High-Speed Train Board Approves Cooperative Agreement With Southern California Cities (Source: Reuters)

Link: High-Speed Train Board Approves Cooperative Agreement With Southern California Cities | Reuters

High-Speed Train Board Approves Cooperative Agreement With Southern California Cities
Thu Nov 5, 2009 8:50pm EST

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
The California High-Speed Rail Authority approved a memorandum of understanding
Thursday with Southern California communities for close cooperation in the
development of the state's 200+ mph train.

The agreement approved Thursday is the latest in a series of memoranda of
understanding with local government agencies around the state - this one with
the Gateway Cities Council of Governments representing cities along the Los
Angeles-Anaheim section - providing for cooperation and collaboration in
development of the high-speed train through their region.

"We can`t build this important project alone - we need partners. This agreement
and others we entered into like it are designed to establish a positive and
clear working relationship between the Authority and our regional partners,"
said Board Chairman Curt Pringle.

In other action, the Board set a January 15, 2010 deadline for "requests for
expressions of interest" from local governments, public transportation agencies,
private companies and others who want to participate in the planning,
development and operation of maintenance facilities on the 800-mile network
linking the state's major cities.

Maintenance centers will be required throughout the state, but a number of
facilities - particularly a heavy maintenance depot - are expected to be
situated in the Central Valley because of its central location at the heart of
the system.

California High-Speed Rail Authority
Kris Deutschman, 916-444-8801



Copyright Business Wire 2009

Map: How to Connect to the New Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension (Source: LAist)

Map: How to Connect to the New Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension - LAist

Map: How to Connect to the New Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension

The Gold Line's Eastside Extension is opening on November 15th, but how does one get to the light rail line? Other than the big connections at Union Station (Red Line, etc), what other bus lines connect to it?

According to a new map by Metro, some 35 bus lines will connect to the extension's eight stations. Two of them are DASH buses, seven are from Montebello's bus system and the rest are Metro-run buses. You can download a larger version of the map here (.pdf)

L.A. Light Rail? Or Keep Your Car? Source: LA news)

Los Angeles News - L.A. Light Rail? Or Keep Your Car? - page 1

L.A. Light Rail? Or Keep Your Car? A great overview! (Pedestrian view of LA)
Villaraigosa's rush aside, the sales-tax increase won't pay off for decades
By Dennis Romero
Published on November 04, 2009 at 6:34pm

When Antonio Villaraigosa campaigned for last year’s Hail Mary transportation law, Measure R, which boosted Los Angeles County sales tax to 8.75 percent, the highest tier in the state, he billed it as a traffic-gridlock fix for a region some say will see a stampede of 3 million new residents in the next 30 years.

“It would fortify our network of rapid bus lines and allow for more service in the underserved corners of South L.A., the Valley and East L.A.,” the mayor in September 2008 told the Los Angeles Business Council. “Measure R would fundamentally reshape Los Angeles — and Southern California.”

When the measure, which needed a two-thirds majority of voters, passed a year ago, it meant a windfall for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which had been facing a severely diminished bank account.

But when the MTA several days ago approved its eye-popping $298 billion, 30-year Long Range Transportation Plan, with Measure R’s $40 billion sales-tax injection as its engine, it was an unpleasant surprise for many. Critics say the day-to-day needs in densely packed Los Angeles County were swept under the bus in favor of vanity projects that include not one, but two trains to Santa Monica. The mayor trumpeted the unanimous approval of the Westside-tilted plan by MTA board members — made up of 13 politicians and one gubernatorial appointee — saying it “represents our shared vision.”

To some, it reflects Villaraigosa’s ego and desire for a monument — the “subway to the sea” — to himself. “That’s the project people most want in West Los Angeles,” he told the Los Angeles Times one year ago.

But not everyone, and possibly, not most people in the city and county.

“The $300 billion, 30-year Long Range Transportation Plan outlines rail and subway projects that aren’t necessarily being motivated by actual transit needs,” says Esperanza Martinez, lead organizer of the Los Angeles Bus Riders Union.

The majority of L.A. County’s transit users take bus lines, which are far cheaper to expand and — unlike totally inflexible rail lines — are extremely easy to reroute when populations and jobs shift. Existing rail in L.A. is already being heavily subsidized, and despite all the hype, existing lines are underutilized. “It’s politics that come behind building these new, shiny projects,” Martinez says. “Bus riders are completely left out of the equation.”

The MTA, through spokesman Rick Jager, denies its plan favors low-ridership rail and subways over far more popular but less-sexy-to-politicians buses: “There is no bus-rail debate in our plan,” Jager says. “We need them all. We are absolutely aware we have to have a vital bus system. There’s a huge investment in both.”

The plan is essentially a vision statement by the current politicians on the MTA board; it’s also an official hope that the unknown politicians who control the MTA board five and 10 years from now will raise $298 billion by 2040, and will spend that money to fund the current board’s vision.

Major political fights broke out last year when MTA leaders and Villaraigosa refused to explain that vision fully to voters. Now it’s getting clear: a new bus lane on Wilshire Boulevard; the Eastside light rail project, the Exposition light rail to Culver City; the Exposition light rail to Santa Monica; the “Crenshaw Corridor” light-rail project; a two-mile subway linking the Blue and Gold lines downtown; and, of course, a subway from Koreatown to Westwood, and maybe, eventually, to the coast. MTA says more than one-third of the money will fund highway improvements such as carpool lanes on the 405 through Sepulveda Pass.

