Transit Briefs: North Central Texas Council of Governments, NJ Transit, Caltrain, TriMet, Metra
North Central Texas Council of Governments
North Texas leaders on Aug. 8 approved $1.6 million in additional funding to help study a proposed high-speed rail route that would run west of downtown Dallas to Arlington and Fort Worth, according to the Fort Worth Report.
According to the report, the funding approved by the Regional Transportation Council, an independent policy group of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, “significantly increases the $12 million budget to study environmental impacts as the agency seeks federal approval for the transit project, which would connect Houston with Fort Worth-Dallas.” The funding, FWR reports, would come from the federal Surface Transportation Block Grant Program.
According to the FWR report, the agency is four years into the high-speed rail planning process, which includes a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)-related review. The regional agency is working with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and other agencies on the lengthy process, which includes preliminary engineering and environmental documentation. The review process could be complete by March 2025, but the council of governments has been “granted some flexibility for those requirements.”
Future steps include funding opportunities for the proposal, as well as corridor identification and development processes.
According to the report, “the revised alignment for the rail project—developed after the Dallas City Council passed a resolution in June opposing an elevated high-speed rail system through downtown and nearby neighborhoods—is still being finalized but would generally take trains west of Interstate 35 East near Riverfront Boulevard and run parallel with a levee east of the Trinity River.”
The route, FWR reports, would cross Interstate 30 from the north and possibly curve toward the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, which is undergoing a $3.7 billion expansion, before heading south to the high-speed rail station at The Cedars neighborhood south of the Central Business District.
“Amtrak has indicated concerns about the western alignment and will submit a formal response to that proposal,” said Brendon Wheeler, a transportation planning manager with North Central Texas Council of Governments.
North Central Texas Council of Governments staff is working with the Texas Department of Transportation on finalizing plans for the I-30 corridor, according to the report.
The revised route, FWR reports, “would eliminate connections to other rail services at the Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station, the Hyatt Regency Hotel and other surrounding hotels. It has not been determined whether the system would connect with Dallas’ convention center.”
According to the report, “Dallas is currently conducting a four-month economic impact study to look at the positive and negative aspects of high-speed rail downtown. Fort Worth and Arlington officials are assisting in the study, which is expected to be complete in October.”
An initial proposal for a seven-story rail line through downtown Dallas “was favored by regional transportation officials because it would provide a “one-seat ride” approach for the system that could connect Fort Worth to Houston through Dallas, according to the report.
The western alignment option “creates challenges for Dallas officials, who will look for ways to move people from the proposed rail station in The Cedars to downtown,” according to the FWR report.
Michael Morris, Director of Transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments and Staff Director for the Regional Transportation Council, said the high-speed rail plan would be “dead” if The Cedars rail station was changed since that site has “already been approved after environmental reviews.”
Jesse Moreno, a Dallas City Council member who represents western areas of the city, said the revised alignment is “viable” and that his constituents are “excited about the rail project,” according to the report.
NJ Transit
NJ Transit has agreed to become the “Agency of Record” for the $2 billion, two-decade old effort to build a light-rail line from Glassboro to Camden, according to a NJ.com report.
“In order to complete Preliminary Engineering and advance this project to Final Design and Right-of-Way acquisition phases of Project Delivery, NJ Transit will assume the role of Agency of Record,” Francis O’Connor, Acting Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Chair of the NJ Transit Board of Directors, said in a June letter to the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), which had been acting in the lead role.
According to the report, the proposed 14-mile-long line would “connect neighboring Gloucester County into the network that also intersects with NJ Transit’s RiverLine to Trenton and trains to Atlantic City, and the DRPA’s rail line from Lindenwold to Philadelphia.”
“This is a big step; it’s a big deal for the engineers,” Jeffery Nash, Vice-Chair of the DRPA and a Camden County Commissioner, recently told NJ Advance Media. “It’s still a long way from being worked out, but at least they acknowledge, in writing, they will own the project and that’s a good thing.”
The $2 billion plan for the GCL, NJ.com reports, “is to run largely along existing tracks and right of ways concurrently with freight trains, separated by about 25 feet on separate tracks. The funding is expected to come from federal, state and county resources.
