NEWSLETTER Winter 2015 Vol. 12, Issue 1 Join Us in Los Angeles! By Richard Rudolph Murphy, General Manager Grant Agreements. Also Individual Chair, Rail Users’ Network of Amtrak’s Long Distance discussed will be prospects for Services. Chris Coes, a staff the downtown Los Angeles Highlights Join us at “Making the member of Smart Growth streetcar project to secure a Transition from Roads to Rail America and Managing small starts grant. Conference” in what was once Director of Locus, will give the RUNning on considered the car capital keynote address. The third panel will feature of the world. This exciting advocates who have been Social Media p. 2 meeting is taking place Friday, In addition to exciting fighting to keep the Southwest March 27, 2015 from 8:00 to 5 speakers, there will be a series Chief running, in light of the MTA Holds More p.m. at the Southern California of interactive panels. The demand by the track owner, Fare Hearings p. 3 Association of Government first will examine how Transit BNSF, that the affected states Offices, 818 West 7th St., 12th Oriented Development has and Amtrak contribute to the Floor, in Los Angeles. This impacted the local economy cost of keeping the railroad in Two Breakthroughs national conference, which is over the past decades, what condition to host a passenger In Chicago p. 4 being sponsored by the Rail is currently happening with train. The Best Practices Users’ Network, will examine the start up of new light rail panel will examine the most Colorado: On a how Los Angeles is making lines and why the first and last effective ways in which rail & miles are important. The new transit advocates can enlist the Global Track? p. 6 the transition from roads to rail. Featured speakers include rail starts panel will highlight media, elected officials and Denny Zane, Executive how two projects, the Regional like-minded individuals to help Pssenger Rail Funding Director of Move LA; Arthur Connector and Purple Line gain more/better service for In Oregon p. 8 Leahy, CEO of Los Angelos extension phase one, secured communities. Metro (invited); and Mark in the past year Full Funding (Continued on page 5) Timekeeping and Other Amtrak Woes p. 9 New Starts in 2014 Showcase A Wide Variety of Transit And From New Mexico... p. 13 By David Peter Alan highlighted as transit improvements transit line or segment. So did are busway projects (often referred two cities in Canada. No mode or This past year was a good one to as “BRT” or “bus rapid transit”). region dominated the new starts. Gov.-Elect Baker’s for new transit starts, although We do not count them, since they Long Climb Ahead p. 14 several projects that should have are not rail projects, and do not add The first new start of the year been completed must wait until any rail infrastructure or service. came to Florida, although it did The Very First next year to begin service. There There are also station projects, such not add any new rail mileage. It Fairmount Train p. 15 were eight new starts this year in as the Fulton Transit Center in is the Sun Rail commuter line in the United States and Canada, New York and the Union Station the Orlando, FL area. It opened representing several different Project in Denver, but these projects on May 1 between a park-and- Samling Utah’s regions and every mode of rail do not add any new destinations for ride station at DeBarry (south FrontRunner p. 15 transit, except heritage streetcars. transit riders. of Deland and north of Winter Park) and another park-and- At RUN, we are concerned Except for the Northeast Region ride station at Sand Lake Road exclusively with new RAIL transit (unless you consider the Virginia (south of Orlando and north lines. That includes “commuter” suburbs of Washington, DC to of Kissimmee). Plans call for rail, urban heavy rail (also called be part of the Northeast) and the expansion north to Deland and “metropolitan rail”), light rail Northwest, every region of the south to Kissimmee in the future. and streetcars. Many projects U.S. added at least one new rail (Continued on page 10) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 2 of 16 RUNning with Facebook and Twitter Bringing Social Media to Rail Advocacy posting about Via Rail. On the other hand, we try to generate interest in individual regions by posting about local issues, such as MTA fare hikes and “dinky” train service in Princeton. While RUN covers the entire U.S. and Canada, we can’t lose sight of the fact that everything begins at the local level. While social media in and of itself is important, the true goal of RUN’s new initiative is to convert those who interact on social media into volunteers and members. Social media will