By Gordon Dickson - Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Friday, May 15, 2009
FORT WORTH, Texas — Two of the nation's largest railroads are seeking $70 million in federal stimulus money to lay tracks at the notoriously congested Tower 55 rail intersection near downtown Fort Worth.
Construction of a third north-south rail line at Tower 55 would reduce diesel emissions, speed traffic flow on area roads and improve safety at railroad crossings.
Officials from Fort Worth-based BNSF and Union Pacific, based in Omaha, Neb., say that although the new track would remain private property, the project enjoys wide support from public officials.
The request for funding will likely be made within weeks by the Texas Department of Transportation or another public agency on behalf of the railroads. The project will compete with other nationally strategic rail, port and road projects for $1.5 billion in discretionary funding to be disbursed by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
"We won’t have trains sitting and people sitting and waiting for trains to get out of the way," said Nate Asplund, BNSF director of public private partnerships. "It will be a reduction in at-grade crossing delays and a definite improvement in air quality."
If the bid for federal funding is successful, it would be a rare sign of progress on Tower 55, which has been under study by regional planners for more than five years.
The intersection, which features two rail lines running east-west and two running north-south, is one of the most congested in the U.S. About 112 trains pass through the intersection each day, and trains are often queued up on side tracks across Tarrant County, their diesel engines idling, while waiting their turn to go through.
The long-term plan is to dig a trench and move one set of Tower 55 railroad tracks below the other — but no funding sources have been identified for that $700 million-plus project.
Read more in Fort Star-Telegram
Showing posts with label Fort Worth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fort Worth. Show all posts
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Friday, November 23, 2007
Easing Fort Worth's Rail Jam
By 5hd NBC5i.com, November 14, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Tower 55, the busiest at-grade railroad intersection in the United States, is the subject of an environmental assessment that could find ways to improve air quality, safety, and movement at the congested spot.
Named for a two-story wooden railroad building on the edge of downtown Fort Worth, the Tower 55 intersection is typically backed up with idling locomotives that sit there emitting clouds of diesel exhaust into the air.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments, NCTCOG, hosted two public meetings at the Fort Worth Central Library Tuesday to discuss issues surrounding Tower 55 and the plans for an estimated $300 million improvement of the rail intersection.
More than 100 freight trains and 70 passenger trains pass through and adjacent to Tower 55, and wait time for trains to use the crossing averages 90 minutes.
Several different rail lines converge at Tower 55, including the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Union Pacific Railroad, Fort Worth & Western Railroad, Amtrak, and the Trinity Railway Express.
In addition to creating air pollution, the rail jam impedes the distribution of goods and blocks the possibility of expanding commuter rail service in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
NCTCOG staff introduced eight improvement alternatives under consideration at the public meetings. They include a third north-south track at grade, a north-south track in a trench, an east-west fly-over elevated track, and a bypass for the Forth Worth and Western Railroad.
Even as locomotives pile up at Tower 55, NCTCOG planners are watching the demand for rail access to the intersection steadily increase.
If the rate of traffic at Tower 55 continues to grow, by 2010 all trains needing access in an average 24 hour period will not be able to pass through, the public meetings were told.
This growth is caused by the continuous increase in regional economic activity, changes to the national freight rail network, and international trade, which indicates demand for access to the Tower 55 interchange is likely to grow in the near future.
According to the Texas State Rail Plan, rail is the primary mode of moving goods in the region, and to and from the west coast. These goods must pass through Tower 55 before moving throughout the region, the nation, or internationally.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments says that if a remedy is not found for the problems at Tower 55, companies in freight oriented developments throughout the region will be faced with two options - stay in the region and deal with the congestion issues and unreliability of shipments or move out of the region to a more reliable, less congested location.
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2007. All rights reserved
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Tower 55, the busiest at-grade railroad intersection in the United States, is the subject of an environmental assessment that could find ways to improve air quality, safety, and movement at the congested spot.
