US High Speed Rail Association Phasing Plan

[FayeforCure]

Our vision is for a 21st century, 17,000 mile national high speed rail system built in 4 phases, for completion by 2030.  This new national system will revitalize our economy, reactivate our manufacturing sector, create millions of jobs, end our oil dependency, and cut our carbon footprint by epic proportions.  Powered by electricity, this system provides sustainable, affordable and safe mobility for all.

The map phasing follows the most logical sequence for a national system build out - starting with the largest cities in the busiest corridors, then growing to connect those together across the country.  The busiest corridors are known as 'megaregions' and have been studied extensively by the Regional Plan Association.  Their analysis and mapping of the 10 megaregions forms the background for the development of our national high speed rail plan.

Our plan calls for a national system of HSR Express lines connecting cities and states into an integrated system.  Our plan sets high standards for state-of-the-art dedicated track, advanced control systems, elegant multi-modal train stations, and top-of-the-line 220 mph trains.  This national high speed rail system forms the backbone of a complete sustainable transportation system for America.  The other components of this system include connecting regional and commuter rail, light rail, streetcars, trams, electric buses, and bicycles.

http://www.ushsr.com/hsrnetwork.html

[FayeforCure]

In Case you are worried that the US High Speed Rail Association doesn't have as much expertise as metrojacksonville:

ADVISORY BOARD









   

   

Norman F. Anderson, President & CEO - CG/LA Infrastructure, Washington, DC



Norman F. Anderson focuses on infrastructure project creation, aimed at increasing the level of infrastructure investment, and the performance of existing infrastructure stocks, in developed and developing countries alike. He has overseen the development and execution of CG/LA’s proprietary analytic models, including: The Global and Latin American; The “Eight Criteria for Assessing a Country’s Infrastructure Capacity,” and CG/LA’s 5 year and 20 year infrastructure demand models. In July 2008 he published the “North American Future, 2025; Outlook for Infrastructure” in The Future of North America 2025; Outlook & Recommendations,” a CSIS publication financed by the Canadian, Mexican and US Executive branches. That work posited a potential North American infrastructure market rising from a current market size of less than $200 billion per year to a level of nearly $450 billion. Mr. Anderson also originated and oversees CG/LA’s highly successful Leadership Forum teams.

He also leads the CG/LA team that develops infrastructure projects globally; and provides high level strategy assessment for the public (cities, states, countries, MDB’s) and private (finance, E&C, equipment/technology) sectors. Among other honors he is a visiting professor in the Politecnico de Madrid, a regular contributor to AmericaEconomia, and an Advisory Board Member of ProAm Vietnam (Hanoi), The Center for Transformation and Strategic Initiatives (London/Washington), and SPINEQ (Madrid). Mr. Anderson began his career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, serving for a total of five years -- including the last two as a grantee of the Inter-American Foundation. He has a graduate degree from Harvard University, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. He is married to the former Ingrid Sckell â€" they have two children, Norman Gabriel (22) and Janina Victoria (19). He speaks fluent Spanish, Portuguese and Guarani.



   

Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director General - International Union of Railways (UIC), Paris, France



Jean-Pierre Loubinoux is Director General of The International Union of Railways (UIC), with 200 members on 5 continents.  UIC is responsible for the coordination of a large number of projects dealing with technical standards, research programs, passenger and freight business, safety and security, and sustainability of transport. 

Mr. Loubinoux is an international high speed rail expert with many years experience in all phases of high speed rail system development and operations around the world.  A graduate of Ecole Centrale de Paris, Mr. Loubinoux held an early position in Hong-Kong before joining SNCF in 1978.  He held several positions of responsibility, such as Director of the General Representation of SNCF in North-America and Chief Executive Officer of French Railways Ltd in the UK.  He then joined the SNCF Freight Direction where he successively was Director of the Coal-Steel Business Unit and Director of Human Resources, Logistics, Legal Affairs, Data Processing and Finances Department for Freight Direction.  He was Director of International Development for SNCF and Chairman and CEO of SNCF International up to end of March 2009.  On April 1, 2009 he became Director General of the International Union of Railways (UIC).

Officer of the ’Ordre National du Mérite’, Mr. Loubinoux has been awarded the Legion of Honour and is holder of the Silver Medal of the French Ministry of Equipment, Transport and Tourism.  He has been vice-president of the French Chamber of Commerce in UK from 1990 to 1995.  He is currently a French Advisor for the Foreign Trade and President of the Transport Committee, President of the France/Argentina Committee at MEDEF International, as well as Vice-President of the Ecole Centrale Association in charge of international development.  He is also President of the French Rail Association of Engineers and Managers (AFFI).



