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Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,813 posts, read 34,657,307 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by yantosh22
This is not the case. Gateway Station is designed in such a way that parts of it can be built without relying on the other parts to be built. That is the commuter rail platform is separate from the platform that Amtrack and HSR will use.
Do you just enjoy trying to argue with me, or do you not read what I write & just skim it? (That's a rhetorical question & no response is needed.)
If the feds pay for their part of the station, that makes it easier for NCDOT to fund the rest, therefore expedititing the commuter portion. It's that simple. I am not saying that one penny of federal money is going to commuter rail. I am saying that it expedites a totally separate project (commuter rail) just by the fact that NCDOT is being given those funds.
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If the feds pay for their part of the station, that makes it easier for NCDOT to fund the rest, therefore expedititing the commuter portion. It's that simple.....
It's not that simple, not at all. At the moment, the NCDOT has no funding plans for commuter rail in Mecklenburg including the commuter rail portion of gateway station. If that project is ever approved, the NCDOT has said that it will fund no more than 25% of the cost and then only if approved by the entire NC Legislature. The rest will have to come from elsewhere. Originally the plan to cover the other 75% was for CATS to pay 25% and the Fed to pay 50%. CATS now has no money to do this and the Fed says it doesn't qualify for federal funding. Furthermore, several of the local members of the NC Legislature, including, I do believe the current Speaker of the House, has said they won't vote for more NC funding for local rail. So this project is essentially dead and what happens with the HSR project is irrelevant to it.
To answer your question I did read what you posted, but just because you typed it, doesn't mean it has any bearing in reality. I just gave you the details of how it works and it's not meant to be argumentative.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,813 posts, read 34,657,307 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by yantosh22
It's not that simple, not at all. At the moment, the NCDOT has no funding plans for commuter rail in Mecklenburg including the commuter rail portion of gateway station. If that project is ever approved, the NCDOT has said that it will fund no more than 25% of the cost and then only if approved by the entire NC Legislature. The rest will have to come from elsewhere. Originally the plan to cover the other 75% was for CATS to pay 25% and the Fed to pay 50%. CATS now has no money to do this and the Fed says it doesn't qualify for federal funding. Furthermore, several of the local members of the NC Legislature, including, I do believe the current Speaker of the House, has said they won't vote for more NC funding for local rail. So this project is essentially dead and what happens with the HSR project is irrelevant to it.
To answer your question I did read what you posted, but just because you typed it, doesn't mean it has any bearing in reality. I just gave you the details of how it works and it's not meant to be argumentative.
I'm aware that many projects are currently DOA because of the economy. For instance the Kings Mountain & Shelby bypass project was slated to start next year, & was funded but those funds were switched to 485, with the bypass project & a couple of other projects that were funded out here slated to be rescheduled next year. I'm old enough to have seen this situation play out more that once before. The projects come back later, sometimes changed, sometimes modified, & sometimes intact. When the economy comes back (& it will) that does not mean that the current moratorium will not be lifted. The new station will be there & operational. This is a case of the glass being half full or half empty. I think it's half full.
Originally Posted by southbound_295;18678899.... The new station will be there & operational[U
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The GW Station will never be built as depicted. It costs as much as the Nascar HOF and was based on very unrealistic population projections that were off by over 100% and revenues from the transit tax that are not going to happen. The city already canceled the office part of the complex. However, as designed, commuter trains from Gastonia could not be accommodated. Gaston & Cleveland counties are not voting members of the MTC and hence, there won't be any consideration made to them unless they can show up with some pocketbooks full of cash.
Back to the subject of this topic. Since Obama has decided that he would rather dance with the GOP instead of sticking with any promises to supporters, morals or convictions, funding for HSR has been cut, drastically, in the deal negotiated to keep the gubment from shutting down. This stuff isn't going to happen.
Back to the subject of this topic. Since Obama has decided that he would rather dance with the GOP instead of sticking with any promises to supporters, morals or convictions, funding for HSR has been cut, drastically, in the deal negotiated to keep the gubment from shutting down. This stuff isn't going to happen.
SOUTHERN REGION
North Carolina – Charlotte to Richmond Service Enhancement – $4 million for environmental analysis on the Richmond to Raleigh section of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor (SEHSR). This advances the goal of extending high-speed rail service on the NEC into the southeast, with 110-mph capable service.
Press release: Press Release | U.S. Department of Transportation (http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2011/dot5711.html - broken link)
The people who wanted more investment in the Northeast should be really happy. Our amount was small, but it shows there's still strong support for our corridor.
SOUTHERN REGION
North Carolina – Charlotte to Richmond Service Enhancement – $4 million for environmental analysis on the Richmond to Raleigh section of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor (SEHSR). This advances the goal of extending high-speed rail service on the NEC into the southeast, with 110-mph capable service.
Press release: Press Release | U.S. Department of Transportation (http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2011/dot5711.html - broken link)
The people who wanted more investment in the Northeast should be really happy. Our amount was small, but it shows there's still strong support for our corridor.
While I'm glad we got some money, I am a bit disappointed with the amount. It seems that others don't view the the SEHSR as an important enough region in which to invest HSR. But I do understand that it could be viewed as that way if SC and GA are not on board.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,813 posts, read 34,657,307 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by adavi215
While I'm glad we got some money, I am a bit disappointed with the amount. It seems that others don't view the the SEHSR as an important enough region in which to invest HSR. But I do understand that it could be viewed as that way if SC and GA are not on board.
Charlotte (not Atlanta) has been Amtrak's goal for a while. What they really want is to extend Acela to Charlotte. That, however, would mean a lot of new tracks, etc. I think that the current plan goes a long way. It will help to build ridership.
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