The Transportation and Mass Transit Megathread

[Nashville Cliff]

On 7/12/2023 at 6:29 PM, tragenvol said:

Right.  May as well be DOA.  Tennessee missed the deadline to apply for the "once in a lifetime" funding from the recent infrastructure bill awaiting a "report" from TACIR...did we not?  "Nah, bruh...we're good....give me some of that grant funding from the $5.8 million pot rather than that $1.8 billion one."  We have a plan to start planning.  Please someone correct me; why is this story getting so much positive traction?  I'd love to be wrong on this one. 

The deadline was not missed because of the timing of the report.  And, fwiw, the feds say there will be another wave of route ID applications. And it's not entirely clear that the routes that the group of cities submitted missed the deadline or not. Amtrak testimony to congress suggests that they consider that application to have met the deadline.

[smeagolsfree]

As we all know, “premium mass transit” cannot be done without dedicated lanes! That can't be done without a change to the state law because of Deans stupid attempt with the failed AMP project and the push back by Beaman and is cronies. I do say Deans stupid attempt because he popped that out like Rosemarys Baby without warning! So, I am still at a loss as to how a system will be built along Murfreesboro Road that will not be stuck in traffic like everything else. Maybe the newly appointed state board at BNA will be a blessing in disguise when they ask for it and are told no for the same reasons and they resign in protest to the stupid state law and embarrass the governor and the legislature on a national level....again. Seems as if those jokers should get used to being embarrassed by now after all of the crap they do, with the entire world laughing at them.

[tragenvol]

37 minutes ago, Nashville Cliff said:

The deadline was not missed because of the timing of the report.  And, fwiw, the feds say there will be another wave of route ID applications. And it's not entirely clear that the routes that the group of cities submitted missed the deadline or not. Amtrak testimony to congress suggests that they consider that application to have met the deadline.

Thanks for the clarification.

[Sean blackdog]

Yesterday morning from Instagram Sky5. 
 

[donNdonelson2]

49 minutes ago, Sean blackdog said:

Yesterday morning from Instagram Sky5. 
 

A friend of mine is the cruise director for one of those ships, American Cruise Line’s American Melody. I’m sharing her photos from their arrival in Nashville.

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning. 
Continue working on Broadway Bridge. 
 

 

[rookzie]

On 7/12/2023 at 6:29 PM, tragenvol said:

Right.  May as well be DOA.  Tennessee missed the deadline to apply for the "once in a lifetime" funding from the recent infrastructure bill awaiting a "report" from TACIR...did we not?  "Nah, bruh...we're good....give me some of that grant funding from the $5.8 million pot rather than that $1.8 billion one."  We have a plan to start planning.  Please someone correct me; why is this story getting so much positive traction?  I'd love to be wrong on this one. 

 

On 7/14/2023 at 7:51 AM, Nashville Cliff said:

The deadline was not missed because of the timing of the report.  And, fwiw, the feds say there will be another wave of route ID applications. And it's not entirely clear that the routes that the group of cities submitted missed the deadline or not. Amtrak testimony to congress suggests that they consider that application to have met the deadline.

For the first time in Amtrak’s 52-year history, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA, is providing substantial, multi-year funding that will enable reaching a new inflection point for the ability to augment intercity passenger rail in the United States.

There were (are) two stages in the FRA's Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program.  In May 2022, the FRA requested "expressions of Interest"; anyone could respond.  Then the FRA issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) published December 20, 2022, under which government agencies could apply, with all selected agencies to receive $500,000, per corridor, to pay for development of a scope and budget for performing a Service Development Plan under a succeeding grant.  Remaining steps are Preliminary Engineering/Environmental Clearance, final design/right-of-way acquisition, construction, and testing/commissioning.

It is important to be aware that the Corridor Id is not a funding program.   It's a merely a congressionally chartered study.  The only output of this study has been as a formal report to Congress based on which Congress may decide what to do next, and the IIJA funds for corridors are to be disbursed based on the Corridor ID study.  In March of this year (2023), Tenn. formally submitted its application to the FRA Corridor ID Program, for service Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta, according to Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, who commented directly during the congressional Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on Tuesday 6-06-2023.