   

Katherine Aguilar Perez, Executive Director - Urban Land Institute Los Angeles, CA



Katherine Aguilar Perez is the Executive Director of the Urban Land Institute, Los Angeles District Council.  With her diverse background in private real estate development, governmental policy and urban planning, she has emerged as one of the most articulate and credible advocates promoting the responsible use of land.  She was accompanied by a highly acclaimed list of industry professionals chosen for their commitment to workforce housing, green building, and the principles of New Urbanism.  Southern California based Business Life magazine also recognized her as an “Outstanding Leader.”

Previously, Ms. Perez was the Vice President of Development for Forest City Development where she focused on transit oriented development and mixed use projects in emerging markets. 

Prior to joining Forest City, Ms. Perez was the co-founder and Executive Director of the Transportation and Land Use Collaborative (TLUC) of Southern California, a nationally recognized non-profit that promotes greater civic involvement in planning and development.   Previously, she worked for Pasadena Mayor William Bogaard as the Deputy to the Mayor where she worked on transportation, planning and Latino constituents’ issues.

She serves on the Board of Directors for AltaMed Health Services, which provides healthcare and human services to the underserved, multi-ethnic communities of Los Angeles County.  She is a member of the UCLA Alumni Council of the Graduate School of Public Affairs and is a member of the Workforce Investment Board for the City of Los Angeles appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. 

In Fall 2008, Ms. Perez was an Adjunct Professor at the USC School of Planning and Development, teaching the graduate course “Participatory Methods in Planning and Development,” a new course designed to focus on the technical skills of public participation.  In Spring 2009, Ms. Perez served as an Adjunct Professor at the UCLA School of Policy teaching an urban design studio called “Transit Oriented Development and Design.” 

Ms. Perez is honored to be recognized as a 2009-2010 Senior Fellow of the UCLA School of Public Affairs.  Senior Fellows are distinguished civic leaders to volunteer their time to leadership development in the School.  Ms. Perez was a lecturer for the 2009 Ford Fellowship for Regional Sustainable Development where she addressed issues of regional planning, development and infrastructure.  The Ford Fellowship for Regional Sustainable Development is focused on the nexus of land use, growth management and transportation infrastructure.

She received her Masters Degree in Urban Planning and Transportation from UCLA and her Bachelors Degree in Political Science from CalState Northridge. 

Ms. Perez is most proud of her three children, Diego, Lucia and Antonia, which give her the drive and passion to contribute toward the building and creation of healthy, livable communities for future generations.



   

Anthony Perl, Ph.D., Director - Urban Studies Program, Simon Fraser University - Vancouver, Canada



Anthony Perl joined Simon Fraser University in 2005 as Professor of Urban Studies and Director of the Urban Studies Program.  He is also cross appointed as Professor of Political Science.  Before that he worked at the City University of New York, the University of Calgary and Universite Lumiere in Lyon, France.  He received an undergraduate honours degree in Government from Harvard University, an MA specializing in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto. 

                       

His research crosses disciplinary and national boundaries to explore the policy decisions that affect transportation, cities and the environment.  He has published in scholarly journals such as Energy Policy, Transportation Research, Transportation Quarterly, World Transport Policy and Practice, Journal of Air Transport Management, Transportation Research Record, Journal of Public Policy, Canadian Public Policy, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Journal of Urban Technology, Canadian Journal of Political Science and Scientific American.   His work been awarded prizes for outstanding papers presented at the World Conference on Transport Research and the Canadian Transportation Research Forum. 

                       

He has also produced four books.  The Politics of Improving Urban Air Quality, which he co-edited and co-authored was published in 1999 by Edward Elgar, U.K.  New Departures: Rethinking Rail Passenger Policy in the Twenty-First Century was published by the University Press of Kentucky in 2002.  In 2003, the University of British Columbia Press released The Integrity Gap: Canada’s Environmental Policy and Institutions, co-authored and co-edited by Perl. His latest co-authored book, Transport Revolutions: Moving People and Freight Without Oil, is published by Earthscan and can be ordered through TransportRevolutions   A second edition of Transport Revolutions will be released by New Society Publishers by December 2009.

                       

Perl has advised governments in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, and the United States on transportation and environmental research and policy development.  He is a member of the Board of VIA Rail, Canada’s national passenger railway. He also chairs the Intercity Passenger Rail committee of the U.S. Transportation Research Board, a division of the National Research Council.  He has served on the Selection Committee of Transport Canada’s Urban Transportation Showcase Program.  Perl is currently Vice-Chair of Canada’s Centre for Sustainable Transportation and a Fellow of the Post-Carbon Institute.



