The urban rail OUTLOOK - Industry Overview

Railway Age, Feb, 1999 by Julian Wolinsky, William D. Middleton

CLEVELAND

This summer, Cleveland RTA expects to add a new West Third Street station to the four original stations on the Waterfront Line that will serve the Justice Center, the Warehouse District, and a new Cleveland Browns football stadium. A possible sixth station would serve a planned Cleveland World Trade Center.

Late last year consultants MK Centennial began a major investment study for a proposed extension of the Waterfront Line that will loop back from its present East 12th Street terminal through downtown Cleveland to a junction with the Blue/Green light rail system. RTA is now moving ahead with a second major investment study for a proposed extension of the Blue Line to the junction of I-271 and Harvard Road. Still another major investment study is considering an extension of the RTA's Red Line metro westward to Berea.

CHICAGO

The Chicago Transit Authority continues to focus its capital investment on rehabilitation and modernization of the existing rail system. Total CTA needs for renewal and improvement of its physical assets over the next five years have been estimated at $4.1 billion. CTA is still seeking a $138 million state appropriation for a required 20% local match for two major rehabilitation and improvement projects for the elevated system.

ST. LOUIS

On the Missouri side of the Mississippi River, the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council is expected to make a decision next June on a route for a 7.5-mile MetroLink LRT extension from Forest Park to Shrewsbury. Although most of the line will be at grade, consultants are analyzing wide-ranging citizen input suggesting subway or elevated alternatives in several communities. East-West Gateway officials are anxious to avoid running LRVs in mixed traffic in order to maintain the system's current average speed. The cost could run as high as $400 million.

NEW ORLEANS

Final design for the Regional Transit Authority's Canal streetcar line was due to start this month. An application has been submitted for 80% federal funding and the RTA hopes to get most of the remainder from the state. However, the city's share may be in doubt after council members turned down the agency's bid for a fare increase. The RTA is also about halfway through a major investment study on another new streetcar corridor roughly paralleling the old Desire line.

DALLAS

Construction is well under way on two lengthy extensions of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) LRT network. The 12.3-mile North Central Corridor will open in two stages, extending from the existing Park Lane station to Richardson in the summer of 2002, and reaching Plano a year later. The 11-mile Northeast Corridor, which starts at Mockingbird Station, is scheduled to be completed in three sections; first to Northwest Highway in the fall of 2001, then to the LBJ Free-way in the spring of 2002, and finally to Garland in the fall of 2002. Major investment studies are scheduled for completion this autumn for a Northwest line would connect the downtown area with Carroll-ton, and a Southeast line to Pleasant Grove.