Named for a two-story wooden railroad building on the edge of downtown Fort Worth, the Tower 55 intersection is typically backed up with idling locomotives that sit there emitting clouds of diesel exhaust into the air.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments, NCTCOG, hosted two public meetings at the Fort Worth Central Library Tuesday to discuss issues surrounding Tower 55 and the plans for an estimated $300 million improvement of the rail intersection.
More than 100 freight trains and 70 passenger trains pass through and adjacent to Tower 55, and wait time for trains to use the crossing averages 90 minutes.
Several different rail lines converge at Tower 55, including the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Union Pacific Railroad, Fort Worth & Western Railroad, Amtrak, and the Trinity Railway Express.
In addition to creating air pollution, the rail jam impedes the distribution of goods and blocks the possibility of expanding commuter rail service in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
NCTCOG staff introduced eight improvement alternatives under consideration at the public meetings. They include a third north-south track at grade, a north-south track in a trench, an east-west fly-over elevated track, and a bypass for the Forth Worth and Western Railroad.
Even as locomotives pile up at Tower 55, NCTCOG planners are watching the demand for rail access to the intersection steadily increase.
If the rate of traffic at Tower 55 continues to grow, by 2010 all trains needing access in an average 24 hour period will not be able to pass through, the public meetings were told.
This growth is caused by the continuous increase in regional economic activity, changes to the national freight rail network, and international trade, which indicates demand for access to the Tower 55 interchange is likely to grow in the near future.
According to the Texas State Rail Plan, rail is the primary mode of moving goods in the region, and to and from the west coast. These goods must pass through Tower 55 before moving throughout the region, the nation, or internationally.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments says that if a remedy is not found for the problems at Tower 55, companies in freight oriented developments throughout the region will be faced with two options - stay in the region and deal with the congestion issues and unreliability of shipments or move out of the region to a more reliable, less congested location.
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2007. All rights reserved
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Local transit officials optimistic they can win federal funds, put project on fast track
By GORDON DICKSON - Star-Telegram Staff Writer -
Officials with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority are counting on Washington to pay nearly half the proposed $390 million needed to extend a commuter rail line from southwest Fort Worth to Northeast Tarrant County.
But securing federal money for such projects is so arduous, some transit agencies don't even bother applying for it.
Congress sets aside an average of about $1.7 billion a year for so-called new starts, an industry term for new rail or bus services - and 100 urban areas are competing for grants.
The Federal Transit Administration requires applicants to submit thousands of pages of documentation proving their project is justified. Many applicants are initially denied but are encouraged to make changes to their projects and resubmit the paperwork. By the time they are approved, projects are often years behind schedule.
"We're very appreciative of the funding but, boy, it takes a heck of an effort to get that money," said Stephen Salin, assistant vice president of capital planning for Dallas Area Rapid Transit. It took DART eight years to secure $700 million in federal funds for its light-rail line from Pleasant Grove to Farmers Branch, he said.
The T's project would connect southwest and downtown Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, the Stockyards, Grapevine and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Some say getting the train up and running by 2012, the informal target date, will take a near-miracle.
"My belief is we will not be denied," said Dick Ruddell, president of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. "We have a good enough project because of the location and ridership projections. This is going to be viewed as very doable."
The ever-optimistic Ruddell says the T's proposal has several advantages that may speed up the funding.
nThe T wants about $175 million, far less than requests typically made by larger agencies such as DART. Local sources would provide an additional $215 million, including money already spent on two federal documents: an analysis of alternatives that was completed last year, and an ongoing environmental review.
The broad community support, as evidenced by Grapevine's successful 2006 sales tax referendum.
Trains would run on existing tracks owned by four railroad companies,
so few rights of way would need to be bought.
Denton gives up
Yet T officials need look no farther than one county to the north to
find an example of how similar projects have found federal funding
frustration.
