reach Description: Reach 4 runs through the Chesterfield residential area along 2770 South and proceeds along the Decker Lake Canal and the Crosstowne Trail. We will work with residents to ensure a safe working environment that provides access to their properties throughout construction.
Current Construction: Significant work has been accomplished in the Chesterfield area. Crews are currently preparing the trackway and have placed ties and rail in various areas throughout the reach.
Upcoming Construction: Lester Street between Claybourne Avenue and Southgate Avenue is closed until July 2nd so rail can be installed. We appreciate the residents’ patience during this construction phase.
Traffic Impacts:
· The Crosstowne Trail along 2770 South just east of Redwood Road to the Brighton Canal is currently closed. Once TRAX construction is completed, the trail will open again.
Reach 5
Reach Description: Reach 5 includes construction along 1070 West in the Chesterfield industrial area. This reach includes one bridge structure over the Jordan River and another over 900 West.
Current Construction: Crews are scheduled to continue installing retaining walls on the east side of 1070 West until the first week of July. Storm drain work is scheduled to continue until the first week of July. Work is also being completed on the Jordan River TRAX bridge. Access is being maintained and we appreciate the businesses’ patience.
Upcoming Construction: After utility work is complete in this reach, crews will begin working on the roadway on the west side of 1070 West, which should last until the end of the summer season. Once the west side of the roadway is completed, crews will then begin work on the east side of the roadway. Construction is anticipated to take place for the next several months.
Traffic Impacts: As construction proceeds, there will be lane restrictions, although access will be maintained.
Reach 6
Reach Description: Reach 6 runs through the Union Pacific Railroad’s Roper Yard area. Although there are no businesses and residents, extensive coordination will take place with the Union Pacific Railroad to ensure that freight deliveries and other train travel is maintained. Reach 6 includes plans for an extensive bridging system that will enable TRAX to operate over other train traffic.
Current Construction: Significant progress continues on the TRAX bridge structures over the Roper Yard area near 2200 South and 600 West. Crews are also excavating the TRAX guideway just south of SR 201 between the Jordan River and 900 West. Construction is also proceeding just east of 900 West along the south side of SR 201.
Upcoming Construction: Coordination will continue with the Union Pacific Railroad to install utilities and bridge structures.
Traffic Impacts: Not applicable.
Reach 7
Reach Description: Reach 7 is the area where the West Valley Line will connect with the current north/south TRAX Line. Construction will take place along Andy Avenue in South Salt Lake and crews will closely coordinate activities with businesses to ensure access is maintained.
Current Construction: Storm drain installation along Andy Avenue has been completed. We thank businesses for their support.
Upcoming Construction: On Monday, June 29th, night construction will take place at the Andy Avenue and 400 West intersection. Work will begin at 7 p.m. and last until 9 a.m. A flagger will be used to move local traffic through the construction area. At this time, Bearcat Drive at Andy Avenue will close permanently and Andy Avenue will be reconstructed to accommodate work on the West Valley Line.
Traffic Impacts: Access will be maintained during construction.
General Information
Access during Construction
UTA is committed to maintaining 24-hour access to all of the businesses and residences along the construction corridor. We will coordinate with businesses in cases where access may be temporarily limited.
Construction Hours
Construction on the project is permitted to take place between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additionally, specific activities may require different working hours depending upon the conditions and will be coordinated with city officials.
Construction Tours
If you are interested in learning more about the construction project, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
For More Information
Timely and helpful information is available to assist business and residential communities as well as commuters and stakeholders.
If you have questions or any comments regarding the project, please contact our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854 or e-mail tcamp@rideuta.com. You can also visit UTA’s Web site at www.rideuta.com.
Please note that construction information provided is subject to change.
A weekly digest of events, opinions, and forecasts from
United Rail Passenger Alliance, Inc.
America’s foremost passenger rail policy institute
1526 University Boulevard, West, PMB 203 • Jacksonville, Florida 32217-2006 USA
Telephone 904-636-7739, Electronic Mail info@unitedrail.org • http://www.unitedrail.org
Volume 6, Number 19
Founded over three decades ago in 1976, URPA is a nationally known policy institute which focuses on solutions and plans for passenger rail systems in North America. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, URPA has professional associates in Minnesota, California, Arizona, New Mexico, the District of Columbia, Texas, New York, and other cities. For more detailed information, along with a variety of position papers and other documents, visit the URPA web site at http://www.unitedrail.org.
URPA is not a membership organization, and does not accept funding from any outside sources.
1) Things are getting interesting regarding the sudden departure by retirement of Amtrak’s well-respected Inspector General, Fred Weiderhold.
No one seems to know where this is going, but, fortunately for Amtrak and the American taxpayers, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa has taken a strong interest in this situation.
It’s important to note throughout Amtrak’s decades-long corporate life, Amtrak has often been remiss in following normal rules and procedures and courtesies (Not to mention settled law.) in Washington.
Back in the late 1980s, this was the identical case with VIA Rail Canada, run by our cousins in the cold north. Since the Canadian federal government is a parliamentary system of government, things can happen more quickly and dramatically there versus what happens in the United States. The bottom line for VIA at the end of the 1980s was the government of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney felts it was constantly being submarined by the board of directors and management of VIA, and, in a meeting of just a handful of members of the Prime Minister’s cabinet, suddenly, half of VIA Rail Canada disappeared due to a tremendous slash in VIA’s government funding.
That one cut cost the original Canadian on Canadian Pacific Railway lines to be gone, and the lesser route of the Super Continental on Canadian National Railroad lines to become the premier train of the system (With the “Canadian” moniker.), but to this day only operating a tepid tri-weekly service between Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia via Edmonton and Jasper, Alberta. Also soon gone was the Atlantic, which operated between Montreal, Quebec and Halifax, Nova Scotia via St. John, New Brunswick.
The tourist service VIA Rail Rocky Mountaineer survived, but was transferred to private ownership where it has flourished and grown by being freed of the oppression of government ownership.
Several other routes, such as service to Sudbury, Ontario, also disappeared.
Amtrak for decades has played – like VIA Rail Canada – fast and loose with federal law, mostly often obeying federal statutes and mandates when convenient and otherwise doing as it pleased, often ignoring propriety.
Understand, it really didn’t matter who was on the Amtrak Board of Directors at the time or who was running the White House at the time, these games have continued unabated for decades.
Perhaps, a century from now, when a true and deep history of Amtrak is compiled and written by a neutral historian, there will be an understanding of why so many directors of Amtrak chose to either look the other way or did what they did for the sake of expediency.
Maybe, some of what was done was done to get around the vagaries of attempting to run a business in a cesspool like Washington.
But, for whatever reasons things have happened in the past, it looks like a day is dawning when business as usual at Amtrak may have to be radically changed. We saw the many great efforts of departed Chairman of the Board David Laney to put Amtrak on a more transparent and businesslike track. We saw a reduced board after his departure struggle to get through the wrong hiring of Alex Kummant and his subsequent merciful departure. And, we now see a continuing reduced board with buckets of free federal money and lots of extraneous infrastructure projects going on, but without a clear vision of what Amtrak will be later this year or next year.
