COAST RAIL COORDINATING COUNCIL POLICY COMMITTEE – Meeting, June 20, 2008 Santa Barbara Reported by Paul Dyson, RailPAC President The meeting was well attended. Clem Bomar, Division of Rail, Pete Rodgers and Tim Gillham, SLOCOG, Mike Powers SBCAG, Rob Dayton, (staff) and Council members Helene Schneider and Roger Horton of RailPAC member city Santa Barbara,…
Reported by Bruce Jenkins, RailPAC Director The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Board met in Suisun City Hall on June 18, 2008. The Board approved the “Interregional Improvement Program” consisting of four projects, e.g. Yolo Causeway west crossover, CP Coast-Great America double tracking (Santa Clara), Capitalized maintenance, and Hercules Station, to be funded from the 2008…
Return of the drumhead to a passenger train! Photo report by Dennis Lytton The Coast Starlight relaunch ceremony took place at Los Angeles Union Station on June 10, 2008. The band played on the patio. Photographer Lytton (left) and NARP President George Chilson pose beside a rebuilt Pacific Parlour Car. Speaker is joined by Amtrak’s…
06/17/08 Report by Paul Dyson REPORT: LOSSAN TAC MEETING, LOS ANGELES, 06/17/08 Key items: Surfliner Revenue up 16.3% in March over previous year, but down 13.1% in April, all attributed to an early Easter this year. Overall growth still about 3%, which is very poor given the demographics of the region. OTP Is averaging between…
Transportation Agency for Monterey County Rail Policy Committee Meeting Report for June 2, 2008 By Chris Flescher, RailPAC Associate Director TAMC is still studying alternatives for the Monterey Branch Line There are three being considered. 1. Enhanced bus service. This has a capital cost estimate of $46 million. 2. New combination of bus rapid transit…
California’s Capitol Corridor Month Of May Ridership, Surges 11% vs. 2007 From CCJPA SACRAMENTO —“The May 2008 Capitol Corridor statistics from Amtrak are again an all-time record high, as are the stats on the state’s other two corridor services, with the San Joaquins taking a very big leap upward in ridership,†reports Capitol Corridor chief…
June 2, 2008 From an interview with Mr. Bronte by Bill Kerby, RailPAC Treasurer, and posted with Mr. Bronte’s permission. William (Bill) Bronte, Chief-Caltrans Division of Rail, assumes new duties as the coordinator of the Trade Corridor Improvement Program mandated by Proposition 1B. Appointed by Caltrans Director, Mr. Will Kempton, Mr. Bronte’s new railroad duties…
Commentary by Noel T. Braymer  “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.” Adam Smith In a word the problem is inflation. Unlike the inflation of the 1970’s which was sparked by rising…
Capitol Hill Day with NARP Wednesday 30th April was Capitol Hill Day for the NARP Board. The three newly elected NARP Board members, all RailPAC members from California, RailPAC President Paul Dyson, members Ryan Stern and Dennis Lytton joined Jim Loomis from Hawaii (yes, really!) to visit representatives or their staffs on Capitol Hill. Pictured…
Report and PHOTOS by Noel T. Braymer For $159 dollars with the California Rail Pass you can travel on Amtrak trains and buses in California for 7 travel days over a period of 21 days! I had wanted to use the rail pass to travel around California for some time and the April 19 RailPAC/NARP…