In March, the Denton County Transportation Authority dropped its pursuit of federal funding for a commuter line from Denton to Carrollton. Denton County transit officials say they could eventually have proved that their proposed rail line, roughly parallel to Interstate 35E, was cost-effective. But it would probably have added years to the planning, and they didn't want to miss their self-imposed 2010 deadline to connect their trains with DART rail service in
Carrollton.
So the transit agency found other financial sources, including proceeds from the new Texas 121 toll road through Lewisville.
The project is still on schedule.
"We've been able to get down to the business of building a railroad rather than shuffle papers," said John Hedrick, president of the Denton County agency.
Transit officials in Raleigh, N.C., recently abandoned 11 years of planning for a Triangle Transit rail line connecting sprawling population and employment areas.
Why so complicated?
Many rail lines simply don't meet the Federal Transit Administration's definition of a cost-effective project.
The agency places a dollar value on the time commuters waste sitting in traffic jams in the proposal area. To come up with the value of adding rail or buses, the agency uses a complicated model that includes factors such as the cost of a project, the number of riders expected in a peak year (usually 2025 or 2030), and congestion data from buses and highways in the same area.
Even in cities the size of Dallas, proving a project's worthiness can be tough. DART's $700 million light-rail line, approved last year, didn't exactly pass with flying colors. It managed a slightly better than mediocre score, even though it is expected to have a whopping 40,300 riders a day by 2025.
The bureaucratic hurdles are necessary to ensure that rail projects are selected based upon scientific data rather than politics, federal officials say.
What if the T fails?
If the proposed Tarrant County rail line can't meet the federal agency's criteria, the T won't give up, Ruddell said. Instead, it will work closely with the agency to cut costs, find more ways to try to increase ridership and make any other changes. The worst case would be a delay of several years, he said.
Ruddell also said the rail line could be built in phases with local funds. Perhaps, he said, the first phase could serve central Fort Worth and Grapevine.
But he says he knows a cost-effective rail project when he sees it - and this one is it. Through most of the '90s, he was government affairs chairman for the American Public Transportation Association and helped draft legislation to grade rail projects.
"The federal government has clearly made it difficult to gain access to this money," Ruddell said.
"But we have incredible support from every part of the community. I've got local funding lined up. There's nothing to hold us back, except the process itself."
This week, the Star-Telegram is focusing on neighborhoods that might get a train station along the proposed commuter rail line from southwest Fort Worth to Northeast Tarrant County. Each day this week, part of the route will be featured on the Main Street page inside the newspaper's local section - starting Monday with a glance at the commuter rail plan near Sycamore School Road.
Train technology
The Fort Worth Transportation Authority wants to use a new breed of rail cars known as diesel multiple units. They are self-propelled, so they have no locomotive. They burn diesel fuel and offer riders the interior comfort of light-rail service.
When will it begin?
The rail line could open by 2012 if the ongoing environmental review goes smoothly and the federal government agrees to chip in $175 million in funding. An additional $215 million in local funds has been identified. Agreements must also be reached with up to four railroads whose tracks would be needed for passenger service.
The schedule
The roughly 40-mile line would serve 13 or 14 stations, depending on which of three routes is chosen. During morning and afternoon rush periods, about three trains per hour would operate on the line. The rest of the day, about one train per hour would operate. Some stations would be neighborhood-oriented, and others would be regional
park-and-ride lots. Each would have a platform, windscreens, canopies, walkways, wheelchair accessibility, ticketing, and bus and car drop-off areas.
Paying for the project
How the T proposes to pay for the $390 million Southwest-to-Northeast Rail Corridor:
$70 million, local sales tax - $30 million from the T, and $40 million from Grapevine.
$60 million Texas Mobility Fund, state appropriation.
$20 million, Tarrant County bonds, part of voter-approved transportation package..
$55 million, North Central Texas Council of Governments - Partnership II congestion mitigation and other funds.
$10 million, other local funding.
$175 million, Federal Transit Administration grant.
