NEWSLETTER Spring 2017 Vol. 14, Issue 2 It’s Time to Register! Individual By Richard Rudolph, Ph.D. and need support. We will also Featured speakers include: Highlights Chair, Rail Users’ Network highlight the strategies of rail • Ron Pate, WSDOT, Rail, advocates in other parts of the Freight, and Ports Division The Pacific Northwest country to promote and expand Director, who will describe the Crescent City’s New Passenger Rail Summit is being passenger rail. progress and improvements Streetcar Line Opens held Saturday, May 6, 2017 made resulting from p. 2 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 pm. at The day will begin with Washington State’s federal the Columbia City Theater, opening remarks given by Dr. ARRA passenger rail funding 4916 Rainer Ave. S. Seattle, Richard Rudolph, Chair of • Martin Young, Director of A History of SoCal Washington. This regional the Rail Users’ Network and Sounder, Sound Transit who will Streetcar Proposals p. 4 conference, sponsored by the Lloyd Flem, the Executive talk about the current growth and Rail Users’ Network and All Director of All Aboard bright future of rail transit in the From the Southwest and Aboard Washington (AAWA), Washington. The chairs of Central Puget Sound Region Nearby p. 5 will examine passenger rail and the State House / Senate • Rob Eaton, Director of rail transit issues in the Pacific Transportation Committees, Government Affairs, Amtrak Northwest. The focus will be on who are members of the Northwest will shed light on Canada Report recent success stories, projects Legislature’s Rail Caucus, will Amtrak’s efforts to improve and Spring 2017 p. 6 which are moving forward, and also be on hand to greet and expand service. those which are standing still talk with attendees. (Continued on page 7) Central Puget Sound Voters Speak p. 7 Second Avenue Subway Finally Opens... & Other NYC News RUN to Seattle! p. 9 By Andrew Albert began on Jan. 8, and riders flocked would be. As an MTA Board Riding the Rails in to the line, which is the Q service, Member, I was lucky enough On Jan. 1, 2017, New York finally running from 96th St/2nd Avenue to get an invitation to the party, Germany, Part 4 p. 16 got the subway it has been waiting all the way to Coney Island. and it was packed with high- for—for over 50 years! Phase powered New Yorkers, with Alaska, The Trip of a 1 of the 2nd Avenue Subway The new stations are marvels snacks, entertainment, and the Lifetime: Part 3 p. 18 opened, to quite a large number in themselves, with stunning celebratory inaugural ride on of curious New Yorkers—and artwork in the three new the line, from 72nd Street up to some who actually needed to get stations, including some real 96th Street, and return to 72nd someplace! Phase 1 of the line eye-opening portraits by artist Street for the party. runs from 63rd St/Lexington Chuck Close in the 86th Avenue station (where there is an Street station. There was a The line was expected to across-the-platform transfer to the celebratory New Year’s Eve relieve overcrowding on the F line) north along 2nd Avenue, party at the 72nd Street station jam-packed Lexington Avenue with stops at 72nd Street, 86th (by invitation only), where lines (4,5,6), and it appears to Street, and 96th Street. These Governor Andrew Cuomo, be doing just that, although are relatively deep stations, with MTA Chair Tom Prendergast the effects are most felt on the very long escalators and elevators (now, sadly retired), and other #6 local. If you’re traveling to to take passengers up and down elected officials spoke about the or from Midtown Manhattan, from the street. After being open importance of transit, and the either line would be a good only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the economic and social boon to the choice. The 4 and 5 are largely first week, the full 24-hour service Upper East Side the new line (Continued on page 3) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 2 of 20 Streetcars Alive and Well in New Orleans, As New Line Opens for Service By David Peter Alan going back to the original St. Charles Drake made a suggestion for funding a Avenue, and said that he expects more new streetcar line, wherever it may be built. The Streetcar Revival is alive and well in development along the new line. The His idea concerns the settlement reached the Crescent City, which saw the opening headlines on the release were “Everything in the case where Volkswagen was caught of a new streetcar line last October. It Old is New Again” and “Streetcars Back cheating on automobile emissions tests. runs on North Rampart Street, along the on Track along the North Rampart / St. The settlement provided for transit funding, boundary