Cleveland Real Estate News » Ohio Hub

ODOT Commissioning Study for Phase Two of the 3C Corridor

Carole Cohen — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:53:37 +0000

We are supposed to be about two years away from Phase One being in operation (if the politicians don’t stop fighting, that could be longer of course). Phase Two would connect Detroit/Toledo/Cleveland. There is already service (not high speed but service) from Toledo to Chicago so this phase would help bring the Ohio Hub to Chicago. The study is being paid for with Federal monies (which means we are paying for it!) already allocated. It also includes a study of Cleveland to Pittsburgh.

You can read about it in The Toledo Blade (written by reporters Patch and Provance). You can read up on the latest developments in all sorts of rail efforts on the Ohio Rail Development Commission’s website. The site includes, in pdf form, the final report from May 2010. You can access different categories without having to download the whole report.

Regardless of how long it takes to get us going, I like the idea of getting a rail car and rail track company in operation here in Ohio. Good jobs, yes? Peace Out – 3C

Stay Tuned, Money Coming For 3C Corridor Passenger Rail Plan

Carole Cohen — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:33:00 +0000

Here is a Columbus Dispatch article on Federal monies going to various States including Ohio. We don’t know how much yet, but might by the end of the day. The article says we are getting $400 million……stay tuned to see how much it actually will be. Peace Out -3C

Update: Per the US Labor Secretary, we are in fact getting the 400 million dollar grant to get started on the Cleveland to Columbus to Cincy passenger rail system. ODOT says it will become the best rail service in America. The goal is to have these trains up and running by the end of 2012.

First up, thousands of jobs created to lay rails, upgrade and service trains, among other things.

The fare to get from Cleveland to Cincinnati could be $26 — not bad, agreed? We are actually going to have passenger rail! I’m giddy!

The Prez Supports High Speed Rail and Says ‘It’s Time Is Now’

Carole Cohen — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:42:12 +0000

Yes, it’s with our money but so what? I think it took me a full 24 hours to actually believe this happened. Here is the transcript from the White House website, outlining the Obama/Biden declaration that high speed rail is the way of the future for the United States.

Some quotes from Obama:

“ What we’re talking about is a vision for high-speed rail in America. Imagine boarding a train in the center of a city. No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes. (Laughter.) Imagine whisking through towns at speeds over 100 miles an hour, walking only a few steps to public transportation, and ending up just blocks from your destination. Imagine what a great project that would be to rebuild America”

This is another favorite of mine:

“There’s no reason why we can’t do this. This is America. There’s no reason why the future of travel should lie somewhere else beyond our borders. Building a new system of high-speed rail in America will be faster, cheaper and easier than building more freeways or adding to an already overburdened aviation system –- and everybody stands to benefit.

And that’s why today, with the help of Secretary LaHood and Vice President Biden, America’s number one rail fan, I’ve been told — (laughter) — I’m announcing my administration’s efforts to transform travel in America with an historic investment in high-speed rail. ”

The first step is of course to increase rail traffic on existing rail lines or even new ones at ‘normal’ speeds. But then we can move forward to high speed!

Remember the numbers from the Ohio Hub study? We could expect more than 15,000 jobs just from the direct work needed on rail issues and many many more jobs due to economic development/construction that springs up because of the rails. This is a great day….sunny, warm, with exciting economic possibilities for Ohio along the rails! Yeay! Peace out 3C

Ohio Rail and Transit Recommendations

Carole Cohen — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:00:04 +0000

The All Aboard Ohio site has a full listing, but as part of the task force, there was a good list made up regarding rail in Ohio. Here is the pdf task force report. (From Ohio Dept of Transp) I received this from the All Aboard Ohio executive director, Ken Prendergast, today:

See http://www.allaboardohio.org/cms/index.php for more information…

All Aboard Ohio supports state transportation task force recommendations

All Aboard Ohio, the only statewide citizens association whose mission is to
advocate for improved passenger rail and transit services, welcomes and
supports the recommendations of the Ohio 21st Century Transportation
Priorities Task Force. The task force recommended to Gov. Ted Strickland and
the Ohio General Assembly that they should develop a more multi-modal
transportation system that puts much greater emphasis on railroads and
public transportation than it has in the past.

All Aboard Ohio was a member of the task force through its Northeast Ohio
Director Kenneth Sislak. The task force brought together many diverse
interests, including those representing public transportation, freight
railroads, economic development, environmental issues, labor, biking,
aviation, waterways and, of course, highways.

“The recommendations issued today (Jan. 6) are the kinds of policies and
projects which we believe would create jobs in Ohio in a responsible,
sustainable way that respects the challenges of the 21st century,” said All
Aboard Ohioâ?Ts Interim Executive Director Ken Prendergast. “We are facing
very difficult economic, energy and environmental questions. Our fragile
economy and environment cannot afford to ignore these questions or respond
to them inadequately. Bold answers are needed and All Aboard Ohio believes
this report offers them.”

