DOCSLIB.ORG

Draft Business/Finance Plan for the Red Line Regional Rail Project

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Draft Business/Finance Plan for the Red Line Regional Rail Project DRAFT BUSINESS/FINANCE PLAN FOR THE RED LINE REGIONAL RAIL PROJECT NORTH CORRIDOR: MOORESVILLE TO CHARLOTTE, NC PREPARED FOR: THE RED LINE TASK FORCE AND NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PREPARED BY: and November 30, 2011 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Report Authors: Mark Briggs, Parsons Brinckerhoff Katherine Henderson, KKH Consulting Project Sponsor: North Carolina Department of Transportation Red Line Task Force: Mayor John Woods Mayor Jill Swain Mayor Jeff Tarte Bill Thunberg Carroll Gray Commissioner Harold Cogdell, Jr. Mayor Anthony Foxx Iredell County Representative (Vacant) TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Project Introduction & Plan Overview ........................................................................... 5 1.2 Previous Financing Discussions ................................................................................... 7 1.3 The Current Initiative .................................................................................................... 7 Dual Benefit ........................................................................................................................ 8 Unified Approach ................................................................................................................ 8 Single Entity ........................................................................................................................ 8 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................10 2.1 Objective: Project Costs ..............................................................................................10 2.2 Local Share: Selected Value Capture Mechanisms ....................................................12 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) ...........................................................................................12 Special Assessment Districts .............................................................................................13 Joint Development & Negotiated Agreements ....................................................................14 2.3 Value Capture Projections: Methodology Overview .....................................................14 2.4 District Mapping ..........................................................................................................15 2.5 Identification of Targeted Developments .....................................................................15 2.6 Reconciliation with Noell Market Analysis ....................................................................16 CHAPTER 3: FUNDING APPROACHES AND REVENUES .....................................................19 3.1 Creating the Benefit District: Timing ............................................................................19 3.2 Tax Increment Revenues ............................................................................................19 3.3 Assessment District Revenues....................................................................................20 3.4 Joint Development & Negotiated Agreements .............................................................21 CHAPTER 4: FINANCING ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................22 4.1 BOND FINANCING .....................................................................................................22 Structure 1: Stone & Youngberg ........................................................................................23 Structure 2: Guggenheim Securities ...................................................................................25 Bond Financing Discussion ................................................................................................27 4.2 P3 APPROACH OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ............27 Overview of Public-Private Partnerships for Rail Transit Systems ......................................28 Design-Build-Operate-Maintain (DBOM) ............................................................................29 Red Line Regional Rail: Draft Business/Finance Plan 1 November 30, 2011 Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM) ............................................................31 Early-Stage Financial Evaluation of P3 Options .................................................................32 P3 Results Summary .........................................................................................................33 Preliminary P3 Conclusions and Next Steps ......................................................................37 CHAPTER 5: PROJECT GOVERNANCE .................................................................................39 5.1 North Carolina Enabling Legislation ...........................................................................40 