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President’s Budget Recommends Key Transit Projects for Federal Funding
President Bush today recommended to Congress more than $1.5 billion in funding for up to 26 new or expanding major transit projects aimed at increasing mobility and easing congestion in urban and suburban communities like Charlotte, New York City, and Phoenix, according to Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta.
The President’s budget provides for multi-year funding commitments for 16 existing and four new transit projects, and makes developing projects in San Diego, Denver, New York City, Washington County, Ore., Dallas and Salt Lake City eligible for funding based on their progress this year.
“When completed, these projects are expected to carry over 273 million riders each year, while saving over 128 million hours in travel time and reducing vehicle-related pollution in many of our nation’s most congested cities,” Secretary Mineta said.
In addition to providing annual funding for 16 projects to which the federal government has already made long-term funding commitments, known as Full Funding Grant Agreements, this year’s recommendations include making funding available for similar commitments for four new projects. One such commitment has been executed so far for a new 19.6-mile light rail system in Phoenix, which was approved last month. The system will connect commuters from the Spectrum Mall to several of the area’s major business districts, Sky Harbor Airport and professional sports venues.
This year’s largest proposed project recommended for a funding commitment is the extension of New York’s Long Island Rail Road that will ease commutes into and out of Manhattan and Queens. Other recommended full-funding grant agreements include a 9.6-mile light rail line in Charlotte, N.C., and a 1.5-mile extension of Pittsburgh’s light rail system from downtown to the North Shore area. Six additional projects will be considered for funding contingent upon further progress and continued qualification under the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) New Starts criteria and other requirements.
“The Federal Transit Administration ensures that American taxpayers are getting the most for their money by conducting rigorous reviews of transit projects and making funding recommendations based on sound risk analysis,” said FTA Administrator Jennifer L. Dorn.
These recommendations were included in the FTA’s
Annual Report on New Starts for fiscal year 2006, which includes federal
funding recommendations for important subway, light rail, commuter rail and Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) projects. A complete list of projects recommended under the
New Starts program is available online at
www.fta.dot.gov.
Proposed funding of projects for which Full Funding Grant Agreements have been executed in prior years is as follows:
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) is constructing a 5.9-mile light rail transit (LRT) line in the East Side Corridor, connecting downtown Los Angeles with East Los Angeles. The project will cost $898.8 million, with a federal New Starts share of $490.7 million. It is expected to carry 23,000 daily riders by 2020.
The Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) is constructing a 5.9-mile light rail transit (LRT) extension, from its current terminus east of I-15 to the City of La Mesa. The line will include a connection to the existing Orange Line near Baltimore Drive. The project will cost $430.96 million, with a federal New Starts share of $329.96 million. It is expected to carry 10,800 daily riders by 2015.
The North County Transit District (NCTD) is converting an existing 22-mile freight rail corridor into a commuter rail running from the coastal city of Oceanside, through the cities of Vista and San Marcos, portions of unincorporated San Diego, to Escondido. The project will cost $351.52 million, with a federal New Starts share of $152.1 million. It is expected to carry 19,000 daily riders by 2020.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) have completed an 8.7-mile heavy rail extension from BART’s Colma Station through Colma, San Bruno to Millbrae, with a station at San Francisco International Airport. The total project cost under the amended Full Funding Grant Agreement budget is $1.55 billion, with a federal New Starts share of $750 million. Daily riders in October 2004 totaled 27,000.
The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) are constructing the Southeast Corridor Light Rail project, dubbed T-REX. T-REX is a 19.1-mile double-track light rail transit (LRT) extension to the existing system, which follows I-25 from Broadway in Denver to Douglas County, with a spur along I-225. The total project cost is $879.27 million, with a federal New Starts share of $525 million. It is expected to carry 38,100 daily riders by 2020.
Metra, a commuter rail operator in the Chicago metropolitan region, is constructing 16.3 miles of a second mainline track and a 2.3-mile segment of third track along the existing 55-mile North Central Service (NCS) commuter rail line to accommodate increased service and operating speeds. The total project cost is $225.52 with a federal New Starts share of $135.32. It is expected to carry 8,400 daily riders by 2020.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is reconstructing 6.6 miles of the existing Douglas Branch of CTA’s heavy rail Blue Line. The total project cost is $482.68 million, with a federal New Starts share of $320.10 million. It is expected to carry 6,000 daily new riders by 2020.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is reconstructing platforms and stations on the existing Ravenswood (Brown) Line to accommodate eight-car trains, along with other related capital improvements. The Brown Line extends approximately 9.1 miles from the Kimball Terminal on the north side of Chicago through the “Loop Elevated” in downtown Chicago, and includes 19 stations. The total project cost is $529.91 million, with a federal New Starts share of $245.52 million. It is expected to carry 68,000 daily riders by 2020.
