Today the federal government announced billions of dollars in stimulus funds for high speed rail.  Over a billion dollars will go to upgrade the St. Louis to Chicago route to 110 mph. Missouri is also getting $31 million to upgrade the KC-St. Louis route to continue recent work to reduce travel times and increase reliability. That route needs a lot of work to get up to real high speed rail, so for now the state is working on projects to get the line ready for high speed rail in the future.

Kansas is also getting some money to plan for a new passenger rail service from Kansas City to Wichita, Oklahoma City, and Fort Worth, TX.

KC Light Rail has more details about today’s announcements.

Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders will discuss his plan for a regional commuter rail network across Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Wyandotte Counties.

Tuesday, January 26th at 11:45 a.m.
Central Exchange, 1020 Central Street, Downtown
Lunch included and registration required
$30 for non-Central Exchange members.

So  far few details have been released, so this is a chance to learn more and ask questions.

MoDOT and the Union Pacific Railroad recently opened a new rail siding in the town of California, just west of Jefferson City.  The new track allows long freight trains to move off the main so Amtrak passenger trains can pass.  It’s one of many projects to reduce delays, improve speeds, and lay the foundation for future high speed service between KC and St. Louis.

Ongoing efforts to improve Amtrak service across Missouri just resulted in 100% on time performance during the busy Thanksgiving week.

The River Runner morning trains depart KC and St. Louis at 7:30 a.m. and arrive at 1:10 p.m. in the opposite city. The evening trains leave each city at 4:30 p.m. and arrive at  9:40 p.m.

The metro area has developed a regional application for the latest round of economic stimulus funding for transportation projects.  The Mid-America Regional Council, KC Area Transportation Authority, and City of Kansas City, MO have joined together to create a $93 million multi-modal plan including streets, transit, freight rail, bicycling, walking, and ADA. The application will go the federal government where it will compete for part of a national pot of $1.5 billion.

This particular grant program places a special emphasis on transportation investments that enhance the sustainability, livability, and safety of communities. KCMO Resolution 090716 details the specific allocations proposed for each project.

Green Impact Zone: $26.1 Million
Street resurfacing, sidewalks, traffic signals, pervious pavement, transit facilities, and Troost Bridge over Brush Creek. More about the Green Impact Zone.

Regional Transit: $27.5 Million
Design and engineering of a Downtown streetcar car system.  Infrastructure improvements on future Bus Rapid Transit routes include North Oak, Metcalf, State Avenue, and Easter Jackson County.

Bicycle and Pedestrian: $12.1 Million
Multi-use trails, on-street bicycle routes (including bike lanes), bicycle parking, sidewalks, crosswalks, ADA accommodations, and comprehensive education and encouragement programs.

Rail and Front Street: $21.8 Million
Freight railroad infrastructure.  Reloction/expansion of Front Street west of Paseo Bridge.

We should know by the end of January if our application is funded. See KCMO Resolution 090716 for more details.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is applying for $200 million in federal stimulus funds for several projects to improve the Union Pacific tracks between Kansas City and St. Louis.  Proposed improvements include adding passing tracks and double tracking at frequent bottlenecks, digital information displays at all stations, and two brand new sets of locomotives and coaches.  The new train sets would be Spanish-designed Talgo trains similar to the Amtrak Cascades route in Oregon and Washington State.

All projects are designed to improve the reliability and punctuality of the service, allow trains to run faster across Missouri, and lay a foundation for future high speed service to Chicago. This is a competitive grant process, and competition is expected to be fierce.

As we mentioned last month, recent investments by the state and Union Pacific have dramatically improved on time performance, and if we get the federal money we could see even more progress.

More information from MoDOT.

KC Star article.

The City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is currently considering applications for the next round transportation funding from the economic stimulus program, which goes by the acronym TIGER.

While all projects sound very worthy, their combined $340 million price tag is more than the $300 million expected to be available for the entire state of Missouri. The city and possibly suburban neighbors will have to make some hard choices about which projects or combination of projects is submitted to the Feds.  The US Department of Transportation criteria for selection includes long0-term impact, sustainability, livability, economic competitiveness, and safety.

Downtown Streetcar – proposed by the KCATA. 2.5 mile loop between the River Market and Crown Center. The hope is that up to $100 million in construction costs could be paid for by the feds and the operating costs paid for by an assessment on property along the route. This 2.5 mile segment is deemed the most likely to succeed from the recent light rail study.  The tracks would be built to accommodate light rail vehicles in the future. Streetcar presentation (PowerPoint).