of the French Quarter, and Claude Corridor.” The last time streetcars which has been construed to mean buses, then continues downriver on St. Claude rolled along those streets was in 1949. especially electric buses. Drake suggested Avenue toward Elysian Fields Avenue in that it should also be available for streetcars, the Bywater neighborhood. It is the North Patrice Bell-Mercadel, RTA Director since streetcars are also electrically Rampart Street / St. Claude Avenue of Marketing, said that the project was powered. He further recommended that the Streetcar, and it runs for a distance of 1.6 completed “on time and on budget and funds be made available to expand existing miles (2.5 km). The new line runs through a described it as “a very successful project for streetcar systems, including the one in New half grand union at Canal Street and onto us.” Justin T. Augustine III, head of RTA and Orleans. Loyola Avenue, heading toward the Union Vice-President of Transdev, which operates Passenger Terminal, where Amtrak trains the line, said: “A piece of history is coming “Building a single electrically-powered and long-distance buses serve the city. The back. The residents and the merchants line is better than an all-diesel bus Loyola portion of the line was built for the along this corridor will see the economic system,” he told this writer, and continued: Super Bowl game four years ago. benefit of this project.” He added: “Access “Expanding an electric streetcar system is critically important” and said that the like we have here in New Orleans Service on the new line runs every 20 RTA’s streetcars and buses carry 20 million produces a much greater benefit by minutes throughout the service day, from passengers per year. The agency has plans expanding the reach of the system and 6 a.m. (starting later on Sundays) until to build several more streetcar lines in the giving people more places to go. The midnight. The cars are familiar; they are future, which Augustine said would provide entire system gains riders, who also the red cars, which also run on Canal “absolutely wonderful access and connectivity contribute more revenue.” Street. There were also other service throughout the city.” enhancements, which began when the new There are further plans to expand line opened. Cars now run more often on Transit and environmental advocate Alan the streetcar system in the Crescent Canal Street and on the Riverfront Line, a S. Drake, a RUN member who lives in City. There are several ideas under line in the French Quarter that runs along Bywater, was the second revenue passenger consideration, including an extension the Mississippi River, than they did before on the line. He got up early to board the along St. Claude Avenue to Franklin service started on the new line. car at 6:00 in the morning. He enjoyed Street. The RTA is taking suggestions on that ride and several others since then, and its website, www.norta.com. Whatever According to an RTA news release, the said that the line had some growing pains. else may be said about the continuing city’s Mayor was glad to see the streetcars Since then, Drake has seen an increase in enthusiasm for the “streetcar revolution” come back to the neighborhood. “It’s ridership on the streetcar system. “More of a few years ago, it is definitely alive been almost 70 years since buses replaced than half of all trips in New Orleans are and well in New Orleans. At this writing, streetcars along this corridor, and we have either on streetcars, or on a streetcar with Drake reported seeing parties of mardi come full circle,” said Mayor Mitchell a transfer to or from a bus” he told this gras revelers partying on chartered J. Landrieu. “In New Orleans, we writer. With the recent increase in streetcar streetcars. This is not only a use of transit always knew that streetcars and light rail ridership, Drake suggested that RTA consider unique to New Orleans, but everybody work well in urban areas and are more running a circulator route along three sides else can breathe a sigh of relief when the environmentally friendly than buses. We of the perimeter of the French Quarter. “party car” passes by because, no matter are happy that the rest of the country “It would make the Quarter much more how much the revelers party, the operator now knows that, and we are calling on our accessible for both residents and tourists,” will always be sober. local transit leaders to learn from them.” he said. A segment of the Canal Street Line, The release also quoted Landrieu as the Riverfront Line, and the new line on saying that quality transit brings economic North Rampart Street surround the French David Peter Alan is a RUN Board Member and development.