Hearing explores expanding Vermonter Amtrak service

This story offers a good quick overview of pro and con views offered at the two Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) public meetings on the Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail study. About a dozen PVACR supporters attended the PVPC meetings (THANK YOU!) to speak up in support of the plan to realign the Amtrak Vermonter and lay the groundwork for increased passenger service and possibly full-blown commuter rail service in the future.

PVACR volunteer, Nancy Considine, asked the grandslam question of the meeting tonight: "How do you plan to use the support you've heard here tonight to help you get money for the project?" Timothy Brennan, Executive Dir. of the PVPC, responded bluntly that we need to keep building public support for the project, because any impression of tepid support will hurt our application for federal stimulus funding in the eyes of the evaluators. We are up against very stiff competition, he says, and it won't matter how stellar our request is if public support for the project is not strong.

So send your two cents! Short and sweet is fine -- and so is long and strong. Just take a quick minute to email your support of improved passenger rail service from Springfield to Vermont to:

Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc. Attn: Knowledge Corridor Project, 11 Hanover Square, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10005 or mtalbot-minkin@hshassoc.com Deadline for comments: June 1. (The applications for federal stimulus funding for rail projects are due in August).

As always, feel free to post to this blog -- especially if you have impressions or questions from the May 19 & 20 PVPC meetings.

Hearings slated on expanded rail service for Western Massachusetts

We urge all rail supporters to attend one or both of the public meetings that the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) has scheduled for the Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail Line Study to learn project details and ask questions.

A number of Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail members will be attending the meetings to show support for this project and the many benefits it would bring to whole region. Please join us!

Date: 05-19-2009
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: TD Banknorth, 1441 Main St., Suite 1200, Springfield, MA 01103. Google map/directions. Parking is available in the lot behind the TD Banknorth building.

Date: 05-20-2009
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, 1 Atwood Dr., Northampton, MA 01060. Google map/directions
From the Massachusetts Turnpike: Take exit 4. From I-91 North and South: Take exit 18, take a right at end of ramp. Hotel is 3 tenths of a mile on the right.

Train Departing Amherst Station?

If the link above doesn't work for you, try http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=9665

A thoughtful look at the proposal to reroute the Vermonter north of Springfield to run through Greenfield, Northampton, and Holyoke. Extensive discussion with project planner Dana Roscoe of PVPC.

Be sure to come out to the May 19 & 20 meetings that PVPC is hosting about this project. Meeting details on the this main blog page or http://www.springfieldrail.org/.

Amherst to Push to Keep Amtrak

With a project like the proposed Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail Study, that affects so many people in the Pioneer Valley, it's nice to have opportunities for a full discussion of what is being proposed and its potential pluses and minuses.

The study examines rerouting the Amtrak Vermonter to cut about 45 minutes off the trip to Vermont while adding station service to Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield. It also examines the potential for establishing commuter rail service on the line.

If you have questions about these proposals, or just want to be part of the discussion, please attend one of the meetings the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) is holding May 19 & 20 in the area.

Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail supporters will be attending both meetings.

PVPC Public Meetings on the Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail Study
Date: 05-19-2009
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: TD Banknorth, 1441 Main St., Suite 1200, Springfield, MA 01103. Google map/directions. Parking is available in the lot behind the TD Banknorth building.

Date: 05-20-2009
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, 1 Atwood Dr., Northampton, MA 01060. From the Massachusetts Turnpike: Take exit 4. From I-91 North and South: Take exit 18, take a right at end of ramp. Hotel is 3 tenths of a mile on the right.

Franklin County, MA Transit Center -- Future Commuter Rail Stop -- Launched

So many wins from this project

Breaking ground on this transit center is exciting for many reasons. It will stimulate economic activity, it's a green multimodal center that will drastically minimize energy use and can actually generate energy, AND, it's another building block in both the restoration of passenger rail service from Springfield to Vermont and establishing commuter rail service from Vermont through Springfield all the way to New Haven, CT.

More signs from Gov. Patrick and Secy. Aloisi that they get how important investment in public transit -- in WESTERN MASS -- really is.

Latest PVACR eNewsletter: Rail Updates & Apr. 16 General Meeting

Pioneer Valley Rail Progress
This is the most recent e-newsletter from Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail. To get PVACR email updates and action alerts one to three times a month, be sure to subscribe.

Rail Advocates See Hope In Federal Stimulus Money

WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports on the efforts of New England Regional Rail Coalition members, including PVACR, to lobby for federal stimulus money for regional rail projects, including the Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail line from Springfield to White River Junction, VT.

"A group of environmentalists, rail transportation advocates, planners and business people are lobbying to get federal stimulus money spent on passenger rail projects in New England. There is hope the federal money could be used to bring commuter rail to Western Massachusetts"

Full WAMC Northeast Public Radio report


NERRC and PVACR Press release announcing lobbying effort:

Working on the Railroad: NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL RAIL COALITION URGES FUNDING FOR RAIL

Gov. Patrick Discusses Commuter Rail in Western Mass at Town Forum

Q: "When and how soon, will the Pioneer Valley obtain commuter rail service? asked "Michael from East Longmeadow"

Gov. Patrick fielded a question about commuter rail from PVACR member and Treasurer, Michael Galvagni (thanks!) at a live town forum broadcast on WWLP Channel 22 last night. The Governor answered at some length about working with Connecticut and Vermont to provide commuter rail south and north from Springfield, but his bottom line is that we need federal help to get this done.

The question is asked at the 9 min, 20 sec point of this video segment, the third segment on the wwlp.com web site.

Palmer Seeks to Lure Amtrak

Palmer officials certainly appreciate the economic development and transportation benefits that rail brings. Anyone interested in learning about the projected benefits of the Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail Line that the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) is studying and raising questions about it will have opportunities at two public meetings that are part of the study.

PVPC Public Meetings on the Knowledge Corridor Passenger Rail Study
Date: 05-19-2009
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: TD Banknorth, 1441 Main St., Suite 1200, Springfield, MA 01103.
Google map/directions. Parking is available in the lot behind the TD Banknorth building.

Date: 05-20-2009
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, 1 Atwood Dr., Northampton, MA 01060.
From the Massachusetts Turnpike: Take exit 4. From I-91 North and South: Take exit 18, take a right at end of ramp. Hotel is 3 tenths of a mile on the right.

Public meeting notices will go out the first week of May. We urge all rail supporters to bring their questions and notepads to learn more about expanding rail services in our region.

New PVACR Web site

Hi all - We've revamped the PVACR Web site with plenty of content about proposed rail projects in the Pioneer Valley. Please check it out -- and be sure to sign up for PVACR email updates for the latest news and chances to speak up in support of commuter rail.

Thank you

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?????