The election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States was deservedly the top headline of the week. However, perhaps just as important to those interested in the future of America's transportation infrastructure, there was another significant achievement on election day; the passage of Prop 1A by the people of California.
This act is a crucial first step in the implementation of a dedicated high speed rail link in the most populous state between two of its most populous cities.
A service economy like that on the United States has two vital components. Energy and transportation. The ability to move goods, people and ideas across the country, cheaply and effectively strengthens any economy, in good economic times or bad. It is heartening to see that even in a difficult economic climate as the one this country faces, the importance of transportation infrastructure to meet the emerging demands of the future is important to the electorate.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
In The Long Run
The credit crisis that has cast a worrisome pall over much of the US and world economy, is rightfully causing many to take pause and review their finances. Households, businesses and governments are all looking to tightened up their belts and purse strings, trying to weather the predicted financial tempest.
As many in the nation worry about their 401ks and other investments, the media has been innundated with columns and opinions by financial "experts" about how best to endure. The key, many experts have said is to keep an eye on the long term.
This is sage advice, both for business and the individual consumer. It is also sage advice for the government. As governments tighten their budgets, there is seemingly an instinctual reaction to restrict all spending to simply cover the short term needs of a community; police, fire, schools, municipal functions etc. However thinking in the short term is foolhardy, even in tough economic times. One eye needs to be on the short term, but one eye needs to always be looking towards the future.
Of course, this doesnt mean that governments should spend money on foolish pie-in-the-sky public works projects. Just like any individual or business, future investment in troubled times should be made on durable goods and investments, that will have positive returns, regardless of the times.
For the public sector, the sensible investment in these times is transportation. The lifeline of this economy is the movement of human capital, ideas and goods. The world wide web, is efficient for handling ideas, but we've yet to develop a way for a humans to travely safely like an electron on the endless wire, let alone less animate objects like coal, wheat, and that cute little Swarovski crystal dog you bought on an auction site. The economic transactions that will rebuild our economy and perhaps more importantly, the positive sense of our economy, will be carried on our rails, roads, ports and planes.
Thus it would make sense to focus what public and private spending that exists, into the infrastructure of the economic recovery; our transportation system.
Below are two recent news articles dealing with this very notion. The first is a report of the BNSF railyard in Galesburg, IL, near the busy transit hub that is Chicago. The second is a point/counter point discussion in the LA Times about California's Proposition 1A, a high speed rail line linking California's major cities, and operating on par with high speed rail lines in Asian and Europe.
Galesburg Register Mail
Los Angeles Times
As many in the nation worry about their 401ks and other investments, the media has been innundated with columns and opinions by financial "experts" about how best to endure. The key, many experts have said is to keep an eye on the long term.
This is sage advice, both for business and the individual consumer. It is also sage advice for the government. As governments tighten their budgets, there is seemingly an instinctual reaction to restrict all spending to simply cover the short term needs of a community; police, fire, schools, municipal functions etc. However thinking in the short term is foolhardy, even in tough economic times. One eye needs to be on the short term, but one eye needs to always be looking towards the future.
Of course, this doesnt mean that governments should spend money on foolish pie-in-the-sky public works projects. Just like any individual or business, future investment in troubled times should be made on durable goods and investments, that will have positive returns, regardless of the times.
For the public sector, the sensible investment in these times is transportation. The lifeline of this economy is the movement of human capital, ideas and goods. The world wide web, is efficient for handling ideas, but we've yet to develop a way for a humans to travely safely like an electron on the endless wire, let alone less animate objects like coal, wheat, and that cute little Swarovski crystal dog you bought on an auction site. The economic transactions that will rebuild our economy and perhaps more importantly, the positive sense of our economy, will be carried on our rails, roads, ports and planes.
Thus it would make sense to focus what public and private spending that exists, into the infrastructure of the economic recovery; our transportation system.
Below are two recent news articles dealing with this very notion. The first is a report of the BNSF railyard in Galesburg, IL, near the busy transit hub that is Chicago. The second is a point/counter point discussion in the LA Times about California's Proposition 1A, a high speed rail line linking California's major cities, and operating on par with high speed rail lines in Asian and Europe.