5.2 Creating a JPA: Recommendations for the Project .....................................................41 5.3 State Leadership and Support ....................................................................................46 CHAPTER 6: RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................48 6.1 Create a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) .........................................................................48 6.2 Initiate the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) ...................................................................48 6.3 Approve Special Assessment District Financing ..........................................................48 6.4 Pursue Joint Developments and Negotiated Agreements ...........................................49 6.5 Fund the Operation and Maintenance Costs ...............................................................49 6.6 Implement the Financing Approach .............................................................................49 CHAPTER 7: PROCESS AND NEXT STEPS ...........................................................................51 Figures Figure 1: Red Line Regional Rail Potential Benefit & Allocation District ..................................... 5 Figure 2: Tax Increment Financing: Assessed Value (AV) Over Project Life .............................13 Figure 3: Preliminary Sources of Funds in P3 Scenarios— DBOM (with Public Financing) (left) and DBFOM (right) ....................................................................................................................34 Figure 4: DBOM scenario—Annual SA/TIF Debt Service vs. Annual SA/TIF Revenue (and Associated Coverage) ...............................................................................................................35 Figure 5: DBOM scenario—Annual Total Revenue vs. Debt Service, O&M Costs, and Less R&R Costs ................................................................................................................................36 Figure 6: DBFOM Scenario—JPA’s Sources and Uses of Funds During Construction and Operation ..................................................................................................................................37 Tables Table 1: Project Costs by Category ...........................................................................................11 Table 2: Annual Tax Increment Revenues ................................................................................20 Table 3: Special Assessment District Revenues .......................................................................21 Table 4: S&Y Bond Approach—Revenue Anticipation Notes and 30-Year Revenue Bonds ......24 Table 5: Guggenheim Securities Bond Approach—Program Summary .....................................26 Table 6: U.S. Rail P3 Projects ...................................................................................................29 Table 7: Sample Recent International Light Rail P3 Projects.....................................................29 Table 8: JPA Functions .............................................................................................................44 Red Line Regional Rail: Draft Business/Finance Plan 2 November 30, 2011 Attachments Attachment 1: Red Line Potential Benefit and Allocation District Map Attachment 2: Bond Runs by Stone & Youngberg (Bond Underwriter) Attachment 3: Financing Memo by Guggenheim (Bond Underwriter) Appendices (provided as a separate pdf document) Appendix A: Red Line Value Capture Report Appendix B: Policy memorandum: Achieving Integrated TOD/FOD in the North Corridor Appendix C: Technical memorandum: Freight-oriented development; Strategy insights for multi- modal integration Appendix D: Policy memorandum: Considerations for Implementing a Joint Powers Authority Red Line Regional Rail: Draft Business/Finance Plan 3 November 30, 2011 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations MTC: Metropolitan Transit Commission NCDOT: North Carolina Department of Transportation CATS: Charlotte Area Transit System UBD: Unified Benefit District (see map in Attachment 1) TIF: Tax Increment Financing SAD: Special Assessment District P3: Public-Private Partnerships JPA: Joint Powers Authority RLTF: Red Line Task Force COPs: Certificates of Participation LGC: Local Government Commission JP: Jeff Parker and Associates Noell: Todd Noell Associates RCLCo: Robert Charles Lesser Company FOD: Freight Oriented Development TOD: Transit Oriented Development VE: Value Engineering O&M: Operations and Maintenance Revenues Available or RA: Revenues Available for Debt Service and O&M DB: Design-Build
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Atkins Norge-2021