The full task force report can be downloaded here:
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/groups/tft/Pages/default.aspx

One of the most important sections of the report, All Aboard Ohio believes,
is in Recommendation M (see Page 54), which would “Establish a dedicated and
adequate source of funding for public transit, including buses, light rail,
streetcars, trolleys, intercity and intra-city passenger rail.”

The text in Recommendation M also refers to the previous section, for
Recommendation L, where it called for the state of Ohio to:

> Through a voter referendum that amends the state constitution â?” levy a
new special motor fuel tax using the revenue from that special tax to secure
bonds, and making both the proceeds of the bonds and the increased revenue
available to all transportation modes.

> Target a specific percentage of the proceeds of the bonds and the
increased revenue to support public transit, including both intercity and
intra-city passenger rail, including the planned Ohio Hub system (see
www.ohiohub.com).

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Please let your state senators and representatives in Columbus know how you
feel about this report and what they should do with its recommendations.

Call their offices or write a short letter in your own words that has this
basic message: “I support dedicated state funding for passenger trains and
public transit at dollar amounts recommended in the transportation task
forceâ?Ts report. That includes dedicating new gas taxes to the development
and operation of passenger trains and public transit.”

Thank you for any positive communications you can make with your state
legislators to support trains and transit!

One Last Reminder: Our 3C Corridor Stakeholders Meeting is tomorrow morning, 7:30 to 9:30 am at the Corner Alley on East Fourth. Plenty of time for you to come and here a group of informative speakers and enjoy a full breakfast as well. Details here. Peace Out – 3C

Rail Service Demand Exceeding Seat Supply: We Need Trains!

Carole Cohen — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:20:46 +0000

The public (meaning us) seems to still be ahead of the curve on how important passenger rail is to our future economy. Here is an article from yesterday’s Washington Post on passenger rail becoming more and more popular. Yes Congress is seeing a national passenger rail network in our future too but I can’t get past the fact that we see the value before they do. Maybe that is how it should be.

This quote from the article puts it into perspective:

The high cost of energy, coupled with congestion on highways and at airports, is drawing travelers back to trains not only for commuting but also for travel between cities as much as 500 miles apart.

Other states are moving ahead with plans to cover those five hundred mile or less routes – like our Ohio Hub Plan that will eventually connect us to states within a four hour car ride (radius) of Ohio.

One more quote from the Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in Congress: “I think we’re at a transformational point in intercity passenger rail service,” said Oberstar, D-Minn. Jim Carroll of the Erie Times News wrote about the tremendous popularity of the Erie Rail line – between his article and the Post article, everyone seems to be coming to the conclusion that not only high car fuel costs are in play here but also airport congestion, higher fees and cuts in air flight services. People are choosing trains over planes now. Good common sense, no? A quote that backs up the ‘radius’ of service idea:

Reguth said Erie’s station attracts people within a 100-mile radius. Students coming to the Erie region’s colleges and others leaving Erie for New York state colleges are a steady business, he said, and quite a few Amish people ride the train. But the number of trains and train seats have not kept pace with their popularity.

Erie is looking for more rail cars. Non-used auto plants could be put back in service to help with parts making for the rails. I can already see the advantage to hooking up a line from the Three C Corridor Plan (Ohio Hub) to Erie because from there you can go farther East.

Gets me back to the point that passenger rail service is the way to go for a stimulus package. You put people to work building new lines, they make money, they spend and stimulate the economy. And we get a rail service that helps unwind us from the bondage of auto fuel costs.

What do you think? Peace Out – 3C

Fiscal Year Results In – Amtrak Ridership Coming Up Roses In The Midwest

Carole Cohen — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:00:28 +0000

The months are flying by aren’t they? It’s already time for the next update on passenger rail and transit news for the Midwest/Ohio. The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission (MIPRC) did a study of Amtrak ridership in the Mid West. Some stats:

MIPRC had this to say:

Our report last year admitted that the picture was not completely rosy for the Midwest, as several routes had lost ridership. This year it’s all coming up roses - every route within or going through the Midwest gained riders in FY 08. Missouri is a special success – after two years of decreasing ridership, 30 percent more people took the Kansas City-St. Louis service than the previous year.

Ridership is up Nationally too. The National Rail Passenger Commission issued a press release and here are some stats from it:

28.7 people rode Amtrak in last 12 months (their fiscal year ends Sept. 30th, thus the yearly report)

that is an 11.1% increase in ridership.
total ticket revenue for Amtrak was 14.2% higher than the year before; in fact,
this is record ridership – the most since it all began in 1971.

