FWIW- Construction of Salt Lake's Sugarhouse Streetcar (2.74 miles) is now underway, though the 'official' groundbreaking isn't until next month:

http://www.rideuta.com/mc/?page=Proj...r-Construction

Yes, please followed the link:

This is only for Central Mesa 3.1 mile extension.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/METROrailConstruction

And also, there is more PHX SkyTrain. You can see how is construction in progress.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/PHXSkyHarbor

You can see how is construction in progress. You will see it.

2.7 track miles, which means including the tracks in both directions. Basically double-counting.

The Mesa web site says construction has not started yet. *Design* has started, but not construction. The facebook page N830MH linked to says construction starts on May 30. And no, I'm not going to include airport people movers; some of them might be rail, but we can all agree they're a different animal than urban rail.

Added these three to the list.

Thanks! I saw some construction workers the other day. It's finally started!

Relatively minor but RTD broke ground on the 1.5 mile I225 LRT extension from 9 mile to Iliff today.

They are still in the RFP process to extend it beyond Iliff. That process was initiated after Kiewit's unsolicited bid to finish the rest of that corridor.

I wasn't making a case for LRT to be used at 65mph in city streets. I was simply pointing out that they max out at 65mph, not 55mph. Depends on the model, yes, but the splits between Streetcar max speeds and LRT max speeds should be: 45mph max for Streetcars and 65mph max for LRT. That was all, I was saying.

Salt Lake City Draper extension missing
 

The Salt Lake City UTA 3.8 mile Draper light rail extension is missing as under construction. http://www.rideuta.com/mc/?page=Proj...e-Construction

With good reason. Other then looking impressive on agency maps with superficial connectivity it would really provide very little excepting taking people to nowhere places to other nowhere places. It is MUCH to spend billions of dollars elsewhere on Metra lines. The other three projects (particularly the UP-W and UP-NW improvements) are very worthwhile IMO.

By the way a few years ago there was a press release about extending the Milwaukee North Line (Fox Lake) to have a split branch up north by Rockland Rd. that would extend north to Gurnee. Giving its proximity to Gurnee Mills, Six Flags, Lambs Farm, and Abott Laboratories I thought would have been a real good idea. Haven't heard anything about it since however.

I for one wish Metra would for once focus on increasing train frequency on its more heavily used lines, even if this runs were "limited runs".....that is runs that didn't proceed to line terminus. I think the north line for instance should run on the half hour during the week; and perhaps eeven on Saturday, every hour or so on Sunday would be sufficient. Quit expanding to area where the stations might get 100 riders a day instead increase frequency in the inner metra region to turn metra into a more viable comprehensive transportation alternative.

Ramping up city service with new infill stations and more frequency would probably require electrification. Not that it isn't a conversation worth having since Metra already blows through populated areas that have less than ideal CTA rail access.

Getting UP to seriously discuss electrification is going to be...challenging. Maybe Metra could do a pilot program on the RI first.

Let me preface with the fact that I am in no way a transit professional, engineer etc. Why would electrification be required....pollution, fuel costs? I am curious.

I imagine one of the barriers to increasing frequency..... besides the institutional inertia of an organization that has historically looked to ever expanding into suburbia as its method of growth.....is that there may be capacity constraints at the DT terminus and other "crossovers" where trains that don't complete a run can be rerouted back the other direction.

I don't know the lingo so I am trying to describe as best I can.

Denver just broke ground on 1.5 mile LRT extension

http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/i225_2

It really has little to do with pollution or fuel cost - although those would be side benefits. To best understand why electrified trains serving lines with short intervals between stations just look at the L, and imagine if the propulsion was diesel instead of electricity.

Or for another example imagine a diesel locomotive hauled train of 6 carriages, nearly fully loaded. You've seen a train like this accelerate from zero mph. It is painfully slow, not to mention loud. Most of Metra's operations are just this. Now imagine an electrically driven 6 carriage EMU train leaving a station fully loaded - quick acceleration, low noise.

Diesel propulsion of trains = low starting torque and long acceleration time. Electric propulsion of trains = high starting torque and fast acceleration time.


As a side note, I'd love to see those new Stadler KISS double deck EMU's running on newly electrified Metra lines. I can dream...

Added the 1.5 mile and 3.8 mile Denver & SLC lines.

It's a little bit early, but RTD Denver plans to issue a notice to proceed in the 3rd quarter of this year and begin Construction from Denver Union Station to the National Western Stock Show/Denver Coliseum complex in early 2014. This is the EMU North Corridor. Not sure on exact miles for this phase 1, I think it's ~2-3 miles? can't add it to the list yet, but they'l be doing a groundbreaking, before we know it.

Sacramento Regional Transit just broke ground on the first part of the Blue Line extension today.

Link to information on today's event and expansion overview:
http://blueline2crc.com/information-center/

Here's a link to the recent article about the extension from the Sacramento Bee.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/29/452...extension.html



http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2012/...1zqcB.Xl.4.gif
Sacramento Bee

Mesa light-rail expansion on track (Arizona Republic)
 

Another light rail extension to add to the list.

