FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jen Cosgrove, Communications Dir., Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail (PVACR), (413) 636-6707, pvacr@yahoo.com
Tom Irwin, Senior Attorney, Conservation Law Foundation, (603) 225-3060, tirwin@clf.org
$8 billion stimulus fund an important opportunity for New England
Springfield, MA (March 30, 2009) The recently formed New England Regional Rail Coalition (NERRC) is urging the investment of economic stimulus dollars in rail infrastructure in New England, to improve and expand existing rail services for the region. Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail, a Western Mass-based grassroots group of rail advocates that is part of the coalition, has been working through the group to ensure that rail projects benefiting the Pioneer Valley will be considered for stimulus funding.
On March 27, NERRC wrote U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood and other federal officials to inform them of important needs and investment opportunities in New England, as officials begin to decide how best to distribute $8 billion of economic stimulus funding dedicated to intercity and high speed rail service.
“The stronger our connections are to economic centers throughout New England, the stronger we’ll be in Western Mass.,” said Jen Cosgrove, PVACR Communications Dir. “We are working with the NERRC to advocate for rail in New England, and especially the Pioneer Valley region, because acting in concert gives us a better chance of winning funding for building those strong connections.”
“A number of critical opportunities exist in the region to build a rail system that strengthens each of the New England states, and that better integrates the region not only with the rest of the country, but also with Canada,” said Tom Irwin , a senior attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation, a founding member of NERRC. “Our hope is that economic stimulus funds will be allocated to many of these projects, to begin the process of building a world class, sustainable transportation system for New England .”
The economic stimulus law – the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act – established a competitive grant program, with a total of $8 billion to be distributed to high-speed and intercity rail projects. NERRC’s letter identifies several key projects which, individually and collectively, will help integrate and strengthen New England ’s transportation system.
With specific regard to Western Massachusetts , the letter identifies:
1 – Rehabilitation of track infrastructure in Western Massachusetts for Amtrak’s Vermonter service. This project would involve the rehabilitation of rail infrastructure that parallels Interstate 91 through western Massachusetts ’ Pioneer Valley , greatly benefiting Amtrak’s Vermonter service between White River Junction, VT and Springfield , MA . The Vermonter currently travels an extra 40 to 50 minutes to avoid inadequate track infrastructure. At an estimated cost of $25 million, the project will make this detour unnecessary, allowing significant time- and fuel savings, as well as the restoration of rail service for two of the Pioneer Valley ’s largest communities – Greenfield and Northampton . The Pioneer Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization strongly supports this project, which would complement a plan to connect Springfield , MA and New Haven , CT with new commuter service.
2 - Establishment of commuter rail service between New Haven , CT and Springfield , MA . This project would bring much needed commuter rail service connecting New Haven , Hartford and Springfield , and numerous towns and cities in between. It also could provide important connections with Bradley International Airport , multiple links with Amtrak intercity service, and direct links to the existing Metro North and Shore Line East Commuter Rail in New Haven . The project would involve railroad right-of-way owned by Amtrak, and would complement north-south improvements for the Amtrak Vermonter rehabilitation project discussed above.
The New England Regional Rail Coalition is a new and growing collaboration of business interests, planning organizations, and transportation and environmental advocates which recognize the need and value of significantly greater investment in rail in the New England region. NERRC believes an enhanced and expanded rail network is essential to safeguarding New England ’s economic competitiveness and reducing the economic, environmental and social costs associated with our region’s current, predominantly highway-oriented system.
For additional information regarding the Coalition and its work, including a copy of the Coalition’s letter to Secretary Lahood, please contact Jen Cosgrove at (413) 636-6707 or pvacr@yahoo.com or Tom Irwin at (603) 225-3060, ext. 15, or via email at tirwin@clf.org.