Metra, a commuter rail operator in the Chicago metropolitan region, is constructing an additional 12 miles of track within an existing 33-mile corridor connecting Union Station in downtown Chicago to 179th Street in Orland Park. The total project cost is $198.12 million, with a federal New Starts share of $103.02 million. It is expected to carry 13,800 daily riders by 2020.
Chicago – Union-Pacific West Line Extension - $14.29 million in FY 2006
Metra, a commuter rail operator in the Chicago metropolitan region, is constructing an 8.5-mile extension to the existing 35-mile Union-Pacific West Line. The project will extend passenger service from Geneva to Elburn. The total project cost is $134.56 million, with a federal New Starts share of $80.76 million. It is expected to carry 3,900 daily riders by 2020.
The Maryland Mass Transit Administration (MTA) is upgrading 9.4 miles of designated areas of the Baltimore Central Light Rail Line (CLRL). The project includes double-tracking eight sections of the existing 29-mile Baltimore CLRL and new platforms at four existing stations. The total project cost is $153.7 million, with a federal New Starts share of $120 million. It is expected to carry 44,000 daily riders by 2020.
The New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJT) is constructing an extension to the Hudson-Bergen Waterfront Light Rail Transit System. The project includes a 5.1-mile, six station extension from Hoboken Terminal to the Tonnelle Avenue park‑and‑ride lot in North Bergen and a one-mile, one-station extension south from 34th Street to 22nd Street in Bayonne. The total project cost is $1.21 billion, with a federal New Starts share of $500 million. It is expected to carry 34,900 daily riders by 2020.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) is constructing a 9.4-mile, 35 station bus rapid transit (BRT) line along Euclid Avenue from Public Square in downtown Cleveland to the Stokes‑Windermere Rapid Transit Station (Red Line) in East Cleveland. The total project cost is $168.4 million, with a federal New Starts share of $82.2 million. It is expected to carry 39,000 daily riders by 2020.
The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) completed construction of a 5.8‑mile extension of its light rail transit (LRT) line known locally as the Interstate Metropolitan Area Express (Interstate MAX). The Interstate MAX line extends existing light rail service north from the Rose Quarter and the Oregon Convention Center to North Portland neighborhoods and the Metropolitan Exposition Center. The project commenced operations in May 2004. The total project cost is $350 million, with a federal New Starts share of $257.5 million. In October 2004, the average daily ridership was 12,100.
The Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority (PHRTA) completed construction of a 10.7-mile heavy rail system between Bayamón Centro and the Sagrado Corazon area of Santurce in San Juan. The total project cost under a planned full-funding grant agreement amendment will be $2.25 billion, with a federal New Starts share of $307.41 million. The system began limited weekend service in December 2004 and PHRTA plans to initiate daily revenue operations in March 2005. It is expected to carry 113,000 daily riders by 2010.
The Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) is constructing a 13.9 mile light rail line that will run from Convention Place through downtown Seattle to South 154th Street in the city of Tukwila. The total project cost is $2.44 billion, with a federal New Starts share of $500 million. It is expected to carry 42,500 daily riders in 2020.
EXECUTED ON JANUARY 24, 2005
The Central Phoenix East Valley Light Rail project is a 19.6-mile light rail system running from the Spectrum Mall area in Phoenix, through the downtown areas of Phoenix and Tempe, to Mesa. The project, overseen by Valley Metro Rail, will provide access to major employment centers including the Phoenix and Tempe central business districts, Sky Harbor Airport, and Arizona State University (ASU); and large special event venues including Civic Plaza Convention Center, Bank One Ballpark, America West Arena, and ASU’s Sun Devil Stadium. The project will cost $1.4 billion, with a federal New Starts share of $587 million, or 42 percent.
The New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) are proposing a commuter rail project that will link LIRR passengers to a new passenger concourse in Grand Central Terminal on Manhattan’s east side. The 3.5-mile East Side Access (ESA) project, using an existing rail tunnel under the East River, will increase LIRR tunnel capacity across the East River and significantly relieve over-crowded conditions throughout the LIRR network. The project will provide direct access to the east side of Manhattan for users of the LIRR, who must currently transfer to other transit lines or walk to get to the east side from Penn Station.
The ESA project will serve a portion of the strongest transit market in the country. By 2025, through reducing travel time to Manhattan’s east side and relieving overcrowding conditions on existing LIRR service to Penn Station, the East Side Access will carry more than 167,000 average weekday riders, including 26,000 daily new riders. The project will cost a total of $7.74 billion. The President’s budget includes $390 million for the project in FY 2006.