Some Westside-rail boosters point out that the subway to the beach — slammed by many who live and work nowhere near L.A.’s Westside — gave the countywide sales-tax boost its narrow victory. Dennis Zane, former mayor of Santa Monica and executive director of Move L.A., says, “Without that project we would never have won two-thirds of the vote. It was a decisive factor for many voters.”

MTA chief planning officer Carol Inge adds, “What we heard from the public was, ‘We want more rail lines and carpool lanes.’ ”

Still, the Long Range Plan’s emphasis on a Westside subway that does not actually go near the sea and a Westside light rail that may not ever reach Santa Monica was so pronounced that members of Congress, Sacramento legislators, and the Bus Riders Union pressured the MTA’s board to agree to protect non-Westside projects.

A rare bipartisan delegation of Southern California congressional representatives urged “a more inclusive, regional and long-term strategy” than the Villaraigosa-favored blueprint. Several state senate and assembly members argued in a separate letter that with the new sales-tax bite affecting all county taxpayers for the next 30 years, not just Westsiders and L.A. urbanites, the plan “must be geographically representative of the entire region.”

L.A. Light Rail? Or Keep Your Car?

Continued from page 1

Published on November 04, 2009 at 6:34pm

The Bus Riders Union loudly demanded that MTA’s
board officially lock in 20 percent of Measure R money for bus lines,
and MTA board member Mark Ridley-Thomas backed that idea several days
ago, while also seeking to give the Crenshaw/LAX corridor rail and the
Gold Line Foothill extension subway the same weight as the mayor’s
Westside routes.

Ridley-Thomas was joined by fellow Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich,
who is also on the MTA board. Ultimately the entire body — even
Villaraigosa — backed the “Kumbaya” idea of spreading the countywide
sales tax more equitably.

But some question Villaraigosa’s sincerity in supporting anything that could get in the way of his beloved subway.

“We believe the mayor is motivated by his dream to leave the legacy
of the subway to the sea,” bus advocate Martinez says. “There are
issues here of inequity and making sure the South and East side get
their fare share from Measure R. We had major concerns that the agency
would raid bus funds to build their rail and subway projects.”

Now it’s the public’s chance to jump in, since they’re paying for
the transit system. Hearings are set for later in November to wrangle
over the selection of subway-stop locations along Wilshire Boulevard in
Beverly Hills
— a potentially ugly controversy given the extreme disruption and
dramatic commercialization subway stops brought to Mid-Wilshire, Hollywood and other areas.

The mayor is so keen to get his subway built on the Westside — where
he finds much of his political support and campaign contributions —
that he is pushing to accelerate what would normally be a 30-year-dream
into a 10-year project. He wants those subway cars running before he
retires — highly unlikely, if the history of subway construction in
L.A. is any guide.

First, the Westside subway, like everything in the long-term plan,
requires significant funds from the federal government. Second, no
subway line in L.A. has ever remotely made it on-budget or on-deadline.

Villaraigosa peddled Measure R as something of a transportation
panacea. But, in fact, the increased tax only generates $40 billion of
the $298 billion needed for the grand scheme backed by MTA’s board. As
it turns out, Measure R is just seed money — another thing few county
voters realized. Says Zane, “Measure R is the breakthrough. It’s not
the end.”

Zane says Villaraigosa got L.A.’s rail-oriented future off the ground, helping to convince U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman
to persuade Congress to back off its ban on federal funding for L.A.
subways. Villaraigosa clearly shaped the Long Range Plan — for better
or worse.

“Frankly,” Zane says, “we have to give Mayor Villaraigosa credit for all of this.”

Will Dianne Feinstein Vote for High Speed Rail? (Source: California High Speed Rail Blog)

California High Speed Rail Blog: Will Dianne Feinstein Vote for High Speed Rail?

Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Will Dianne Feinstein Vote for High Speed Rail?

Today's San Jose Mercury News includes a fantastic op-ed by State Senator Dean Florez (Fresno) and Erin Steva of CALPIRG, calling on US Senator Dianne Feinstein to support the $4 billion for high speed rail currently pending in the Senate:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein has established herself as a high-speed rail champion. She has another great opportunity to stand up for high-speed rail, since she serves on the House-Senate conference committee that will finalize the bill. Its eventual choice will send an important signal to the country about Congress' commitment to high-speed rail as an innovative solution to our nation's transportation challenges.


Sen. Florez and Steva lay out the case for federal HSR spending:

A $4 billion federal investment would buy new, high-performance locomotives and passenger cars built in the U.S., better signals, track and grade-crossing upgrades and removal of rail bottlenecks — all resulting in faster and more convenient travel. In California, it will create hundreds of thousands of quality jobs in fields that have experienced losses over the last decade, including the technology, construction and engineering sectors....

Americans are turning to passenger rail in record numbers. Rail travel ridership increased each of the last six years, while vehicle miles traveled for cars and trucks has fallen over the last two years for the first time since the oil crisis of the 1970s.


It's a strong argument for HSR spending, especially since putting $4 billion in this year's bill will set a precedent to maintain that level of funding in future budget cycles. Whereas a $1.2 billion amount, as the Senate seems to prefer, would make it more difficult to expand HSR funding, especially in future years when there is likely to be increased pressure to slash federal spending.