Regional Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - Proposed by the Mid-America Regional Council.  MAX service on Main Street and Troost Avenue would be expanded to four more Smart Moves corridors in Kansas City and the suburbs – North Oak, 40 Hwy, State Avenue, and Metcalf Avenue/Shawnee-Mission Parkway in Johnson County. Cost is estimated at $50-100 million.  A lack of ongoing operating money is a big weakness, especially for the two Kansas routes. BRT presentation (PDF).

Bicycle/Pedestrian Network – Proposed by the city’s Public Works Department.  The proposal would speed the build out of both on-street bike routes and multi-use trails, sidewalk construction and repair, crosswalks, curb cuts, and many ADA accessibility improvements.  The $45 million plan would have a strong emphasis would be placed on creating transportation corridors for bicycle and pedestrian commuters. Transforming Transportation for a Livable Kansas City (PDF).

Urban Transportation Safety Program - Another Public Works proposal includes $20 million in sidewalk improvements as part of a $97 million package for street resurfacing, traffic signals, etc. It would cover the city’s East Side, between the Missouri River and 103 Street, east of The Paseo. Presentation (PDF).

The T&I Committee’s blog has more information on these and other proposed projects. For even more context, archived video of the July 16th and 23rd committee meetings is online.

The performance of the Missouri River Runner Amtrak train between Kansas City and St. Louis has improved significantly in recent months.  On-time performance in recent months has reached the unheard of 90% range.  The change is a result of many factors – investment in track improvements by Union Pacific and the State of Missouri, stricter regulation from the federal government, and a national decline in rail freight traffic.

So if your summer plans include Visit MO, now is an excellent time to take the train to the State Fair, Hermann, St. Louis, etc. In St. Louis you will find a new train station with direct connections to the city’s light rail and bus systems. Through the end of the year Amtrak is offering a sale on River Runner tickets – buy one and get the second half off.

The River Runner morning trains depart KC and St. Louis at 7:30 a.m. and arrive at 1:10 p.m. in the opposite city. The evening trains leave each city at 4:30 p.m. and arrive at  9:40 p.m.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Amtrak makes strides in on-time performance

Missouri River Runner web site

Tonight the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation is hosting a public meeting with the Missouri Transportation Alliance.  This is the private group putting together the next initiative petition for future MoDOT funding.  Most recently they led the successful Amendment 3 campaign.

Most of the group are the usual suspects of people who want new and bigger highways, so it is very important that they hear from Missourians who want some of MoDOT’s funding spent on transit, walking, bicycling, etc.  To date, tonight is the only meeting that MTA is holding in Kansas City.

Having a voice in the future of MoDOT funding is especially critical given recent news that MoDOT used taxpayers’ money to lobby against a Complete Streets bill that would have made them take alternative transportation more seriously.

Missouri Transportation Alliance Public Meeting
Tuesday, May 19th
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Mid-America Regional Council, Broadway Room – First Floor
600 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO

Bicycle Parking is located on the northwest corner of the building.
Buses #106, #129, and #37 serve the location directly, and several routes are available at the 10th and Main Transit Center.

Over the next few weeks the Kansas Department of Transportation is holding public meetings about the future of the transportation system on the Kansas side of the metro area.

Attending one of these meetings is a great way to let public officials and transportation planners know that citizens want more  choices for getting around – including public transit, bicycling, and walking.

Johnson County
Tuesday, February 24, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
MidAmerica Nazerene  University Bell Center
2030 East College Way
Olathe, KS 66062
JO Bus Route B

Wyandotte County
Tuesday, March 24, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
KCKS Community Colleges Conference Center
7250 State Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66112
Bus Route 101

More info, including meetings in outlying counties.

On Tuesday, February 17th several environmental groups from across Missouri will host the 2009 Conservation Lobby Day, and this year they are including transportation as a topic.  This is an excellent event for those of you who are interested in the environmental benefits of transit, bicycling, walking, passenger rail, etc. More information

And don’t forget Missouri Bicycle Federation’s 3rd Annual Bicycle Day at the Capitol on February 24th.  Bicyclists from all over Missouri will come to Jefferson City to talk to legislators about the recreational, health, transportation, and environmental benefits of bicycling. More information

I hope to see some of you in Jefferson City talking to our elected leaders about better policies to give Missourians real transportation choice!