The project sponsored by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is a 9.6-mile light rail transit line extending from the city’s central business district to Interstate 485 in south Mecklenburg County near the South Carolina state line. It will carry 18,000 weekday riders by 2025. This is the area’s first light-rail line. The capital cost is $426.8 million. The President’s budget recommends $55 million in funding in FY 2006 for this project.
This project sponsored by the Port Authority of Allegheny County is a 1.5-mile extension of the region’s 25-mile light rail transit system, which would connect downtown Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle area to the city’s North Shore area. It will also provide a connection to the Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. The project will cost $381 million. The President’s budget requests $55 million in funds for the project in FY 2006.
PROJECTS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING
The President’s budget sets aside a total of $158 million to be available for additional projects. The following projects will be considered for funding contingent upon further progress and continued qualification under New Starts criteria and other requirements.
This 20.9 mile extension will provide fixed guideway transit service in heavily traveled transportation corridors. From Dallas’ central business district, the line will extend northwest 10.7 miles along I-45 to the city of Farmer’s Branch, and southeast 10.2 miles to Buckner Boulevard. The project will provide an alternative to congested highway facilities, increase transit capacity, improve connectivity to regional activity centers, and provide economic development opportunities. The line will provide nearly 46,000 average weekday rides by 2025.
This 12-station light rail extension begins at the existing Auraria Station in downtown Denver and extends 12.1 miles west, parallel to West 6th Avenue, which carries the second highest traffic volume in the region. The West Corridor LRT will serve Lakewood and other Westside activity centers, and will provide connections to the Denver Tech Center, the second largest employment center in the Denver metropolitan area. It will also facilitate development opportunities along the corridor. It will carry 28,700 riders each weekday by 2025.
This 2.3-mile project on Manhattan’s east side will provide extended Broadway subway service between Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, West Midtown, and East Harlem. The project is expected to serve 202,000 riders each day by 2025.
San Diego, CA Mid-Coast LRT Extension
This 3.4 mile extension of the region’s light rail system will extend the existing LRT from the Old Town Transit Center in San Diego to Balboa Avenue, and provide an alternative to the congested conditions on I-5 north of downtown San Diego. By 2025, the project will carry more than 10,000 daily riders.
This 43-mile, nine station commuter rail project will provide the areas of Pleasant View, Ogden, Clearfield, Layton, and Bountiful with direct access to downtown Salt Lake City. The commuter rail line is will serve nearly 12,000 weekday riders by 2025.
Washington County, OR Wilsonville/Beaverton Commuter Rail
This 14.7-mile, five station commuter rail line will connect to Tri-Met’s existing Westside light rail line at the Beaverton Transit Center. The project will connect the rapidly growing suburban communities in the Wilsonville-Beaverton Corridor and alleviate existing and future traffic congestion in western Washington County. The line will carry 3,000 weekday riders by 2020.
OTHER “RECOMMENDED” AND “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED” PROJECTS
Based on New Starts criteria, the following projects are “recommended” or “highly recommended.”
An 11.6-mile extension of the region’s Metrorail system from the existing East Falls Church Metrorail station through the large Tysons Corner employment and retail center to Wiehle Avenue in the town of Reston. The extension will serve more than 73,000 passengers a day by 2025.
The project is a 1.0-mile tunnel under Tremont and Essex Streets connecting existing Phase I Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service operating on Washington Street between Dudley Square and the New England Medical Center with Phase II service connecting South Station and the World Trade Center in the South Boston Waterfront area. By 2025, the line will serve nearly 100,000 weekday riders.
A 1.7-mile extension of the Third Street light rail transit line, which is currently under construction. The completed projects will provide a continuous 7.1-mile light rail line connecting the heavily transit-dependent communities along the eastern edge of the city with downtown, the financial district and Chinatown, and would restore a continuous transportation link that was lost when the Embarcadero Freeway was destroyed by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. By 2025, the line will serve 61,000 weekday passengers.
An 8.3-mile new light rail transit line consisting of two segments connecting to the existing “MAX” system. The first segment of the proposed project is a 6.5-mile line that runs north and south and parallel to I-205, connecting the Clackamas Regional Center in southeast Portland with the Gateway Transit Center east of downtown on TriMet’s existing light rail transit (LRT) system. The second segment of the project is a 1.8-mile LRT extension which would begin at the existing Rose Quarter Transit Center and terminate at Portland State University in south downtown Portland. This segment would run along the existing downtown bus mall on 5th and 6th Avenues. The new line will serve 46,500 weekday riders by 2025.
Projects rated "Not Recommended" do not currently meet FTA's expectations for demonstrating local financial commitment and/or project justification. A Not Recommended rating does not necessarily mean that the project does not or will not ever have any merit. Rather, as with all projects evaluated, it is a snapshot in time, and reflects conditions as of November 2004.
