Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail (South Coast Rail)

Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

If that is the only way you look at it then, yes, it seems like a waste. But $1.4 billion isn't just to get 12,000 people to Boston, it is an investment in the entire South Shore. If you look at it as how much development can a $1.4 billion rail line potentially bring in then I think it makes a lot more sense.

Ok, agreed. That said, $1.4B to move 12,000 per day AND promote growth of suburbs. Pass.

How much of the Boston-NYC line could be upgraded to achieve higher speeds for Acela?
How much of the existing commuter rail tracks could be electrified?
Green line to Medford?
Blue to Red line connector?
Initial urban ring construction?

I'm not particular anti this line as far as placing it very low on the list of priorities, perhaps just above the N. & S. Station connector tunnel and the Silver Line "bus" tunnel.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

The Commuter Rail has received a lot of work in recent years, time to shift money and effort back to rapid transit. You can't keep feeding more and more passengers into a system that isn't getting much attention.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

I agree,

The mbta spent the 90's expanding commuter rail, the 00's on BRT, now its time to focus on rapid transit again. I think the T should ditch Light rail in favor of Heavy Rail/Subway...

The Orange Line is too short and should have branches to Dudley and Chelsea. The Blue line should run parallel to the Green Line subway and also run north west from Bowdoin replacing the plan for the green line extension to Medford.

That's just my opinion...
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Deval is pushing this. He is the governor and has to deal with everybody. It makes sense for him to push a project that reaches out to the southern part of the state and not just something like the blue-red connector which has a geographically tiny impact.

If Lynn wants the blue line, than the mayor of Lynn needs to push for it.


Must suck to live in Springfield though. Not even the casino plan included them
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Picking the best expansion option for commuters
State and US officials weigh rail, bus routes

By Christine Legere
Globe Correspondent / April 9, 2009

Two rail options and an express bus alternative will be scrutinized by state and federal environmental officials over the next several months, to determine which is the best choice for expanding commuter service southward from Boston to New Bedford and Fall River.

Officials on Monday outlined the scope of their upcoming study, which will be conducted by the office of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The expansion route for South Coast Rail will be identified in a draft environmental impact report to be unveiled around Labor Day, and the final report will be published next spring.

The rail study will consider both diesel and electric power, and is looking at two main options:the Attleboro Alternative, which would run track through Mansfield, Norton, and Taunton; and the Stoughton Alternative, which would extend service along the Stoughton line through Easton, Raynham, and Taunton southward.

Inclusion of the Attleboro Alternative was something of a surprise. This option had not been recommended for further study by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation, because of the estimated cost of more than $2 billion and the expected startup date of about 2020.

The drawbacks include the effect on wetlands, numerous grade crossings in Taunton, and the requirement of a third track running from the Readville section of Boston south, all the way to Attleboro - a stretch of about 20 miles.

But according to South Coast Rail Project Manager Kristina Egan, projected ridership for the option, which was calculated after a list of recommended alternatives was submitted to state environmental officials, was far higher than she expected. So the state Executive Office of Environmental Affairs selected this alternative for further study.

The Stoughton Alternative, which is expected to cost $1.4 billion and begin in 2016, was the final choice in a previous study of rail expansion that concluded in 2002.

The effect on wetlands in the Hockomock Swamp in Easton and the Pine Swamp in Raynham has drawn concern and will be weighed in the coming study. A small change in the plan that would eliminate any impact on the Pine Swamp will be looked at as well.

Easton officials say this option would greatly affect the town's historic district, a well zone, and could delay emergency response. In Stoughton, officials say noise, traffic snarls, and vibration will discourage downtown development. They will be looking for a lowered track through downtown, similar to the one built in Hingham for the Greenbush line.

The so-called rapid bus alternative would run from Fall River and New Bedford to Boston, using dedicated lanes on routes 24, 128, and 93.

Service could begin sometime before the 2016 projected date for the Stoughton Alternative, and it would be the least expensive option, at $500 million. It also would offer the shortest commuting time, at 62 minutes from Boston to Fall River and 68 minutes to New Bedford.

