 |
| Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Jersey City, New Jersey en.wikipedia.org |
Today we are going to move from the ethics of designing death chambers and solitary confinement cells to investing in infrastructure, specifically, investing in public transportation. Infrastructure investment is something that has potential to yield good long term results. Unfortunately, the congressional powers that be cannot seem to take the long view when it comes to investing in road repair and new rail lines. In fact as Klaus Philipsen points out in his blog post, "Transit: Losing by Not Investing," "Infrastructure is an investment without a direct or short-term return, and so is often the first victim when politicians run on austerity and fiscal prudence but really cater to immediate gratification and private consumption at the expense of long term thinking and communal benefits." Instant gratification, we all like that but when it comes to mass transportation, instant gratification and private consumption at the expense of the greater good is not the way to go.
 |
| Portland MAX Flickr user Trimet via Creative Commons Portland, Oregon citylab.com |
However, it would not surprise Mr. Philipsen (or blogger for that matter) if a newly elected or incumbent governor were to scrap a fully-funded or in progress transportation project. Why the matter-of-fact attitude? Mr. Philipsen writes, "The Governors in three states rejected federal High Speed rail (HSR) money that had been set aside for their state." Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey not only refused a much needed rail tunnel under the Hudson River, but even returned some of the money.
 |
| Route 40 in Maryland en.wikipedia.org |
 |
| Baltimore Red Line Station baltimoreheritage.org |
 |
| Washington D.C. area Purple Line streetsblog.com |
Most Marylanders never use transit
This statement is true, even in Baltimore. Mr. Philipsen posits, "But if we want this to improve, the transit system must be expanded." This point is underscored in DC where
 |
| MDOT Capital Program Summary archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com |
 |
| Red Line train archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com |
Excellent question. Both lines have been studied for over twelve years, a third of that time under a previous Republican administration. Each project has consumed millions of planning dollars and thousands of community participation hours. Options such as surface rail, underground rail, rapid bus, and assorted route alternatives were analyzed, compared, and evaluated. Full Environmental Impact Statements were readied, reviewed, and approved. A Locally Preferred Alternative was chosen based on the best cost benefit ratio determined by strict FTA standard conceived under President George W. Bush, who put forth a comprehensive transportation bill called ISTEA. Under a newly modified formula benefits, such as ridership, were quantified based on vigorously tested and calibrated metropolitan models including demographic projections, time savings, and environmental benefits. The high tunnel cost of the LPA are countered by travel speed increases and ridership from rerouting lines with the highest densities of riders. Alternatives to the LPA were looked at but never gained traction because they were found not to be as cost beneficial or technically feasible. Other alternatives, proposed by project opponents, were simply the same plans, with a new look and did just as badly or worse. Mr. Philipsen adds, "...anybody who thinks that design modifications can still be made at the time when the projects are ready to be bid completely misjudges the time it takes to get altered design documents bid ready." In the case of the Purple Line, a request for P3 documents were due in January, now due in March to give the Hogan administration time to settle in. Each submitter is granted a stipend for the effort it took to submit a proposal, making the bid useless would cost $8 million. In the case of the Red Line, 50 percent of the work is also P3; requested proposals concurrent with bids for an additional 50 percent in 2015.
 |
| Light Rail Train station Institute for Transportation and Development planetizen.com |
Governor Hogan could decide to delay these projects but, "Any delay would most likely be tantamount to death for the projects through loss of $1.8 billion of federal funding that would most certainly come with delay." New transit projects starts are extremely competitive. Dozens of cities vie for about $14 billion set aside by the FTA for New Starts proposals annually. Maryland's twin New Starts both received recommendations and are funded in fiscal year 2015 with $100 million a piece. Thus, any delay would not only increase construction costs but move the projects to the rear of the line. The Governor should remember that under the previous Republican administration, which he was part of, there were extensive efforts to push the Red Line in the direction of BRT. The conclusion, bus tunnels proved more costly than LRT tunnels and surface BRT were shown not as beneficial over existing bus service or required lanes that intruded on downtown traffic.
 |
| Baltimore Light Rail at BWI Airport en.wikipedia.org |
Can we afford them when the budget appears to significant shortfalls as its?
Whenever a new gubernatorial administration takes office, the usual angst over the previous administration's inability to balance the state budget ensues. Be that as it may, as Mr. Philipsen reports, "...every year when a new budget has to be proposed by Maryland's Governor, projections downsize the expected revenue and increase expected expenditures." This ritual is played in statehouses across the United States, including Maryland which actually in a better fiscal position than most states. Further, the Governor has put forth a proposal, approved by the General Assembly, significant revenue increases for the Transportation Trust Fund from higher gasoline tax, linking tax to inflation as well as other adjustments. This resulted in a $400-600 million in additional annual revenues which could pay for more than the twin New Starts lines draw from the trust fund. This is the point, to make the Trust Fund flush enough to afford new investments. To balance this out, the 2015 budget includes significant amounts have been earmarked for roads and bridges. In 2014, the Maryland State Legislature approved a "lock box" proviso that would make it harder to divert transportation revenues to balance the general budget.
 |
| Maryland MTA Light Rail sign bmore.jschool.umd.edu |
New transit projects are not cheap and the Baltimore Red Line comes with a nearly 3 billion price tag. No body is going to argue the fact that the Red Line is expensive. How did this happen, especially when initial cost estimates were much lower? According to Mr. Philipsen, "The main reason has to do with the decision to tunnel the project through all of downtown and through the entire historic Fells Point area as well as for a short segment on the west side of town near the county line." Despite trains shorter than subways, the below ground portions of the LRT approach the cost of said subway systems because of the costs associated with bored tunnels, similar cut and cover stations, escalators, elevators, smoke evacuation systems, and so on all identical to subway systems. Further, the underground segments require further investigation because who knows what lurks beneath. Thus, we can conclude that it was the tunnels that droves the cost estimates up-a per mile cost stands at almost $203 million-"still significantly below that of a full fledged metro system which requires full track separation on bridges or tunnels throughout."
 |
| Baltimore Light Trolley heritagetrolley.org |
To those who suggest "alternatives" should, in the words of Mr. Philipsen, "...admit that they are not really transit advocates, have no real alternative project, and are working to undermine the largest investment this state has ever made." The Red and Purple Lines are the only FTA recommended New Start projects with approved EIS, priced and ready to go.
 |
| Howard Street Light Transit kittelson.com |
No comments:
Post a Comment