“Fourteen passenger stations need to be built, and the plan calls for the acquisition of 142 properties in Gloucester County and 74 in Camden County along the route, including 55 in Glassboro and 30 in Camden.”
The DRPA operates four bridges into Pennsylvania and a regional light rail line through Camden County into Philadelphia. Its is jointly operated with Pennsylvania.
Caltrain
Caltrain merchandise is now available on the agency’s new online store. Caltrain riders and rail fans will now be able to enjoy a range of Caltrain-branded products, including the locomotives that will soon be retired at the end of diesel service in September.
To kick off this addition to the Caltrain brand and celebrate Caltrain’s electrification project, the first-ever Caltrain holiday sweater is available for pre-sale this week.
For novelty items, the online store will also be launching with Caltrain-branded red-and-white soccer balls, a great way to celebrate Caltrain’s service to Bay FC and the San Jose Earthquakes, as well as the service it will run to locally-hosted World Cup matches in 2026. Decommissioned diesel locomotives will also be available as a perfect keepsake to cherish the memory of the Caltrain’s soon-to-be-historic diesel fleet. The locomotives, Caltrain says, “will no longer be functional, but still make the perfect gift for your favorite rail fan.” Interested parties can submit bids for the locomotives in late September after the launch of electrified service.
“The Caltrain store is a great shopping experience for everyone, from Caltrain riders to Bay Area residents to rail fans across California,” said Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard. “I particularly recommend the F40 locomotives, which would be perfect for a creative planter box, a cozy bed and breakfast or a conversation piece for your mantle (provided your mantle is reinforced to support a 13-ton locomotive).”
According to the agency, demand has been higher than expected, with T-shirts, hats, bags and model electric trains already selling out. Caltrain says it expects to refill its capacity in the near future so fans can share their love for the rail service in style.
The Caltrain online store will continue to roll out more merchandise tailored to the unique culture of transit fans in the region it serves. Currently, the store is only shipping products to customers in California, with plans to expand in the near future.
TriMet
An “unprecedented hiring initiative led to the one of the biggest waves of job applications in TriMet’s history, adding to a pool of candidates that will help fill vacant operator positions in the short and long term,” TriMet recently announced.
More than 850 people applied to become among the first MAX operators hired from the general public following TriMet’s April announcement that the agency was fast-tracking some of the positions.
Of the 851 people who applied during the first round of external applications, between April and June, 50 were hired and invited to enter MAX operator training. The first classes with these students began in July.
Fast-tracking the positions, TriMet says, meant candidates didn’t have to first undergo eight weeks of bus operator training. Nonetheless, they did have to meet several important requirements to be selected as a future MAX operator.
More information is available here.
Metra
Metra and WNBA team the Chicago Sky on Aug. 12 announced a new partnership that solidifies the agency as the team’s “Official Transit Provider.”
“We couldn’t be more excited or prouder to sponsor the Chicago Sky,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski. “They are not only an exciting team, playing in a league that is growing in popularity, but they are also great role models for Chicago girls and boys. We think our partnership will be an effective way to spread the word about using Metra for your transportation needs.”
The partnership, which covers the rest of the 2024 season and part of the 2025 season, calls for Metra to be featured in the team’s social media posts, website, app, e-newsletter, home broadcasts, and other media assets, according to the agency. Metra will also be featured in a variety of ways within Wintrust Arena, including with concourse displays and videoboard promotions. Additionally, Metra and the Sky will also work together on a community program focused on youth education in the Chicago area.
“We are proud to partner with Metra, a Chicagoland staple that offers convenient and affordable transportation options to connect the city,” said Alex Teodosi, Chicago Sky’s VP of Partnerships. “We appreciate that Metra will offer Sky fans efficient ways to travel to and from Wintrust Arena and admire Metra’s commitment to the community.”
The Sky play their home games at Wintrust Arena, which can be easily reached from downtown Chicago (or from the South Side and south suburbs) via the McCormick Place Station on the Metra Electric Line. The ride from downtown takes seven minutes and costs $3.75—making Metra the fastest and most affordable way to make the trip.
