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.

Turbo Boost for New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail project?

This could be awesome news for the prospects of commuter rail from Springfield to New Haven and more convenient access to NYC. Dodd and other legislators will need us to help make some noise to help win funding.

Stay tuned!

Business on board with rail expansion. In Minnesota. What about Massachusetts?

"[Minnesota businesses] see investing in transit infrastructure as a winner."

Rallying business support for passenger and commuter rail improvements in Western Mass is an easy sell. Businesses and organizations need a reliable, efficient transportation system as much or more than individuals do -- to conduct business, ensure that their employees can easily reach them, and to tap into the widest and deepest talent pool to attract new employees.

This is an area where the Pioneer Valley Advocates could use help. We have heard positive things from the business and community leaders we have spoken to. We need a more sustained and systematic approach to enlisting the support of the region's biggest employers -- like Univ. of Massachusetts, Bay State Health, Mass Mutual, Big Y, and others -- and the thousands of small businesses that produce so many jobs.

Your ideas and help are welcome!

Dodd: We need better transit to get our economy moving and address the challenges ahead

From the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, which has jurisdiction over the transit portion of the transportation bill, a good indication that public transit will be a higher priority in the next bill.

Carrots and Sticks for Cleaner Transportation -- Petition from Transportation for America

Check it out and sign on if you agree!

Excerpt:
"Right now, one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States come from transportation! If we are going to successfully combat climate change, the clean energy bill must offer meaningful incentives for states and local governments to clean up transportation systems. We must support local initiatives to provide transportation alternatives and set state-wide goals and transportation pollution reduction goals that are in line with our national goal to build a cleaner future.

Sign your name to our national petition today, and tell key decision-makers in Congress to strengthen the transportation section of the new climate bill!"

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

Email Gov Patrick About Commuter Rail for Springfield Town Hall

Let's make sure Gov. Patrick thinks of commuter rail every time he thinks of Western Mass. Send your question about commuter rail (questions@wwlp.com) for the Gov. to be asked at a town forum to be held in Springfield Apr. 6, hosted and broadcast online and TV by WWLP-22.

Not every question will be asked, but we want to make sure WWLP has LOTS of commuter rail questions to choose from and is reminded of how popular the issue is.

One question we have submitted: "What role will commuter rail play in your plan for economic recovery in Massachusetts, and especially Western Mass?"

NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL RAIL COALITION URGES FUNDING FOR RAIL

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 .

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.

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?????

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.