Here’s hoping Senator Grassley will continue to work to bring the light what is really going on at Amtrak.
Amtrak Interim President and CEO Joseph Boardman, a creature of government and not accustomed to working within or for private sector boundaries needs to take the lead with Senator Grassley and reveal what his management team is doing to solve any problems being identified as holding Amtrak back from greatness.
2) This is a press release, published in full, from Senator Grassley’s office. Keep in mind this is a press release from a politician, not a news story.
[Begin quote]
For Immediate Release
June 25, 2009
Grassley asks Amtrak to respond to report describing interference with IG work
WASHINGTON --- Senator Chuck Grassley has asked Amtrak about the circumstances of the Inspector General's unexpected retirement seven days ago and invited Amtrak to provide information about the interference by Amtrak in the work of the Inspector General described in a report prepared at the request of the retired watchdog.
Grassley said the report indicates that Amtrak's policies and procedures have systematically violated the letter and spirit of the Inspector General Act.
"As I continue my investigation into whether the independence of the Inspector General was undermined by Amtrak officials, I want to make sure I have any and all information Amtrak wants to provide," Grassley said. "The allegations are serious, including third parties being told to first send documents under subpoena by the Inspector General to Amtrak for review, and the Inspector General being chastised for communicating directly with congressional appropriations and authorizing committees,"
Grassley asked the Office of the Inspector General last week for a copy of the report, which was prepared by the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Grassley said his office had been in communication with former Inspector General Fred Weiderhold about the issues before Weiderhold's retirement on June 18, 2009.
Also this month, Grassley has been investigating the President's decision to fire the AmeriCorps Inspector General, after the Inspector General issued two reports of mismanagement and abusive spending by AmeriCorps grantees. Grassley also has asked the International Trade Commission to account for its termination of its Inspector General who had been repeatedly hired for six-month increments and been given outstanding performance reviews. In both cases, Grassley said the administration failed to comply with a law enacted last year requiring Congress to be notified 30 days in advance of the dismissal of an Inspector General and given the reasons for the firing. Then-Senator Barack Obama co-sponsored the legislation along with Grassley.
"Inspectors general are watchdogs over the federal bureaucracy, and the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 is supposed to better safeguard their independence so they can do their jobs for taxpayers and program stakeholders," Grassley said. "The President has said he wants more accountable government, and keeping good watchdogs on the job is fundamental to that goal. Inspectors general need to be strengthened, not undermined."
Last week, Grassley asked the Treasury Secretary to put an end to documented resistance from the Treasury Department to requests for information from the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Assets Relief Program. Senator Grassley was an advocate for creating a Special IG for TARP to try to hold the program accountable and co-sponsored legislation to strengthen the ability of the Special IG to conduct oversight after the TARP program changed its original mission. Earlier this year, Senator Grassley also battled the White House after it tried to subject requests of the Special IG to the red tape of the Paperwork Reduction Act. Grassley subsequently introduced legislation to exempt the Special IG from the Paperwork Reduction Act.
Grassley has long worked to empower inspectors general to conduct effective oversight of the federal bureaucracy and he has held inspectors general themselves accountable for meeting the requirements of the jobs.
The text of Grassley's letter to Amtrak is below, along with his letter of last week to the Amtrak Office of the Inspector General, which sought a copy of the report. The attachment to today's letter, including the "Report on Matters Impairing the Effectiveness and Independence of the Office of Inspector General," are posted here.
June 25, 2009
The Honorable Thomas C. Carper
Chairman of the Board
Amtrak
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
10 G Street, NE
Washington, DC 20525
The Honorable Lorraine A. Green
Interim Inspector General
Amtrak
Office of Inspector General
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
10 G Street, NE
Washington, DC 20525
Dear Chairman Carper and Interim Inspector General Green:
Thank you for your response dated June 23, 2009. My staff is currently in the process of reviewing information from various sources concerning the Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG). I am interested in the facts regarding former Inspector General Fred Weiderhold's (IG) retirement. Interestingly, he retired on the same date that the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP completed a "Report on Matters Impairing the Effectiveness and Independence of the Office of Inspector General" ("Report"). I understand that there was a meeting with Mr. Weiderhold and the Board of Directors on that same date as well, and that his decision to retire was made during that meeting. Accordingly, please:
1) provide a description of the circumstances surrounding former IG Weiderhold's unexpected retirement, specifically the relationship between the timing of his retirement and the Report;
2) produce any and all internal as well as personal materials relating to: (a) the former IG's departure; and (b) the Report; and
3) produce any and all materials cited in footnote 7 of the Report.
For definitions related to this request and all future requests, please refer to Attachment 1.
The Report prepared by Willkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP and Attachment 2 suggests a long-term and unrelenting interference with the activities and operation of the OIG. The Report seems to indicate that Amtrak's policies and procedures have systematically violated the letter and the spirit of the Inspector General Act, as amended. However, in order to ensure that Amtrak has an opportunity to respond, please identify any factual representations with which you disagree, or about which you wish to provide additional information. Please be sure to provide documentation in support of your position(s).
I also want to thank you both for offering to "maintain an open line of communication" with my office, and look forward to my staff receiving a briefing from you. In addition, I would appreciate your making the following individuals immediately available for interviews:
1) D. Hamilton Peterson, Deputy Counsel to the Inspector General;
2) Edward Puccerella, Director of Congressional & External Affairs;
3) Colin C. Carriere, Counsel to the Inspector General; and
4) E. Bret Coulson, Deputy Inspector General.
It was also reported to my staff that some OIG staff members may be fearful of retaliation if they were to discuss the matters set forth in this letter with anyone, including Congress. As you may be aware, 18 U.S.C. § 1505 prohibits obstruction of Congressional inquiries. Denying or interfering with employees' rights to furnish information to Congress in any way will be considered an obstruction of our inquiry. Amtrak and Amtrak OIG employees should be free from fear of retaliation or reprisal, and authorized to freely answer questions from Congress without representatives from Amtrak present, if they so desire. Accordingly, I would appreciate your advising the OIG and all full-time, part-time and contractor employees at Amtrak of the fact that they are free to contact Congress without advising Amtrak management or their respective supervisors.
Thank you again for your continued cooperation and assistance in this matter. As you know, in cooperating with the Committee's review, no documents, records, data or information related to these matters shall be destroyed, modified, removed or otherwise made inaccessible to the Committee.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley
Ranking Member
Attachment
June 18, 2009
E. Bret Coulson
Deputy Inspector General Management & Policy
Office of Inspector General
Amtrak
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
10 G Street, NE
Washington, DC 20525
Dear Mr. Coulson:
As a senior member of the United States Senate and as the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Finance (Committee), it is my duty under the Constitution to ensure that Inspectors General, which were created by Congress, are permitted to operate without political pressure or interference from their respective agencies. Inspectors General were designed for the express purpose of combating waste, fraud, and abuse and to be independent watchdogs ensuring that federal agencies were held accountable for their actions. I understand that Inspector General Fred Weiderhold, Jr. has retired today.