It's not the usual way of operating for Democrats, but they would be wise to push as many good things through now, and set a precedent that will be more difficult to undo should they lose control of Congress or the White House in the next decade. Let's hope Senator Feinstein comes through with $4 billion for HSR.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas: The Future of Transportation in Los Angeles

Link: Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas: The Future of Transportation in Los Angeles | The Labor Community Strategy Center

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas: The Future of Transportation in Los Angeles

Air Date:
10/28/2009
Segment Host:
Damon Azali-Rojas

Last week, South LA Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas was instrumental in passing LA Metro's Long Range Transportation Plan, a 30-year, $270 billion blueprint for transportation for all of LA County. While many questions still remain about the environmental and civil rights impact of the plan, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas will discuss his success in protecting funds for expansion of the bus system and what he calls "the biggest public infrastructure project in a generation" in historically under-served South LA.

2009-10-27 Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas host damon final cut

Download this audio file

With AnsaldoBreda’s Exclusive Contract Expired, What Is Next? (Source: Streetsblog Los Angeles)

Streetsblog Los Angeles » With AnsaldoBreda’s Exclusive Contract Expired, What Is Next?

2 Articles on this issue

With AnsaldoBreda’s Exclusive Contract Expired, What Is Next?

by Damien Newton on November 3, 2009

A diagram of the rail car plant repeatedly promised by Ansaldo Breda. To see the full image go here.

Because the news broke on a weekend, the press reports on the dissolution of the talks between Metro and AnsaldoBreda on extending the exclusive contract to build rail cars for the agency were less-than-complete. Before the news of the verdict in the Christopher Thompson case broke, I was working on a F.A.Q. that would answer all of the questions that are being asked about AnsaldoBreda, the future rail car contract, and what's next for Metro and AnsaldoBreda. The full F.A.Q. is available after the jump. If you have any questions not answered, leave them in the comments section and I'll do my best to answer them by the end of the day.

What happened? I thought the Board and AnsaldoBreda agreed to a contract extension at the September Board Meeting?

While the Board had agreed to extend its exclusive contract with AnsaldoBreda for the construction of light rail cars, that extension came with some pretty hefty conditions. The most contentious of those was the requirement that AnsaldoBreda deposit hundreds of millions of dollars into a bank account that Metro could draw against everyday that the Italian Rail Car Company was late delivering vehicles. At the last moment, AnsaldoBreda requested that there be hard limits on how Metro could draw against the account. Metro didn't agree.

What happens to Metro's rail car contracts now?

Metro will need to open the bidding process for any rail car company to make a run at getting the contract for constructing the "Measure R Cars." We expect the contract competition to be announced at the next Metro Board Meeting. Back in March staff "warned" that it would take six months for the bidding process to come to its conclusion, so we can expect a contract to be signed early in the summer of 2010. If Metro had cut bait with AnsaldoBreda in March, we would have known for months who was going to be building our rail cars for the future by now.

Will this effect the Measure R Time Lines?

Maybe, but we don't know how.

On one hand, the ten month delay in putting the contract out to bid is a disaster. Cars will cost more and we basically wasted half of a year.

On the other hand, AnsaldoBreda's working relationship with Metro was so terrible, they were years behind on delivering cars that were too heavy to be used properly, that it's probably a good thing that they probably won't be making the cars for all of the Measure R projects.

So That's It? No More AnsaldoBreda in L.A.?

Like the villain in a horror-serial that won't go away; we haven't heard the last of AnsaldoBreda. First, they still have to complete their current rail car contract which should have been completed years ago. Second, Board Member Richard Katz, who was a supporter of AnsaldoBreda during some Board Meetings, blasted the Metro contractor in the press claiming they owe Metro some "free" light rail cars as reparation for their late performance in their current contract. AnsaldoBreda offered the cars as an attempt to soothe feelings and doesn't seem interested in following through on that commitment now.

Last, there is nothing to stop AnsaldoBreda from submitting a proposal in the open bidding process.

What About the Rail Car Plant Promised to Los Angeles?

The rail car plant, and the "good high-paying jobs" were only promised to Los Angeles as a bribe to earn approval from the Board. Poster Erik G. did yeoman's work tracking down the history of these promises, and I would bet that L.A. doesn't see a rail car plant built by AnsaldoBreda anytime soon.

Are There Any Winners in This Story?

In short? No.

The Mayor, his supporters, and unions were basically used by AnsaldoBreda to force a long-term extension of their exclusive rail car contract even though their performance level on their current contract is terrible. There has to be some egg on their faces.

AnsaldoBreda didn't get the contract, so they can't be viewed as winners.

Someone mentioned "taxpayers" as winners, but we lost in this debacle on two fronts. First, the cars will be "six months more expensive" than they would be if Metro had went to bid in March. Second, Metro can't legally consider where rail cars are built when awarding a contract. However, Villaraigosa repeatedly mentioned the carrot of created jobs as the top reason to move forward with AnsaldoBreda. He even put it in the statement announcing AnsaldoBreda and Metro weren't going to come to terms.

Let's hope the people reading the grant contracts in Washington, D.C. for the Mayor's ten-year plan don't read L.A. Streetsblog or any Los Angeles news source

link: Curbed LA: Metro's Rail Car Deal is Dead, What About That Manufacturing Land Downtown?

Metro's Rail Car Deal is Dead, What About That Manufacturing Land Downtown?