But it does not offer the "smart growth" benefits of rail expansion, which would bring mixed-use development around train stations. Officials in Fall River and New Bedford also oppose this option, saying they prefer the train expansion.

Heather Graf, a Norton resident and founder of the Citizens Concerned About Tracks, said she wasn't happy, but neither was she surprised to see the Attleboro Alternative back on the table. Graf believes it was returned so residents in southeastern Massachusetts will be confident all viable options were thoroughly studied.

"People want to see it proven," Graf said. "They want to see the Attleboro Alternative brought to the same level of study as the Stoughton Alternative."

Graf, who said her group will actively fight the Attleboro Alternative, is confident it will ultimately be eliminated. "It's not just the time it would take to build, it's the cost," Graf said. "It also impacts some critical areas of concern to the north."

Graf said it may be difficult to keep the opposition motivated. "Right now, communities have all they can deal with taking care of budgets and considering overrides," Graf said. "I think a lot of people have the attitude that they're never going to build this expansion anyway."

In Easton, Town Administrator David Colton said officials will be watching the progress of the environmental study closely. "We're just going to keep staying abreast of the situation, keep attending [rail] task force meetings, and commenting where we feel it's appropriate," Colton said. "That's all we can do."

Colton believes the Stoughton Alternative will be the final choice, just as it was in 2002. That time, lack of funding prevented the project from moving forward.

"They're doing a more credible job by having a thorough process this time, but I think the result is going to be the same," Colton said.

Colleen Corona, chairwoman of the Easton Board of Selectmen, said she has the same concerns she voiced during meetings with South Coast Rail officials. "And I have huge concerns about downtown Easton," she said. "I can't imagine the noise implications, with trains coming to a screeching stop and then starting up again."

Meanwhile, the chairman of Middleborough's Board of Selectmen, Patrick Rogers, was relieved to discover that a proposal to expand the rail down through Middleborough was taken off the list for further study.

"From my perspective, I'm very pleased," Rogers said Monday. "I think it would have been detrimental to the downtown." While Middleborough Planner Ruth Geoffroy had argued the rail expansion through town center would help revitalize the downtown, Rogers had disagreed.

"We don't need revitalizing in Middleborough," Rogers said. "When the casino project goes forward, we'll be revitalized. Let the people in the downtown area have some peace and quiet."

Christine Legere can be reached at christinelegere@yahoo.com.

Link

----

"We don't need revitalizing in Middleborough," Rogers said. "When the casino project goes forward, we'll be revitalized. Let the people in the downtown area have some peace and quiet."

This person is a naive imbecile. Way to go
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

This person is a naive imbecile. Way to go

Unfortunately, it's the way FAR too many people in this isolated little corner of the state think. My parents live in Assonet (not far at all from Middleborough) and I can't even tell you how many people think that the rail is going to "take away" from their historic little village. A historic village which used to contain some great specialty shops and restaurants but now has vacant buildings, a pit where a historic building once stood (it was actually moved to Martha's Vinyard), and a gas station/ convenience store and one restaurant that stand as the only signs of commercial life in the area. Hardly anything to "take away from" if you ask me. If anything, the added tax dollars from businesses and residents can help fix up a few historic buildings that have fallen into near disrepair.

They also believe that the rail will bring too much growth to their small rural community (which, don't tell them, is already relatively suburbanized and contains a HUGE portion of land that can't be developed- The Freetown/ Fall River State Forest) OR, depending on who you talk to, the rail will bring "undesirables" and crime. Furthermore, they will try to counteract that awful "sprawl" but setting crazy zoning laws that will keep buildings in the village vacant and encourage any residential growth to be more "sprawling" than it should be. But hey, at least nothing will change, right?
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

For anyone who thinks an active commuter rail line is bad for a historic town center, I'll say just this:

Manchester-by-the-Sea
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Ok, agreed. That said, $1.4B to move 12,000 per day AND promote growth of suburbs. Pass.

