By Matt the Engineer on November 20, 2009
I noticed the coupon at the Fremont PCC grocery store. Travel by May 21, 2010, anywhere Cascades runs (Eugene to Vancouver BC). There are a handful of blackout dates – mostly at holidays. The discount code is H815, but it says you have to present the coupon when you travel. They had a pile of them at the checkout counter at PCC, or I’m sure you can call Amtrak to find out where else you can get a coupon.
Posted in tacoma, walkability
By mSkehan on September 18, 2009
An interesting study, just completed by America 2050, examined 27,000 city pairs for suitability for future HSR corridors. http://www.america2050.org/pdf/Where-HSR-Works-Best.pdf
Not surprisingly, the NE Corridor, California, and Chicago all ranked very high, but when the selection criteria of population, density, GDP, local transit, highway congestion and distance between cities were applied, SEA-PDX came out close to the top.
I�ll let you draw your own conclusions after reading it.
OR and WA Dot�s are currently applying for billions in Federal Stimulus funding to continue building our own Cascade Corridor HSR network. As fossil fuel gets scarcer and more expensive, and alternate energy sources (mostly electric) are developed, we will thank our DOT and legislature for their vision to promote an alternative transportation choice that pollutes our atmosphere less than planes or autos, AND is easily electrified.
Mike Skehan, Member, All Aboard Washington
Posted in Computer Model, tacoma
By Frank on July 6, 2009
I’m a bit late on this, but it’s great that the Canadians have relented and allowed a second Cascades run between Seattle and Vancouver. They’re calling it a “pilot” project through the 2010 Olympics, but I’m guessing it will stick around after that. I expect ridership will be quite high, and soon they’ll have created a vocal constituency for the 2nd train.
Martin at STB says it will leave Seattle in the evenings and come back in the morning. That’s much more reasonable. The prospect of catching a 7am train out of Seattle was never all that appealing to me. But being able to leave on a Friday night and come back either Sunday morning or evening? Brilliant.
Posted in tacoma
By Frank on May 20, 2009
Reading this incredibly comprehensive post by Brian Bundridge at STB, I’m reminded again of (a) how far we’ve come, and (b) how incredibly far we have to go to achieve a true rail network in the Northwest.
Posted in tacoma
By Frank on May 2, 2009
Impressive as it sounds, the $8 billion promised by the Obama administration for high-speed rail isn’t really not all that much money, right? With the California’s system along looking like a $40 billion project, the $8 billion, spread across thousands of miles and a dozen or more corridors, is a proverbial drop in the bucket.
But I don’t think that’s the right way to think about the money. Rather, the $8 billion is a game-changer, a catalyst. It’s about shifting the conversation. In the months since the money was announced, municipalities all over the country have been scrambling to put together proposals, to explain why their region is ready for HSR. Take a look at this recent set of headlines from The Infrastructurist:
- Proposed Texas HSR network would cost $10-$20 billion, help with Houstons Olympic bid, and facilitate hurricane evacs. (Houston Chronicle)
- Obama touts a high speed rail connection between Des Moines and Chicago. Up to 79 mph! (KCCI)
- US is a half century behind Europe and Japan rail-wise, says head of Washington state rail program. (BBC)
- Travel writer: Would I use high speed trains? Im thinking the answer would be no. Not unless they were cheap and seriously fast. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
- Kansas City should be a key national hub for a national high speed rail network, says KC rail booster. (KC Tribune)
- High speed rail is on the horizon for Minnesota: A discussion of the opportunities and challenges on MN Public Radio.
- Editorial: Nevadas congressional delegation should fight hard to make fancy gambling trainas Sen Jim DeMint calls the LV – LA rail proposala reality. (Las Vegas Sun)
- If you live in LA, youll have a couple of opportunities to show public support for the state HSR project next week. (CAHSR Blog)
Simply by chasing the pot of gold, these local politicians have had to meet with rail advocates and contractors, talk to constituents about the benefits or rail, convince the local chamber of commerce to get on board, draft feasibility studies and long-range plans, etc., etc. Even if they don’t get one single federal dollar, they’ve started to create an internal constituency and a set of stakeholders who are interested in pursuing HSR.