Monday, November 2, 2009, by Adrian Glick Kudler

---

Just
over a month ago, Metro announced that after over a year of
negotiations it had finally made a deal with Italian rail firm
AnsaldoBreda--LA would order 100 light rail cars from them, and they
would build a manufacturing plant downtown. The Community Redevelopment
Agency was thrilled. They put out a press release announcing that AB's proposed 240,000 square foot facility on the CRA/LA's land at 15th and Santa Fe
would anchor a CleanTech Corridor and bring nearly 1,000 middle class
jobs to the city. In May, the CRA/LA's board had approved an Exclusive
Negotiating Agreement with AB that activated when Metro approved its
contract with AB, which it did on September 24. The deadline to sign
the Metro contract, however, was midnight on October 30, this past
Friday, and guess what didn't happen.

According
to Metro's statement, AB demanded contract changes "within hours of the
deadline," including a cap on late delivery penalties. Like a petulant
teen, AB seems to have a problem with parameters in general--an
existing Metro order of 50 cars has only been a third delivered and is
three years behind. The cars that have come in are each 6,000 pounds overweight, which the LA Times says
"forced the MTA to reinforce some bridges." The new agreement threw in
two free cars for the trouble (Would those also be overweight?). Metro
points out that Measure R means the city needs a lot of light rail cars
quickly (and even quicker if the mayor's 30/10 plan
gets any traction), and they have been preparing to solicit additional
bids in case the AB contract didn't work out, saying "If all goes
according to schedule" they'll award a contract by next spring.

But now that this deal has fallen through, what will happen to AB's
lease of CRA/LA land? The September release said an environmental
impact report was already underway. The deal was for a 50 year lease on
14 acres of land, on which AB would build a green plant in partnership
with Steve Bing's Shangri-La construction company. CRA/LA president
Cecilia Estolano was quoted saying AB's $15 million rent prepayment
would allow the agency "to repay our loan on the entire [CleanTech
Manufacturing Center] site. We will own the land free and clear. This
deal has the potential to have the same, if not greater long-term, pos

State extends Peninsula high-speed train planning beyond rail line (Source: Inside Bay Area)

State extends Peninsula high-speed train planning beyond rail line - Inside Bay Area

State extends Peninsula high-speed train planning beyond rail line
By Mike Rosenberg
San Mateo County Times
Posted: 11/03/2009 06:56:12 PM PST
Updated: 11/03/2009 07:56:09 PM PST

BURLINGAME — The image of the state's bullet train ripping apart Peninsula communities in the next decade has once again spurred local leaders into action, this time with a planning process usually applied to freeway construction.

At the request of council members from five Peninsula cities, the California High-Speed Rail Authority and Caltrain have hired a national planning expert to investigate the train's impact on cities beyond the areas next to the train tracks.

The aim of the planning process is to ensure the high-speed train, which will run along the Caltrain line from San Francisco to San Jose, does not ruin the fabric of current Peninsula communities, said Burlingame Councilwoman Terry Nagel.

In addition to the expert consultant, the process will involve local stakeholders from all walks of life, and include a Web site where they can offer ideas.

Nagel helped spur the process as part of the Peninsula Cities Consortium, which consists of officials from Burlingame, Belmont, Menlo Park, Atherton and Palo Alto. The consortium, the state and Caltrain will host public meetings on the planning process today and again Friday, both in Burlingame.

The project will be subject to years of review under state and federal environmental laws. But this latest process, dubbed "context sensitive solutions," will take into account entire cities along the Caltrain line and their makeup — not just the area next to the
Advertisement
train tracks, Nagel said.

"It's a more in-depth community collaborative process than is usually used on projects," she said.

The Federal Highway Administration in 2003 told all states to use the process by 2007.

It is the first time it has been used on a rail project, though, and will not be applied to other portions of the high-speed train line, Nagel said.

"We feel that we finally are empowering the public, the people who are being affected by the rail line," Nagel said. "Instead of being passive, we will have an active role in the process."

Parsons Brinckerhoff Senior Vice President Hal Kassoff, who the consortium said is a nationally known context sensitive solutions expert from Washington, D.C., will speak at Burlingame City Hall from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. today. He will give a shorter presentation at Friday's consortium meeting at 8:45 a.m. at Burlingame City Hall.

Mike Rosenberg covers San Mateo, Burlingame, Belmont and transportation issues. Reach him at 650-348-4324.

More Passengers Choose Trains Over Planes In Spain (Source: California High Speed Rail Blog)

Link: California High Speed Rail Blog: More Passengers Choose Trains Over Planes In Spain

Monday, November 2, 2009
More Passengers Choose Trains Over Planes In Spain

For several decades, the world's busiest air route was the "Puente Aereo" (air bridge) between Madrid and Barcelona. At a distance of about 400 miles on the ground, it's also a perfect distance for high speed rail. Ever since the AVE line was completed to Barcelona's Sants station early last year, high speed rail has been winning a greater and greater share of the Spanish travel market - despite Spain being hit extremely hard by the global recession, with unemployment of around 20%.

Now the AVE line has surpassed the Puente Aereo in terms of travelers. More people are taking the train rather than the plane between the two largest cities of Spain:

Spain’s bullet train is beating the plane in the race to win passengers. For the first time, more passengers have chosen to travel on the high-speed AVE rail link between Madrid and Barcelona than have opted to fly — a switch that could influence British ambitions for a high-speed rail network and add impetus to the creation of a second high-speed line in the UK.

Between July and September, 651,498 passengers made the 314-mile journey between Spain’s biggest cities (slightly farther than London to Newcastle), a rise of 21 per cent compared with the same period last year.

