SANTA CLARA, CA - According to a February 11th report from Progressive Railroading, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (VTA) board last week declared a "climate emergency" and recommitted to reducing the agency's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
VTA joins over 1,300 local governments in 25 countries in declaring a climate emergency, including Santa Clara County and the cities of Cupertino and San Jose, in which VTA serves.
The 2018 California GHG Emission Inventory estimated that a total of 429.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent were emitted in California in 2016. The transportation sector was the largest contributor of GHGs, accounting for 41 percent of total emissions, VTA officials said in a board memorandum.
As part of the declaration, the VTA board will consider the impact on climate change when approving proposed policies, programs or actions. The agency also will identify specific metrics to prioritize opportunities to reduce GHG emissions; develop a climate action plan; support legislation to avert climate change; and join other stakeholders in reducing GHG emissions in transportation.
Also last week, VTA General Manager Nuria Fernandez announced plans for a youth summit that will advocate for fighting climate change, VTA officials said in a press release.
So far, partners for the summit include Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action, The Mineta Transportation Institute, VTA Chair Cindy Chavez and Board Member Dave Cortese.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Reports issued in early February stated that Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) crews working on the Purple (D) Line Extension project expect tunneling between the planned Wilshire/La Brea Station and Wilshire/Fairfax Station to be delayed until March.
Cross passage excavation, tar sands and methane pockets have slowed tunneling progress, delaying breakthrough of one tunnel boring machine to the Wilshire/Fairfax Station.
Map from La Metro Website |
Tar sands create maintenance issues because the stickiness of the soil requires more cleaning of the conveyor system that carries the excavated soil out of the tunnel for removal, LA Metro officials said in a project update newsletter.
The extension project will extend the route 9 miles west of the Purple Line’s current terminus and add seven stations to connect riders between downtown Los Angeles and Westwood, California.
But on February 11, 2020 the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) officials yesterday announced the agency has moved closer to receiving a $1.3 billion federal grant to help fund the third and final phase of its Purple Line subway extension.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has sent the full-funding grant agreement to Capitol Hill for a 30-day review period, the last step before the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and LA Metro sign the agreement, LA Metro officials said in a press release.
The agreement will be delivered under the FTA's Capital Investment Grant Program, also known as New Starts. The grant is a stand-alone agreement, with no required loans for LA Metro to pay back as in previous funding agreements for Sections 1 and 2 of the Purple Line extension, LA Metro officials said.
The overall cost for the project's final section is $3.6 billion, with remaining funds coming from LA Metro’s voter-approved transportation sales tax measures.
The segment is considered one of Los Angeles County's most critically needed public transit projects: a subway under Wilshire Boulevard that will connect downtown Los Angeles and Westwood with service en route to the Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills and Century City, LA Metro officials said.
LA Metro is building the subway's first two sections and has begun some initial preparatory construction activities for Section 3 between Century City and Westwood. Major construction is expected to start later this year. The three sections of the 7-mile Purple Line extension are expected to open in 2023, 2025 and 2027, respectively.
"This new transit line, when fully constructed, will revolutionize the ability to connect the Westside with the rest of Los Angeles County’s growing rail and bus networks," said LA Metro Chief Executive Officer Phillip Washington.
TEMPE, AZ - Valley Metro gas reported that after successfully completing the connection between light rail and Tempe Streetcar tracks in December, the next track connection project occurs in early March. From March 7-9, construction crews will be working near the Dorsey/Apache Blvd rail station to install special trackwork (see map below).
This will require Valley Metro Rail to operate on a single track through the construction area. Between the Dorsey/Apache Blvd station and the Smith-Martin/Apache Blvd station, both eastbound and westbound trains will alternate traveling along the westbound track, while work occurs on the eastbound tracks.
Passengers can anticipate minimal changes to schedules on March 7 and 8. On Monday, March 9, rail will operate on a Sunday schedule with trains arriving every 20 minutes during the entire service day.
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - The Eglinton Crosstown Line, Line 5 Eglinton or the Crosstown, is a light rail line that is currently under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Metrolinx and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the line will be considered part of the Toronto subway system as the fifth route.
The first constructed phase of line will run entirely along Eglinton Avenue for 12 miles from the future Mount Dennis station underground to Sunnybrook Park, after which it will run predominantly at-grade along the street's median to Kennedy station, where it will connect underground with Line 2 Bloor–Danforth and Line 3 Scarborough. The line will use Flexity Freedom (shown below) and Alstom Citadis Spirit vehicles using 750 volt catenary.
The line was conceived in 2007 during the administration of Toronto mayor David Miller as part of Transit City, a large-scale transit expansion plan. The first phase of the line will include 25 stops and is expected to be completed in 2021. Future extensions, with proposed terminals at Toronto Pearson International Airport in the west and the University of Toronto Scarborough in the east, were approved by Toronto City Council on March 31, 2016
