I-35 Corridor Segment Committee 4 3500 NW Loop 410 San Antonio, Texas March 11, 2010 9:00 AM to Noon Welcome Nancy Parker Facilitator Presentations Presentation on the Texas State Rail Plan Jennifer Moczygemba TxDOT Committee Work Session Nancy Parker Facilitator Rail Solutions Proposed by CSC #4 (Passenger and Freight) Modal Solutions Proposed by CSC #4 for Further Discussion Other Items Proposed by CSC #4 for Further Discussion Review of CSC #4 Potential Roadway Elements Map and Summary Table Wrap Up/Adjourn Nancy Parker Facilitator 1
I-35 Corridor Segment Committee 4 Meeting Notes 3500 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, Texas March 11, 2010 9:00 AM to Noon Welcome Nancy Parker, the Facilitator, welcomed the I-35 Corridor Segment Committee 4 (CSC 4) members to the March meeting and explained that the main objective for today s meeting was to discuss the Rail Solutions (passenger and freight) proposed by the Committee at their January meeting and to decide which solutions to include as potential rail elements in their preliminary Segment 4 Multi-modal Plan for the I-35 corridor. The Facilitator explained that the meeting would include a presentation on state rail planning, followed by a committee work session on potential rail solutions and a review of their potential roadway elements identified to date. The Facilitator then introduced the presenters. Presentations Jennifer Moczygemba from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Rail Division gave a presentation on state rail planning efforts by TxDOT. Then, TxDOT gave CSC 4 a brief update on the proposed Lone Star Rail and the Texas T-Bone High-Speed Rail projects, which were both discussed by CSC 3 at their March meeting, and have potential to impact Segment 4 rail discussions. TxDOT stated that they will provide the Lone Star Rail presentation that was presented at the CSC 3 March meeting to CSC 4 members (presentation attached). Committee Work Session The I-35 CSC 4 members reviewed the list of proposed Rail Solutions that they developed at their January meeting and discussed whether or not to carry these solutions forward as potential rail elements of the Segment 4 Preliminary Multi-modal Plan. The only specific rail solution identified in January was providing freight shuttle service (new technology) from Laredo to San Antonio. Committee members were in favor of including this concept in the rail element of their Multi-modal Plan. Other potential rail solutions that members discussed at the meeting include: (1) passenger rail from San Antonio to Austin to Dallas; (2) removal of rail freight bottlenecks between Laredo and San Antonio; and, (3) passenger rail from Laredo to San Antonio. The Committee also discussed making the maintenance and preservation of existing rail lines for future expansion or double-tracking a priority. Committee members stated they were interested in learning more about the market for passenger rail between Laredo and San Antonio and requested information about Greyhound and Private bus fleets that currently serve this market. Then there was a discussion of future I-35 travel demand, and TxDOT presented maps with projected future demand in the form of lane needs on I-35 in 2035 in Segment 4. Afterwards, the Committee discussed a map that showed through-trip and truck traffic percentages along I- 35 in Segment 4. March 11, 2010 I-35 Corridor Segment Committee 4 Page 1 2
Next, the Facilitator reviewed the CSC 4 Potential Roadway Elements Map and Summary Table with the Committee. Other roadway solutions or questions that were discussed related to potential highway solutions included: (1) Committee members asked if there are currently any plans for upgrading US 83; (2) Committee members want to look at improvements to US 59 and SH 44; and, (3) Committee members discussed adding a dedicated truck lane to I-35. Finally, the Committee reviewed several items that were brought up at previous meetings that needed further clarification related to considering transit and modal alternatives to highway improvements and transportation project funding. Wrap Up/ Adjourn The Facilitator informed the CSC 4 members that all of the Segment Committees have selected a representative to attend the next I-35 Corridor Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting to voice concerns that each Committee has raised related to the schedule and timing of public involvement activities. CSC 4 selected Committee member Christina De La Cruz to represent CSC 4 at the meeting. The next I-35 CAC meeting is scheduled for March 23 @ 9 am (Austin, Greer Building). The next CSC 4 meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 15, 2010 at the TxDOT Transguide Operations Center (3500 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX). Make-Up Conference Call for March CSC 4 Meeting March 25, 2010 A make-up conference call was held on March 25, 2010 to give CSC 4 members who could not attend the March 11 th meeting