In comparison, 643,512 travellers made the journey by aircraft during the same period, a fall of 7.5 per cent compared with the third quarter of last year.

Madrid-Barcelona is the fifth busiest air route in the world, with four airlines offering 116 flights a day, according to the Official Airline Guide in July. Since the rail link opened last year, Renfe, the Spanish state rail operator, and the airlines, led by Iberia, the national flag carrier, have fought a fierce battle to win passengers. The high-speed train, which takes 2hr 40min to travel between Madrid and Barcelona, at 236.3 kilometres per hour (146.8mph), has won over commuters with competitive fares, greater comfort and the absence of elaborate airport security. It also offers promotions to attract tourists, as well as business travellers.


Once again, it is worth reminding readers that Spain offers a very good comparison to California in terms of not just high speed rail - but population density and geography. SF Transbay to LA Union Station is 432 miles, and our trains are projected to have a higher operating speed.

Ultimately, the Spanish experience suggests the SNCF report and the Brookings Institution are both correct in suggesting the LA-SF route, the nation's second busiest, will support a high HSR ridership. As our airports already burst at the seams during flush economic times and with rising oil prices, it's clear that we need the HSR option in California. Spain's success story will soon be replicated here.

Sort of fitting given Spain's role in California history...

Deal for LA Rail Car Factory Falls Through (Source: California High Speed

Link: California High Speed Rail Blog: Deal for LA Rail Car Factory Falls Through

Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Deal for LA Rail Car Factory Falls Through

by Rafael

AnsaldoBreda is an Italian manufacturer of passenger rolling stock, with a portfolio covering light rail, subways, standard speed and high speed products. SPCR radio reports that the company has walked away from a $300 million order for 100 light rail cars for Los Angeles MTA. In spite of earlier assurances, in the end the Italians were not willing to sign up to stiff penalties in the event of late delivery. It is now likely that the authority will have to execute an open tender process after all, which in the long run may well prove the best possible outcome.

What's Past is Prologue

In 2003, LAMTA awarded AnsaldoBreda a contract to build a new fleet of 50 model P2550 light rail cars with options for 2 x 50 more, in spite of delivery delays on two previous contracts. Evidently, third time is not the charm, as the company is late yet again - by three years, no less. The units already delivered are almost 6,000 lbs overweight, which means they cannot be used on certain lines.

Nevertheless, Mayor Villaraigosa pressed for these options to be exercised in a no-bid follow-on contract, with the understanding that the company set up a factory in LA and also move its corporate headquarters there. An LAEDC report dated March 2009 confidently forecast 535 manufacturing jobs and summarized that "in total, AnsaldoBreda will sustain continuing economic activity worth $368.5 million in economic output and 2,240 FTE jobs in Los Angeles County with estimated annual earnings of $91.1 million." Rumor has it the factory was to be built by an outfit headed up by the former chief deputy mayor.

Critics point out that this level of fresh employment could only be sustained with an annual output of 75 units, which would require additional orders from other US transit agencies. However, in addition its history with LAMTA, the manufacturer is now also several years late on unrelated orders from Denmark and the Benelux. The latter are for V250 "Albatross" high speed trainsets. Nomen est omen, though in all fairness the latter project has been hamstrung by factors beyond the company's control. Given AnsaldoBreda's global track record of missed deadlines, LAEDC's implied forecast that it would become a major player in the US rail car manufacturing industry was perhaps more pious hope than realistic expectation. After all, the company's assembly plant in Pittsburg never grew to the originally intended size, either.

Note that the deal that just fell through would have been ineligible for federal co-funding because the current surface transportation bill contains a five-year deadline for exercising options on existing contracts.

Plan B: Go Fish

With the passage of Measure R last year, LAMTA's needs have anyhow expanded to a total of around 200 cars for both subway and light rail in addition to refurbishment of the existing fleet. The increased size of the deal means the authority now has a much better chance of attracting bids from major players in the rail transit vehicle industry, some of whom also have high speed trains in their portfolio. Names mentioned in the radio interview: Siemens Mobility, Bombardier Transportation and Kinkisharyo, though this list was not meant to be exhaustive.

In principle, a fresh order would be eligible for federal co-funding in the context of even the current surface transportation bill, though that is already being extended for 90 days at a time because the Obama administration has decided to postpone discussion of the next one. Whichever bill would apply, there are long-standing FTA rules against federal co-funding if a tender process is skewed in favor of bidders who offer to set up a local manufacturing facility. Nevertheless, in order to help the Mayor save face, LAMTA intends to write just such a skew into the rules for the upcoming tender. That means sticking with the strictly local funding model in the (forlorn?) hope that USDOT will redirect its generosity to other component projects of Measure R so it ends up a wash.

For reference, Siemens Mobility already has a light rail assembly plant in Sacramento. Bombardier Transportation has rail maintenance facilities in Southern California and is also present other US states. Patentes Talgo S.A. is present in Washington state and is setting up a factory in Wisconsin.

Potential Implications for California HSR

While LAMTA has no formal authority whatsoever over vendor selection for the California HSR project, Los Angeles does wield significant clout in Sacramento. Don't be surprised if Mayor Villaraigosa attempts to sweeten the pot by dropping heavy hints regarding possible follow-on business from CHSRA to encourage bidders to set up shop in his city.