    A global fully integrated professional services and project management company Our vision We strive to be the premier engineering solutions partner, committed to delivering complex projects from vision to reality for a sustainable lifespan. 2 Increased geographic reach › An established and balanced footprint › Greater “at-scale” European and Middle Eastern presence Europe ~12,000 employees › Atkins Energy segment allocated 41% Europe, 46% Asia Pacific North America, 9% Middle East & Africa and 4% Americas Asia Pacific ~4,500 employees ~16,000 › Atkins segmentation based on fiscal year ended March employees Middle-East 31, 2016 applied to twelve month period ended & Africa September 30, 2016 › Pro forma financials based on SNC-Lavalin fiscal year ~17,500 ended December 31, 2016 and Atkins twelve month employees period ended September 30, 2016 3 Enhanced value-chain A more comprehensive end-to-end service offering Consulting Digital & AI Design & Procurement Construction & Project Operations & Sustaining & Advisory Engineering Management Maintenance Capital › Expert consultancy › Digital products and › Concept, feasibility › Procurement › Multi-disciplinary › Around-the-clock › In-depth review covering the full tools to enhance and design services Management construction and support for mission- of end-to-end lifecycle delivery › Human-centered › Contract technical field services critical activities operations, asset › Plan, design and › IoT, mobility innovative digital Administration › Construct, commission, › Operate and portfolios and
    [Show full text]
  • Akseptable Tiltak for Mer Effektive Og Miljøvennlige Arbeidsreiser I Store By- Områder
    TØI rapport 1843/2021 Susanne T. dale Nordbakke Petter Christiansen Øystein Engebretsen Berit Grue Erik Bjørnson Lunke Julie Runde krogstad Akseptable tiltak for mer effektive og miljøvennlige arbeidsreiser i store by- områder TØI-rapport 1843/2021 Akseptable tiltak for mer effektive og miljøvennlige arbeidsreiser i store byområder Susanne T. Dale Nordbakke Petter Christiansen, Øystein Engebretsen Berit Grue, Erik Bjørnson Lunke Julie Runde Krogstad Forsidebilde: Shutterstock Transportøkonomisk institutt (TØI) har opphavsrett til hele rapporten og dens enkelte deler. Innholdet kan brukes som underlagsmateriale. Når rapporten siteres eller omtales, skal TØI oppgis som kilde med navn og rapportnummer. Rapporten kan ikke endres. Ved eventuell annen bruk må forhåndssamtykke fra TØI innhentes. For øvrig gjelder åndsverklovens bestemmelser. ISSN 2535-5104 Elektronisk ISBN 978-82-480-2382-1 Elektronisk Oslo, juni 2021 Tittel: Akseptable tiltak for mer effektive og miljøvennlige Title: Acceptable measures for more efficient and arbeidsreiser i store byområder environmental friendly commute travels in large urban areas Forfattere: Susanne T. Dale Nordbakke, Authors: Susanne T. Dale Nordbakke, Petter Petter Christiansen, Øystein Christiansen, Øystein Engebretsen, Engebretsen, Berit Grue, Erik Grue, Erik Bjørnson Lunke, Julie Ru Bjørnson Lunke, Julie Runde Krogstad Krogstad Dato: 06.2021 Date: 06.2021 TØI-rapport: 1843/2021 TØI Report: 1843/2021 Sider: 97 Pages: 97 ISSN elektronisk: 2535-5104 ISSN: 2535-5104 ISBN elektronisk: 978-82-480-2382-1 ISBN
    [Show full text]
  • Bergen and the Region Rø Æ Lærdalstunnelen – and for Details of Opening Hours, Addresses Etc
    Krokane 5 Florø Skei JOSTEDALSBREEN NIGARDS- Stavang t e BREEN Naustdal tn Jølsterva Askrova E39 Svanøybukt 611 5 55 Førde 604 609 Dale Moskog 13 Norwegian Glacier Museum Gaupne Eikenes Fjærland en d Askvoll r Gaularfjellet o j Dale f Gjervik Viken a r Værlandet 55 t n s 13 e u d Hafslo 611 r L Urnes jo f Bulandet s Stave church Fure d 607 57 Solvorn Ornes m rla jæ F Sogndal Salbu Høyanger Dragsvik Vadheim Hella Gåsvær Leikanger 5 Nordeide Balestrand Mann- 55 Kaupanger heller Måren E16 13 Road number Sula Krakhella E39 DEN 55 Vangsnes 606 Rysjedal FJOR Tunnel Fodnes Ytrøy Lavik GNE SO Railway 607 Ortnevik Daløy Frønningen Lærdal Rutledal Ferry Vik Hardbakke Finden Oppedal Tønjum Utvær Express boat A u r l Nåra 010 20km a Sollibotn Brekke n d Flolid n s e f Eivindvik ®Adachi Map, 3DD AS rd jo See Bergen Guide 2017 for more information about what is included in the Bergen Card fjo rd Steinsland y en Bergen and the region rø æ Lærdalstunnelen – and for details of opening hours, addresses etc. Please note that some museums/ N 570 Vikafjell Undredal SAVE MONEY WITH THE BERGEN CARD... sights have reduced opening hours or are closed during the off season. Mjømna STØLSHEIMEN Styvi E16 Gudvangen Skipavik Matre Stalheim Aurland 13 Hotel Flåmsbana - the Flåm Railway Øvstebø Discount > price Discount > price Sløvåg Stalheim FLÅM Mo n Duesund ale 50 Fedje Sævrøy Leirvåg Mod WHERE TO USE THE BERGEN CARD See page adults/children Ordinary price WHERE TO USE THE BERGEN CARD See page adults/children Ordinary price Nesheim Masfjordnes E39 Vinje Vatnahalsen Oppheim Høyfjellshotell To Oslo with the Bergen Card adults/children with the Bergen Card adults/children Austrheim 57 569 Lindås Myrdal MUSEUMS / SIGHTS NOK NOK ENTERTAINMENT NOK NOK E16 Alvøen Manor 58 free 80/0 Lunch Concerts in Troldsalen (Troldhaugen) 55 Bergen Aquarium - 1.3.-31.10.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bergen Card – Experience More and Save Money!