the opportunity to discuss any of the items in the meeting notes and make any additional comments. CSC 4 Members Tommy Adkisson, Ray Pfannstiel, and Tony Cisneros (representing Steve Grau) joined the make-up conference call. The Facilitator Nancy Parker briefly reviewed the items discussed at the March CSC 4 meeting, including presentations and the committee work session on rail solutions. A CSC 4 member requested additional information related to projected future freight volumes between San Antonio and Laredo and estimates of the potential for truck-borne freight to divert (%) onto rail when rail improvements are made. Staff will attempt to provide this information at the May CSC 4 meeting. It was noted that the April CSC 4 meeting scheduled for April 15, 2010 will be cancelled, as staff responds to traffic modeling requests. The next CSC 4 meeting will be held on May 13, 2010 at the TxDOT Transguide Operation Center in San Antonio, TX (3500 NW Loop 410). March 11, 2010 I-35 Corridor Segment Committee 4 Page 2 3
Existing Rail Network for the I-35 Corridor Segment 4 Planning Area (Working Draft) I-35 Corridor Segment 4 Planning Area SAN ANTONIO INTL LAREDO INTL MEXICO Railroads Freight Freight and Passenger Segment 4 Boundary Note: Rail indicated as "Inactive", "Pulled", or "Spurs" in the data layers were not included on the map. Source: TxDOT Rail Data 2005 Preliminary Draft Subject to Change 0 For more information regarding this map contact: Texas Department of Transportation I -35 Corridor Program Office GIS Department @ 512-334-3800 10 20 4 Miles 40 Working Draft March 11, 2010 :
Corridor Segment Committee (CSC) 4 Proposed Rail Solutions from January 2010 Meeting CSC 4 Proposed Solution Current Status Provide Freight Shuttle Service from Laredo to San Antonio This is only a concept at this point in time, and has not yet been adopted by any plan. Dr. Stephen Roop from the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) presented information on this concept at the Corridor Segment Committee 4 Meeting held on February 11, 2010. March 11, 2010 CSC 4 Meeting WORKING 5 DRAFT Page 1
Rail Solutions Proposed by Corridor Segment Committee 4 (Working Draft) I-35 Corridor Segment 4 Planning Area SAN ANTONIO INTL Provide FreightService Shuttle Service Freight Shuttle (Laredo to San Antonio) from Laredo to San Antonio LAREDO INTL MEXICO Railroads Proposed Rail Solutions Segment 4 Boundary Notes: Proposed conceptual solution mapped by I-35 Corridor Segment Committee 4 Preliminary Draft Subject to Change 0 For more information regarding this map contact: Texas Department of Transportation I -35 Corridor Program Office GIS Department @ 512-334-3800 10 20 6 Miles 40 Working Draft March 11, 2010 :
Potential Roadway Elements Identified by Corridor Segment Committee 4 (Working Draft) I-35 Corridor Segment 4 Planning Area SAN ANTONIO INTL US 90 Improvements I-10 Improvements # I-410 Improvements SL 1604 Improvements US 57 Improvements # I-35 Improvements 255 U T I-35/US 83 Connectivity Improvements 35 20 U T 59 LAREDO INTL 359 U T 83 MEXICO Roads Potential Roadway Elements Identified Segment 4 Boundary Preliminary Draft Subject to Change 0 For more information regarding this map contact: Texas Department of Transportation I -35 Corridor Program Office GIS Department @ 512-334-3800 10 20 7 Miles 40 Working Draft March 11, 2010 :
Summary of Potential Roadway Elements Identified by Corridor Segment Committee (CSC) 4 at the February 2010 Meeting Potential Roadway Element Identified by CSC 4 I-35/US 83 Connectivity Improvements CSC 4 Proposed Solution Improve connectivity between I-35 and US 83 in the Laredo area (make US 83 controlled access facility) Improve connectivity between I-35 and US 83 in the Laredo area (Outer Loop) Summary of CSC 4 Action from February Meeting The Corridor Segment 4 Committee decided to include improvements to US 83 using the Laredo MPO 2025 Plan 2009 concept as a roadway element in the CSC 4 preliminary multi-modal plan. However, the Committee decided to include improving US 83 as a controlled access facility from the southern portion to Loop 20. The Corridor Segment 4 Committee decided to include construction of the Outer Loop project from US 83 to I-35 as a roadway element in their preliminary multi-modal plan using the Laredo MPO 2035 plan concept. SL 1604 Improvements Upgrade Loop 1604 to controlled access facility The Corridor Segment 4 Committee decided to move forward with including this project as a roadway element in the CSC 4 preliminary multi-modal plan. However, the Committee decided to extend the improvements from SH 16 (NW) to I-35 (NE). I-10 Improvements Expand I-10, from I-410 to SH 130 The Corridor Segment 4 Committee decided to move forward with including this project as a roadway element in the CSC 4 preliminary multi-modal plan. However, the Committee decided to extend the improvements to SH 130 in Seguin. Expand I-35, from US 90 to Atascosa County Line to 8 lanes The