Like it or not, industrial policy - i.e. manufacturing job creation/retention - has been a factor in vendor selection in many HSR projects all over the world, especially for the prestigious initial order. I suspect CHSRA's role in vendor selection may therefore end up limited to the technical and commercial pre-qualification of a shortlist, though neither the Governor nor the legislature have said so publicly.

Community Meetings for Regional Connector (Source: Streetblog Los Angeles)

Link: Streetsblog Los Angeles » Community Meetings for Regional Connector

Thursday, November 5, 2009
Community Meetings for Regional Connector

by Damien Newton on October 29, 2009

When
November 5, 2009 6:30 pm November 7, 2009 12:00 pm November 10, 2009 10:00 am November 12, 2009 2:00 pm 6:30 pm

Metro to Hold Community Meetings for Regional Connector Project Nov. 5-12

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will be conducting five community meetings to update the public on the Regional Connector project the week of November 5 through 12.

Members of the community are encouraged to attend one of the following meetings, all of which are available by public transit:

* Thursday, November 5, 2009, 6:30-8 p.m., Lake Avenue Church, 393 N Lake Avenue, Pasadena
* Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 12-1:30 p.m., Los Angeles Central Library, Board Room, 630 W 5th St., Los Angeles
* Saturday, November 7, 2009, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Wurlitzer Building, 818 S Broadway, Los Angeles
* Thursday, November 12, 2009. Two meetings: 2-3:30 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m., Japanese American National Museum, 369 E 1st St, Los Angeles

The project, currently in its Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report (EIS/R), proposes building a transit line that would link the soon-to-open Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension in the vicinity of the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station and the 7th Street/Metro Center Station, terminus for the Metro Blue Line and future Expo Line. Once completed, transit riders would enjoy increased transit connections throughought the entire system. The Draft EIS/R includes the review of the possible effects of the project and alternatives on the project study area.

The content presented at these meetings will be identical, so those attending a session should seek a time and location most convenient for them.

In March and April 2009, Metro held four Scoping Meetings to obtain public input as part of the DEIS/R. Based on public feedback provided during the scoping process and more detailed technical study, Metro would now like to share some of the results of its ongoing analysis.

Last month the MTA Board voted to pursue long-term funding agreements through the U.S. Department of Transportation to build the Regional Connector project. The MTA Board is expected to make a decision on a preferred alignment late next year.
For additional information or questions, please visit the Regional Connector Transit Corridor Study website at metro.net/regionalconnector or contact the project information line at 213.922.7277.

MTA to discuss extending light rail to Harbor Area (Source: Daily Breeze)

Link: MTA to discuss extending light rail to Harbor Area - The Daily Breeze

MTA to discuss extending light rail to Harbor Area
By Donna Littlejohn Staff Writer
Posted: 10/30/2009 06:23:34 PM PDT

The Metropolitan Transit Authority will hold a meeting in San Pedro at 6 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the possibility of extending a light rail into the Harbor Area.

Current plans call for the light rail to reach San Pedro and Wilmington after 30 years. In April and May, the department held public meetings on four project alternatives. Findings will be discussed at the meeting, which will be held in the Port of Los Angeles board meeting room, 425 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro.

- Donna Littlejohn

Mayor on Rail Projects: We Can Build All Twelve in a Decade (Source: Curbed LA)

Curbed LA: Mayor on Rail Projects: We Can Build All Twelve in a Decade

Three articles on the mayor bold plan.....Good Luck!

Mayor on Rail Projects: We Can Build All Twelve in a Decade

Friday, October 30, 2009, by Neal Broverman

Possibly emboldened by the imminent Gold Line extension opening, Mayor Villaraigosa said he's pushing hard to expedite the numerous transit projects currently in the planning and construction stages. At the Los Angeles Business Council’s Annual Mayoral Housing, Transportation, and Jobs Summit held today at UCLA, the mayor called his push the 30/10 plan (Metro is saying it will take three decades to construct a dozen new rail and bus lines in the city, the mayor says we can do it in one), reports Streetsblog. No real specifics on this new push were unveiled (including, err, financing details), other than Villaraigosa saying he will gather a countywide coalition of support, similar to the one gathered to pass Measure R. In a press release: "Once a strong coalition of support for '30/10' is built, they will reach out to Congress, the Obama Administration, and others to build support and develop a financing plan for the acceleration of the projects."

● The Westside subway extension
● The Regional Connector light rail connector in Downtown Los Angeles
● The Crenshaw corridor transit project
● The Foothill Extension of the Metro Gold Line
● The Expo light rail line on the Westside Phase 2
● The Green Line connection to LAX
● The Green Line extension to the South Bay
● A San Fernando Valley 405 Corridor Connection
● The Orange Line Canoga Extension
● West Santa Ana Branch Corridor
● San Fernando Valley North-South Rapidways
● Eastside Extension to El Monte or Whittier

Second Article

Villaraigosa wants transit projects on the fast track

The mayor envisions completion in 10 years instead of 30 and makes rail his
top priority. His plan would need at least $10 billion in additional
funds.

By Ari B. Bloomekatz

If Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has his way, Los Angeles County will soon

embark on a commuter rail building boom the likes of which the region
has never seen.

The mayor today will unveil an ambitious but
politically risky transportation plan that fast-tracks several
high-profile rail projects to be completed within the next decade.
That's a big speed-up, because officials have generally been talking
about completing them within 30 years.

Villaraigosa has made
building more rail a priority of his administration, though he's the
first to admit it's going to take more than speeches and good
intentions to get it done.