How much of the Boston-NYC line could be upgraded to achieve higher speeds for Acela?
How much of the existing commuter rail tracks could be electrified?
Green line to Medford?
Blue to Red line connector?
Initial urban ring construction?

I'm not particular anti this line as far as placing it very low on the list of priorities, perhaps just above the N. & S. Station connector tunnel and the Silver Line "bus" tunnel.

Not sure what the figures look like now, but the 2003 PMT says that the T could electrify the entire commuter rail system for $2 billion. So $1.4 billion would cover 70% of the network--totally worth it in my book.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

For anyone who thinks an active commuter rail line is bad for a historic town center, I'll say just this:

Manchester-by-the-Sea

For anyone who thinks an active commuter rail line is bad for a historic town center, I'll say just this:

Don't worry about your historic town center; your car already killed it.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

For anyone who thinks an active commuter rail line is bad for a historic town center, I'll say just this:

Don't worry about your historic town center; your car already killed it.

You guys are missing the point. These folks don't want an active, vibrant historic town center. They value the sleepiness and privacy. People don't live in these little towns for the excitement, they live there so they can have some peace and quiet between trips to more exciting places. They're probably perfectly happy with their boarded-up shops and tales of how nice it used to be before "other people" ruined it. It boosts their ego.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

You guys are missing the point. These folks don't want an active, vibrant historic town center. They value the sleepiness and privacy. People don't live in these little towns for the excitement, they live there so they can have some peace and quiet between trips to more exciting places. They're probably perfectly happy with their boarded-up shops and tales of how nice it used to be before "other people" ruined it. It boosts their ego.

Exactly. And if something does take up shop in that old building or shop, then it's a disaster because it doesn't have the same character that "Such and Such" used to have. It's backwater thinking at its finest.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

http://is.gd/sXaz

"Walkable, to a point
April 12, 2009
WALKABILITY IS a great idea ("Walk this way: It's healthy, green, and in fashion. Just how walkable is your neighborhood?" Globe West, April 5). I think I'll load my kids in the van and drive into Lexington. We'll walk to all the businesses that we don't want to live around. Then we'll come home to unwalkable Carlisle to stroll around the neighborhood in peace and quiet while seeing deer, beavers, wild turkeys, and foxes, and actually being able to hear the bluebirds.

Cynthia Sorn
Carlisle"

This is the kind of idiocy we're dealing with here people.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

...and Lexington should force people like that to pay absurdly high parking fines so it doesn't have to bear the burden of their selfish externality.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

Cahill says rail might not be feasible
By Jack Spillane
jspillane@s-t.com
May 13, 2009 6:00 AM

NEW BEDFORD ? State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill said Tuesday it will be "virtually impossible" to build a commuter rail line to the city and Fall River without a major turnaround in the state's economy.

As state treasurer, he knows just how badly the state's revenue sources have collapsed, he told The Standard-Times Editorial Board, and he cannot think of any scenario in the current economy in which the local rail line could be built.

"Unless the federal government can finance it," he added. He then quickly expressed skepticism that federal assistance would be available in the immediate years to come.

"They don't trust us because of what happened with the Big Dig."

The federal government just downgraded its commitment to a $2.1 billion expansion of Roxbury's Silver Line, connecting Boston Common to South Station, he noted.

Cahill, 50, also said the state's economic crisis is so acute that it should even consider jettisoning current planning and environmental studies for the long-sought rail line.

"I think it has to be on the table," he said of immediately stopping funding of the environmental studies and the planning of the South Coast Rail Project, although he is not opposed to continue that funding if the state can afford it.

Cahill described his position as generated by his desire to be fiscally responsible.

"I'm not going to make a commitment that could make me more popular down here and not be able to fulfill it," he said.

He doesn't want Southeastern Massachusetts residents to describe him 10 years from now the same way they describe previous governors who guaranteed rail but did not deliver, he said.