Corridor Segment 4 Committee decided to move forward with including this project using the San Antonio-Bexar County MPO 2035 plan as a roadway element in the CSC 4 preliminary multi-modal plan. I-35 Improvements Expand I-35, from Shiloh Drive to Loop 20 to 6 lanes The Corridor Segment 4 Committee decided to move forward with including this project using the Laredo MPO 2035 plan as a roadway element in the CSC 4 preliminary multi-modal plan. Add a truck lane in each direction to I-35, from I-410 in San Antonio to Loop 20 in Laredo The Corridor Segment 4 Committee decided to move forward with including this project as a roadway element in the CSC 4 preliminary multi-modal plan. I-410 Improvements Expand I-410, from I-35 to I-10 to 6-lanes The Corridor Segment 4 Committee decided to move forward with including this project as a roadway element in the CSC 4 preliminary multi-modal plan. US 90 Improvements US 57 Improvements Upgrade US 90, from San Antonio to Del Rio to 4 lanes Upgrade US 57, from San Antonio to Eagle Pass to 4 lanes The Corridor Segment 4 Committee decided to move forward with including this project as a roadway element in the CSC 4 preliminary multi-modal plan. The Corridor Segment 4 Committee decided to move forward with including this project as a roadway element in the CSC 4 preliminary multi-modal plan. March 11, 2010 CSC 4 Meeting WORKING 8 DRAFT Page 1
Segment 4 Background Information on Existing Rail Existing Passenger Rail National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Amtrak currently has three routes that provide intercity passenger rail service in Texas: the Texas Eagle, Sunset Limited, and Heartland Flyer. The Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited routes provide services to areas in Segment 4. o o Texas Eagle Within Segment 4, the Texas Eagle offers daily service which includes stops in Austin, San Marcos, and San Antonio. According to current Amtrak schedules, the northbound service departs San Antonio at 7:00 AM and arrives in Austin approximately 2 ½ hours later. The southbound service departs Austin at 6:30 PM and arrives in San Antonio approximate 3 ½ hours later. In San Antonio, rail connections are available to destinations east and west via the Sunset Limited. Connecting service via bus is available to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Sunset Limited The Sunset Limited travels and east west route across the southern United States from Los Angeles, California to Orlando, Florida. In Texas, it includes stops El Paso, Alpine, Sanderson, Del Rio, San Antonio, Houston, and Beaumont. Within Segment 4, service is available from San Antonio westbound on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday each week. The westbound trains depart San Antonio at 5:40 AM. Eastbound service is available on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday each week, departing at 11:55 PM. Passenger Rail (currently under development or near term) San Antonio Streetcar System This system is planned to serve travel in the urban core of San Antonio. The initial project, which VIA Metropolitan Transit would like to have operational by 2014, would run for 2.2 miles from Josephine Street and Broadway to St. Marys and South Alamo. Funds for the initial project are being sought from the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, the US Department of Transportation, and private sources. Future plans include a seven mile route from AT&T Center west to Our Lady of the Lake University on West Commerce Street in the Commerce Street corridor. Additionally, the initial 2.2 mile line would be extended north to Terrell Plaza along Austin Highway and south to SE Military Drive, resulting in an approximately 10.5 mile north south route. Lone Star Rail The Lone Star Rail District, formerly the Austin San Antonio Commuter Rail District, has been conducting on going planning studies of a San Antonio to Georgetown regional passenger rail line since its creation in 1997. The service is planned to operate in the existing Union Pacific rail corridor from San Antonio to Round Rock and the former M K T corridor (owned by TxDOT) from Round Rock to Georgetown. The engineering and environmental studies are anticipated to receive federal approval in 2011. At that time, final design of the project will commence. A critical component of implementing the service is the relocation of the Union Pacific freight operations to another corridor (discussed below). Highlights of the anticipated service include: Up to 12 trains a day, including midday and evening service, 7 days a week in each direction for commuters, students and other regional travelers. March 11, 2010 CSC 4 Meeting Page 1 9