As far as I'm aware, the TN statewide study commissioned by the TN Legislature last session on the potential for passenger rail service, was being conducted by TACIR (Tenn. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations) with a commissioned-report study completion date of July 2023.  Deputy Governor Howard "Butch" Eley submitted a memo to the FRA on March 15 confirming the state's continued interest in and cooperating support for exploring passenger rail service opportunities.  That said, the state very likely could has HAVE fulfilled requisites for being awarded funds in conjunction with this ongoing study, but NOT for any actual implementation of a rail route.  Any funding for the nearest round of progression in corridor development would be only for "Tier-1" designated routes, of which the Nashville-ATL proposal is the only route ranked as such in the state.

Edited July 15, 2023 by rookzie
tacky syntax (has, have)

[markhollin]

Broadway Viaduct rebuild update.

Looking south from Asurion Plaza, 1/2 block south of Church Street Viaduct:

Looking east from 12th Ave. North, just north of Broadway:

[Sean blackdog]

Yesterday evening. 

[Nashville Cliff]

On 7/14/2023 at 9:24 PM, rookzie said:

 

For the first time in Amtrak’s 52-year history, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA, is providing substantial, multi-year funding that will enable reaching a new inflection point for the ability to augment intercity passenger rail in the United States.

There were (are) two stages in the FRA's Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program.  In May 2022, the FRA requested "expressions of Interest"; anyone could respond.  Then the FRA issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) published December 20, 2022, under which government agencies could apply, with all selected agencies to receive $500,000, per corridor, to pay for development of a scope and budget for performing a Service Development Plan under a succeeding grant.  Remaining steps are Preliminary Engineering/Environmental Clearance, final design/right-of-way acquisition, construction, and testing/commissioning.

It is important to be aware that the Corridor Id is not a funding program.   It's a merely a congressionally chartered study.  The only output of this study has been as a formal report to Congress based on which Congress may decide what to do next, and the IIJA funds for corridors are to be disbursed based on the Corridor ID study.  In March of this year (2023), Tenn. formally submitted its application to the FRA Corridor ID Program, for service Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta, according to Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, who commented directly during the congressional Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on Tuesday 6-06-2023.

As far as I'm aware, the TN statewide study commissioned by the TN Legislature last session on the potential for passenger rail service, was being conducted by TACIR (Tenn. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations) with a commissioned-report study completion date of July 2023.  Deputy Governor Howard "Butch" Eley submitted a memo to the FRA on March 15 confirming the state's continued interest in and cooperating support for exploring passenger rail service opportunities.  That said, the state very likely could has HAVE fulfilled requisites for being awarded funds in conjunction with this ongoing study, but NOT for any actual implementation of a rail route.  Any funding for the nearest round of progression in corridor development would be only for "Tier-1" designated routes, of which the Nashville-ATL proposal is the only route ranked as such in the state.

Mostly accurate synopsis. The one application submitted in Tennessee was by Chattanooga, endorsed by the state and by the cities of Memphis, Nashville, and Atlanta; it was for a route from Memphis to Nashville and then on to Chattanooga and Atlanta. So, the tier 1 route we identified in our study and one of the tier 2 routes.

[Bos2Nash]

While we are all salivating at the possibility of regional rail. Unfortunately some folks in Washington don’t want it (ie big oil/auto industry)

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2023/07/17/gop-seeks-massive-cuts-to-amtrak?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-streetsblog&utm_content=later-36550589&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkin.bio

[Bos2Nash]

The proposed House budget shows a 34% reduction for the southeast and a 92% for the northeast corridor. An overall appropriation from $2.4 billion to $875 million. As the post says, lots of time left and plenty of changes I’m sure are coming, but if this were to pass I think we could kiss any regional trains with Amtrak goodbye.

[Luvemtall]

New service to Nashville and the Southeast aside, the Northeast Corridor is a vital part of life for millions and serves a significant role in the transportation network. What the hell is wrong with these House Republicans? They just keep on trying to inflict pain into every American citizen one way or another. Nothing but bullies, they need to be stopped before our democracy is destroyed and a dictatorship is formed. I’m an independent voter and not saying all Republicans are to blame or that there’s not good ideas or decisions within the party. I’m just saying there seems to be a group of individuals that have come along , that really aren’t out for a balanced democracy but to slowly grind away at the very foundation of it. 

[Bos2Nash]

14 minutes ago, Luvemtall said:

New service to Nashville and the Southeast aside, the Northeast Corridor is a vital part of life for millions and serves a significant role in the transportation network. What the hell is wrong with these House Republicans? They just keep on trying to inflict pain into every American citizen one way or another. Nothing but bullies, they need to be stopped before our democracy is destroyed and a dictatorship is formed. I’m an independent voter and not saying all Republicans are to blame or that there’s not good ideas or decisions within the party. I’m just saying there seems to be a group of individuals that have come along , that really aren’t out for a balanced democracy but to slowly grind away at the very foundation of it. 