Source: Fort Worth Transportation Authority
Read more in the Fort Worth Star Telegram
Officials with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority are counting on Washington to pay nearly half the proposed $390 million needed to extend a commuter rail line from southwest Fort Worth to Northeast Tarrant County.
But securing federal money for such projects is so arduous, some transit agencies don't even bother applying for it.
Congress sets aside an average of about $1.7 billion a year for so-called new starts, an industry term for new rail or bus services - and 100 urban areas are competing for grants.
The Federal Transit Administration requires applicants to submit thousands of pages of documentation proving their project is justified. Many applicants are initially denied but are encouraged to make changes to their projects and resubmit the paperwork. By the time they are approved, projects are often years behind schedule.
"We're very appreciative of the funding but, boy, it takes a heck of an effort to get that money," said Stephen Salin, assistant vice president of capital planning for Dallas Area Rapid Transit. It took DART eight years to secure $700 million in federal funds for its light-rail line from Pleasant Grove to Farmers Branch, he said.
The T's project would connect southwest and downtown Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, the Stockyards, Grapevine and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Some say getting the train up and running by 2012, the informal target date, will take a near-miracle.
"My belief is we will not be denied," said Dick Ruddell, president of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. "We have a good enough project because of the location and ridership projections. This is going to be viewed as very doable."
The ever-optimistic Ruddell says the T's proposal has several advantages that may speed up the funding.
nThe T wants about $175 million, far less than requests typically made by larger agencies such as DART. Local sources would provide an additional $215 million, including money already spent on two federal documents: an analysis of alternatives that was completed last year, and an ongoing environmental review.
The broad community support, as evidenced by Grapevine's successful 2006 sales tax referendum.
Trains would run on existing tracks owned by four railroad companies,
so few rights of way would need to be bought.
Denton gives up
Yet T officials need look no farther than one county to the north to
find an example of how similar projects have found federal funding
frustration.
In March, the Denton County Transportation Authority dropped its pursuit of federal funding for a commuter line from Denton to Carrollton. Denton County transit officials say they could eventually have proved that their proposed rail line, roughly parallel to Interstate 35E, was cost-effective. But it would probably have added years to the planning, and they didn't want to miss their self-imposed 2010 deadline to connect their trains with DART rail service in
Carrollton.
So the transit agency found other financial sources, including proceeds from the new Texas 121 toll road through Lewisville.
The project is still on schedule.
"We've been able to get down to the business of building a railroad rather than shuffle papers," said John Hedrick, president of the Denton County agency.
Transit officials in Raleigh, N.C., recently abandoned 11 years of planning for a Triangle Transit rail line connecting sprawling population and employment areas.
Why so complicated?
Many rail lines simply don't meet the Federal Transit Administration's definition of a cost-effective project.
The agency places a dollar value on the time commuters waste sitting in traffic jams in the proposal area. To come up with the value of adding rail or buses, the agency uses a complicated model that includes factors such as the cost of a project, the number of riders expected in a peak year (usually 2025 or 2030), and congestion data from buses and highways in the same area.
Even in cities the size of Dallas, proving a project's worthiness can be tough. DART's $700 million light-rail line, approved last year, didn't exactly pass with flying colors. It managed a slightly better than mediocre score, even though it is expected to have a whopping 40,300 riders a day by 2025.
The bureaucratic hurdles are necessary to ensure that rail projects are selected based upon scientific data rather than politics, federal officials say.
What if the T fails?
If the proposed Tarrant County rail line can't meet the federal agency's criteria, the T won't give up, Ruddell said. Instead, it will work closely with the agency to cut costs, find more ways to try to increase ridership and make any other changes. The worst case would be a delay of several years, he said.
Ruddell also said the rail line could be built in phases with local funds. Perhaps, he said, the first phase could serve central Fort Worth and Grapevine.
But he says he knows a cost-effective rail project when he sees it - and this one is it. Through most of the '90s, he was government affairs chairman for the American Public Transportation Association and helped draft legislation to grade rail projects.