Posted in tacoma
By Frank on February 18, 2009
Last Summer, while visiting Montreal, I met a retired couple in the hotel sauna who’d arrived there by Amtrak from New York. Gas was over $4/gallon, flights were expensive, so they decided to give the train a shot. Well, you can imagine how that went. The cafe car ran out of food about halfway through the journey, the toilets stopped being serviced at around the 8th hour of the 12-hour trip, etc., etc. Needless to say, they didn’t have a great experience.
Amtrak has atrophied from eight years of neglect under the Bush administration. Here in Western Washington, (and maybe in the well-funded Northeast Corridor) we’ve been spared the brunt of it thanks to state funding. But it’s gotten pretty grim out there on some routes.
All of which is a long way of saying that I’m very glad that the new Amtrak CEO seems like he’s ready to turn the agency around.
Of course, if we hadn’t neglected the service for the last eight years, we wouldn’t have to dig out of such a big hole. But President Obama seems really serious about funding rail transit, so better days may be ahead.
Posted in tacoma
By Frank on January 11, 2009
I’m liking what I’m reading in there:
Importantly, unlike Mr. Obama thus far, Mr. Oberstar is willing to discuss providing funding for projects that are not yet ready for construction, but which are almost there. In other words, while much of the talk on the economic stimulus has revolved around getting projects started within 90 days, this bill will provide for projects that will begin construction in 90 days or 1 year. This is a significant factor in improving the climate for transit, because while many road projects literally could begin construction tomorrow (highway resurfacing is the most prominent example), there are far fewer transit projects that ready – but given a timeline extension of just a few months, they would be.
(via STB)
Posted in tacoma
By Frank on December 16, 2008
Efforts are underway to solicit bids for a “passenger only” rail line between DC and New York. Amtrak currently shares the rail lines with other companies, including freight and passenger service.
While the idea of a high-speed train is appealing, I think you really have to think hard about the opportunity costs here. At 2h45m, the travel time between DC and NY is already competitive with air if you consider the time to get to and from the airports. Getting it down to 2 hours would be nice, but would it really make the difference?
Maybe smaller upgrades like more sidings, bridges, and longer platforms along the route would allow for more — and longer — Acela trains, since the service is so often sold out. Is that 45 minutes worth $40 billion, when passenger service in the rest of the country is so far behind? That’s an honest question, I don’t know.
Posted in tacoma
By Frank on November 17, 2008
Amtrak CEO Alex Kummant has resigned:
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black declined to comment on the specific reasons for Kummant’s departure, but said the executive and Amtrak’s board ”had differences in strategic direction and management philosophy.”
Our past Kummant coverage here. It’s hard to see why the CEO would want to go out after Amtrak had two of its best years ever, and is about to see the inauguration of one of the most transit-friendly administrations since… well, ever. These are heady times for Amtrak.
If I had to make a totally uneducated guess, I would say that Kummant was more of an incrementalist, focused on small-bore, yet vital upgrades. He’s pooh-poohed the idea of building HSR in the Northeast Corridor in the past, saying it would be more cost-effective to beef up medium-speed rail corridors nationwide instead. It may be that the Amtrak board wants to use this opportunity to think big, and Kummant wasn’t down with that.
(Via the NY Observer)
Posted in tacoma
By Frank on October 21, 2008
Finally:
The legislation, pushed by New Jersey Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg, would allocate $1.6 billion for rail safety, renew and expand the Federal Railroad Administration, and invest nearly $13 billion over the next five years to expand and upgrade passenger rail in the U.S.
Of that $13 billion, Amtrak would get about $1.6 billion a year — $300 million more than what it now receives — for operations and capital projects like replacing tracks and repairing tunnels. States would also receive funding to
$13B over five years is a drop in the bucket, obviously, but it’s a start. Amtrak Cascades should benefit handsomely from this bill.
Posted in tacoma
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