TransLink has a massive new infographic about its Faregate project below the jump.
This is an open thread.
Maintenance Update
We’ve upgraded our blog host to a new, more reliable server, which should result in more uptime. Unfortunately, a few comments from the last hour may not have been migrated to the new host. If your comment was lost, I apologize for the inconvenience. Hopefully this new, more reliable server makes the disruption worthwhile.
Site Maintenance
We’ll be doing some site maintenance this morning again in the hopes of improving site stability and reliability. Bear with us if you experience some downtime.
WSDOT Intercity Rail Update
At the recent WSDOT Public Transportation Conference, WSDOT Rail Operations Supervisor Kirk Frederickson offered a thorough update on WSDOT’s Intercity Rail Program. While STB’s readership will be familiar with many of the current projects – Point Defiance Bypass (PDB), the King Street Station upgrade, Cascades Trainset Overhaul, other ARRA/HSIPR improvements, etc – there were many new ideas and projects to pass along.
Governance
Perhaps the biggest news is that under federal law, Cascades must be financially independent of Amtrak by October 2013. Thereafter, the governments of Oregon, Washington, and (perhaps someday) British Columbia will assume all operating costs. This presents short-term funding challenges, as Amtrak currently provides 24% of Cascades’ funding, but this independence may also offer a measure of long-term protection against hostile Republican administrations. In response, WSDOT and ODOT will complete their joint corridor management plan by January 2013, and WSDOT is also developing a new State Rail Plan.