He is married and lives without a car in Coal Harbor neighborhood of Vancouver.

http://www.ushsr.com/ushsr/advisoryboard.html

Note that they give highest priority to the Florida HSR plan!!!!!!!!!!!

[FayeforCure]

How High Speed Rail Can Spread Across the U.S.
10/22/2009 by asladirt


The U.S. High Speed Rail Assocation, a new group formed to advocate for high speed rail, organized a conference in D.C. attended by Congressional representatives, smart growth advocates, and Governor Ed Rendell from Pennsylvania, a leading high speed rail proponent. Rendell argues that a nation-wide high speed rail network is critical and called for a “dedicated federal government capital budget” to fund the program. “We have just been nibbling at infrastructure,” Rendell argued. Rendell sees a dedicated ”infrastructure bank,” which would “take the politics out of transportation decisions,” funneling funds to high speed rail, transportation rehabilitation, and transportation improvement projects.  Rendell noted that the American Society of Civil Engineers said the U.S. needs to invest $2.2 trillion to ensure the country’s future competitiveness.

In addition to strengthening the U.S. competitive position, Rendell argues that high speed rail would help restore the U.S. construction and manufacturing base, and “bring millions or tens of millions of jobs and new factories.” Rendell compared current opposition to a country-wide high speed rail network to the early opposition against the Erie Canal. He noted that the $9 billion investment (if calculated at today’s rate) in the Erie Canal was repaid within nine years, and the investment helped revolutionize the U.S. economy.

In terms of high speed rail networks, the U.S. is falling even further behind other developed countries. Japan’s already advanced network will add 16,000 miles of high speed rail line by 2020. Spain is spending $100 billion on another 6,000 miles. While the U.S. spends 2.5 percent of its GDP on infrastructure, Spain is spending up to 10 percent.

The U.S. has spent $1.3 trillion on highways, but only $53 billion on passenger rail.

While the Obama administration has put $8 billion in recovery funds and $5 billion of the budget towards high speed rail, this will really only help in planning and making relatively minor improvements to existing networks. Rendell fears much of the funds have already gone to mid-speed rail. California alone requires $45 billion for their high speed corridor plans, which would run from the northern to the southern part of the state.

Rendell sees a new high speed rail line between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, one of the most congested transit routes in the country. Additionally, he wants the northeast corridor Acela line to become truly high-speed. ”The Acela trip between D.C. and New York City could be 1 hour and 35 minutes with infrastructure updgrades.” Overall, a nation-wide network would cost hundreds of billions, but is needed to replace relieve pressure off of highway infrastructure and crowded flight corridors. There are also environmental and health benefits. “High speed rail can take cars off the road.”

Other conference speakers made additional arguments for high speed rail in the U.S.:

Congressman Jim Costa, 20th District, California: California voters recently voted “yes” to a plan and $9 billion in state funds to create a linear, north-south corridor in California. The planned 700-mile system would “connect 80 percent of the population, while creating 300,000 new jobs,” Costa argues. “We don’t want to reinvent the wheel in the U.S. We can plug in 3rd, 4th generation technologies from Japan and Europe.” Also, public private partnerships will be key to making the system work giving the costs involved. California is ready to move forward if there is federal support.

In discussing the results of a California commission on high speed rail, Costa noted that distances of between 100 and 400 miles were best suited for high speed rail.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, 30th District, Texas: Johnson said U.S. Southwest Airlines helped nix high speed rail in Texas a few years ago, and from this experience they learned “we need to start a grassroots public education campaign.” Johnson says a disproportionate amount of money has been given to highways. Current cargo traffic between Mexico and Texas has “torn up the roads,” and road repairs remain costly. Instead, Johnson thinks freight should move on high speed rail lines between the two countries.

Anthony Perl, Ph.D, Simon Fraser University: While the world isn’t reaching peak oil yet, Perl argues, the remaining oil will be much harder and more expensive to access. “If we are also serious about climate mitigation, we will need to add carbon capture and sequestration systems into existing oil and coal plants, which will raise the cost of extraction by 1/3.” Comparing people to pandas, Perl said both rely on one just one food source (in the case of pandas, bamboo; in the case of people, fossil fuels) which makes for a vulnerable future. “We need to differentiate our energy sources.” Perl sees a post-carbon intercity passenger rail system run on electricty. The cost of high speed rail will come down once China starts manufacturing high speed rail, Perl believes. China is aiming to produce 1,000 train sets in the next few years.