Galesburg Register Mail
Los Angeles Times
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Congress Passes Rail Safety Act
Unfortunately it's a shame that it takes a tragedy and death to spur action, but in trying to deal with the tragedy of the Metrolink crash in LA, Congress has moved to pass the Rail Safety Act of 2007.
Both the House and the Senate had passed rail safety bills within this session, however the combined bill had stalled. The Metrolink collision spurred movement in the House and Senate to work on the compromise bill.
The key Congressional leaders on the bill were Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). Here's the bullet points of the legislation which were posted on the website of Senator Lautenberg.
1. Amtrak reauthorization bill which was developed from similar bills passed by the Senate last year (70-22) and passed by the House earlier this year (311-94). The bill:
• Authorizes $13.06 billion over five years for passenger rail— more than $2.6 billion annually for Amtrak, intercity passenger rail, and high speed rail programs, which is almost double what the U.S. is currently spending;
• Requires reforms at Amtrak, including a new Board of Directors, improved accounting and financial planning, and new standards for service reliability and on-time performance;
• Requires a collaborative plan for bringing the Northeast Corridor to a state-of-good-repair by 2018;
• Authorizes the Surface Transportation Board to fine freight railroads for delaying Amtrak trains; and
• Requires Amtrak stations to comply with disability accessibility standards and authorize funding for such improvements.
CRS Analysis: Transportiation of goods and people are key to the workings of any economy. Rising fuels obviously are a place where the economy is exposed, and passenger rail, especially in the most populated corridors, helps to alleivate that exposure, as well as having ancillary environmental benefits.
Congressional support of Amtrak is key to maintaining this vital cog of the American transportation infrastructure. This bill goes a long way to maintaining that cog.
2. Railroad safety improvement bill which was developed from similar bills passed unanimously by the Senate and by the House (377-38). The bill:
• Mandates positive train control (PTC) technology on passenger and certain hazmat rail main lines by 2015 and authorize $250 million in Federal grants for PTC installation;
• Guarantees a 12-hour work period and minimum 10-hour disruption-free rest period for train crews and signal employees;
• Limit the amount of time a rail worker may be in “limbo time”;
• Requires a Federal study and regulation on use of cell phones and other device distractions in locomotive cabs;
• Requires risk-based safety programs for all major railroads to prevent deaths and injuries; and
• Creates a National Transportation Safety Board office to assist families of passengers following rail disasters.
CRS Analysis: This is the vital part of the legislation. It addresses two issues, fatigue and positive train control.
The leading cause of railroad accidents, according to the FRA's Office of Safety Data Analysis, is human error. The labor unions, likethe BLET have long supported and researched the affect of schedule and fatigue on railroad operations, and any measure that could limit human error must be investigated and solutions implemented. This bill is a solid start at addressing these issues.
In the debate over positive train control, one of the stick points has been funding. Congress steps up with funds to help upgrade trains with PTC technology, and prudently identifies that trains that need PTC the most, HAZMAT freight and Passenger rail.
3. The Clean Railroads Act of 2008 which:
• Allows states to clean up solid waste processing facilities on rail sites, which have avoided regulation through a loophole in Federal law; and
• Applies state standards for air pollution, water pollution and fire safety to transfer facilities handling and storing solid waste in open dumps.
CRS Anaylsis: The dangers the public faces is not limited only to HAZMATs, derailments, terrorisma nd grade crossings. Environmental concerns affect public health, and potential health hazards from rail yards and other solid waste facilites on rail property is a threat that needs to be addressed. The CRS News archives has several stories about increased cancer rates around rail yards, and other negative effects due to enivornmental contamination.
Both the House and the Senate had passed rail safety bills within this session, however the combined bill had stalled. The Metrolink collision spurred movement in the House and Senate to work on the compromise bill.
The key Congressional leaders on the bill were Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). Here's the bullet points of the legislation which were posted on the website of Senator Lautenberg.