be one way, in addition to the RUN Newsletter and the website, in which we keep people posted on what we’re accomplishing. This will prove to those who interact with us that we’re an organization who gets stuff done for rail passengers, By Andy Sharpe Shortly after creating RUN’s Facebook which in turn will motivate them to presence, we decided to delve into Twitter. volunteer for us in getting the word out, Recognizing that the organization needed Twitter is a lot more complicated for many writing statements, or flyering. In addition, to reach out to younger tech-savvy mass people, and thus is thus more difficult for a the people we meet via Facebook and transit advocates, the Rail Users Network lot of rail advocates, especially those who Twitter will see it worthwhile to become reached out to myself and Dave Mitchell are older or less tech-savvy, to get behind. long-term members of RUN. from Virginia’s Hampton Roads for Rail With its mix of hash tags, shortened links, to create a social media presence. We and 140-character limit, Twitter can Dave and I both have quite a bit of immediately put our heads together and certainly confuse. However, Twitter is an experience with social media and mass discussed what kinds of social media amazing tool, since many organizations, transit advocacy. During my four-year stint would be most beneficial for RUN. We agencies, politicians, journalists and as Communications Director at DVARP, I both came to the conclusion that Facebook individuals have discovered it’s a very created the Facebook group and fan pages, and Twitter would be the two most useful effective way to quickly get their message Twitter feed, and YouTube channel. I was platforms for reaching fellow rail and out. It’s a tremendous way to reach young able to bring in a number of new dues- transit advocates, be they individuals, people in college and high school who have paying members and volunteers. Also, organizations and/or lawmakers. decided that Facebook is no longer cool. social media was the primary method It’s also useful for reaching like-minded of getting the word out about mass We decided to start with Facebook, since the people through re-Tweeting, favoriting and transit-related weeknight workshops and site has far more members and is easier to lists. These like-minded people could easily fundraising initiatives such as Donuts for understand for a lot of mass transit advocates. become RUN members. DVARP. While I am no longer affiliated After some debate over whether to create a fan with DVARP’s social media because of page or group, we decided to start with a fan While both of us have extensive social my current role at SEPTA, I continue to page, with the possibility of adding a group media experience on the local and regional monitor the group page. Dave Mitchell has for more discussion and volunteer recruitment levels, myself with the Delaware Valley been the driving force behind the social later. One great promotional tool that Facebook Association of Rail Passengers (DVARP) media sites for Bring the Tide to Virginia offers is the ability to invite any or all of your and Dave with Bring the Tide to Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads for Rail. Bring Facebook friends to “like” your page. This has Beach, posting about issues on a nationwide the Tide to Virginia Beach’s Facebook page resulted in almost all of our “page likes” so far. level was new to us. With this in mind, boasts 2,790 members, while the Twitter Facebook also enables organizations to make we’ve easily adjusted to this by posting on feed has an impressive 1,345 followers. posts as long or short as necessary. Short posts both the macro and micro levels. On one are helpful for capturing the fleeting attention hand, we’ve decided to cover the entire Andy Sharpe is customer service agent at of social media users, while longer posts help U.S. by posting on nationwide trends with Southeast Pennsylavnia Transportation Authority. build credibility and go in-depth on vital topics. Amtrak and the entirety of Canada by RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 3 of 16 MTA Holds Public Hearings On Proposed Fare Hikes By Andrew Albert the best attendance of them all, a mere 22 There are still hearings to be held, and we speakers were heard from. And not one will see what the turnout is like. There have For the fourth time in seven years, New elected officials showed up! In fact, there been many improvements to the system York’s Metropolitan Transportation were huge gaps where no one had signed since the last fare hike, and undoubtedly, Authority is proposing to hike fares on up to speak, and Board Members were riders have noticed them.