FTA Releases Prelim. Info. on Stimulus Bill

[tufsu1]

Looks like JTA will be getting some $ fo the Skyway

http://thetransportpolitic.com/2009/02/19/whos-getting-formula-money/

[Steve]

Wow, a whole 40,000 for the skyway?

[Traveller]

The Omnibus Appropriations Act passed today by the House also authorizes some big bucks to rail transit.

• $90,000,000 to enable the Federal Railroad Administrator to make grants to States for the capital costs of improving existing intercity passenger rail service and providing new intercity passenger rail service
• $25,000,000 for necessary expenses of carrying out the Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Program
• $550,000,000 to enable the Secretary of Transportation to make quarterly grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) for operation of intercity passenger rail
• $940,000,000 to enable the Secretary of Transportation to make quarterly grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation for the maintenance and repair of capital infrastructure owned by the Corporation, including railroad equipment, rolling stock, legal mandates and other services

Appropriations are also authorized for numerous specific projects, including the following (list is not exhaustive):

• Central Florida Commuter Rail, Florida, $13,000,000
• Central Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail, Arizona, $91,800,000
• Charlotte Rapid Transit Extension, North Carolina, $20,500,000
• Dallas Area Rapid Transit Northwest/Southeast Light Rail MOS, Texas, $87,974,716
• Downtown Orlando East-West Circulator System, Florida, $8,000,000
• Dulles Corridor Metrorail, Virginia, $29,100,000
• JTA BRT System, Jacksonville, Florida, $1,280,000
• Largo Metrorail Extension, District of Columbia/Maryland, $34,700,000
• Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, Los Angeles, California, $81,600,000
• Metrorail Orange Line Extension Project, Florida, $20,000,000
• Norfolk LRT, Virginia, $53,592,108
• Northstar Corridor Rail, Minnesota, $71,166,060
• San Francisco Muni Third Street Light Rail--Central Subway Project, California, $10,000,000
• Second Avenue Subway Phase 1, New York, $277,697,000
• Streetcar Loop, Portland, Oregon, $45,000,000
• Tucson Modern Streetcar/Light Rail Transit System, Tucson, Arizona, $2,000,000
• University Link LRT Extension, Washington, $100,000,000
• Weber County to Salt Lake City Commuter Rail, Utah, $81,600,000
• West Corridor LRT, Colorado, $60,000,000.

Granted, there were many other large appropriations for BRT in other cities, but it looks like the First Coast could have gotten some commuter rail, streetcar, or LRT money if only it had asked for it.

[thelakelander]

Yes, we probably could have gotten something if we did not have our heads stuck in the sand on this BRT foolishness for the last decade.  Anyway, many of our peers have some great projects going.  Hopefully, we'll come to our senses before we fall too far behind.

[BridgeTroll]

OMG... Just look at that list!  Is Jacksonville the ONLY city on that list NOT funding some type of rail sytem??  sigh...

[Traveller]

Like I said, the list is not exhaustive.  Here are some of the other BRT projects funded by the bill:

• AC Transit BRT Corridor, California, $4,000,000
• Bellevue-Redmond BRT, King County, Washington, $10,952,330
• BRT, Potomac Yard-Crystal City, City of Alexandria and Arlington County, Virginia, $1,000,000
• BRT, State Avenue Corridor, Wyandotte County, Kansas, $1,500,000
• I-69 HOV/BRT, Mississippi, $7,650,000
• Livermore-Amador BRT, Livermore, California, $7,990,000
• Mason Corridor BRT, Fort Collins, Colorado, $11,182,000
• Metro Rapid Bus System Gap Closure, Los Angeles, California, $332,620
• Mountain Links BRT, Flagstaff, Arizona, $5,614,200
• Pacific Highway South BRT, King County, Washington, $281,520
• Pioneer Parkway EmX BRT, Springfield, Oregon, $296,000
• South Corridor BRT, Kent County, Michigan, $600,000
• South Corridor I-205/Portland Mall LRT, Oregon, $81,600,000
• Troost Corridor BRT, Kansas City, Missouri, $125,200
• Van Ness BRT Project, San Francisco, California, $400,000
• Wilshire Boulevard Bus-Only Lane, Los Angeles, California, $9,857,097

It looks like we're not the only city with busses on the brain.

[thelakelander]

No, we're not alone.  There is no mention of Toledo, El Paso, Jackson, MS or Rochester either.  I guess quite a few of our peers are further along in transit planning than we are.

It looks like we're not the only city with busses on the brain.

Unfortunately, we are the largest on the BRT list that does not already have rail in place.  Looking at the amount of funding given, our BRT concepts aren't that far along either.

[fsujax]

The only way we are going to come to our senses is for advocates of rail to get out to City Council meetings, TPO meetings and JTA meetings and make your comments directly to them (elected and appointed officials) and not only on this board! It does suck we got no money for rail, but this is the path we have been building for the past ten years. Hopefully, things will change.

[Ocklawaha]

Been preaching this from the wilderness for 30 years, and Jacksonville STILL doesn't get it. But our situation is even worse then that, "we" don't even try.

OCKLAWAHA

[fsujax]

Ock, it will take more than one person to get the message across.

[thelakelander]

Good point, fsujax.  Its going to take a small army to get things turned around.

[Ocklawaha]

We don't even get money to finish our streetcar or commuter rail studies? The Skyway? REALLY? $40,000 wow, if we convert it back to people-mover Miami is selling their old cars (as they plan to expand), we could probably get them for $10 dollars each. Otherwise what would $40,000 buy? Paint? Maybe a broom or two? How about a car and station cleaner?

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

I was thinking $40k would probably give it a good pressure washing, but that's about it.  Did we ask for money to finish studies? 

[fsujax]

No money for Planning Studies! Request was made from what I hear, only design, engineering and construction. Any federal dollars would require a completed environmental documentation process, which we haven't even started.

[thelakelander]

No money for Planning Studies! Request was made from what I hear, only design, engineering and construction. Any federal dollars would require a completed environmental documentation process, which we haven't even started.

That's what I figured.  This came up at Hola the other night.  Thanks for the confirmation.