1. Amtrak reauthorization bill which was developed from similar bills passed by the Senate last year (70-22) and passed by the House earlier this year (311-94). The bill:
• Authorizes $13.06 billion over five years for passenger rail— more than $2.6 billion annually for Amtrak, intercity passenger rail, and high speed rail programs, which is almost double what the U.S. is currently spending;
• Requires reforms at Amtrak, including a new Board of Directors, improved accounting and financial planning, and new standards for service reliability and on-time performance;
• Requires a collaborative plan for bringing the Northeast Corridor to a state-of-good-repair by 2018;
• Authorizes the Surface Transportation Board to fine freight railroads for delaying Amtrak trains; and
• Requires Amtrak stations to comply with disability accessibility standards and authorize funding for such improvements.
CRS Analysis: Transportiation of goods and people are key to the workings of any economy. Rising fuels obviously are a place where the economy is exposed, and passenger rail, especially in the most populated corridors, helps to alleivate that exposure, as well as having ancillary environmental benefits.
Congressional support of Amtrak is key to maintaining this vital cog of the American transportation infrastructure. This bill goes a long way to maintaining that cog.
2. Railroad safety improvement bill which was developed from similar bills passed unanimously by the Senate and by the House (377-38). The bill:
• Mandates positive train control (PTC) technology on passenger and certain hazmat rail main lines by 2015 and authorize $250 million in Federal grants for PTC installation;
• Guarantees a 12-hour work period and minimum 10-hour disruption-free rest period for train crews and signal employees;
• Limit the amount of time a rail worker may be in “limbo time”;
• Requires a Federal study and regulation on use of cell phones and other device distractions in locomotive cabs;
• Requires risk-based safety programs for all major railroads to prevent deaths and injuries; and
• Creates a National Transportation Safety Board office to assist families of passengers following rail disasters.
CRS Analysis: This is the vital part of the legislation. It addresses two issues, fatigue and positive train control.
The leading cause of railroad accidents, according to the FRA's Office of Safety Data Analysis, is human error. The labor unions, likethe BLET have long supported and researched the affect of schedule and fatigue on railroad operations, and any measure that could limit human error must be investigated and solutions implemented. This bill is a solid start at addressing these issues.
In the debate over positive train control, one of the stick points has been funding. Congress steps up with funds to help upgrade trains with PTC technology, and prudently identifies that trains that need PTC the most, HAZMAT freight and Passenger rail.
3. The Clean Railroads Act of 2008 which:
• Allows states to clean up solid waste processing facilities on rail sites, which have avoided regulation through a loophole in Federal law; and
• Applies state standards for air pollution, water pollution and fire safety to transfer facilities handling and storing solid waste in open dumps.
CRS Anaylsis: The dangers the public faces is not limited only to HAZMATs, derailments, terrorisma nd grade crossings. Environmental concerns affect public health, and potential health hazards from rail yards and other solid waste facilites on rail property is a threat that needs to be addressed. The CRS News archives has several stories about increased cancer rates around rail yards, and other negative effects due to enivornmental contamination.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Metrolink Collision Links
Here are some interesting links from around the country spurred on by the wake of the Metrolink crash last Friday.
Positive Train Control (LA Times)
Positive Train Control (NY Times)
Engineer Didn't Brake (International Herald Tribune)
Congress Imposed Railroad Liability Cap Could Be Tested (LA Times)
Sightlines Tested (Contra Costa Times)
Push for Positive Train Control Legislation (Ventura County Star)
The central theme running through today's coverage of the aftermath of the accident, as you can see, is positive train control. This is an explosive issue both on the railroad and labor side of the issue, and we'll be delving further into the topic in the future.
Positive Train Control (LA Times)
Positive Train Control (NY Times)
Engineer Didn't Brake (International Herald Tribune)
Congress Imposed Railroad Liability Cap Could Be Tested (LA Times)
Sightlines Tested (Contra Costa Times)
Push for Positive Train Control Legislation (Ventura County Star)
The central theme running through today's coverage of the aftermath of the accident, as you can see, is positive train control. This is an explosive issue both on the railroad and labor side of the issue, and we'll be delving further into the topic in the future.
Disaster in Los Angeles
First and foremost, our deepest thoughts of sympathy go out to the families and those affected by the disastrous collision of a Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train last Friday. The focus now is rightfully on dealing with the grief of the losses and investigating the reasons for this senseless tragedy.