Based on contacts that my staff had with Mr. Weiderhold on two recent occasions (April 2, 2009 and June 4, 2009), I understand that the OIG has suffered from repeated and continuous interference from the agency. After the most recent discussion, it was agreed that the OIG would provide, among other things, a White Paper and specific examples of agency interference with OIG audits and/or investigations. To date, the OIG has not yet provided any documents. As you know, any interference such as that was described in these previous discussions is a direct violation of the Inspector General Act of 1978.
In light of Mr. Weiderhold's unexpected retirement, please provide the previously requested documentation immediately. I am deeply troubled that these aforementioned meetings with my staff and discussions of the OIG's independence concerns predicated this personnel action with IG Weiderhold. Furthermore, I am even more concerned that there is a lack of accountability, based on the OIG's reported lack of independence, for the $1.3 billion in stimulus funds that Amtrak has received from American taxpayers.
Due to these recent events, I specifically request all materials at the IG's office be preserved immediately.
In addition to providing the requested documentation, please provide an immediate briefing to my staff on the level of proper oversight the OIG has over of the $1.3 billion dollars of American taxpayer money, and what role the previously discussed independence issues with the agency played in the elimination of former IG Weiderhold.
Thank you in advance for your assistance and I would appreciate a response to this inquiry by June 19, 2009.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley
Ranking Member of the
Committee on Finance
cc: The Honorable Thomas C. Carper
Chairman
Amtrak
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
Joseph H. Boardman
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amtrak
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
[End quote]
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A weekly digest of events, opinions, and forecasts from
United Rail Passenger Alliance, Inc.
America’s foremost passenger rail policy institute
1526 University Boulevard, West, PMB 203 • Jacksonville, Florida 32217-2006 USA
Telephone 904-636-7739, Electronic Mail info@unitedrail.org • http://www.unitedrail.org
Volume 6, Number 18
Founded over three decades ago in 1976, URPA is a nationally known policy institute which focuses on solutions and plans for passenger rail systems in North America. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, URPA has professional associates in Minnesota, California, Arizona, New Mexico, the District of Columbia, Texas, New York, and other cities. For more detailed information, along with a variety of position papers and other documents, visit the URPA web site at http://www.unitedrail.org.
URPA is not a membership organization, and does not accept funding from any outside sources.
1) Here at home in an adjoining county to the south is St. Augustine, which bills itself as the Ancient City. St. Augustine, Florida has been around as a point of civilization since 1565, and was pretty much a sleepy, colonial town, even after Florida statehood in 1845. It wasn’t until the notorious Henry Flagler, business partner of John D. Rockefeller (Some historians say Flagler was the smarter of the two ruthless business partners.) came vacationing in Northeast Florida in the 1878 that he noticed sleepy St. Augustine.
Mr. Flagler came to Jacksonville for the temperate climate. (A century ago, oranges were still a cash crop in Northeast Florida.) He crossed the might St. Johns River (The only major river in North America which flows north.) and traveled by passenger train to St. Augustine in 1883. There, he found a slumbering city of Spanish descent which afforded cooling ocean breezes, a pleasant bayfront view, and a rural county seat.
Mr. Flagler took a liking to St. Augustine, and starting building hotels and the Florida East Coast Railway. His first hotel, the Ponce de Leon – begun in 1885 and which today is the home of Flagler College – became an overnight success as a playground for the Gilded Age rich and famous. More hotels followed, with Mr. Flagler becoming St. Augustine’s most prominent part-time denizen.
Not content to stop at St. Augustine, Mr. Flagler pushed his new railroad and string of hotels and resorts southward, creating such famous Florida hot spots as Ormond Beach/Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Stuart, Palm Beach (Where Mr. Flagler eventually built his permanent home and today’s world famous The Breakers hotel and resort, the only remaining asset of the original Flagler System.), Ft. Lauderdale, and, in partnership with Julia Tuttle and her family, Miami and Miami Beach. Mr. Flagler’s railroad entrepreneurship didn’t end in Miami; he gazed further southward and saw Key West, the southernmost point of the United States, and promptly in 1905 began building the Florida Overseas Railroad, one island at a time from South Florida to Key West, completing the huge project in 1912.
Depending on your favorite Florida historian, there is debate as to whether or not Henry Flagler or Henry B. Plant, who owned a freight shipping company and small railroads, and in 1879 combined his holdings into the Plant System (Later, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.), building to the west coast of Florida via Orlando, invented modern Florida by the strength of their iron horses.
Of course, it was the common use of residential air conditioning in the late 1950s which created the most modern version of Florida, and allowed inland cities and towns away from cooling ocean and Gulf of Mexico breezes to grow and prosper. The coming of the Space Age at Cape Canaveral on the Florida East Coast Railway really put Florida on the international map.
But, no matter who your preferred railroad robber baron was prior to the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s, it was the railroad which created Florida, and especially St. Augustine.
St. Augustine was the home of a violent and deadly railroad strike in 1963; FEC non-operating employees went out on strike over several issues. The FEC continued to run trains with management personnel, but the strike turned violent with numerous bombings of bridges and trains, resulting in deaths, permanent injuries, and general mayhem.
By the time of the strike, Florida was served by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, the Atlantic Coast Line, the FEC, and, into the northeast corner of Florida, the Southern Railway.
While the Seaboard’s Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Palmland, Sunland, and a host of local trains traveled down the middle of the state on SAL’s mainline through Ocala, the Coast Line trains, the East Coast Champion, the Everglades, and the trains it operated in conjunction with the FEC, such as the famed Winter-only Florida Special, the Havana Special, and the trains from the Midwest, including the Royal Palm, Dixieland, South Wind, Seminole, and City of Miami all stormed through St. Augustine on their way to and from Miami.
The 1963 strike ended all of that. The FEC’s named trains simply disappeared, annulled because of the strike and the continuing violence and threats of violence. The trains handled by the Coast Line moved inland westward, from the FEC to soon-to-be merger partner’s SAL lines down the middle of the state.
By court order, train service briefly returned to the FEC from 1965 to 1968, with a lone locomotive and two trailing cars – offering coach seating and parlor car seating, but no food service – running up and down from North Miami to Jacksonville’s union terminal. (The main FEC station in downtown Miami had been torn down by 1965 as part of urban renewal in downtown Miami.)
Even FEC retirees who chose to come to Jacksonville from Miami when traveling by train, went via the Seaboard or Coast Line because it was safer, had more frequency offerings, and full train service.
In the late 1990s, in the George Warrington era of Amtrak, there was a brief flurry of activity in St. Augustine because discussions and negotiations were underway to return passenger train service to the FEC, courtesy of Amtrak and a ton of money (Now allocated elsewhere.) from the State of Florida.
Plans were laid, station sites were identified (The FEC, like so many other railroads which exited the passenger business had executives at the time who wanted to make sure those pesky passengers stayed away, so all but one or two FEC passengers stations were either demolished, sold, or had their tracks ripped up.), and cities and towns along the east coast competed to see whether or not they could snag one of the limited number of station stops planned for the new service.
St. Augustine, once the railroad king of Florida and still the corporate home of the FEC until 2008, decided to build a new station on the FEC main line directly across the street from St. Augustine’s general aviation airport, claiming it was creating an “intermodal” center of transportation. No one ever quite explained what the attraction would be for private pilots to fly into the St. Augustine airport, tie their planes down, and then board a passenger train, but that was the plan.
All of those plans came to a screeching halt when Mr. Warrington’s Acela bubble burst, and the Northeast Corridor Service which was supposed to save the entire company ended up having the company coming close to being liquidated.
Now, in the third century of trains through St. Augustine, once again there is talk of passenger trains calling at St. Augustine. Several local government groups along the FEC are petitioning popular Florida Governor Charlie Crist to apply for free federal monies to pay for restoring service between Jacksonville and Miami via St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, and into West Palm Beach where a new connection would be built for the trains to join the former SAL main line (Now Tri-Rail commuter line and present Amtrak line.) to take the train into Amtrak’s Miami/Hialeah southern terminal.
The scary part of this is the news media is reporting these funds are being asked for to use for high speed rail, not conventional rail. While the FEC is a very good piece of railroad with excellent infrastructure, no one would ever confuse it with high speed rail. Some of the logic goes the incremental approach should be taken, first restoring service, and then eventually upgrading the service to high speed over a specified period of time.
What is interesting about this is the current ownership of the FEC, RailAmerica, Inc., which in turn is owned by Fortress Investment Group. RailAmerica, in addition to owning the FEC, owns nearly four dozen other short line and regional railroads in the U.S. and Canada.
RailAmerica is a solid company, with good financial performance. Fortress Investment Group is a giant fund which controls many companies, all on a private basis. This means there are no individual stockholders or Wall Street money managers demanding RailAmerica do this or that to shore up stock prices, and no public reporting of financial results. In other words, the managers are free to carry out any prudent business decisions they see fit (Within the framework of the law and overall regulations.), including striking a deal with Amtrak to run trains on their property.
If it makes money and doesn’t interfere with RailAmerica’s other mission of supplying outstanding freight service, then there is an interest.
If the State of Florida does strike a deal for stimulus money for this route, there isn’t much standing in the way of restored passenger service between Jacksonville and Miami via the FEC, with the exception of creating a new equipment pool.
Initial plans were to move the Silver Meteor from Orlando to the FEC, which is a very, very bad idea. Why would anyone want to take service away from one of the world’s busiest vacation destinations in Central Florida to serve the towns of Florida’s east coast?
A better solution is to find additional equipment, or, perhaps split a train in Jacksonville (Which Amtrak did from its very beginning until the horror of the common consist in the 1990s, and the closing of the Tampa crew and maintenance bases.), with half of the train traveling via Orlando and half of the train traveling via St. Augustine. Other options are to extend other trains from the Midwest or Northeast south to Miami via the FEC, such as the Capitol Limited or City of New Orleans via Mobile, Alabama. Extending an existing Superliner train would require less equipment than starting a complete new route.
As usual, it’s all going to come down to politics. Which state (Other than Illinois.) has the most juice in Washington? Which state has the best planning? Which state can move the quickest?
St. Augustine may or may not have train service again, 125 years after Henry Flagler became serious about hauling passengers into Florida to fill up his elegant hotels and resorts. If it does, yet another of the dozens and dozens of gaps in America’s passenger rail system will be rightly filled.
2) Inquiring minds want to know: With all of the money being thrown around Washington, and every city, town, village, hamlet, and their dog making plans to snap up as much money as possible to expand everything from local trolley systems (A good idea.) to major commuter rail systems to sprucing up stations, where are Amtrak’s plans for the future? What about fleet expansion, Rail Passenger Association of California President Paul Dyson wants to know? The single-level sleeping car order for the east coast trains doesn’t do anything to expand capacity; it just keeps enough new equipment floating into a maintenance-weary fleet to delay total breakdown.
What about new routes? We know three restart routes are being studied (The Sunset Limited east of New Orleans, the Pioneer, and the North Coast Limited/Hiawatha.), but, what about bold, new plans to fill in so many of the other gaps in the country outside of the Northeast Corridor?
And, the easiest thing of all, what about all of the other dozens and dozens of pieces of equipment sitting around in the weeds on wreck line tracks, waiting to be re-loved and repaired? When will Amtrak ask for money to fix this stuff, too?
A dose of reality for True Believers is Amtrak is lagging behind everyone else in vision, if not outright bold management. Yes, Amtrak Interim President and CEO Joseph Boardman seems to be nudging things in the right direction – only marginally and slightly so – but, when is he or the Board of Directors going to give things a major shove in the right direction?
Wise gray head Gil Carmichael has called for at least 150 new trainsets to ready Amtrak for his brilliant Interstate II strategy. While to some that may seem a big number, it’s only a starting point.
Remember, Amtrak today has considerably less than 2,000 cars on its total roster, including active cars and cars sitting in the weeds on the wreck line. In the mid 1960s, just before the invention of Amtrak, there were over 5,000 passenger cars in the combined national fleet of America’s passenger carriers, and that was a depleted number from the halcyon post-World War II days of rebuilding the worn out war time fleet of cars.
Now is not the time for timidity and reliance on the graciousness of others for survival. Now is the time for bold plans, bold action, and an understanding of how easy it is to bring America’s passenger rail system from an asterisk on the charts of transportation output to a real figure representing growth and prosperity.
3) While we’re on the subject of history, News From 1930 blog on the Internet came up with this fascinating gem, reporting what was written in The Wall Street Journal from June 16th through the 21st in 1930:
[Begin quote]
Pullman Company [Operator of the nation’s sleeping car business over the majority of passenger railroads.] purchases in the last year: 1,165,000 towels, 444,000 pillow slips, 387,000 sheets, 63,000 porter’s jackets, 5,786,000 paper bags for women’s hats. Launders 278 million items annually.
[End quote]
That’s a lot of items, especially for the first year of the Great Depression. At one point early in the 20th Century, it was said the Pullman Company made up more beds every night than the largest hotel chain in the country.
4) Now, what? Amtrak’s highly respected Inspector General, Fred E. Weiderhold, Jr. suddenly retired from Amtrak after 35 years, including being the watchdog who kept the contractors honest when the NEC was electrified north of New Haven, Connecticut.
This happened practically overnight, and was unexpected by most. The Boston Globe wondered in its news columns what brought on this sudden urge to retire, but no one is talking. It should be noted in the same several day period Mr. Weiderhold retired, at least three other government IGs were forced out of their jobs by the Obama Administration without reasonable explanation.
[Begin quote]
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
www.amtrak.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATK-09-047
Contact: Media Relations (202) 906-3860
June 18, 2009
Amtrak Inspector General to Retire
Fred E. Weiderhold, Jr. Served Amtrak for 35 Years
WASHINGTON – Amtrak Inspector General Fred E. Weiderhold, Jr. today informed the Chairman of the Amtrak Board of Directors that he is retiring after 35 years of loyal service to the railroad.