Segment 4 Background Information on Existing Rail Modern passenger cars with amenities including wireless Internet access. 90 minute express service from downtown Austin to downtown San Antonio, with stops in San Marcos and New Braunfels. Local service from Georgetown to the South Side of San Antonio with stops at all stations in between. Up to sixteen new stations in convenient locations with parking, waiting areas, and connections to local transit The Lone Star Rail District also studied the feasibility of a commuter rail line in the SH 130 corridor. The report, completed in September 2008, determined the prospect of a passenger rail line in the SH 130 corridor to be fatally flawed due to design constraints in Segments 5 and 6 of the roadway. Passenger Rail (Long term planning) San Antonio Long Range Transit Plan (SmartWaySA) VIA Metropolitan Transit is currently completing a Long Range Comprehensive Transportation Plan for Bexar County to year 2035. The effort, known as SmartWaySA, is identifying and prioritizing high capacity transit corridors along with a range of transit alternatives for the corridors. Many high capacity transit alternatives are under consideration, including bus rapid transit, electric rail streetcar, light rail, commuter rail, and HOV lanes. Early draft conceptual maps have identified three potential commuter rail lines along existing rail corridors traveling north from central San Antonio which generally parallel IH 35. One corridor has been identified following a rail line which generally parallels IH 35 traveling south from central San Antonio. No funding has been identified for these potential projects. Texas T Bone High Speed Rail Various high speed rail proposals for Texas have been circulating since the late 1980s. The latest proposal, called the Texas T Bone, would provide a service to the IH 35 corridor from Dallas Fort Worth to San Antonio. An intersecting line would provide service from Temple to Houston. The proposal calls for dual track, completely grade separated rail infrastructure capable of accommodating passenger travel at speeds in excess of 185 miles per hour. The Dallas Fort Worth to San Antonio line falls within the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor designated by the Federal Railroad Administration. No detailed plans have been completed and funding has not been identified for the project. Existing Freight Rail Freight railroads are categorized into classes based on annual operating revenues. o Class I major national freight haulers (operating revenues >$401.4 million in 2008) o Class II regional railroads o Class III local shortline railroads March 11, 2010 CSC 4 Meeting Page 2 10
Segment 4 Background Information on Existing Rail Classes II and III also include switching and terminal railroads which mainly switch cars between other railroads or provide service from other lines to a common terminal. The Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and the Kansas City Southern (KCS) are the only Class I railroads owning tracks in Segment 4, however the BNSF Railway Company has been granted trackage rights by the Surface Transportation Board to operate trains on UP lines from San Antonio westward on UP s Del Rio Subdivision so they can interchange with the Ferromex railroad in Eagle Pass. The UP s Laredo Subdivision runs parallel to IH 35 from Laredo to San Antonio. The Corpus Christi Subdivision generally parallels IH 37 from San Antonio to Corpus Christi. The Del Rio Subdivision is generally parallel to US 90 from Kirby (near Randolph AFB) through San Antonio to Del Rio, while the Glidden Subdivision connects San Antonio to Houston from Kirby east. The Kansas City Southern de Mexico, a subsidiary of the Kansas City Southern Railroad formerly known as the Tex Mex Railroad, operates on a rail line from Laredo Corpus Christi. Proposed Freight Rail Improvements The Laredo Metropolitan Planning Organization s 2010 2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan includes two new location freight rail projects. One includes the construction of a rail bridge and new rail alignment from the south side of the Camino Columbia International Bridge to mile marker 24 on IH 35, following the alignment of the Camino Columbia Toll Road. The second project involves the construction of a 29 mile new location rail line from the Mexico border to the UP s Intermodal facility at mile marker 12 on IH 35. The MPO Plan mentions that is it likely only one of these two projects would be constructed. Funding has not been identified for either project. A February 2006 TxDOT study analyzed the infrastructure and railroad operating requirements of incorporating a freight rail alignment within the Camino Columbia corridor right of way. Connectivity along UP s existing Laredo Sub, however, would need to be maintained in order to serve the existing customers located on the Laredo Sub at the nearly 50 existing sidings and spur tracks, as well as access to UP s Port Laredo intermodal facility located south of the proposed Camino Columbia tie in to the existing rail line. The estimated cost of incorporating a freight rail alignment in the Camino Columbia corridor is approximately $140M in 2005 dollars, which did not include relocating UP s Port Laredo facility onto this corridor. In 1995, UP obtained a Presidential Permit from the US Department of State for a new International border crossing that would connect the alternative alignment to the UP Laredo Subdivision approximately 9 miles north of the current border crossing. UP has yet to act on relocating their International crossing, prompting the State Department in 2009 to request information from the public and UP. In a September 2009 response to the State Department, UP responded there was no longer a need for a new International Bridge crossing for the Laredo area at this time, but requested for a continuation of their Permit. March 11, 2010 CSC 4 Meeting Page 3 11