Mesa light-rail expansion on track
Construction to begin on $200 mil extension


by Sean Holstege
May. 30, 2012
Arizona Republic

"Valley Metro is set to break ground today on the first light-rail expansion, a 3.1-mile stretch into downtown Mesa that city leaders hope will bring a sorely needed economic boost.

The $200 million extension is expected to attract thousands more East Valley riders daily and potentially nurture new development along the line.

Mesa's hopes reflect a broader optimism among Valley transit planners. After delaying and scaling back projects during the recession, they see new signs of life for efforts to build out the system..."

http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news...ak-ground.html

What would folks think if I pinned this? Good idea? Bad idea?

good

good

Oh, and I added the Mesa and Sacto extensions.

i believe the Crenshaw line in LA should also be considered under construction. They are relocating utilities at this point if i remember correctly and heavy construction should start in August

The MBTA is currently extending the Fitchburg commuter rail line 4.5 miles to an under construction station called Wachusett, to be located adjacent to the Route 2 highway. Most of the funding is from the federal stimulus act.

Wachusett Commuter Rail Extension
http://transportation.blog.state.ma....extension.html

RTD Denver received an unsolicited bid for the remaining 9.5 miles of the I-225 LRT line, from Kiewit. A second competitive bid from Balfour Beatty Ames Joint Venture was also submitted. Both bids were determined to be viable. Kiewit's bid was superior though and RTD plans to recommend moving forward with their offer. This means a significant unfunded portion of FasTracks will now move forward. Kiewit says they will have the LRT line open by 2015 -- construction will be underway soon! Can't add it yet, but it's certainly looking positive.

Minneapolis/Saint Paul's Central Corridor is not and never was the "central line". It will open as the Green Line.

The Miami Metrorail 2.4 mile extension to the Miami airport opened this week. I was wondering when was the last actual track mileage extension with a new station of a rapid transit heavy rail system in the US? Not an infill station or a rebuild, but an actual extension of a Metro rail system?

The last extension to the DC Metro system was the Blue line 3.2 miles extension to Largo Town Center in December, 2004. When the last extension to BART? Any other Metro or subway system extensions since 2004?

In the next 4+ years, the 11 miles and 5 stations of the DC Metro Silver Line phase 1 will open (December 2013 projection), #7 Line extension in NYC in 2014?, then the Second Ave Subway phase 1, so the new few years will be busier than the last few.

The SFO/Millbrae extension, with four new stations, opened in June, 2003.

Found that the Tern Urbano transit system in San Juan, Puerto Rico opened in December 17, 2004. Almost to the same day, the DC Metro Blue line extension to Largo Town Center in MD opened on December 18, 2004.

Unless there were other extensions I don't know of, it may have been 7-1/2 years since the last extension of a heavy rail rapid transit system in the US opened for service. Been a number of new light rail and streetcar lines, but not heavy rail transit. I was wondering in context of the systems and track mileage of heavy rail rapid transit that are currently under construction or just opened in Miami, how long has it been since there new Metro / subway extensions or new service were added in the US.

awful for Detroit, every major and non major cities building away, and my hometown still cant get it togeather.

Groundbreaking for the next Sound Transit light rail expansion will be next Friday, August 17th. This is for a 4.3 mile extension of the Link main line from the University of Washington to the Northgate neighborhood.

http://www.soundtransit.org/About-So...ing-invite.xml

I think the Miami Airport Orange Line extension opened, so it can probably be taken off the "under construction" list.

Pre construction utility replacement starts tomorrow on the Regional connector subway in Downtown LA.

some sort of work is now being done on the following lines in LA

1) Gold Line LRT Foothill Extension 2 - Heavy Construction
2) Expo Line LRT Phase 2 - Heavy Construction
3) Crenshaw Line LRT - Pre Construction Utility Work
4) Downtown Regional Connector - LRT Subway - Pre Construction Utility Work
5) Purple line Subway - Utility work starts next month

But we're to believe that high speed rail won't work in California because there is no transit once you get to Los Angeles. Ha!

I don't think this fits the intent of the thread, but Caltrain (commuter rail) is currently constructing one mile of aerial track in San Bruno.

its practically impossible and the 380,000 rail boardings a day dont count :D

Sound Transit's Sounder Commuter Rail is opening two new stations tomorrow in South Tacoma and Lakewood.

http://seattletimes.com/html/localne...ounder07m.html

honolulu's near lock for mayor in november has killing the rapid transit project as his #1 priority, so we can expect that one to disappear from this list pretty much as of his election (he's ahead by 30 points in the polls). a real bummer, considering how great the project is, how far along it is, how well funded it is, how tough it was to keep it all together for so long, how horrible hawaiian traffic is, how smoggy it gets there, how unbikeable the place is, and how well it could shape development on oahu over the next 100 years. way to go, guys!

in better news, i was talking with some folks at a recent spur party here in sf and there should be an announcement fairly shortly on the extension of our f streetcar line into by another .5 mile or so along the water and through an existing tunnel (to fort mason).