"As Amtrak's first and only Inspector General, Fred has made important contributions in helping the Board of Directors understand key issues facing the railroad and made useful recommendations to improve how we do business," Amtrak Chairman Thomas Carper stated. "We thank him for his dedicated service to Amtrak and wish him well in his retirement."
Carper added that under the federal Inspector General Act, the Amtrak Inspector General is appointed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Carper said he takes this responsibility seriously and will soon undertake a search for a replacement that can continue to maintain the integrity, independence and objectivity required of the position.
In addition, Carper said that he has confidence in the Inspector General staff and expects them to carry on their important work during this interim period, including providing effective oversight of how Amtrak is handling the stimulus funds it received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Mr. Weiderhold has been the only person to serve as the Amtrak Inspector General since former Amtrak Chairman W. Graham Claytor, Jr, asked him to establish the Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) in 1989. Previously, he was Amtrak's first Special Assistant to the Chairman for Employee Relations, conducting special investigations and acting as the company's first employee ombudsman. He has been one of the longer serving Inspectors General within the OIG community.
About Amtrak
Amtrak has posted six consecutive years of growth in ridership and revenue, carrying more than 28.7 million passengers in the last fiscal year. Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail service to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 21,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.
[End quote]
5) The Holland, Michigan Sentinel on Monday, June 22, 2009 reported ridership on Amtrak’s Pere Marquette is down 12.7% this May compared to a year ago, and a state senate committee which funds the service is looking to slash funding for the train.
Only 8,500 people boarded the route in May of 2009, or an average of 137 passengers per departure. All of the usual reasons were given for low ridership, including low gas prices and the slowed economy.
Here’s the problem no one seems to want to understand: As long as government funding as the primary source of revenue for these short, perpetually money-losing routes is necessary, politicians are going to always be looking for ways to cut budgets, and low return on investment programs are usually the first to go.
Too much of Amtrak relies on this very type of funding. There are unceasing stories from New England about those states wanting to cut funding for local trains (This, of course, does not include Amtrak Interim President and CEO Joseph Boardman’s home State of New York where he previously served as head of the state department of transportation. New York only funds one Amtrak train, the Adirondack, even though the entire Empire Service trains, with only an average load factor of 35%, gets a free ride with an all-federal subsidy.). Oklahoma pays big bucks for the tiny Heartland Flyer with even worse transportation output performance.
What will it take to make Amtrak and its True Believers understand a healthy and robust long distance system throws off enough excess cash (profits) these short distance trains can be mostly internally subsidized? Why perpetually fight these annual political battles when the simple answer is vision and expansion, even if it’s just making the existing skeletal long distance system train consists longer?
Why is this such a difficult concept to understand? Why do so many ill-informed people think it’s perpetually okay to support failure when success is within easy grasp?
6) Here’s some heartburn for those who believe the passenger business can never be profitable: Carnival plc, which owns Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard Line, and The Yachts of Seabourn in North America; Costa Cruises in Europe; P&O Cruises, Cunard Line, and Ocean Village in the Untied Kingdom; AIDA Cruises in Germany; Ibero Cruises in Spain and Brazil; and P&O Cruises Australia in Australia and New Zealand, operates 88 cruise ships with a passenger capacity of approximately 169,040 souls. Carnival also marketed and operated 16 hotels or lodges with approximately 3,500 guest rooms; approximately 560 motor coaches used for sightseeing and charters, 24 domes rail cars, which run on the Alaska Railroad between Anchorage and Fairbanks, Whittier and Denali, and Whittier and Talkeetna; 2 luxury dayboats; and sightseeing packages.
Carnival plc, headquartered in London, when tracing its heritage back through P&O Princess Cruises, was founded in 1850. Television fans may remember the real Princess Cruises happily loaned its ship, the real Pacific Princess, to Aaron Spelling and ABC to create the wildly popular television hit, The Love Boat, which spurred the modern cruise line renaissance.
All of this, by the way, is somehow accomplished without any government subsidies and is effected through private capital and entrepreneurship.
7) William Lindley of Scottsdale, Arizona has some thoughts on state passenger rail organizations. Mr. Lindley, a longtime professional associate of URPA, is a past president and treasurer of the Arizona Rail Passenger Association, and currently serves as a writer and editor for the group’s newsletter.
[Begin quote]
What does a rail passenger association really need to do? A recent report illustrates how what looks like failure to uphold principles may have helped doom a major city's plans for modern passenger train service.
In Atlanta, Georgia, a proposed green space called the "Decatur Beltline" would remove track connections which permitted trains to connect in all directions from Atlanta's downtown yards and stations. According to the National Association of Railroad Passengers Newsletter of May 2009, this "pitted local environmentalists against passenger train advocates (Georgia ARP remained officially neutral to minimize bad blood among erstwhile allies.)"
Say, what? Since when would a responsible passenger advocacy group roll over and play dead when the future of any kind of sensible passenger train operations is threatened? When I saw that I had to do some digging.
According to a November 30, 2005 Associated Press report, Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute called for using Atlanta's "unused" railway tracks for a linked system of parks, paths and transit. Now, while this is certainly an admirable goal, according to AP, "A panel of transportation experts raised concerns when it found isolated parts of the loop would not have riders to support trains, trolleys or whatever transit options are proposed." In other words, here we go again with removing a vital railway link – which can't be relocated – in favor of some green space which can be placed anywhere.
This conflicts with the goals of a long-proposed and eagerly anticipated downtown intermodal terminal at approximately the site of the original Atlanta Union Station, and with an immediate connection to mass transit MARTA's hub, the Five Points subway station, from which trains radiate north, south, east, and west.
Atlanta's other former main station, Terminal Station, on the Southern Railway, had south-facing stub-end platforms and was on Southern’s mainline just west of Union Station. Although the Richard B. Russell Federal Building replaced Terminal Station in the 1970s, a single through-track connection to the Union Station area still exists ... but neither Terminal Station nor the current Peachtree station used by Amtrak can reasonably be expanded for the demands of an expanded modern passenger operation.
The Five Points site is within walking distance to Georgia State University buildings, the popular Underground Atlanta shopping and nightlife district, and the downtown sports arenas. Furthermore, there is potential at a downtown terminal for a building with visual and interpretive ties to Atlanta's historic train stations and its growth as the key city to the "New South" – building on the idea of the station as gateway to the city.
The City of Atlanta, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper article of March 5, 2009, said that the State Department of Transportation's "vision of high-speed rail would discourage future residential development." Amazingly, the city seems thereby to value a few new apartments over connecting the entire metro area with its downtown transit center.
With the Georgia DOT's March 2009 removal of its objection to the park project, trains will only be able to reach downtown via the west side connection. Amtrak's Crescent and commuter trains from the north and east would have a two-mile backup move to reach a new downtown station.