    BERGEN CARD OFFICIAL CITY CARD FOR BERGEN AND THE REGION Valid until April 2020 Buy the Bergen Card – experience more and save money! Tel: +47 55 55 20 00 Mail: [email protected] Web: visitBergen.com visitBergen.com World Heritage City Mount Fløyen The Bergen Card – See more and save money The Bergen Card gives you free travel on the Bergen Light Rail and the public buses (Skyss) in the entire Hordaland Region. You get free or discounted admission to most of the attractions in the Bergen area, discounts on fjord cruises, restaurants, cultural events and parking. See what Bergen and the region has to offer, and save money with the Bergen Card. Photo credits: Fløibanen / Pål Hoff / floyen.no. The Tourist Information / Robin Strand / visitBergen.com Rødne Fjord Cruise / rodne.no. Production: Frank Modahl Grafisk. Print: Molvik AS. ADVANTAGES Free Discounts • Scheduled bus, boat and • On a variety of cultural Bergen Light Rail in the city and sightseeing attractions and the region (Skyss) • At restaurants, on parking • Admission to most and Bergen Airport Express museums and attractions Coach 24 hours 48 hours 72 hours 96 hours CARD CARD CARD CARD Adult NOK 280 NOK 360 NOK 430 NOK 500 Child NOK 100 NOK 130 NOK 160 NOK 190 Using the Bergen Card For the Bergen Card to be valid, the point of sales must enter an expiration date and time on the card. The card is valid for the specifi ed number of hours (24, 48, 72 or 96) until the written time of expiration. Always bring your card with you and present it at places that accept the Bergen Card.
    [Show full text]
  • Video Surveillance Uses by Rail Transit Agencies Rail Transit Agencies Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration
    Job No. XXXX Pantone 648 92+ pages; Perfect Bind with SPINE COPY = 14 pts ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Washington, D.C. 20001 500 Fifth Street, N.W. TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD TCRP SYNTHESIS 90 TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH TCRP PROGRAM SYNTHESIS 90 Video Surveillance Uses by Video Surveillance Uses by Rail Transit Agencies Rail Transit Agencies Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration A Synthesis of Transit Practice TRB NEED SPINE WIDTH ACRP OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE* TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2009 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE* Abbreviations and acronyms used without definitions in TRB publications: CHAIR OFFICERS AAAE American Association of Airport Executives James Wilding CHAIR: Adib K. Kanafani, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials Independent Consultant VICE CHAIR: Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Governments, Arlington ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America VICE CHAIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program Jeff Hamiel ADA Americans with Disabilities Act Minneapolis–St. Paul MEMBERS APTA American Public Transportation Association Metropolitan Airports Commission ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers J. Barry Barker, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers MEMBERS Allen D. Biehler, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials James Crites Larry L. Brown, Sr., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson ATA Air Transport Association Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport Deborah H. Butler, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern Corporation, ATA American Trucking Associations Richard de Neufville Norfolk, VA CTAA Community Transportation Association of America Massachusetts Institute of Technology William A.V.
    [Show full text]
  • ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Kommunalbanken Norway the Annual Report 2016 Cover Photo: Is Produced by KBN Johnny Bråtseth / Romsdalsmuseet
    ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Kommunalbanken Norway The annual report 2016 Cover photo: is produced by KBN Johnny Bråtseth / Romsdalsmuseet TABLE OF CONTENTS Key figures .....................................................................................................7 This is Kommunalbanken ........................................................................8 CEO’s foreword ..........................................................................................10 We finance welfare services ..................................................................14 Pricing of bonds issued by the local government sector ..........16 Funding from around the world ........................................................20 Green focus ................................................................................................. 21 The Norwegian economy ................................................................... 22 The Board of Directors’ Annual Report 2016 ...............................26 The Board of Directors of KBN ...........................................................34 Financial statements 2016 .................................................................... 37 Supervisory Board’s statement .......................................................... 75 Independent auditor’s report .............................................................. 76 Articles of Association ...........................................................................79 Governing bodies .....................................................................................81
    [Show full text]
  • Sandnes Benchmarking PT Issues: Key Facts, Numbers, Approaches
    Sandnes Benchmarking Axel Kuehn Sandnes Benchmarking PT issues: key facts, numbers, approaches Final report 14th April 2016 Client: Sandnes Kommune Contractor: Axel Kuehn Independent Consultant Kantstrasse 12 76137 Karlsruhe Germany Tel: +49-721-3525267 Mobil: +49-170-2003385 Mail: [email protected] Sandnes Benchmarking Axel Kuehn Contents Pictures .................................................................................................................... 2 Glossary ................................................................................................................... 5 Sources .................................................................................................................... 6 A Background and understanding of study request ..................................... 7 B Benchmarking ............................................................................................... 9 B.1 Data issues ................................................................................................. 9 B.1.1 Data sources .............................................................................................. 9 B.1.2 Data quality .............................................................................................. 10 B.2 Selection of parameters 2008 and 2016 ................................................... 10 B.3 Benchmarking on agglomeration level ...................................................... 11 B.3.1 Selection of cities 2008 and 2016 .....................................................