However, as live returns to normal again, we must look at what can be learned from this accident, and how those lessons can be applied to prevent further tragedies. It is inevitable that accidents, derailments, grade-crossing accidents will occur. Man if a fallible species and no matter how hard we try, we can not be perfect. However we cannot use the excuse that "accidents will happen, regardless" to justify inaction. Even if we are not a perfect species, it does not prevent us from striving for perfection.
I was working the Citizens for Rail Safety booth at a conference last summer when several representatives of some of the Class 1 railroads came to our table. One representative remarked to me "We have the safest railroad in the country." I replied "Yes, but you could always be safer." The point of CRS is not to castigate or demonize the railroads. Our mission is to further spur on the quest for the safest possible railroads for all stake holders in the railroad industry.
Yes, Operation Lifesaver has done a tremendous job throughout their history in reducing the number of grade crossing accidents, yet our recent study conducted by the University of Louisville shows that rates in many states have plateaued. Yes, the railroads have spent millions in closing redundant crossings, improving track infrastructure, and installing video recording devices. Yet there is still more than can do, from installing devices that monitor track bed shifts, to maintaining vegetation sightlines, and making sure whistle signs are at all crossings. States have done much to improve crossings, yet more can be done to reduce crossing accidents. Congress has passed legislation that make the railroads more economically efficient and safer, however many of those provisions are minimally enforced due to lack of adequate resources. These, and many more instances are all faults in the system that leave open the potential for more senseless loss of life, and damage to our local and national economies. These are all areas where the industry can be safer, and where we should work to be safer.
A safe railroad is an efficient railroad, and an efficient railroad is good for everyone.
Hopefully more people do not have to lose their lives to further illustrate this point.
However, as live returns to normal again, we must look at what can be learned from this accident, and how those lessons can be applied to prevent further tragedies. It is inevitable that accidents, derailments, grade-crossing accidents will occur. Man if a fallible species and no matter how hard we try, we can not be perfect. However we cannot use the excuse that "accidents will happen, regardless" to justify inaction. Even if we are not a perfect species, it does not prevent us from striving for perfection.
I was working the Citizens for Rail Safety booth at a conference last summer when several representatives of some of the Class 1 railroads came to our table. One representative remarked to me "We have the safest railroad in the country." I replied "Yes, but you could always be safer." The point of CRS is not to castigate or demonize the railroads. Our mission is to further spur on the quest for the safest possible railroads for all stake holders in the railroad industry.
Yes, Operation Lifesaver has done a tremendous job throughout their history in reducing the number of grade crossing accidents, yet our recent study conducted by the University of Louisville shows that rates in many states have plateaued. Yes, the railroads have spent millions in closing redundant crossings, improving track infrastructure, and installing video recording devices. Yet there is still more than can do, from installing devices that monitor track bed shifts, to maintaining vegetation sightlines, and making sure whistle signs are at all crossings. States have done much to improve crossings, yet more can be done to reduce crossing accidents. Congress has passed legislation that make the railroads more economically efficient and safer, however many of those provisions are minimally enforced due to lack of adequate resources. These, and many more instances are all faults in the system that leave open the potential for more senseless loss of life, and damage to our local and national economies. These are all areas where the industry can be safer, and where we should work to be safer.
A safe railroad is an efficient railroad, and an efficient railroad is good for everyone.
Hopefully more people do not have to lose their lives to further illustrate this point.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Data! Data! Data!
In a story featured in Progressive Railroading, the FRA is proposing new rules for the reporting of safety data.
Since Citizens for Rail Safety primarily focuses on educating the public through research, data is the lifeblood of this mission. This past Tuesday, Executive Director Patricia Abbate introduced a study conducted by the University of Louisville Center for Hazards Research about rail grade crossing regulation and data trends. (This study is available to CRS Members.Click here to join.) This study was a follow-up to the rail-grade mapping project that CRS released in August of 2007.
Both Louisville studies relied heavily on the publically available data on the FRA's Office of Safety Analysis website. This site is an invaluable tool to any researcher/policy maker who is trying to make our railroads safer, and ultimately more efficient.