"Yes, this is a stretch goal. Yes,
this is going to be tough, but I think by now folks shouldn't count me
out," Villaraigosa said in an interview. "The fact is that this is the
most important thing that we can do to alleviate congestion and
gridlock, to improve the quality of our air and to really vindicate the
people's will for the need to address transportation."

The mayor
scored a victory last year when voters approved a measure to help fund
the projects, which include a subway to the Westside, the extension of
the Gold Line in the San Gabriel Valley, the extension of the Expo Line
to Santa Monica and new rail lines along Crenshaw Boulevard and through
downtown L.A.

The mayor's office estimates that the revenue from
Measure R and other available funds would provide only an estimated
$5.2 billion if they were to expedite the projects. The rest would have
to come from private-sector partners, the federal government or other
public funding.

Villaraigosa has made it clear he thinks the
Westside subway -- by far the most expensive project with a price tag
of $5 billion to $6 billion -- is his top priority.

That has
sparked conflict, with backers of other rail projects demanding that
their lines be given equal consideration. By fast-tracking projects
across the region, the mayor could ease those concerns, but only if
enough money is available.

And that remains an open question.

The
mayor's office says the county needs at least $10 billion in additional
funds to complete the projects -- including the subway, the Crenshaw
line and the rail extension to Los Angeles International Airport, among
others -- in 10 years.

The first step, he said, is building a
regional coalition to promote the projects. Then comes the hard part:
finding funding, whether in the form of public-private partnerships or
money from the federal government in the form of a no-interest loan,
among other possibilities, the mayor's office said.

Villaraigosa
said he believes that the federal government will be more likely to
give Los Angeles money for the projects than other cities because of
the passage of Measure R.

He also thinks it will be an
attractive fast-track option because, during tough economic times, it
would create thousands of jobs much faster than originally planned.

Art
Leahy, Metro chief executive, said that, hypothetically, if there were
sufficient funding, the MTA would be able to accelerate projects and
that it may be cheaper to expedite projects now because "we're in a
period of relatively low construction costs."

Villaraigosa
will discuss the plan for the first time today at the Los Angeles
Business Council's 2009 Mayoral Housing, Transportation and Jobs Summit
at UCLA. He said he will tell the group that "30 years is too long" to
wait and that all 12 transit projects he wants to expedite can be built
in a decade. It's called the "30/10" plan and he will joke that some
might say he's "coming up with another dream."

"The projects are
going to happen, there's no question about that, and I'm going to be
very aggressive at getting federal funds. . . . My goal is to make it
happen sooner rather than later," Villaraigosa said. "I recognize that
it's a daunting task, but I love the challenge and I'm up for it."

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com

Third Article

Villaraigosa Announces Coalition to Speed Up Measure R Transit Construction

by Damien Newton on October 30, 2009

Ride it all the way to Santa Monica in 2020?  Image:Ted Soqui/LA Weekly.

At a meeting of business leaders earlier today, Mayor Villaraigosa officially announced his plan, previewed earlier today in the Times,
to aggressively pursue private and federal funds to complete all rail
projects included in Measure R within ten years.  Villaraigosa has
often talked about completing his favorite project, the Subway to the
Sea.

Basically, Villaraigosa is hoping to build a
county-wide coalition to begin finding new sources of revenue for rail
projects.  Whether these funds come from public or private sources has
yet to be determined. 

One part of the plan that is sure
to be controversial is his plan is to front-load funding for transit
projects over the next ten years.  By pushing transit first, the Mayor
hopes to attract more federal and private investment.  Villaraigosa is
hoping to avoid a fight amongst rail activists by moving all projects
quickly at once.  Metro estimates he's going to need to find another
$12 billion in funds, in addition to the $13 billion of Measure R funds
that are available for rail projects, to meet his ambitious goal.  All
of this is assuming he can convince the Metro Board to go along with
his plan in the first place.

The full text of the advisory, helpfully provided by Neon Tommy,
is also available after the jump.  If more details become available
later today, this post will be updated.  (update: I just replaced the
advisory with the release.  Not a lot of new news, but still a big
thanks to Neon Tommy.)

MAYOR ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA

City of Los Angeles


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 30, 2009


Contact: Lisa Hansen

213-978-0658

-or-

Press Office

213-978-0741

MAYOR PLANS TO ACCELERATE PUBLIC TRANSIT PROJECTS

“30/10” Will Push to Accelerate Use of Measure R Transit Funding

LOS ANGELES – Promoting his vision for sustainability and an improved
public transportation system, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today announced

that he is beginning to build a coalition to support the acceleration
of the 30 years of transit projects included in Measure R into 10
years.  The “30/10” program would leverage the $13 billion approved by
voters for 12 transit projects to expedite construction and bring jobs and environmental benefits to LA sooner.

"Thirty years is too long to wait when we can build all twelve projects
in the next decade,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “When we have workers

hungry for high quality jobs, companies that are ready to hire, the
dirtiest air, and the worst traffic congestion in the nation, thirty
years is just too long.”

In a speech at the Los Angeles Business Council’s Annual Mayoral
Housing, Transportation, and Jobs Summit held today at UCLA, the Mayor outlined his plan to build a coalition of transit advocates, environmentalists, business, labor, health advocates, and community groups to support the “30/10” program.


The “30/10” Coalition would draw on the same groups that last year helped pass Measure R, the local half-cent sales tax, by 68% during a recession.