Now, without the eastern loop connection, Amtrak would likely have to stop at a new station with a MARTA connection – a new stop miles further northeast from downtown than even the existing Peachtree Station. This would mean requiring longer trips for most users, and a
change of subway trains for many. This site, like Peachtree, has little potential for filling the perceptual role of a Gateway.
So, now, let's return to that quote again:
"... pitted local environmentalists against passenger train advocates (Georgia ARP remained officially neutral to minimize bad blood among erstwhile allies.)" – NARP Newsletter, May 2009.
I wasn't privy to the discussions but this certainly sounds like a failure to uphold the principles which should govern a passenger rail association. Rail passenger associations are neither historic preservation groups (the National Railway Historical Society fulfills that goal) nor are they railfan groups. Our associations are not yes-men to Amtrak, the railroads, local transit operators, real estate interests, sports teams, or environmental groups.
Indeed, the whole point of such a rail passenger association, as a non-profit institution, is a fiduciary (meaning: a relationship of confidence and trust) and a moral obligation to guide the progress toward modern and expanded passenger rail service. This is a charitable goal because passenger trains improve our quality of life, offer transportation options to everyone, improve our economy, and improve our environment ... everyone wins with better public transit.
So was Georgia ARP's failure to object to the removal of a vital transportation link a breach of trust for the objective of advocacy? Again, I wasn't there so I can't say, but if NARP's account is correct, placing "not upsetting so-called environmentalists" above "fulfilling the confidence placed in your organization to preserve and enhance passenger train service" seems
highly suspect.
Because detailed coverage has proven difficult to find in newspapers or on-line, I dearly hope one of our Gentle Readers more familiar with the subject can soothe my fears.
[End quote]
8) Six months from today is Christmas Day!
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Construction progress continues on the Airport TRAX Line. To keep business and traffic impacts to a minimum, this six-mile project has been separated into seven construction “reaches,” or segments. The map below shows each construction reach in a different color, starting with Reach 1 in dark red by the airport and ending with Reach 7 in light green on the east end of the project.
A description of what is happening in each area is listed below. If you need further construction information, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
Reach 1
Reach Description: Reach 1 is the area that extends from Terminal One at the Salt Lake City International Airport on the side of the Airport Access Road to the surplus canal bridge just north of the Wingpointe Golf Course.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Summer 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 2
Reach Description: Reach 2 extends from the surplus canal bridge just north of the Wingpointe Golf Course along the Airport Access Road fence line to 2400 West.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Summer 2009.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 3
Reach Description: Reach 3 extends from 2400 West along North Temple to I-215. This is the reach where TRAX will move from the side of the road to the center of North Temple.
Current Construction:Preliminary utility work near 2400 West on North Temple is scheduled to be completed within the next few days. We thank the travelling public for their patience during this work.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Fall 2009.
Traffic Impacts:There are lane restrictions near 2400 West on North Temple for the next few days; however, access will be maintained.
Reach 4
Reach Description: Reach 4 extends from I-215 to just east of Redwood Road on North Temple. TRAX will be center running and will include a station located at approximately 1950 West. Access to the many businesses and governmental organizations will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Preliminary utility work has been re-scheduled for the Redwood Road and North Temple intersection beginning July 6th. Before construction begins we will meet individually with the businesses to provide more information. Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 5
Reach Description: Reach 5 extends from just east of Redwood Road on North Temple to the Jordan River. TRAX will be center running and includes a station at 1500 West. Access to the many businesses and office complexes will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 6
Reach Description: Reach 6 extends from the Jordan River to I-15 along North Temple. TRAX will be center running and will include two stations located at approximately 1100 West and 800 West. Access to the many businesses and the State Fairpark will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Spring 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
Reach 7
Reach Description: Reach 7 is the area where the Airport Line will connect with the current north/south TRAX Line at the Arena Station. This reach extends from I-15 to 400 West along North Temple and turns south on 400 West proceeding to South Temple. Access to offices and the Gateway will be maintained.
Current Construction: Currently, construction is not taking place.
Upcoming Construction: Heavier construction is anticipated Winter 2010.
Traffic Impacts: Currently, there are no traffic impacts.
General Information
Access during Construction
UTA is committed to maintaining 24-hour access to all of the businesses and residences along the construction corridor. We will coordinate with businesses in cases where access may be temporarily limited.
Construction Hours
Construction is permitted to take place between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additionally, specific activities may require different working hours depending upon the conditions and will be coordinated with city officials.
Construction Tours
If you are interested in learning more about the construction project, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
For More Information
Timely and helpful information is available to assist business and residential communities as well as commuters and stakeholders.
If you have questions or comments regarding the project, please contact our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854 or e-mail thope@rideuta.com.You can also visit UTA’s Web site atwww.rideuta.com.
Please note that construction information provided is subject to change.
Mid-Jordan Light Rail TRAX Construction Update: June 19, 2009*
Please forward this information on to others that would be interested.
*This schedule is subject to change due to weather, materials issues, or unanticipated utility conflicts.
Construction on the Mid-Jordan Light Rail TRAX project is well underway. The project team would like to hear from you regarding your experience with the project to date. Your feedback will assist us in serving you better. Please take this opportunity to answer this short survey. It should take less than 5 minutes.
NEW Activity: Handrail installation. Traffic Impacts: Northbound and southbound traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction from 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM on 6/27 (Saturday).
UPDATED Activity: Crews will be performing work on the Bangerter Highway overpass at approximately 8700 South. Traffic Impacts: The median will be closed through July.
Sugar Factory Area
NEW Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through June at 2700 West near the tracks to accommodate construction vehicles; please follow flagger’s instructions.
NEW Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through June at 3200 West near the tracks to accommodate construction vehicles; please follow flagger’s instructions.
Old Bingham Area
UPDATED Activity: Eastbound shoulder closure on Old Bingham Highway west of Bangerter Highway through July.
NEW Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at 4800 West near Old Bingham Highway to accommodate construction vehicles. Please note that left turns are not restricted; please follow flagger’s instructions.
NEW Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at Wasatch Meadows Drive near Old Bingham Highway to accommodate construction vehicles. Please note that left turns are not restricted; please follow flagger’s instructions.
NEW Activity: Please be aware that flagging operations will be taking place intermittently through 2009 at 5200 West and the railway to accommodate construction vehicles.
Activity: Utility work is currently ongoing. Traffic Impacts: Shoulder work with possible lane restrictions.
Gardner Village Area
UPDATED Activity: Utility work. Crews will be working on 700 West near approximately 7400 south. Traffic Impacts: The northbound right lane will be closed from 6/30 (Tuesday) through 7/7 (Tuesday). The southbound shoulder of 700 West will be closed in this immediate area through July.
Activity: Utility work and new crossing installation at 1300 West at the trackway located at approximately 7900 South. Traffic Impacts: Beginning June 22nd through July 1st, 1300 West will be closed at the railroad tracks. Please plan accordingly and use Redwood Road as an alternate route.