The color emphasis is mine, but here is a quote from the Amtrak website/press release:

“After another record-breaking year, in which the railroad achieved double-digit growth, Amtrak has solidified its role as a leader in the nation’s transportation network and proven intercity passenger rail’s relevance in today’s world,” said Alex Kummant, President and CEO of Amtrak.

“With the recent passage of a reauthorization bill, which includes a significant state and federal capital matching grant program, we also look forward to expanding state partnerships to provide more rail service in growing corridors nationwide.”

Here is a chart in pdf form (only one page) of Amtrak ridership/revenues for the last fiscal year.

Since Ohio is working on the first leg of the Ohio Hub/3C Corridor, here is a Minneapolis – St. Paul Star Tribune editorial from mid October in support of MN signing on for high speed rail. The sticking point, especially in our volatile economy, is money for Minnesota, just as it is here. A Maryland based company did a feasibility study:

“….It concluded that a line with top speeds of 110 miles per hour and a direct link to Grand Casino in Hinckley would be financially self-sustaining after an initial ramp-up period.

That’s not enough to guarantee a federal grant, but it’s a crucial start. The higher hurdle to be cleared is at the State Capitol. Getting the Northern Lights Express rolling is expected to cost about $400 million. The state need not provide the entire 20 percent non-federal share; local and some private expenditures at stations would count toward the match. But the state’s share still could exceed $50 million….”

Somehow, spending money on rail projects sounds so much more economically rewarding than bailing out failed banks. Just sayin’. Peace Out – 3C

Great News! H.R. 2095 Passed the Senate last night 74-24.

Carole Cohen — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:14:50 +0000

This is the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act. It passed with a clear enough majority that it is vetoe proof and apparently (maybe because of that) President Bush has stated he will sign it. I’m going to list how the Senators voted on HR 2095 – note please that Senator McCain voted nay, Senator Biden did not vote, your Senator (and mine) George Voinovich voted no, and Senator Brown voted yes. I think Senator Obama voted yes. There is an asterisk after his name, but the ‘not voting’ list only contains two names so I’m assuming he is a solid ‘yes.’

The list:

Grouped By Vote Position
*YEAs —**74*
Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inouye (D-HI)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
*Obama (D-IL)*
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Stevens (R-AK)
Tester (D-MT)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wicker (R-MS)
Wyden (D-OR)

*NAYs —**24*
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Craig (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Martinez (R-FL)
*McCain (R-AZ)*
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)

*Not Voting – 2*
Biden (D-DE)
Kennedy (D-MA)

I watched the House vote on CSPAN (Wed) - h/t to Ed d’Amato for the list of how each Senator voted last night.

HR 2095 (which btw is the old SB294) can be browsed here on the Nat’l Assn of RR site. Peace Out – 3C

Ohio Hub/3C Corridor Moves Along With Grant To Start Work On The First Leg

Carole Cohen — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:28:40 +0000

The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) received a grant of $62,500 and they consider this a positive sign that The Feds consider The Ohio Hub a valid project for Ohio’s economy and future. The grant came from the Federal Railroad Aministration. The grant is for a feasibility study with AMTRAK to “start up two round trips per day between Cleveland and Columbus and possibly to Cincinnati (which together define the “3C” corridor”).”

It sounds like the goal of the study is to figure out a short term ’round trip’ service but make sure it fits into the long term plans and strategies for the general 3C Corridor, Ohio Hub.

Good stuff. From the ORDC press release:

The awarding of the FRA grant follows the request earlier this year by Governor Ted Strickland to Amtrak CEO Alex Kummant to begin a ridership and revenue study of possible start-up service in the 3-C Corridor. The corridor is the most densely-populated in Ohio with almost 60-percent of the state’s population, but has not seen passenger rail service since 1971. You can read about the 3C Corridor Plan here.

Peace Out – 3C

One More Reason To Pick Up The Phone And Call Sen. Voinovich

Carole Cohen — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:03:23 +0000

This passed the House yesterday, and yeah I know the Senate is busy with pressing Bailout issues; but some in the Senate could be multi-tasking (why not!) The Passenger Rail Act is needed so we can have monies available to assist in rail projects (yes like the Ohio Hub, but we do already have Amtrak service in our State). Here are the details from All Aboard Ohio:

“….We still need critical calls into Sen. Voinovich’s office to let him know
our support for the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008
and the Rail Safety Provisions passed by the House yesterday. If you have
not already voiced your support for this important piece of legislation, now
is the time.

The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 will allow for the
creation of a funding mechanism that provides states with 80% federal
assistance for rail projects. Currently, no such provisions are available
to states….”

Here is Sen. Voinovich’s number to call: 202-224-3353

And while yer at it, don’t forget to tell Senator Voinovich how he should vote on the Bailout. Peace Out – 3C

9/30/08 update: yesterday votes were taken to end the debate and approve the Bill. You can read what happened on this link (as well as check on how everyone voted) In Ohio, Senator Brown voted aye and Senator Voinovich voted nay.