"This is about transforming a region, increasing access to and
efficiency of public transit and creating sustainable communities and a
thriving economy,” Mayor Villaraigosa added.

Preliminary projections of the sustainability benefits of “30/10” include:


●       1.8 times more carbon dioxide removed from the air

●       2.4 times more nitrous oxides removed from the air

●       2.2 times fewer miles driven

●       4.2 times more new rail boardings

●       The creation of over half a million jobs through 2020.


Because Measure R will provide approximately $13 billion for transit
projects over the next 30 years, the MTA will have the ability to repay

funds with guaranteed local sales tax revenues. This unique local match
capacity is expected to open opportunities for advancing the funding and paying it back over time.

Once a strong coalition of support for “30/10” is built, they will
reach out to Congress, the Obama Administration, and others to build support and develop a financing plan for the acceleration of the projects.


Last week the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
approved its Long Range Transportation Plan for the next 30 years.  The 12 projects are estimated to cost $20 billion and include $6.8 billion in non-Measure R funding.

The Measure R transit projects Villaraigosa plans to accelerate include:

●       The Westside subway extension

●       The Regional Connector light rail connector in Downtown Los Angeles

●       The Crenshaw corridor transit project

●       The Foothill Extension of the Metro Gold Line

●       The Expo light rail line on the Westside Phase 2

●       The Green Line connection to LAX

●       The Green Line extension to the South Bay

●       A San Fernando Valley 405 Corridor Connection

●       The Orange Line Canoga Extension

●       West Santa Ana Branch Corridor

●       San Fernando Valley North-South Rapidways

●       Eastside Extension to El Monte or Whittier

Little Tokyo Asks Metro to Study Grade-Separated Alternative for Regional Connector (Source: blogdown

Link: Little Tokyo Asks Metro to Study Grade-Separated Alternative for Regional Connector :: blogdowntown


Little Tokyo Asks Metro to Study Grade-Separated Alternative for Regional Connector
 
     

To mitigate traffic and pedestrian impacts at 1st and Alameda, Metro has proposed a trench for truck traffic and a pedestrian bridge for walkers.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The Little Tokyo Community Council on Tuesday asked Metro to go back to the drawing board on the Regional Connector, the light rail link intended to connect the Gold Line, Expo Line and Blue Line.

The group asked Metro to study an option that would keep the line underground as it crosses through 1st and Alameda. A successful solution would clear many of Little Tokyo's concerns about the line and would eliminate a weak point in the project's design.

Officially, the Metro is still studying both above-ground and underground options for the Connector, but community meetings have been clear about the public's preference for an underground option.

Current designs have the line surfacing on the southwest corner of 1st and Alameda, crossing the intersection at-grade. That would require at least partial demolition of the block currently occupied by Office Depot, and would leave the center of the light rail network vulnerable to traffic accidents.

The crossing is necessary because of the design of the Gold Line Eastside Extension, which is set to open on November 15. The Little Tokyo / Arts District station was placed right at the corner of 1st and Alameda, leaving no room for the Connector to surface on that side of the street.

A write-up on Little Tokyo UnBlogged says that the developers of the Nikkei Center suggested the new underground option. That may be important. Any solution would require additional land to implement, and a supportive developer would make that possibility much more likely.

"In the beginning of the project, we had some parameters that made it more difficult," said Ann Kerman, Constituent Program Manager at Metro. "If we have a new envelope to work in, that's what we're going to explore now."

It is unclear how a truly grade-separated option would connection to either the north, where the Gold Line enters an elevated ramp as it heads north from the Little Tokyo / Arts District station, or the east, where it runs along 1st street.

If a solution can be found that allows it within site and budget constraints, full grade separation is Metro's preferred alternative as well. "Our goal is to build something that's going to work for the community and also maximize the efficiency of our system," said Kerman.

The Metro board voted in September to submit the Regional Connector and the Westside subway extension to the Federal government for funding. The project is also a key part of Metro's Long Range Transportation Plan, which the board approved last week.

Another round of public meetings on the project will be held starting next week. On Saturday, November 7, the project team will be at the Wurlitzer Building (818 S. Broadway) from 10am to noon. On Tuesday, November 10, they will be at the Central Library Board Room from noon to 1:30pm, and on Thursday, November 12, the team will be at the Japanese American National Museum from 2 - 3:30pm and 6:30 - 8pm.

Metro Talks About Regional Connector

Downtown Meetings to Update Residents on Rail Plans

Published: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 12:25 PM PDT

DOWNTOWN
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Authority will be
holding a series of meetings in Downtown starting next week to update
the public on the Regional Connector.

The meetings, to take
place Nov. 7-12, will focus on sharing public feedback Metro has been
obtaining as part of its study of the project, which is currently in
the initial 18-month Draft Environmental Impact Study. The project
would create an almost 2-mile transit link between the Gold and Blue
Line light rail transit system through Downtown.

The meetings in
Downtown will be: Nov. 7 from 10 a.m.- noon at the Wurlitzer Building,
818 S. Broadway, Nov. 10 from noon -1:30 p.m. at the Central Library,
630 W. Fifth St., and Nov. 12 from 2-2:30 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m. at the
Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. First St.

©Los Angeles Downtown News. Reprinting
items retrieved from the archives are for personal use only. They may
not be reproduced or retransmitted without permission of the Los
Angeles Downtown News. If you would like to re-distribute anything from
the Los Angeles Downtown News Archives, please call our permissions
department at (213) 481-1448.