###
The Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail (www.springfieldrail.org, pvacr.blogspot.com) is an all-volunteer group of concerned citizens in Western Mass and Connecticut who want to help bring commuter rail and its many transportation, economic, and environmental benefits to the region. Our supporters include commuters, students, job seekers, community leaders, business owners, policymakers, and rail enthusiasts, among others.
The Conservation Law Foundation (www.clf.org) works to solve the most significant environmental challenges facing New England . CLF’s advocates use law, economics and science to create innovative strategies to conserve natural resources, protect public health and promote vital communities in our region. Founded, in 1966, CLF is a nonprofit, member-supported organization with offices in Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island and Vermont .
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Meeting Report: NARP Regional Conference
Thanks to PVACR supporters Michael Galvagni (also group Treasurer) and Susan Winholz for this report:
Susan and I attended the March 21, 2009 meeting of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) in New London , CT.
I thought the highlight of the event was speaker Jim Cameron. Mr. Cameron formerly worked for NBC news. He is now self-employed and writes a blog called Talking Transportation )
Here is his posting in Talking Transportation about the meeting (Susan is one of the “…dutiful wives along to support their husbands’ hobby, knitting all through the meeting.”). I see no free mittens coming from Susan anytime soon!
While I enjoyed Cameron’s presentation there were two downsides. First, most of his discussion was about Metro North and the arrival of new trains on that line. More importantly was his prediction that Hartford and Springfield would not see commuter rail service for 8 more years. Mr. Terry Hall, who was representing Mr. Bruce Becker, NARP’s Northeastern Division Leader, disagreed with Cameron on when we would see commuter rail. Terry predicted we would see service in a few years but that it would be brought in on a phased manner. The phased in manner would be advertised as a step toward full implementation - which he predicted would never happen. In other words Susan and I basically heard two conflicting reports both of which were pessimistic.
I will largely defer to quoting Mr. Cameron for much of the rest of this report because he covered the meeting as well as I could hope to. Ross Capon, President of NARP spoke on the current situation of Amtrak and the stimulus package. As Cameron says in his posting, “Capon gave a great speech about the many changes in Washington breathing new life into rail: increased funding for Amtrak, new initiatives to force freight rail lines to expedite passenger trains, even discussions about ten new high-speed rail corridors across the country.”
Having lived in Texas for 25 years Mr. Capon put a smile on my face when he took a poke at Lone Star State for wanting to build another highway ring around Houston with little or no consideration for Mass Transit.
Again I quote Mr. Cameron, “Another NARP officer (Mr. Al Papp, NARP’s Vice Chair for Legislative Policy & Strategy) spoke of the crazy plans by NJ Transit to build new tunnels under the Hudson River which would dead-end at a new underground station for Garden State commuters instead of continuing on to Grand Central.”
Mr. Papp’s basic point here was that the Amtrak high speed rail between Washington DC and the Northeast would be unable to (or have limited use of) Hudson River tunnels. He passionately referred to the plan by NJ Transit as “holding 50 million people hostage.”
There was supposed to be someone at the meeting to discuss the status of rail in Massachusetts but he must not have made the meeting.
Susan and I attended the March 21, 2009 meeting of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) in New London , CT.
I thought the highlight of the event was speaker Jim Cameron. Mr. Cameron formerly worked for NBC news. He is now self-employed and writes a blog called Talking Transportation )
Here is his posting in Talking Transportation about the meeting (Susan is one of the “…dutiful wives along to support their husbands’ hobby, knitting all through the meeting.”). I see no free mittens coming from Susan anytime soon!
While I enjoyed Cameron’s presentation there were two downsides. First, most of his discussion was about Metro North and the arrival of new trains on that line. More importantly was his prediction that Hartford and Springfield would not see commuter rail service for 8 more years. Mr. Terry Hall, who was representing Mr. Bruce Becker, NARP’s Northeastern Division Leader, disagreed with Cameron on when we would see commuter rail. Terry predicted we would see service in a few years but that it would be brought in on a phased manner. The phased in manner would be advertised as a step toward full implementation - which he predicted would never happen. In other words Susan and I basically heard two conflicting reports both of which were pessimistic.