Activity: Crews have resumed work on the bridge at 7800 South near Gardner Village. Traffic Impacts: One lane in each direction will be will be closed through July.
Activity: Access to Gardner Village from the Jordan River Parkway Trail is closed until August 2009.
UPDATED 6/19/09 Activity: Construction on the Jordan River TRAX bridge. Traffic Impacts: A temporary detour began the week of October 13th, 2008 on the Jordan River Parkway Trail near approximately 7500 South. The trail will be intermittently detoured through August 2009. Please be aware that the detour does cross a live railway track, and as such, the detour will be closed daily from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when freight is actively running on the track. Please plan accordingly.UPDATE (6/19/09): The trail will be detoured during daytime hours on 7/1 and 7/2 to accommodate girder work.
Cottonwood Area
UPDATED 6/19/09: Activity:Bridge girder delivery.Traffic Impacts: Due to unforeseen delays, the Winchester Street closure has been rescheduled for 7/3 through 7/6. Winchester Street will be closed approximately 1000’ west of Cottonwood Street to accommodate bridge girder delivery. Please plan accordingly and use detour routes as posted. Upcoming work will require a period of approximately two weeks lane restrictions with intermittent flagging operations; more information will be posted as this work nears.
If you have any construction-related questions, please call the construction hotline at (888) 550-2211.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the project, please let me know.
Construction is progressing on UTA’s FrontRunner South Provo to Salt Lake Commuter Rail line.
Below is the FrontRunner South construction update for June 20-26.
To learn more about the FrontRunner South project, click here.
Area 16 — Downtown Salt Lake City to 4500 South (Murray)
Construction Activity:
A utility crew will be potholing near 3500 South on Monday and at Vine Street on Tuesday through Thursday.
Traffic Impacts:
Flaggers will be stationed at Vine Street in Murray Tuesday through Thursday to assist potholing.
Salt Lake Central Station:
Station complete.
Area 15 — 4500 South (Murray) to Wasatch Street/8000 South (Midvale)
Construction Activity:
Work has begun on a bridge that will span the eastbound lanes of I-215 this week. Crews will continue installing temporary shoring on the south side and relocate an irrigation main in the area.
Construction will continue this week on bridges over Center (7800 South) and Wasatch (8000 South) Streets in Midvale. These bridges will run parallel to existing Union Pacific Railroad main line bridges.
Crews will continue installing temporary shoring on the north and south abutments of the Center Street bridge and also install H-pile on the south side.
At Wasatch Street, crews will continue abutment wall construction.
Traffic Impacts:
Lane and sidewalk closures will take place in conjunction with Center Streets bridge construction. Closures will alternate sides. Flaggers will be stationed at Center Street from 7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. to help area schoolchildren navigate the sidewalk closures.
Murray Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Area 14 — Wasatch Street/8000 South (Midvale) to 14600 South (Bluffdale)
Construction Activity:
Progress continues behind Salt Lake Community College’s Sandy Center Campus at 9800 South as crews construct a bridge that flies over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. This is the area where FrontRunner will move from the east side to the west side of the tracks.
Construction will continue on a wall on the northeast side of the bridge, as will mass embankment work. Crews will also install post tensioning on Pier #3 and strip forms from piers #3 and 5.
Crews will be continue to clear and grub the corridor between 10000 South and 10600 South and also work on stabilizing the grade.
Traffic Impacts:
Flaggers will be stationed at 9400 South in Sandy to direct truck traffic delivering lightweight fill to the site of the flyover bridge.
The outside northbound lane on South Jordan Gateway at approximately 10400 South will be closed as flaggers direct truck traffic moving lightweight fill.
At 14400 South in Bluffdale, flaggers will be stationed on either side of the bridge to help direct truck traffic entering and exiting the railroad corridor on the east side of the bridge. We ask that drivers please be patient and courteous while using the one-lane road under the bridge and that they please obey instructions from the flaggers for safety reasons.
South Jordan Station:
Lightweight fill for the flyover bridge construction is being stored at the site of the future South Jordan park and ride lot.
Draper/Bluffdale Station:
The location of this future station is to be determined.
Area 13 — 14600 South (Bluffdale) to Thanksgiving Point (Lehi)
Construction Activity:
Crews continue to establish access and prepare the site along the railroad corridor in Bluffdale and Lehi. Excavation and stabilization work will continue north of Clubhouse Lane in Lehi.
Crews will continue work on the Jordan and Salt Lake Canal bridge by backfilling a ramp, installing access hatches and restoring the slope near the bridge. At the South Jordan Canal concrete channel, crews will backfill the canal. And at the Jordan River bridge, crews will form and pour concrete footings for the south abutment and construct the north abutment seats.
Traffic Impacts:
There are currently no impacts to motorists in this area.
Area 12 — Thanksgiving Point (Lehi) to Main Street (American Fork)
Construction Activity:
Utility work will take place at Center Street and 100 South in Lehi late in the week.
Traffic Impacts:
Flaggers will be stationed at Center Street in Lehi on Thursday and at 100 South in Lehi on Friday to assist utility workers.
Lehi Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Area 11 — Main Street (American Fork) to University Parkway (Orem)
Construction Activity:
Work continues at the sites of the future Vineyard and Orem Stations, see details below.
Utility work will take place near 800 South in Orem as crews extend water line casings, and relocate a hydrant and sewer manhole.
Traffic Impacts:
At 400 South in Orem there will be a lane shift on Tuesday and Wednesday as crews conduct utility work in the shoulder. Flaggers will be assisting workers.
Flaggers will be stationed on 800 South in Orem throughout the week to support utility work.
American Fork Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Vineyard Station:
Crews will form and pour stem walls and continue embankment work near the site of the future station.
Orem Station:
Embankment work will take place near the Orem Station platform.
Area 10 — University Parkway (Orem) to Center Street (Provo)
Construction Activity:
Significant progress has been made in Area 10 along the Union Pacific Railroad corridor between University Parkway in Orem and West Center Street in Provo. Crews have prepared a path for FrontRunner by grading and clearing the right-of-way and relocating water lines. Drainage and irrigation installations are generally complete in this area.
Crews will begin placing sub ballast at Union Pacific’s Lakota Junction just south of University Parkway in Orem. Utility crews will be working in Provo along the right-of-way near 1680 North and between Freedom Boulevard and 600 West.
Traffic Impacts:
On Monday at 820 North in Provo there will be a single lane closure while crews conduct utility work.
Also in Provo, trucks will be entering and exiting the corridor at 200 North.
Provo Station:
No station construction activities to report.
Thanks again for your interest in the FrontRunner South project. If you have construction-related questions, please call our 24-hour construction hotline at 1-888-800-8854. If you have specific questions about the FrontRunner South project, my contact information is listed below.
Construction progress continues on the West Valley TRAX Line. To keep business and traffic impacts to a minimum, this five-mile project has been separated into seven construction “reaches,” or segments. The map below shows each construction reach in a different color, starting with Reach 1 in light green on the south end of the project and ending with Reach 7 in dark green on the north end.
