BART’s Post

Three months after Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed – killing six people, shutting a major port and disrupting vehicle traffic along the Eastern Seaboard — local, state and federal officials began a massive effort to make the best out of an unimaginable situation. “We’re working with construction companies and designers, and working with the people of our state, to think about what is it that we hope for this almost two-mile long bridge,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore told CNBC. The process passed a major milestone last week when crews managed to reopen the main navigation channel to the Port of Baltimore, the nation’s largest port for vehicles. That process alone was initially forecasted to take up to a year. “It didn’t take 11 months. We got it done in 11 weeks, because we work together,” Moore said. But now, in many ways, comes the hard part. Officials hope to use the disaster as a chance to reconsider all the infrastructure in the region. “This is going to be an important opportunity for our state to look at all of our infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our tunnels. You know, our critical infrastructure is imperative for our economic growth and development,” Moore said.  Last month, the Maryland Transportation Authority issued its first request for proposals to rebuild the bridge. The plan is to use what officials call a “Progressive Design-Build Approach,” in which the design and construction firms are hired at the same time and work together throughout the process. This efficiency could allow a new bridge to be built in just four years — breakneck speed for a project expected to cost upward of $2 billion. The Maryland Transportation Authority is expected to choose the firms this summer. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNBC the new bridge will be far better than the old one that opened in 1977. “We know things that we didn’t know in the 1970s, about how to put up a bridge,” Buttigieg said. “Nobody wanted to be here through this tragic catastrophe that happened. But it does bring an opportunity, and I would say, responsibility, to get things right for the future.” The situation in Baltimore is a vastly sped-up version of processes underway in states and cities across the country, said Buttigieg, who is overseeing some 54,000 projects nationwide funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021. “We have funding that goes to projects that come from every state, city, airport authority or transit agency, you can think of,” he said. While Buttigieg acknowledged that some of the demand is a result of the huge amount of money being made available — $550 billion in transportation and infrastructure funding over five years — it is also a reflection of the need. “To me, it indicates just how much work there is to do in this country,” he said.

Uncovering the Vital Link: Why Transit is Crucial Public Infrastructure Connecting Communities and Economies #urbanplanning, #cities, #livablecommunities, #mobility, #transit

WHY TRANSIT MATTERS – PART 1 – CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE Non-riding, public transportation detractors often argue that if they do not utilize the transit system, they should not pay for it. That position runs counter to this country's shared commitment to fund critical infrastructure, which are facilities and assets vital to the functioning of our society and economy. This infrastructure includes police, fire, airports, seaports, highways, bridges, defense, national security, and public transportation. Every year, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) American Infrastructure Report Card includes public transportation because transit provides essential access to jobs, schools, healthcare, shopping, and other services. We pay for the protection and safety of our police forces because those officers, and the public service they provide, benefit all of us, even if some of us never dial 911. We pay for highways and bridges because the absence of such infrastructure would undermine our economy. Similarly, we pay for transit to ensure the access that ASCE and all of us recognize as societally essential. Public transportation connects us. Transit matters first and foremost as publicly funded critical infrastructure. The Utah Transit Authority’s operators, operating team, and administrative employees, proudly provide public transportation that benefits everyone.

I have two thoughts on this news: 1) amazing! Looking forward to being able to get from New Haven to NYC in an hour. 2) the cost of American public infrastructure will never cease to baffle me. It’s great that we’re making up for generations of underinvestment in rail transportation along the busiest rail corridor in the Americas, but a comparison: France’s newest high speed line, the LGV Mediterranean line, at 216km long, cost 19.7 million € per kilometer, or 4.2billion€/$4.5 billion in total. In contrast, this funding is for renovation of select century-old infrastructure along the corridor, for 4 times the price. If the US built rail like the French (which is to say, streamlined environmental review and planning requirements, maintained in-house expertise within federal and state government (as opposed to relying on private consultancies for expertise) built out to need as opposed to over design and over engineering of infrastructure, and didn’t rely so heavily on such a large profit margin as catalyst for private contributions to the project’s planning/construction, then our 735km railroad could cost €14.7 billion/ $15.7 billion. Instead we’re paying around that for the completion of 20 projects. Major and necessary projects, but projects nonetheless—we are improving an existing legacy corridor after all, not building a new railroad. Then again, the US is the wealthiest country in the world, and this price tag (and the $117 billion it will take to achieve the full NEC2035 vision—full high speed rail between DC and Boston) is but a sizable drop in the bucket—Yet, I can’t help to wonder why we can’t get more for less. I’m ecstatic that my country is getting closer and closer to high speed rail, I just wish we weren’t getting so blatantly ripped off amidst our efforts to get there.

I was so glad to run into this post last week and wanted to share this series along side ‘Why transit matters’ to me. 1/3: Car-centric cities amplify the paywall created by private vehicle ownership and maintenance, limiting economic participation for the low-income workforce. High costs associated with purchasing a car, insurance, fuel, and repairs consume a significant portion of their income. Robust public transportation offers a solution by providing an affordable, reliable alternative that enhances access to jobs and essential services, breaking down this financial paywall and enabling greater economic participation. #PublicTransportation #EconomicParticipation

Concrete General is heavily invested in the health and advancement of our state’s infrastructure. We need your help to continue the vital work all of us in the state do for the health of Maryland’s roadways and bridges. According to the Together for Transportation Funding website, “Maryland’s heavily traveled roadways will need additional investment to ease congestion & improve mobility. The effectiveness of this Maryland infrastructure has a profound effect on our overall quality of life. We would like to urge our elected officials to address the state’s transportation needs and support the following legislative goals: 1. To restructure the gas tax to produce a consistent, sustainable flow of revenue sufficient to fund the engineering, construction, and maintenance of the State’s roads, bridges and highways. 2. To establish regionally-based funding authorities in the Baltimore Metropolitan area and the Prince George’s, Montgomery, Frederick, and Charles County areas to produce enough revenue to fund and support mass transportation projects and efforts. 3. To continue supporting the use of alternative financing that includes new public-private-partnership (P3’s) funding to help modernize and improve transportation infrastructure. 4. To educate the Maryland General Assembly and Maryland’s citizenry about the indispensable need for a strong system of roadways and transit. Delivering on these legislative goals can solve both the long-term structural funding problem and the current Covid-19-related funding challenges. More than ever, our economy needs new sustainable jobs that can be worked in a healthy setting, given the backdrop of the pandemic. Most importantly, our infrastructure needs to be strong.” Here's how you can help! Share this post, and visit the website to contact your representatives! #maryland #infrastructure #infrastructurematters #dmv

An influx of federal infrastructure funding is bringing back passenger train service to Wichita and Newton, Kansas. The state’s proposal to extend Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer includes new city stops added to the rail service in both Kansas and Oklahoma. The project will incorporate Wichita as a key stop along the route following a 206-mile line from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth. This initiative comes from the Corridor Identification and Development Program, created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with $108 billion authorized to support federal infrastructure programs. Nationwide,15 existing rail routes have been granted funding for upgrades, in addition to seven high-speed rail projects and 47 new routes given federal dollars. What's your take on expanding U.S. passenger railway? Will this boost opportunities for businesses and improve economic growth? #RailwayExpansion #KansasInfrastructure #EconomicGrowth #AmtrakHeartlandFlyer

New "Technology" post from THE HILL: Biden to announce $8B in funding for high-speed passenger rail projects President Biden on Friday will announce $8.2 billion in funding for 10 passenger rail projects, including a high-speed rail system connecting Nevada and California.  Biden will travel to Las Vegas on Friday to make the announcement. He is then set to go to Los Angeles on Friday night and stay through Sunday. The funding comes from the bipartisan infrastructure law’s overall $66 billion investment in rail and Biden, as of Friday, has designated $30 billion for rail projects from that funding. The Brightline West High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail System Project will receive up to $3 billion to build a new 218-mile intercity passenger rail system between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The goal is to make the rail trip slightly longer than two hours, which would be nearly twice as fast as driving.  Just more than $3 billion of the funding will go towards a high-speech rail service in California’s Central Valley to extend the rail line between Bakersfield and Merced and to connect communities in other parts of northern and southern California. The goal is for the line to be complete by the 2028 Olympics, which Los Angeles is hosting, to offer transportation during the games. Additionally, $1.1 billion will go to build additional parts of the Southeast Corridor from Raleigh to Wake Forest, N.C., and $729 billion will go to a new rail bridge over the Potomac River to expand passenger rail between Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va. “Any American who has traveled to other countries has likely seen how countries in Europe and East Asia approach passenger rail,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on a call with reporters about the new funding. “[They] return home to wonder why Americans can’t have that too.” The secretary said that, if all goes to plan, people will experience true high-speed rail on American soil before the end of this decade. The announcement follows $16.4 billion announced last month for rail projects along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. That funding will go to 25 passenger rail projects, including replacing the Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Maryland to increase train speed through it, from 30 mph to 110 mph. https://bit.ly/3RdbShH

UNITED STATES: AMTRAK- Construction Contract for Frederick Douglass Tunnel Amtrak has awarded Kiewit/J.F. Shea Joint Venture a contract to build the new Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Baltimore. The new passenger rail tunnel will serve electrified Amtrak and MARC commuter trains with two parallel, single-track tunnel tubes, each approximately two miles long. This new infrastructure will support significantly faster travel speeds than the existing B&P Tunnel, where trains are currently limited to a maximum of 30 miles per hour. Amtrak Executive Vice President, Capital Delivery Laura Mason said: “We are one step closer to unlocking the biggest passenger rail bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C. and New Jersey. This would not be possible without historic funding through the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and continued support from the Biden-Harris Administration, FRA and our funding partners at the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA).” This investment is at the centre of Amtrak’s Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program, which will modernise approximately 10 miles of the Northeast Corridor (NEC). The programme is already underway, with construction set to begin on the new tunnel in 2026. The programme is expected to be completed in 2035 and delivered through three major construction contracts, which include- Replacing five roadway and rail bridges; building new rail infrastructure such as interlockings, tracks and catenary; and constructing a new ADA-accessible West Baltimore MARC Station. Building the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Fitting the new tunnel with tracks, rail systems and ventilation facilities Maryland Governor Wes Moore said: “The new Frederick Douglass Tunnel will generate fresh opportunities for Marylanders and help secure our transportation future. This project marks an important step forward in our work to build strong pathways to work, wages, and wealth for all — while investing in critical infrastructure throughout the state. I’m grateful for the partnership of the Biden-Harris Administration and all the stakeholders who have come together to make this vision a reality.” hashtag #amtrak hashtag #rail hashtag #railways hashtag #railindustry hashtag #railinfrastructure hashtag #railroads ------------------------------------------------------------------------ MORE TO FOLLOW... Join our ACTIVE GROUPS here on LinkedIn: On Track- Railway Construction, Bridges, Viaducts & Tunnels 🚉 https://lnkd.in/dhkSJd-w 🚈 Middle East & Africa RAIL https://lnkd.in/eqt6ZekM Baltic Build - Northern European Construction Projects 🏗 https://lnkd.in/dwpuSn7M Source & Image Credit- Amtrak Media

I think every Transport Planner in the country has worked on an iteration of the Arundel Bypass, or the Ox-Cam rail link, the A1M or another of the "eternal projects". The comments on the FT article include an economist who worked on an A303 scheme in 1987! I think of the Portway P&R rail station which I remember putting into the SW Regional Transport Strategy in my first job in 2003... finally opened in 2023. 20 Years for a single platform halt. At Bristol we found plans for the "South Bristol Link Rd" that dated back to the 1930s. It was finished (and in a inferior form) in 2017! The problem is that the minute the money starts to look short, these projects are 'easy prey' as there is a whole section of stakeholders who who want them cancelled. Scheme promoters are quite logically, less passionate than those opposed. But fundamentally many of them are needed, so in 10 years time, they come up again and the whole cycle of feasibility, design, promote... cancel starts again. Every now and again, one of these achieves escape velocity; the Kingskerswell bypass, or the Ashington railway line. But for anyone who needs to travel past Arundel, sorry, maybe next decade!