The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada, in cooperation with the Las Vegas Monorail Corporation (LVMC), is proposing a 2.3-mile extension of a privately-funded 3.6-mile monorail system. The proposed New Starts project would serve the northern portion of Las Vegas Boulevard (the “Strip”) along Main Street between Sahara Avenue, the Freemont Street entertainment district, and downtown Las Vegas. The project includes four new passenger stations, a new maintenance facility. The project cost is $453.9 million. It is expected to carry 36,500 daily riders by 2020.
Santa Clara, CA - Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) is proposing to construct a 16.3-mile heavy rail extension from a proposed Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station at Warm Springs to downtown San Jose and the Mineta International Airport. The project scope includes the construction of seven passenger stations, a new maintenance yard, and 106 vehicles that would be added to the BART fleet. The project will cost $6.2 billion. Projected ridership figures are not available.
Fort Collins, CO - Mason Transportation Corridor
Transfort, the transit agency for the city of Fort Collins, Colorado, is proposing a 5.3-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) system within its Mason Transportation Corridor (MTC). In addition to implementation of the South Transit Center, the project scope includes construction of 17 new stations, 475 park-and-ride spaces, and the procurement of seven new buses. The project will cost $66.0 million. It is expected to carry 5,900 daily riders by 2020.
Hartford, CT - New Britain-Hartford Busway
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) is proposing to construct the New Britain-Hartford Busway, a 12-station, 9.6-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) system operating primarily in an existing and abandoned railroad right-of-way on a new two-way roadway between downtown New Britain and downtown Hartford’s Union Station. The project will cost $337.0 Million. It is expected to carry 17,200 daily riders in the anticipated opening year of 2010.
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) is proposing to construct the Tampa Bay Regional Rail System. The proposed project is a 20.1-mile light rail transit system in three corridors: the 13.4-mile Northeast Corridor, the 1.5-mile Southwest Corridor, and the 5.2-mile West Corridor. The scope of the project includes the purchase of 34 light rail vehicles, and construction of 26 stations and 3,250 park-and-ride spaces. The project’s estimated capital cost is $1.46 billion.
The New Orleans Regional Transportation Authority (NORTA) is proposing to construct a 3.6-mile extension of its at-grade streetcar system along North Rampart Street and St. Claude Avenue, just east of the New Orleans central business district and parallel to the nearby Mississippi River. The project’s estimated capital cost is $121.2 million.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT), in cooperation with the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA), is proposing to construct a 40.1-mile minimum operating segment (MOS) commuter rail line that would connect the Minneapolis central business district (CBD) with the town of Big Lake. The scope of the projects includes a four-block extension of the Hiawatha Corridor light rail, a proposed multimodal station at 3rd Avenue North. The project’s estimated capital cost is $265 million. It is expected to carry 5,600 riders daily in 2025.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the Berks Area Reading Transportation Authority (BARTA) have proposed, the development of a 74-mile electrified commuter rail system in the Schuylkill Valley, extending from downtown Philadelphia northwest to Reading, Pennsylvania. The alignment of the proposed project would generally parallel the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76), the Route 422 Expressway, and the Schuylkill River. The proposed 34-station rail line would operate on shared track utilizing existing SEPTA and Norfolk Southern Railroad right-of-way, as well as Philadelphia’s Center City Tunnel. The projects estimated capital cost is $2.59 billion.
PROJECTS “NOT RATED”
Raleigh, NC – Raleigh Durham Regional Rail
The Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) plans to initiate rail service using diesel multiple unit vehicles on a 28.1-mile corridor between the downtowns of Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina. The project would cost $694.6 million. FTA is working with TTA to more reliably estimat the anticipated benefits of the project.
Los Angeles, CA – Exposition Corridor LRT
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) is proposing to construct a 9.6-mile light rail transit (LRT) line extending from 7th and the Metrocenter Blue Line/Red Line station in the Los Angeles central business district west to Culver City. The project would cost $552.1 million. FTA is working with LACMTA to update the ridership forecasts.
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is proposing to construct a 9.3-mile light rail transit system from the Santa Ana Regional Transit Center through downtown Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, and Irvine to the John Wayne Airport. The project would cost $1.2 billion. FTA is working with OCTA to more accurately capture the project’s benefits.
The Miami-Dade Transit Agency (MDTA) is proposing to construct a 9.5-mile Metrorail extension along NW 27th Avenue between the existing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Metrorail station and the Broward County line. The project would cost $842.5 million. FTA is working with MDTA to better estimate ridership.
Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) is proposing to construct a 7.4-mile light rail transit (LRT) line within the city of Norfolk that is intended to serve as the initial segment of a regional rapid transit system. The project is estimated to cost $203.5 million. FTA is working with HRT to update project cost estimates and ridership estimates.
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