Ohio Hub/Passenger Rail Updates

Carole Cohen — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:49:57 +0000

Here is a passenger rail update, and thanks to Stacy Fallon of The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Committee (MIPRC) for some of the links.

People in Warren and Youngstown weigh in on passenger rail and sound pretty enthusiastic about being able to schlep into Cleveland for Cavs and Indians games, among other things. At 110 mph, the proposed final speed for The Ohio Hub, that would be a much more manageable trip indeed. This article from Youngstown’s Vindy.com discusses efforts of Warren and Youngstown to fit into the Ohio Hub Plan.

You can listen to this via on line mp3 or read the transcripts. Stu Nicholson of the Ohio Rail Development Commission and Andrew Bremer of All Aboard Ohio were two of the prominent guests on this Ohio State University broadcast. You can check it out at WOSU here. We may be lacking in quantity of light rail and passenger rail here in NE Ohio, but in Columbus, people are even more wedded to their cars, out of necessity. This is one of the points brought up in this broadcast.

And that brings me to this awesome article by Ron Selak, Jr. in Trib Today on line. The comments are fantastic. As Mayor Jackson mentioned the other day, no one wants to spend money to spend money, or be ‘green’ just to be green. It’s a necessity of life, economic and otherwise, that we continue to pursue passenger rail for Ohio. Political and rail association efforts are looking to a Pittsburgh to Cleveland leg of the Ohio Hub which would, and not just in my opinion, boost the chances of companies locating here because it would be a breeze to travel from Pittsburgh to Cleveland with stops in between. Imagine the economic growth. Imagine the jobs created just to build the infrastructure alone. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is something we need to do pronto. Here is an excerpt from the Trib article:

“….Five or six stops would be included in the rail service between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, including the Warren/Youngstown area. The trains would travel between 70 and 110 mph and be able to carry about 300 passengers in the estimated four passenger cars, said Don Damron, passenger rail planning manager with the rail development commission….”

Last I have legislative news, again courtesy of MIPRC, just to keep everyone abreast of what’s happening on the Federal level:

In late July, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced The Train CARS (Creating American Rolling Stock) Act of 2008. The MIPRC has signed on as a supporter of the bill.

During its June visits with Members of Congress, the MIPRC highlighted the urgent need for increased federal funding for passenger rail train overhauling and the purchase of new equipment (see MIPRC press release). As ridership has exploded across the country, Amtrak is having trouble keeping up with demand because of the lack of passenger rail train cars and equipment.

A press release outlining the legislation described the following steps that would be taken to help alleviate the shortage:

Grants and Tax-Credit Bonds for Domestically-Manufactured Train Cars: Creates a new matching grant program at the Department of Transportation for Amtrak and states to rehabilitate existing equipment and purchase new, American-made equipment. Also authorizes Amtrak to issue up to $2.8 billion in qualified bonds over four years to finance train car projects. To encourage bond purchases, owners would receive a credit against current year taxes.
Buy American Requirements and Labor Protections: Ensure that any funding or tax credits provided in the bill are used for domestically produced train cars and that workers in the manufacturing and rehabilitation of train cars are paid a prevailing wage and protected under federal railroad labor laws.
Capacity Improvement Charge Matching Program: Allow states to receive a dollar-for-dollar match on any equipment fee they impose for the purchase of new domestically produced train cars.
Next Generation Equipment Pool: Mandate that Amtrak establishes a committee, along with Federal Railroad Administration and interested states, to design and develop specifications for a procurement standard for the next generation of passenger rail equipment. The committee is instructed to examine the benefits of having a public or private corporation separate from Amtrak purchase new equipment and lease that equipment to the states and Amtrak for service.
Intercity Passenger Rail Rolling Stock Trust Fund: Create a new trust fund to give Amtrak and the states a secure and reliable source of capital funding to replace the nation’s train cars. The legislation would transfer one-quarter cent of the per-gallon motor fuels tax into the new Rolling Stock Trust Fund for three years, generating approximately $400 million per year.
National Passenger Rail Electrification System Study: Directs the GAO to conduct a study of the costs, benefits and economic impacts of providing intercity passenger rail along a national electrification system. Electrifying the passenger rail system would provide a non-oil transportation alternative that could transport passengers along high speed corridors without ever using a drop of oil.
Job Transition Services for Workers: Requires the Department of Labor to identify existing programs and recommend changes to help transition workers leaving the aviation and automobile industries transition into rail car manufacturing, rehabilitation and maintenance.

Amtrak Reauthorization:
Before Members of Congress began their summer recess, the House appointed members to the conference committee on S. 294, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007. Conferees from the Midwest include Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN); Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL); Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA); and Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) – all members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. On the Senate side, conferees were not named before the break, following an objection by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) to naming members to the committee.

Peace Out – 3C