"The federal government has clearly made it difficult to gain access to this money," Ruddell said.
"But we have incredible support from every part of the community. I've got local funding lined up. There's nothing to hold us back, except the process itself."
This week, the Star-Telegram is focusing on neighborhoods that might get a train station along the proposed commuter rail line from southwest Fort Worth to Northeast Tarrant County. Each day this week, part of the route will be featured on the Main Street page inside the newspaper's local section - starting Monday with a glance at the commuter rail plan near Sycamore School Road.
Train technology
The Fort Worth Transportation Authority wants to use a new breed of rail cars known as diesel multiple units. They are self-propelled, so they have no locomotive. They burn diesel fuel and offer riders the interior comfort of light-rail service.
When will it begin?
The rail line could open by 2012 if the ongoing environmental review goes smoothly and the federal government agrees to chip in $175 million in funding. An additional $215 million in local funds has been identified. Agreements must also be reached with up to four railroads whose tracks would be needed for passenger service.
The schedule
The roughly 40-mile line would serve 13 or 14 stations, depending on which of three routes is chosen. During morning and afternoon rush periods, about three trains per hour would operate on the line. The rest of the day, about one train per hour would operate. Some stations would be neighborhood-oriented, and others would be regional
park-and-ride lots. Each would have a platform, windscreens, canopies, walkways, wheelchair accessibility, ticketing, and bus and car drop-off areas.
Paying for the project
How the T proposes to pay for the $390 million Southwest-to-Northeast Rail Corridor:
$70 million, local sales tax - $30 million from the T, and $40 million from Grapevine.
$60 million Texas Mobility Fund, state appropriation.
$20 million, Tarrant County bonds, part of voter-approved transportation package..
$55 million, North Central Texas Council of Governments - Partnership II congestion mitigation and other funds.
$10 million, other local funding.
$175 million, Federal Transit Administration grant.
Source: Fort Worth Transportation Authority
Read more in the Fort Worth Star Telegram
Sunday, May 27, 2007
MEETINGS about Transportation and Rail - DFW REGION NCTCOG
Public Meetings of RTC on changes to the TIP (Transportation Improvement Plan) :
Public Meeting - to inform and take comments from the public:
June 6, 2007, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Meeting Location: Burleson City Hall, 141 West Renfro, Burleson, TX 76028
Public Meeting: - to inform and take comments from the public:
June 7, 2007, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Meeting Location: NCTCOG Offices, Arlington, TX Transportation Council Room
Public Meeting - to inform and take comments from the public:
June 7, 2007, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Meeting Location: Christopher A. Parr Library, 6200 Windhaven Parkway, Plano, TX 75093
NCTCOG's RTC deliberates regarding changes to the TIP!
The public is encouraged to sit in and listen to the proceedings at the next RTC meeting.
PLACE: NCTCOG Regional Transportation Council Room, Arlington
DATE: June 14, 2007, 1:30 - 4:00 PM
Water Resources Council:
DATE: June 14, 2007, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Meeting Location: NCTCOG Offices Arlington, William J. Pitstick Executive Board Room
Tower 55 Technical Advisory Group Meeting:
DATE: June 15, 2007, 1:30 - 3:00 PM
Meeting Location: NCTCOG Offices Regional Forum Room, Arlington
Outer Loop/Rail Bypass Meeting:
DATE: June 15, 2007,1:30 - 3:30 PM
Meeting Location: NCTCOG Offices - Arlington, Pecan Conference Room
Outer Loop/Rail Bypass:
DATE: June 20, 2007, 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Meeting Location: NCTCOG Offices - Arlington, Pecan Conference Room
NCTCOG Executive Board Meeting: June 28, 2007, 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Meeting Location: NCTCOG Offices - Arlington, William J. Pitstick Executive Board Room
The NCTCOG Offices are located at 616 Six Flags Drive, Arlington, TX 76005
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