A description of what is happening in each area is listed below. If you need further construction information, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
Reach 1
Reach Description: Reach 1 is the area along Constitution Boulevard (2700 South) from West Valley City Hall at 3600 South extending north to 3100 South. This area includes both large and small businesses, as well as many residents. Access to all businesses and residences will be maintained throughout construction.
Current Construction:
·Crews continue to weld rail near the station platform in between West Valley City Hall and the Public Safety Building. Embedded track is scheduled to be installed beginning the first week of July.
·Market Street is scheduled to be restriped for traffic early next week.
·Third party utility work continues along both sides of Constitution Boulevard and curb and gutter work is taking place in front of Valley Fair Mall.
Upcoming Construction:
·Crews continue to pour curb and gutter on Constitution Boulevard between 3100 South and 3500 South. Traffic will be switched to the east side of Constitution Boulevard during the second week of July.
·The entrance to Constitution Boulevard at 3360 South is scheduled to open on June 22nd. We thank the residents for their patience during construction.
·Crews will begin replacing current fencing along the west side of Constitution Boulevard with temporary fencing the first week of July. We will meet with each resident bordering the west side of Constitution Boulevard early next week to talk about this process.
Traffic Impacts: Traffic on 2700 West between 3100 South and 3500 South is operational on the west side of the road. There are also lane restrictions south of 3500 South; however, access is being maintained. Please be mindful of construction crews and obey posted speed limits.
Reach 2
Reach Description: Reach 2 is the area along 3100 South from Constitution Boulevard to Decker Lake Drive. The E Center and a few other businesses are located in this reach, as well as residents on either side of 3100 South. Access will be maintained and we will work with the E Center to coordinate our efforts so you can continue to visit the great events they have to offer. When TRAX is completed along 3100 South, it will operate on the south side of the roadway.
Current Construction: Crews continue to build the TRAX bridge approach between Maple Way and I-215. Work also continues on the actual bridge crossing I-215 south of 3100 South. Utility work also continues at the E Center.
Upcoming Construction:
·Night work is scheduled to take place on the TRAX bridge over I-215 at various times throughout the next few weeks. Noise impacts are anticipated to be minimal during nighttime work activities. Residents are encouraged to call the 24-hour hotline number at (888) 800-8854 if there are questions or concerns.
Traffic Impacts: Currently there are lane restrictions on 3100 South; however, access is being maintained.
Reach 3
Reach Description: Reach 3 is the area along Decker Lake Drive from 3100 South to Research Way (2770 South) and running east to Redwood Road. This area includes many commercial office buildings with thousands of employees who access this area on a daily basis. We will continually work with businesses to ensure access is maintained.
Current Construction: The west side of Decker Lake Drive is open and access is being maintained. Crews have started work on the storm drain on the east side of the road. Preliminary utility work has also begun on Research Way near Redwood Road.
Upcoming Construction:Utility work is scheduled to begin along Decker Lake Drive toward the end of June, along with installation of the foundations for the overhead wiring system.
Traffic Impacts: There are minor lane restrictions; however, access is being maintained.
Reach 4
Reach Description: Reach 4 runs through the Chesterfield residential area along 2770 South and proceeds along the Decker Lake Canal and the Crosstowne Trail. We will work with residents to ensure a safe working environment that provides access to their properties throughout construction.
Current Construction: Significant work has been accomplished in the Chesterfield area. Crews have installed a permanent wall along both sides of the Crosstowne Trail and are currently preparing the trackway and working on the traction power substation.
Upcoming Construction: Lester Street between Claybourne Avenue and Southgate Avenue is scheduled to temporarily close from June 23rd to July 2nd so rail can be installed in the roadway.
Traffic Impacts:
·The Crosstowne Trail along 2770 South just east of Redwood Road to the Brighton Canal is currently closed. Once TRAX construction is completed, the trail will open again.
Reach 5
Reach Description: Reach 5 will include construction along 1070 West in the Chesterfield industrial area. This reach will include one bridge structure over the Jordan River and another over 900 West.
Current Construction: Crews are scheduled to continue installing retaining walls on the east side of 1070 West until the first week of July. Work is also being completed on the Jordan River TRAX bridge. Access is being maintained and we appreciate the businesses’ patience.
Upcoming Construction: Water line installation is scheduled to take place along 1070 West from June 25th through July 9th. After utility work is complete, crews will begin working on the roadway on the west side of 1070 West which should last until the end of the summer season. Once the west side of the roadway is completed, crews will then begin work on the east side of the roadway. Construction is anticipated to take place for the next several months.
Traffic Impacts: As construction proceeds, there will be lane restrictions, although access will be maintained.
Reach 6
Reach Description: Reach 6 runs through the Union Pacific Railroad’s Roper Yard area. Although there are no businesses and residents, extensive coordination will take place with the Union Pacific Railroad to ensure that freight deliveries and other train travel is maintained. Reach 6 includes plans for an extensive bridging system that will enable TRAX to operate over other train traffic.
Current Construction: Significant progress continues on the TRAX bridge structure over the Roper Yard area near 2200 South and 600 West. Construction is also proceeding just east of 900 West along the south side of SR 201.
Upcoming Construction: Coordination will continue with the Union Pacific Railroad to install utilities and bridge structures.
Traffic Impacts: Not applicable.
Reach 7
Reach Description: Reach 7 is the area where the West Valley Line will connect with the current north/south TRAX Line. Construction will take place along Andy Avenue in South Salt Lake. Crews will closely coordinate activities with businesses to ensure access is maintained.
Current Construction: Storm drain installation along Andy Avenue has been completed. We thank businesses for their support.
Upcoming Construction: Nighttime construction will begin at Andy Avenue and 400 West on June 29th. Crews will begin roadway excavation at this time. We will work with businesses in this area to maintain access and mitigate any issues that may arise.
Traffic Impacts: Access will be maintained during construction.
General Information
Access during Construction
UTA is committed to maintaining 24-hour access to all of the businesses and residences along the construction corridor. We will coordinate with businesses in cases where access may be temporarily limited.
Construction Hours
Construction on the project is permitted to take place between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additionally, specific activities may require different working hours depending upon the conditions and will be coordinated with city officials.
Construction Tours
If you are interested in learning more about the construction project, please call our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854.
For More Information
Timely and helpful information is available to assist business and residential communities as well as commuters and stakeholders.
If you have further questions not answered by this report or any comments regarding the project, please contact our toll-free 24-hour hotline at (888) 800-8854 or e-mail thope@rideuta.com.You can also visit UTA’s Web site atwww.rideuta.com.
Please note that construction information provided is subject to change.
I should probably point out even though I have been posting these links for months, is that I do not always agree with all that is said in these postings, but I feel that they provide good information on what is happening around the country and a good source of debate.
I was born in Pasadena, California, and have lived in Spokane, Washington; Charlotte, North Carolina; Salt Lake City, Utah; Lincoln City and Astoria, Oregon; Phoenix, Arizona; Corsicanna, Texas; Sacramento, Calfornia; and Las Vegas, Nevada over the years.
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