However in order for policy makers and safety advocates to make the best policy decisions, develop mitigation strategies, and address the most pertinent issues, the data has to be accurate. Current data submitted to the FRA is often incomplete and inaccurate and does not adequately reflect or address the problems that the railroads face.
Some of the suggested areas for more reporting include:
- Accident incident reports from third party entities
- 24 hour report on all fatalities
- Reporting of suicides and attempted suicides to better quantify fatality data
- Platform gap injuries/fatalities
- Illnesses throughout the railroad operating environment
- Video of incidents from locomotive cameras
This is a wonderful development in the world of rail safety, and if these regulations pass Congress, it would be a tremendous step towards makign the rails safer and more efficient.
One of the problems that the researchers at Louisville came across was incomplete and sometimes inaccurate data.
Since Citizens for Rail Safety primarily focuses on educating the public through research, data is the lifeblood of this mission. This past Tuesday, Executive Director Patricia Abbate introduced a study conducted by the University of Louisville Center for Hazards Research about rail grade crossing regulation and data trends. (This study is available to CRS Members.Click here to join.) This study was a follow-up to the rail-grade mapping project that CRS released in August of 2007.
Both Louisville studies relied heavily on the publically available data on the FRA's Office of Safety Analysis website. This site is an invaluable tool to any researcher/policy maker who is trying to make our railroads safer, and ultimately more efficient.
However in order for policy makers and safety advocates to make the best policy decisions, develop mitigation strategies, and address the most pertinent issues, the data has to be accurate. Current data submitted to the FRA is often incomplete and inaccurate and does not adequately reflect or address the problems that the railroads face.
Some of the suggested areas for more reporting include:
- Accident incident reports from third party entities
- 24 hour report on all fatalities
- Reporting of suicides and attempted suicides to better quantify fatality data
- Platform gap injuries/fatalities
- Illnesses throughout the railroad operating environment
- Video of incidents from locomotive cameras
This is a wonderful development in the world of rail safety, and if these regulations pass Congress, it would be a tremendous step towards makign the rails safer and more efficient.
One of the problems that the researchers at Louisville came across was incomplete and sometimes inaccurate data.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Sweet Home Chicago
Chicago and the state of Illinois' importance to the railroad infrastructure of this country is vital. Here's a recent snapshot of articles from Chicago and Illinois and some recent FRA data.
Derailment in Joliet
New Rail line from Chicago to Dubuque?
STB Rejects CN Plan for Early Approval of EJ&E sale
Budget cuts damage CTA capacity
METRA eliminates "Bar Car" on commuter trains
Statistics for 2008
(Source: FRA Office of Safety Data Analysis. Dates 1/1/8-6/30/8))
- 86 total accidents in the state of Illinois. 40 in Cook County, which includes Chicago.
- 68 Derailments in Illinois. 32 in Cook County.
- 31 of the accidents were due to human error. 19 in Cook County
- 76 Highway-Rail grade crossing accidents in Illinois. 20 in Cook County
- 18 fatalities in Illinoin from Rail grade crossing accidents. 3 in Cook County
- 12 of the crossing accidents were at private crossings. 4 in Cook County
- 27 incidents involving trains carrying HAZMATS. 13 in Cook County
Derailment in Joliet
New Rail line from Chicago to Dubuque?
STB Rejects CN Plan for Early Approval of EJ&E sale
Budget cuts damage CTA capacity
METRA eliminates "Bar Car" on commuter trains
Statistics for 2008
(Source: FRA Office of Safety Data Analysis. Dates 1/1/8-6/30/8))
- 86 total accidents in the state of Illinois. 40 in Cook County, which includes Chicago.
- 68 Derailments in Illinois. 32 in Cook County.
- 31 of the accidents were due to human error. 19 in Cook County
- 76 Highway-Rail grade crossing accidents in Illinois. 20 in Cook County
- 18 fatalities in Illinoin from Rail grade crossing accidents. 3 in Cook County
- 12 of the crossing accidents were at private crossings. 4 in Cook County
- 27 incidents involving trains carrying HAZMATS. 13 in Cook County
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