Cahill's position puts him in opposition to Gov. Deval Patrick, who strongly supported building the rail line as a 2006 gubernatorial candidate and who, as governor, has embarked on a more aggressive rail planning process than his predecessors. He has guaranteed, in fact, that the rail line will be built by 2016 ? a year after his second term in office, should he be re-elected.

Cahill, a former Quincy city councilor and Norfolk County treasurer, surprised many when he won a vacant treasurer's seat seven years ago. He was re-elected in 2006.

He said he is not attempting to position himself as more conservative on finances than the governor, or trying to appeal to more conservative suburbs over the cities when it comes to spending money on a rail line for New Bedford and Fall River.

"I am not positioning myself," he said. "I'm just trying to be realistic."

He said he has not yet made up his mind about whether to challenge Patrick next year.

Cahill cast himself as an elected official who's not afraid to risk his political future.

"I may not be electable if I tell people the truth.

"But knowing what I know about the state's economics and finances, I'm not going to lie to them."

Cahill said he has not talked to the mayors of New Bedford or Fall River or most members of the local legislative delegation about his rail position.

But, he said, "I've done somersaults to help (New Bedford Mayor) Scott Lang out" on school building assistance money used to replace aging schools in the city, he said.

Cahill did say he has spoken with Sen. Mark C.W. Montigny, who is chairman of the Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets Committee, but not about the rail line.

Neither Montigny nor Lang could be reached for comment about Cahill's remarks.

One of the biggest problems connected to building a rail line is that the MBTA's finances are in such disarray, Cahill said. He noted that MBTA pensions are even more lucrative than those available to other state officials, allowing employees to retire at 100 percent of their salaries after just 23 years on the job.

"If I'd been in charge of the finances of the 'T,' it would not be in that bad shape," he said, again identifying himself as a fiscally responsible official.

He supports a state takeover of the MBTA and state funding for any rail line expansions.

Both the state Legislature and Patrick are working on bills that would combine the "T" with the rest of the state's transportation bureaucracy.

Patrick called for reform of the transportation bureaucracies before the state budget is passed, but legislative leaders have postponed the issue until afterward.

Link

Another great project doomed by the corrupt T unions. Way to go Mass.!
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

High-speed commuter rail option eyed
By CHARIS ANDERSON
canderson@s-t.com
February 10, 2010 12:00 AM

NEW BEDFORD ? Implementing high-speed, express service on the planned South Coast Rail line could cut travel time between New Bedford and Boston to less than an hour, project officials say.

Express trains could reach speeds of 100 mph on some sections of the track, shaving the travel time between New Bedford and South Station to about 50 minutes, or 25 minutes less than the regular commuter service, according to Kristina Egan, South Coast Rail project manager.

While a ridership analysis on the express route has not been conducted, Egan said she expected the faster option ? trains from Fall River or New Bedford would only stop in Taunton and Boston ? would increase ridership.

Full Story

Obviously High Speed (even a mere 100mph) is a good investment. It makes sense for this project to research it because from a federal funding P.O.V. (the only way this gets funded), they stand a far better chance if there's a high speed component. Given how far away from Boston New Bedford and Fall River are, this makes a lot of sense.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

I'd much rather see high speed lines to cities like Providence, Worcester, or Manchester.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

^I think all three of those cities deserve HSR more than Fall River or New Bedford. However, Fall River and New Bedford have a chance to start from scratch with it. They've been in the process of trying to get rail for years and high speed rail is where Federal money is being invested. It won't take TOO much to tweak existing plans to accommodate the changes (after all, this "HSR" is going to top out at 100mph, not 300). Why not start with it in Fall River/NB and use it as an example of what to do/not to do for the larger cities? Technically speaking, Providence already has high speed rail (Acela) to Boston and New York. I know, I know, it's Amtrak and it's hardly a model of success.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

I really hope this is only political posturing for November. Most of the people in New Bedford/Fall River aren't worth the pots they piss in, they sure as hell aren't worth this kind of investment.
 
Re: Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail

That's insulting and rude.
 

Back
Top