Segment 4 Background Information on Existing Rail Since the 1995 UP Presidential Permit, 2 additional Presidential Permit documents have been proposed, one by the KCS, which was formally received by the US State Department on December 31, 2008, and the other by Webb County Rail Transportation District, formally received by the State Department in August, 2007. The two applications, incidentally, are contradictory to each other. The KCS s application indicates the proposed railroad bridge would be about 12 miles south of the existing railroad bridge. According to the application, the rail bypass would relocate KCS rail traffic from within Laredo s city center. Webb County s application utilizes a crossing in the Camino Columbia corridor. In their September 2009 response to the US Department of State, UP incidentally did not provide support for both applications citing undue operating hardships and additional operating costs that would be borne by UP. Concurrently, UP indicated the KCS application s approval should be made contingent upon an agreement between the KCS and UP for use of the bridge, track access, and appropriate compensation for additional operating expenses. Central Texas Freight Rail Relocation Studies As part of efforts to establish passenger rail from San Antonio to Austin, studies have been conducted to analyze the potential to move the UP s through freight operations to a new corridor. TxDOT has completed three studies, the Central Texas Rail Relocation Study, the San Antonio Region Freight Study, and the San Antonio Rail Bypass Preliminary Planning Study to address this issue. The Central Texas Rail Relocation Study concluded that the relocation of through freight rail services in the central Texas area was feasible through the construction of a new freight rail facility on a new alignment, or through upgrades to the UP s existing Waco, Lockhart, Glidden, Del Rio, and Giddings Subdivisions. The conceptual new location alignment would travel from Taylor to near Lockhart, southerly toward Seguin, and around the south side of San Antonio. The report estimated that train movements between Austin and San Antonio may be reduced by 60 70%, with reductions by as much as 70 80% in the San Antonio area. The order of magnitude cost estimate of the relocated alignment from Taylor to south of San Antonio was approximately $2.4 billion in 2008 dollars. The San Antonio Region Freight Study analyzed four categories of potential improvements: grade separations; grade crossing closures; improvements to existing railroad infrastructure; and new railroad corridors. The new railroad corridor identified traveled from Macdona on the southwest side of San Antonio, east and north to Marion, west of Seguin. This corridor was further analyzed in the San Antonio Rail Bypass Preliminary Planning Study. That study reviewed four potential alignment corridors for fatal flaws, and found there was not anything present that would rule out further study. The San Antonio Region Freight Study also identified many potential locations for the railroad and road crossings to be grade separated as well as potential crossing to be closed. These actions would improve freight rail operations on the existing rail infrastructure, but would not create the needed capacity to operate a passenger rail system. March 11, 2010 CSC 4 Meeting Page 4 12
Segment 4 Background Information on Existing Rail Sources: Amtrak Texas Eagle http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/contentserver/am_route_c/1241245651642/1237405732511 Amtrak Sunset Limited http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/contentserver/am_route_c/1241245650939/1237405732511 San Antonio Streetcar System Information obtained from attendance at VIA Board of Trustees Meeting, January 26, 2010 and discussions with VIA officials Lone Star Rail http://lonestarrail.com/index.php/lstar/map/ SmartWaySA http://www.smartwaysa.com/ http://www.smartwaysa.com/documents/presentations/draftsystemplanmap.jpg Texas T Bone High Speed Rail http://thsrtc.com/ Union Pacific Railroad http://www.up.com/ http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/maps/sysmap.shtml Laredo Metropolitan Planning Organization http://www.cityoflaredo.com/city planning/departments/mpo/index.html Central Texas Rail Relocation Study ftp://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot info/tpp/ctr_rail_study.pdf San Antonio Region Freight Study ftp://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot info/tpp/sarf_rail_study.pdf San Antonio Rail Bypass Preliminary Planning Study San Antonio Rail Bypass Preliminary Planning Study (TxDOT, 2008) March 11, 2010 CSC 4 Meeting Page 5 13