I will largely defer to quoting Mr. Cameron for much of the rest of this report because he covered the meeting as well as I could hope to. Ross Capon, President of NARP spoke on the current situation of Amtrak and the stimulus package. As Cameron says in his posting, “Capon gave a great speech about the many changes in Washington breathing new life into rail: increased funding for Amtrak, new initiatives to force freight rail lines to expedite passenger trains, even discussions about ten new high-speed rail corridors across the country.”
Having lived in Texas for 25 years Mr. Capon put a smile on my face when he took a poke at Lone Star State for wanting to build another highway ring around Houston with little or no consideration for Mass Transit.
Again I quote Mr. Cameron, “Another NARP officer (Mr. Al Papp, NARP’s Vice Chair for Legislative Policy & Strategy) spoke of the crazy plans by NJ Transit to build new tunnels under the Hudson River which would dead-end at a new underground station for Garden State commuters instead of continuing on to Grand Central.”
Mr. Papp’s basic point here was that the Amtrak high speed rail between Washington DC and the Northeast would be unable to (or have limited use of) Hudson River tunnels. He passionately referred to the plan by NJ Transit as “holding 50 million people hostage.”
There was supposed to be someone at the meeting to discuss the status of rail in Massachusetts but he must not have made the meeting.
Springfield Union Station Redevelopment Update -- Agreement Within "Next Few Months"?
With encouraging news breaking lately about commuter rail services running South and North from Springfield ("Governors of Mass., Conn. lobby Amtrak to expand commuter rail service between Springfield and New Haven," Mar. 25, Springfield Republican, "Expanded rail service considered," Mar. 23, Springfield Republican), we think it's a good time to ask:
What's happening with the redevelopment plan for Springfield's Union Station, which will serve as the connecting hub for those services?
In Oct. 2008, the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and the Springfield Redevelopment Authority announced the completion of the Union Station Intermodal Transit Center plan. PVTA's press release said that "The next phase of the plan will be to secure approval from the Federal Transit Administration and the Executive Office of Transportation, followed by the establishment of a joint development agreement between the PVTA and the SRA to oversee construction and operations. "
We called Brian Conners, Interim Chief Development Officer, who is managing the project for the Springfield Office of Planning and Economic Development (413-787-6664) for an update. He said that they are "still moving forward, a little slower than they would like," in part due to some personnel changes in the city and in their legal representation. They have been negotiating the agreement with PVTA about who will be responsible for what and also working on gaining approval from their federal and state partners on the project. Even so, Connors anticipates that they will have the approvals they need and an agreement in place in the "next few months." This will enable the partners to put out a solicitation for a designer to produce the final design.
So there you have it. So stay tuned for an announcement about hitting the next milestone in the Union Station redevelopment project in "the next few months." Now -- how soon can we expect to see that final design?????
What's happening with the redevelopment plan for Springfield's Union Station, which will serve as the connecting hub for those services?
In Oct. 2008, the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and the Springfield Redevelopment Authority announced the completion of the Union Station Intermodal Transit Center plan. PVTA's press release said that "The next phase of the plan will be to secure approval from the Federal Transit Administration and the Executive Office of Transportation, followed by the establishment of a joint development agreement between the PVTA and the SRA to oversee construction and operations. "
We called Brian Conners, Interim Chief Development Officer, who is managing the project for the Springfield Office of Planning and Economic Development (413-787-6664) for an update. He said that they are "still moving forward, a little slower than they would like," in part due to some personnel changes in the city and in their legal representation. They have been negotiating the agreement with PVTA about who will be responsible for what and also working on gaining approval from their federal and state partners on the project. Even so, Connors anticipates that they will have the approvals they need and an agreement in place in the "next few months." This will enable the partners to put out a solicitation for a designer to produce the final design.
So there you have it. So stay tuned for an announcement about hitting the next milestone in the Union Station redevelopment project in "the next few months." Now -- how soon can we expect to see that final design?????
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Governors of Mass., Conn. lobby Amtrak to expand commuter rail service between Springfield and New Haven
Interstate cooperation between MA and CT -- especially at the governors level -- to work with Amtrak to add commuter rail service from Springfield to New Haven is very encouraging.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Expanded Rail Service from Springfield to VT Considered
This is very good news that the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is working so hard to qualify improvements to rail service from Springfield to VT for federal stimulus funds.
As the article mentions, the PVPC has been conducting the Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail study since May 2008. Last June, a PVACR volunteer participated as a stakeholder in a partnering workshop that is part of the study. Consulting with stakeholders throughout the region is an important part of the study. Hopefully these steps will help residents and their elected leaders come to a consensus about supporting the work that is needed to make rail a force for economic growth and greener transportation in our area.
The article mentions that public hearings will be held in May as part of this project. I'm sure many rail supporters will want to attend!
As the article mentions, the PVPC has been conducting the Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail study since May 2008. Last June, a PVACR volunteer participated as a stakeholder in a partnering workshop that is part of the study. Consulting with stakeholders throughout the region is an important part of the study. Hopefully these steps will help residents and their elected leaders come to a consensus about supporting the work that is needed to make rail a force for economic growth and greener transportation in our area.
The article mentions that public hearings will be held in May as part of this project. I'm sure many rail supporters will want to attend!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Springfield to VT Rail to Compete for Stimulus Funds
This is very good news for our chances of seeing commuter rail service from VT to Springfield. This could also help spur activity with the Union Station Redevelopment project, AND, we hope, the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail project.
Springfield is a natural transportation hub. There are a lot of benefits that will flow with that if we'll make some sensible investments.
Springfield is a natural transportation hub. There are a lot of benefits that will flow with that if we'll make some sensible investments.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Speak up for Western MA commuter rail at local transportation hearing Mar. 4, 4:00p
Although there is heated debate surrounding the Governor's recent gas tax proposal, at least commuter rail in Western MA, both the link from Springfield to New Haven and north to VT, is part of the discussion. That's good news.
Regardless of how policymakers, with input from voters, decide how to pay for transportation reform, we want to make sure commuter rail is considered vital to improving the economy and environment, as well as aiding commuters and the businesses that depend on them.
Please join members of Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail in supporting commuter rail at an important hearing next week. The first of four state hearings on the governor's proposal will be held Wednesday, Mar. 4 at 4 p.m. at Springfield Technical Community College, in the Scibelli Hall Theater (http://www.stcc.edu/aboutcampus/directions.asp).
Chairing that hearing will be Rep. Joseph F. Wagner of Chicopee. For more information about the hearing, you can contact his Chicopee office at 413-592-7857.
Please make sure all parties in this debate about funding our transportation needs know that bringing commuter rail to Western MA is a top priority.
Regardless of how policymakers, with input from voters, decide how to pay for transportation reform, we want to make sure commuter rail is considered vital to improving the economy and environment, as well as aiding commuters and the businesses that depend on them.
Please join members of Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail in supporting commuter rail at an important hearing next week. The first of four state hearings on the governor's proposal will be held Wednesday, Mar. 4 at 4 p.m. at Springfield Technical Community College, in the Scibelli Hall Theater (http://www.stcc.edu/aboutcampus/directions.asp).
Chairing that hearing will be Rep. Joseph F. Wagner of Chicopee. For more information about the hearing, you can contact his Chicopee office at 413-592-7857.
Please make sure all parties in this debate about funding our transportation needs know that bringing commuter rail to Western MA is a top priority.
DOT Chief Pushing Light Rail As Connecticut's Best Way To Go
It's good to hear Joseph Marie keep banging the drum for rail. Still going in the right direction, at least.
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