    [Show full text]
  • PLAN 2035 Appendix D
    PLAN 2035 Appendix D Transit Investment Analysis NORTH JERSEY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AUTHORITY This document is an appendix to Plan 2035, the Regional Transportation Plan for Northern New Jersey. The full document is available at www.NJTPA.org. Plan 2035 was prepared and published by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, Inc. with funding from the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Highway Administration. The NJTPA is solely responsible for its contents. Correspondence or questions relating to this report may be addressed to: The Executive Director North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority One Newark Center, 17th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-1982 Telephone: 973-639-8400 Fax: 973-639-1953 Web: www.njtpa.org E-mail: [email protected] Appendix D: Transit Investment Analysis Introduction The northern New Jersey transit network, consisting of rail, bus and ferry facilities, provides a fast and reliable means of moving nearly 1 million travelers each weekday. In doing so it adds a level of flexibility and redundancy to the transportation system that is matched by only a handful of other metropolitan regions across the nation. It is responsible for diverting hundreds of thousands of trips each day from the region's congested highway networks, safeguarding the region's air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing essential travel to the disabled and those without cars and contributing to the quality of life enjoyed by the region's residents. While historically the rail system focused on serving Manhattan-bound commuters, increasingly it is providing travel options for reaching destinations within the state like the Jersey Shore, downtown Newark and Hudson River Waterfront.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Impact Report 2016 / Page 1
    SAMFUNNSANSVARSRAPPORT 2016 / SIDE 1 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT 2016 / PAGE 1 Kommunalbanken IMPACT REPORT 2016 REPORT IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL v Water and Wastewater Management IN SHORT GREEN PORTFOLIO Low-carbon transportation 54.6 % GREEN BONDS GREEN LOANS New green buildings 27.9% USD 1.00 bn USD 1.13 bn Water and wastewater FUNDING AQUIRED OUTSTANDING management 9.6 % THROUGH GREEN BONDS IN PROJECTS1 Waste management 4.9 % Energy efficiency 1.2 % Renewable energy 1.1 % Sustainable land use 0.5 % IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS BASED ON KBN'S SHARE OF Climate change adaption 0.2 % PROJECT FUNDING GHG emissions avoided + reduced 12 935.5 tonnes fo CO2e reduced2 23 374.1 annually tonnes of CO2e annually 18.5 GWh renewable energy produced annually 10 438,6 tonnes of CO2e avoided3 annually 57 140 tonnes added capacity of sustainable waste management 27.9 GWh energy reduced Efficiency measures + avoided in buildings 118 009 implemented in annually4 m2 of 89 046 sea floor 522 784 m2 of new green m2 of existing buildings restored buildings erected Photo front page and page 5: Vemund Hagen 1. Exchange rate 1 USD= 8.6 NOK, 2. From projects within categories Energy Efficiency & Low-carbon Transportation 3. From projects within categories New Green buildings & Renewable energy 4. 18 893 473 kWh energy reduced from energy efficiency measures; 9 003 970 kWh energy avoided in New green buildings. DEAR READER We are proud to present to you the first edition of KBN’s environmental impact report. Our ambitions are reflected in our Green Bond Framework and the accompanying project selection criteria, both updated in 2016.