IH-35 Segment Advisory Committee The Lone Star Rail District. March 9,2010 Ross Milloy 14
Lone Star Rail: Solving US NAFTA Trade Issues And Creating Jobs 15 1
6 Reasons for Lone Star Rail: Meeting National Priorities 1. Provides More Transportation Choices 2. Promotes Equitable, Affordable Housing 3. Enhances Economic Competitiveness 4. Supports Existing Communities 5. Coordinates Policies And Leverages Investment 6. Values Communities And Neighborhoods Bonus Reason: Scalable Expandable to High Speed Rail 16 2
The Austin-San Antonio Corridor Population 3.6 million people currently 6-7 million by 2030 Population doubles every 20 years Rate of growth is increasing 1400 People Moving To Texas Each Day Each 1% increases I-35 traffic 3-4% 3 17
Public Safety And IH 35 1990-2000 traffic volumes on I-35 increased 23% - 107% Highest traffic count (220,000 cars/day) and slowest speed per mile on I-35 in the U.S. is in Austin More than double the statewide fatality rate for urban highways Between Austin & San Antonio, I-35 accidents kill more than 100 people p per year To meet anticipated demand by 2025, I-35 would require 18 lanes 4 18
IH-35 Primary NAFTA route 1700 miles from Mexico-to- Canada Most congestion Most accidents Most fatalities Lowest speed per mile Lowest level of service Most air pollution 5 19
Trade Growth Total NAFTA Trade Currently About $900 billion 6 20
NAFTA truck VMT will quintuple by 2030 7 21
Texas-Mexico NAFTA Rail System 8 22
The Plan: Build SH 130 Relocate Union Pacific Build Commuter Rail 9 23
Existing i UP Line Over 100 years old Nearly 200 At-Grade Crossings Road/Rail Intersections Cause Major Congestion 10 24
Union Pacific Freight Trains Most current trains are through trains Through trains will be rerouted to the east Local freight customers will be served Provides capacity for passenger trains 11 25
Who Is Lone Star Rail District? Authorized by Texas Legislature, formed as Austin-San Antonio (Intermunicipal Commuter) Rail District in 2003. Members include cities, counties and transportation agencies in five-county corridor region. No taxing authority; exclusive development agreement authority; comprehensive development authority; eminent domain authority; can issue revenue bonds. 26 12
Current Lone Star Rail District Service Area Could serve larger area if desired Could serve as basis for High Speed Rail Corridor from San Antonio to Dallas Current plan would cost $600-800 million depending di on desired d speeds Current plan envisions about 12,000 riders per day Operating costs average $28-41 million a year 13 27
Basic Facts about the LSTAR More than 110 miles from Georgetown to South San Antonio Up to 16 stations serving communities and destinations all along the corridor. Primarily routed on Union Pacific rail right-of-way. Up to 12 trains a day, seven days a week, in each direction, including midday and evening service Must meet-or-beat car speeds between cities 14 28
LSTAR Destinations 17 college campuses with more than 280,000 students, faculty and staff Major employment centers The state ss major shopping, recreation and tourism destinations Revitalizing communities and transit-oriented development 15 29
Additional Benefits of Regional Passenger Rail Improving freight rail service to the region $20 billion increase in personal income by 2030 Increased state and local tax base by $3 billion Increased property values from $440 million to $4.5 billion Direct economic impact of construction and operations 16 30
What s Happening Now Final engineering and environmental studies Station location studies Financing plan Rail relocation studies with Union Pacific Public involvement and new name/brand 17 31
What Happens Next? Engineering and environmental studies expected to take 2 years Federal approval required Rail relocation studies and financing plan concurrent with engineering/environmental After approval, we move to final design and construction 18 32
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Modal Solutions Proposed by Corridor Segment Committee 4 for Discussion Consider alternative modes (light rail and freight rail) and determine its impacts to the existing corridor. Enhance transit and other modes. 34
Other Suggestions Proposed by Corridor Segment Committee 4 for Discussion Consider funding of transportation projects through increase license plate registration fees; increase fuel tax; increase vehicle sales tax; a new revenue stream. Request to conduct an origin and destination analysis and freight study. 35
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