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CA October Corridor ridership and revenue stats
From Gene Skoropowski Northern California Corridor ridership on the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquins continues double-digit growth, despite economic slowdown and falling gas prices, while the Pacific Surfliner ridership levelled off after months of growth. Ridership and revenue results for the month of October 2008 (the first of the new Federal Fiscal Year) remain strong…
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Marin vote was frosting on SMART’s cake
Published Sunday, November 9, 2008, by the Marin Independent Journal Commentary By Dick Spotswood, RailPAC Secretary, and Mill Valley resident After several false starts, Marin and Sonoma voters passed a one-quarter cent sales tax for construction and operation of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit commuter train. Measure Q needed two-thirds of the combined Sonoma and…
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San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee October meeting report
Report by Bruce Jenkins, RailPAC Director The San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee met at the California State Rail Museum Thursday October 30, 2008. Approval of Vice Chair Vern Moss Madera County to be effective Jan 1, 2009 was confirmed unanimously. The 99 Corridor: Committee members Ty Holscher (Tulare County) and Larry Miller (Fresno County) reported…
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RailPAC Meeting in Los Angeles November 1st
Location: Los Angeles Union Station in the North Patio behind Traxx Restaurant. When: From Noon until 2 P.M. Topics: The November 4th Election, Prop 1A ( HIgh Speed Rail) Prop R ( Los Angeles County Sales Tax for Rail Transit. )
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YES ON PROPOSITION 1A – NOW MORE THAN EVER!
A few years ago I was concerned about the timing of building a High Speed Rail system in California. Business worldwide was booming. Prices for steel, cement and other basic construction materials were skyrocketing, even supposing you could find a supplier. It seemed to me that cost estimates would soon be out of date as…
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Why Vote for Proposition 1A? Because of the Stupid Economy!
Editorial by Noel T. Braymer There are three good reasons for voting for Prop 1A. They are jobs, jobs and jobs. Expanded high speed, intercity and commuter rail passenger services will create jobs from construction, in the operation of rail service and from the economic development that improved transportation creates. At the heart of the…
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September 2008 – Capitol Corridor and California Ridership & Revenue
The growth continues! California and the entire country continues “getting on board the train!”While it is a bit surprising that none of our national candidates for office seem to focus on passenger rail investments, and the mobility, jobs and economic stimulus such investments bring, as more and more Americans step on-board trains, maybe the message…
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RAILPAC CAMPAIGN TO IMPROVE SURFLINER WEEKEND SCHEDULE SUCCEEDS
October 4, 2008 After more than two years of nudging and cajoling by RailPAC, Amtrak has finally rescheduled the weekend 798 Surfliner train and reduced the running time by over 30 minutes. Currently the 798 waits at Moorpark for Metrolink trains over the single track from Simi Valley. No Metrolink trains run on Saturdays and…
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TAMC Rail Policy Committee meeting of Sep 8, 2008
Report by Chris Flescher The first part of the meeting was news of passenger rail south of here. The local transit agency in San Luis Obispo County offers free transfers from the Pacific Surfliner trains. At this time, in Grover Beach, the passenger train platform is on one side of the tracks, but the stop…
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A look at Automatic Train Stop (ATS)
By Noel T. Braymer Since the disastrous collision at Chatsworth on September 12th, Metrolink has been in a panic to improve its public image and find quick ways to improve the safety of its trains. One step will be the rapid installation of Automatic Train Stop or ATS signaling on most or all of its train…