100% agree. Not all them are bad apples, but the loudest voices in the room certainly seem to be. pushing the pendulum further and further away from the center which in turn drives opponents further and further away from the center to counteract. 

[rookzie]

On 7/17/2023 at 7:28 AM, Nashville Cliff said:

Mostly accurate synopsis. The one application submitted in Tennessee was by Chattanooga, endorsed by the state and by the cities of Memphis, Nashville, and Atlanta; it was for a route from Memphis to Nashville and then on to Chattanooga and Atlanta. So, the tier 1 route we identified in our study and one of the tier 2 routes.

Thanks, Cliff for the clarification.  If there's any one someone who would be well informed of such granular details, then it would just HAVE to be you.

I ain't trying to be patronizing and whatnot ─  that is, unless I was about to be pushed over a "Cliff", but I have to say you're one of the primary Liaison Kingpins who make this forum such an authoritative resource "reference" (my former academic librarianship oozing out).

[Nashville Cliff]

10 hours ago, rookzie said:

Thanks, Cliff for the clarification.  If there's any one someone who would be well informed of such granular details, then it would just HAVE to be you.

I ain't trying to be patronizing and whatnot ─  that is, unless I was about to be pushed over a "Cliff", but I have to say you're one of the primary Liaison Kingpins who make this forum such an authoritative resource "reference" (my former academic librarianship oozing out).

That's kind of you to say. Thank you.

[smeagolsfree]

I really think the future is in highspeed rail and not Amtrak, but this country does not know how to do HS rail. Amtrak is like doing Model T's instead of using the Corvette in the garage. The airlines are now overcrowded and stressed out and the politicians are just ignorant as to what to do. They just do not realize it takes a huge investment to change the technology back to an old standard than to rely on something that is vulnerable to the weather all the time.

I just do not fly any more. Too many crazy people, not enough leg room, and weather delays. I had a friend that was stuck in DC for three days this last week. Another one that got stuck on the way back from Alaska. It is becoming more of the norm now.

[chc3]

We’re entering the unfortunate phase of Chronic Breakdown.

[PaulChinetti]

Do we have any high speed rail anywhere in the US?

[donNdonelson2]

23 minutes ago, PaulChinetti said:

Do we have any high speed rail anywhere in the US?

Amtrak Acela

[DMilner]

45 minutes ago, PaulChinetti said:

Do we have any high speed rail anywhere in the US?

Brightline in Florida.

[smeagolsfree]

Yep, up to 125 is HS Rail and over 150 mph is Very HS Rail. The bullet train in Japan goes as high as 200 mph.

[donNdonelson2]

1 hour ago, DMilner said:

Brightline in Florida.

Brightline will eventually be high speed, but I don’t think any of it is operational to official high speed designation yet.

[DMilner]

Just now, donNdonelson2 said:

Brightline will eventually be high speed, but I don’t think any of it is operational to official high speed designation yet.

I believe you are correct on that! I think it’s for their northern expansion. 

[BnaBreaker]

5 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

Yep, up to 125 is HS Rail and over 150 mph is Very HS Rail. The bullet train in Japan goes as high as 200 mph.

Back in 2010 I had the opportunity to ride the Maglev Train in Shanghai which can reach top speeds of 268 mph and connects central Shanghai to the main airport about twenty miles away.  The entire trip took less than seven minutes.   Beyond the sheer speed of it (though I'm not sure how long we were at top speed, if ever) and the bizarre sight of seeing the cars going the same direction on the expressway built right next to it just get passed by in a blur, what I was really struck most by was just how incredibly smooth the ride was.  I mean even at HIGH speeds you could just walk around normally without holding onto anything.  I mean on it's face it's just another form of transportation, but it was really an incredible experience unto itself and it oddly turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip.  I highly doubt we'll ever see it in the states though because of the high cost relative to standard rail.  Sure would be nice though. 

Supposedly in 2021 China began development on a new 620 mile long Maglev line between Shanghai and Beijing that can reach speeds of up to 372 mph (!!!) And make the journey in only 2.5 hours.  That'd basically be like travelling from Nashville to Washington DC in the same time frame.  I mean that is what you call a REAL practical long distance alternative to air travel!