EDIT: Ok i'm specifically not supposed to show this detailed look at Pittsburgh new $529 million under river subway extension because it is already completed. So I won't post it here. But click here to view the correct Transportation light rail thread to see this very cool project - http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...167125&page=11

Keiwit will start construction on the final 9.5 miles of the I-225 LRT line, very soon. Construction is scheduled to be fully complete by mid-2015 (only 2.5 years away) and then followed by 6 months of testing before it goes operational in early 2016.

That brings this total:
Denver West & 225 lines - 14 miles
Up to 22.6 miles for LRT under construction in Denver

I suppose this is as good of a place as any to post it but the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report yesterday looking at New Starts and Small Starts transit funding from 2004 to 2012.

Funding for New Starts and Small Starts Projects, October 2004 through June 2012

"Local funding exceeded total federal funding contributions for the 25 New Starts projects, accounting for $16.3 billion, or almost half, of $33.8 billion of total project funding (see figure below) from October 2004 through June 2012. This outcome reflects the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) policy to encourage project sponsors to seek less than 60 percent of the project's costs from New Start funds--less than the allowable 80-percent New Starts-share maximum. Local agencies used a wide variety of sources, but most commonly used sales taxes for their contributions to the projects; sales taxes were used for 13 of the 25 projects. Federal funds from all sources for New Starts projects totaled about $15.2 billion. The New Starts program alone provided about $14 billion, or 92 percent of the federal funds during this period. Federal-aid highway funding that was "flexed," or transferred, to transit was the second largest source of federal funds, providing about $720 million. Finally, states provided about $2.3 billion, or about 7 percent of total funding, to 13 of the 25 projects. States obtained most of this funding from bonds or other debt mechanisms.

Conversely, total federal funding was the largest source of funding for the 32 Small and Very Small Starts projects, constituting about $1.4 billion, or two-thirds of $2.1 billion in project funding. Most federal funds, about $1.1 billion of the $1.4 billion, came from the Small Starts and Very Small Starts programs. Flexed federal highway funds again were the second largest federal funding source and provided about $195 million. Local agencies provided about $513 million or about 24 percent of total project funding. Local sales taxes, the primary source of local funding, were used on about half of the projects and provided 55 percent of local funding. States again provided the smallest share, about $188 million or almost 9 percent of total funding, and 17 of the 32 projects received state funding. States obtained most of the funding from bonds and other forms of debt..."

http://gao.gov/assets/660/650030.pdf

That near lock for mayor - LOST !
Honolulu Rail will become a reality.

I wonder what percentage of New Starts funding came from private financing? They left that part out. Pre-2004, it was likely zero percent or near zero percent. So it'd definitely be interesting to know just how much that grew since 2004.

I updated the main list on the first page, to include:

• LA's Crenshaw line
• Boston's Wachusett extension
• Seattle's Northgate light rail

When Denver's 225 line actually starts, I'll add it.

And I removed the 2 mile Miami Airport link, which is complete

Portland's East Side streetcar line opened in September.

Removed.

Dallas' Blue line extension opened so I moved it off the list.

A quick blurb about Regional Transit's Blue Line extension recently. They just received federal funding for the full phase 2 extension and work will begin in April, with an opening towards the end of 2015. This news in in addition to the work already started on the grade separations.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/30/502...t-closing.html


And the initial Green Line segment opened a while back as well. The next phase will take it over the American River in the Natomas neighborhood and eventually to the airport, but that will be quite a few years out.

Apparently DART also opened 4 miles of its Orange line extension yesterday. I've left the Orange line extension on the list because they are still working on the 2nd phase (to DFW Airport), but reduced the mileage.

I just read through all these posts and I'm ready for a good cry!

Las Vegas, of all cities, can't even get a streetcar or light rail down its famed Las Vegas Strip to the downtown Fremont Street district, let alone steer it to the nearby Airport. :koko:

I've been puzzled about this in all the 16 years I've lived here! Can't exactly put my finger on the reasons why.

Some say, the casino operators would be against it, as they want their patrons to spend all their time and $ in their mega resorts. Build a rail system and it would be too easy for them to go elsewhere, to their competitors.

Our powerful taxi unions in this city are not to be taken lightly, as light rail could very well bring an end to many of their jobs. When the monorail (that kiddy train!) was built, and there were wheels mysteriously falling off it, I knew a retired taxi driver who told me: That's no mystery! The taxi drivers are sabotaging the system!

And if there's truth to that, imagine how they'd sabotage our light rail system!!! A mysterious, unsolvable bombing?

I do pray that most cities in this country get light rail, get accustomed to it, fly into a city and there's a rail car waiting for you at the Airport, to speed you away to your destination.

And then? Within time, with all the 3-4 million visitors that come to Las Vegas, they will start asking questions, embarrassing us:

"What's this anyway!!! No rail line from the Airport to the Strip? And this is suppose to be such a modern, futuristic city!!! You mean I'm stuck taking taxi's everywhere!!!":runaway: