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Passenger Rail to the Imperial Valley
[also published in 3rd Quarter 2022 issue of Steel Wheels] Brian YanityVice President-South, RailPAC (photos by the author unless otherwise noted) (background map: OpenStreetMap.org, annotations by author) An exciting prospect for new passenger rail in Southern California is an Imperial Valley extension to the Coachella Valley Rail passenger service, currently under development. As currently proposed,…
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RailPAC submits comment letter to U.S. DOT on supply chain and freight issues
The majority of intercity and regional/commuter passenger rail service in the U.S. is on tracks shared with freight trains. Therefore, sufficient capacity, safety and reliability of the nation’s freight rail system is vital to the interest of rail passengers. These two different uses of railroad infrastructure need not be in conflict. Both passenger and freight…
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RailPAC submits letter to California State Senate Committee on Transportation on Appropriation of Proposition 1A Funds to the CHSRA
California State Senate Committee on TransportationState Capitol, Room 2209Sacramento, CA 95814 March 30, 2021 RE: Appropriation of Proposition 1A Funds to the CHSRA Good Day. My name is Steve Roberts and I am President of the Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada (RailPAC). I want to thank you for the opportunity to view and…
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RailPAC submits comment to California Senate Transportation Committee & Senate Budget Sub-Committee #5, Joint Informational Hearing on High Speed Rail
March 15, 2021 California State Senate Sub-Committee #5 -TransportationState Capitol, Room 5019Sacramento, CA 95814 Chairs Gonzalez, Durazo and Sub-Committee Members: After review of the California High Speed Rail Authority Revised Draft 2020 California Business Plan,the Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada (RailPAC) recommends that the Revised 2020 Business Plan be adopted. RailPAC also supports…
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Steel Wheels, 1st Quarter 2021 issue available online
Download the pdf of Steel Wheels, 1st Quarter 2021 by clicking here. In this issue: San Diego County rail improvements Public transportation in a post-pandemic world Prospects for future LA-Phoenix passenger rail Letter to California High Speed Rail Authority Arizona rail news Russ Jackson commentary on state of U.S. passenger rail in 2021 Andrew Seldon…
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RailPAC submits public comment letter on California Transportation Plan 2050
The California Transportation Plan (CTP) 2050 is the “state’s long-range transportation plan that establishes an aspirational vision that articulates strategic goals, policies, and recommendations to improve multimodal mobility and accessibility while reducing greenhouse gas emissions”: https://ctp2050.com/ Read RailPAC’s letter of public comment on the CTP 2050 public review draft by clicking here.
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2020 Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) Grants Awarded
This past week the California State Transportation Agency announced the 2020 grants distributed as part of the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP). Created by SB 862 in 2014, the TIRCP utilizes revenues from the State of the California’s cap-and-trade program and vehicle registration fees to fund capital projects that reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs)…