    [Show full text]
  • Meld. St. 20 (2020–2021) Report to the Storting (White Paper) National Transport Plan 2022–2033
    Norwegian Ministry English Summary of Transport Meld. St. 20 (2020–2021) Report to the Storting (white paper) National Transport Plan 2022–2033 Meld. St. 20 (2020–2021) Report to the Storting (white paper) National Transport Plan 2022–2033 Foreword Transport is first and foremost about people – about travelling safely and effici- ently together. In a country like Norway, with its extensive coastline, high moun- tains and long fjords, we need to connect urban and rural areas and the people who live there. We have always needed to travel and to transport goods and commodities. An efficient, environmental-friendly and safe transport system is one of the most Figure 0.1 important cornerstones of a modern soci- Knut Arild Hareide ety, and an important prerequisite for Minister of Transport value creation and welfare. Planning and building infrastructure in Norway is often both difficult and expensive. However, people must be free to live and work where they wish, and our prosperity depends on the value creation that takes place in all parts of the country. That is why we must maintain and develop a transport system that is capa- ble of connecting all parts of the country together. To succeed we must keep up with and encourage technological advances and dare to think differently. At the same time, we have to choose the solutions that give us the highest possible value for the public investments in transport projects. The Government has given transport high priority. Our invest- ments have led to shorter travel times on both rail and road, more fre- quent train departures, better traffic safety and positive urban devel- opment.
    [Show full text]
  • UNECE Tram and Metro Statistics Metadata Introduction File Structure Country Notes
    UNECE Tram and Metro Statistics Metadata Introduction This file gives detailed country notes on the UNECE tram and metro statistics dataset. These metadata describe how countries have compiled tram and metro statistics, what the data cover, and where possible how passenger numbers and passenger-km have been determined. Whether data are based on ticket sales, on-board sensors or another method may well affect the comparability of passenger numbers across systems and countries, hence it being documented here. Most of the data are at the system level, allowing comparisons across cities and systems. However, not every country could provide this, sometimes due to confidentiality reasons. In these cases, sometimes either a regional figure (e.g. the Provinces of Canada, which mix tram and metro figures with bus and ferry numbers) or a national figure (e.g. Czechia trams, which excludes the Prague tram system) have been given to maximise the utility of the dataset. File Structure The disseminated file is structured into seven different columns, as follows: Countrycode: These are United Nations standard country codes for statistical use, based on M49. The codes together with the country names, region and other information are given here https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/overview/ (and can be downloaded as a CSV directly here https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/overview/#). City: This column gives the name of the city or region where the metro or tram system operates. In many cases, this is sufficient to identify the system. Type: This describes the type of transport system. Most values are either Tram or Metro.
    [Show full text]
  • Bergen's New Light Rail Opens
    (Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, WA) TIME DATED MATERIAL — DO NOT DELAY This week on Norway.com This week in the paper Promising stroke The Best of of golf star Glede drar glede med seg. Norway Suzann Pettersen -Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson 2010 Special Issue Read more at blog.norway.com Norwegian American Weekly Vol. 121, No. 25 June 25, 2010 7301 Fifth Avenue NE Suite A, Seattle, WA 98115 Tel (800) 305-0217 • www.norway.com $1.50 per copy Online News Dateline Oslo Bergen’s new light rail opens Norway provides NOK 7.6 million for emergency relief New light rail following tropical storm Agatha “Norway wants to help the vic- transportation tims of the storm in Guatemala. system features We are therefore providing a to- tal of NOK 7.6 million (USD 1.2 streamlined million) for emergency relief,” State Secretary Ingrid Fiskaa ticketing and said. The storm has brought tor- rential rains, flooding and land- modern art slides. Over 100,000 people have been driven from their homes. “This was the highest rainfall NORWEGIAN AM ERICAN WEEKLY for several decades, and it has Staff Compilation caused extensive damage. We are maintaining close contact with The Bergen Light Rail line the Guatemalan authorities with opened Tuesday, June 22 after sev- regard to the country’s needs for eral years of exhaustive work. One emergency relief and reconstruc- of the new features as part of the tion following the devastation,” system will be the automated pro- Ms. Fiskaa commented. cess of buying and selling tickets. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Information Director Ingrid Dreyer is eager to see how audiences will Photo: Paul Sigve Amundsen/Bergens Tidene High population growth The new bybanen light rail in Bergen opened June 22 after several years of planning and construction.
    [Show full text]