William Schroeer, State Policy Director, Smart Growth America:  “It’s about place,” Schroeer argues. High speed rail stations must support places, smart land use, and communities. As an example, Schroeer highlighted the station in Cologne, Germany, which is a destination within the community and is well-integrated into a town square. Rail riders can also rent bikes upon leaving the station, removing the need for car transport. In many countries, well-designed, integrated high speed rail stations have made adjacent land more valuable. “People will pay for accessibility.” Additionally, population growth occurs around these transportation access points. “People want to  live near accessibility.”

The U.S. High Speed Rail Assocation advocates for a 17,000 mile network across the U.S., which would include dedicated high speed track, multi-modal stations, and feeder rails. By 2015, they want to see the current U.S. high speed transportation plans in place; by 2030, a complete national system. A U.S. system would include electric high speed trains, mid-speed regional trains, and local light rail or trams. The anticipated cost of the whole system is $ 600 billion, or $30 billion per year over 20 years. Transit-oriented development around new lines and stations is also key to making high speed work. The organization notes that Spain has recently spent $340 billion, China has invested $300 billion, and developing countries, including Morocco, Brazil, and others, are also investing.

http://dirt.asla.org/2009/10/22/how-high-speed-rail-can-spread-across-the-u-s/

We need more visionary leaders!!

[thelakelander]

In Case you are worried that the US High Speed Rail Association doesn't have as much expertise as metrojacksonville:

I don't think you get it.  Most here aren't against HSR in Florida.  They just question the validity of a plan that does not serve most who congest I-4 daily and the high fares on a trip that won't save people anytime. 

Here is a thread you should read.  Many of the same reasons this project is failing are the ones that have been mentioned about Florida's current HSR plan.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,6656.0.html

Why forecasts failed

Our analysis is that the Connector (I-185) simply does not serve major commuter flows within the 540k pop metro area. These flows are on a southeast-northwest axis Simpsonville, Mauldin, Greenville and along US276 and I-385. This is mostly to the north and east of the Connector.

The Connector including the toll-free portion of I-185 swings too far south, southwest and west to compete for major internal metro area traffic.

Located to serve development, not to relieve congestion

The pike was loccated to serve new industrial and residential development on the southern and southwest fringe of the area, development which has occurred, but more slowly than the tollroad promoters predicted. 

Higher paying truck traffic is tiny. 96% of vehicles are 2 axle.

Slower employment growth than predicted in the area has meant that for the most part the free roads have adequate capacity even for peaktime work trips. The exception is I-385 northbound through Mauldin in the mornings weekdays.

But trips on the Connector are too much longer in distance to be an attractive alternative for most motorists.

Although, the Greenville example is a road, there are some solid reasons for it failing and many of those reasons are present in the Tampa/Orlando HSR segment.  Add in the $60/round trip fare and things really become questionable.

[CS Foltz]

lake I agree!............Ms Faye no offense but I could care less about what some person from France or from California have to say about what should happen in Florida! I mean really kid............all the talk from Hades does not mean squat when it comes to true "HSR" in a showcase, cost effective  manner! Orlando is not the region that should be used as an example.......proposed route is through undeveloped area's but has no cross connection to the other proposed system so you have two systems that do not connect to each other and that makes no sense to me what so ever. As near as I can see, two systems with no connections between them equals zero usership or close enough to that it would be about the same! We need an HSR system and I don't mean LR or someother system that may travel 90 mph+ but true HSR traveling at 180+ with base legs of at least 300 to 800 miles in length where that speed and passenger carrying capability can be used to its fullest! Factor in cost effective and timely scheduling and you would have what I would call a "WINNER"!

[JeffreyS]

if I felt like the 17000 miles of HSR was a good bet to really be built I would be for any segment being built. Even one as disconnected as the Central Florida HSR. I lack that confidence and would rather the first step in our state be compressive Amtrak corridor service and track upgrades.

[CS Foltz]

JeffreyS..........I agree! That to me would be the most cost effective thing that could be done rather than two standalone systems in a region that may be connected at some point in the future. Actually there are two systems right now that are stand alone......Trirail and Sunrail both serve a local area but do not connect outside of their operating region. We need something that stretches across the state with possible connections outside and it needs to be fairly high speed as in 90+........that is not unreasonable nor would it cost 2.5 Billion! To me it is something that gives the most for the dollar with what is in place now