OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A new government report on high speed rail in the Pacific Northwest recommends that Oregon, Washington and British Columbia formalize their interest in a Cascadia bullet train by creating an independent body to plan and eventually build it.

But a critic with a conservative think tank said the region should take heed of California’s high speed rail woes and end the Cascadia bullet train ambitions, the Northwest News Network reported.

The new study built on previous state-sponsored studies that asserted there is sufficient demand for trains running at up to 250 miles per hour between Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, BC.

“Creating a coordinating entity does take it to the next level in terms of the possibility of making it a reality,” said Janet Matkin, communications manager for the rail division of the Washington State Department of Transportation. “It really is beyond just the study phase and looking at more of an implementation focus.”

The report said one of the first jobs of the coordinating entity should be to select a technology for the “ultra-high speed ground transportation” corridor. Options include traditional high speed rail, magnetic levitation trains or a hyperloop, where passengers move in capsules that are propelled electrically down sealed low air pressure tubes.

Target travel times are about one hour between Portland and Seattle and another hour from Seattle to Vancouver, BC. The top speed of 250 mph for the project is faster than other rail services on the horizon in North America.

The $895,000 study released Tuesday was led by the engineering consultancy WSP USA. It was funded by about equal contributions from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Microsoft.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, British Columbia Premier John Horgan and Microsoft President Brad Smith on Tuesday renewed their endorsements of a Cascadia bullet train.

“Transformative infrastructure projects like this one could help us rebuild our economy in the short term and provide us with a strong competitive advantage in the future,” Inslee said in a news release.

Problems facing California’s high speed rail project led an analyst associated with the conservative-leaning Washington Policy Center to recommend against moving ahead with a Cascadia bullet train.

Rubin said the chances of securing significant federal funding for a high speed rail infrastructure project of this scale depend on Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress alongside a Democratic president.

“That’s the only possibility to get major U.S. federal government dollars anytime in the near future,” Rubin said.

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High-speed rail could be the next transportation frontier in Oregon. But whether that frontier is reached anytime soon is dependent on the results of a $10 million study by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

“We look at highway projects and how they impact communities, but rail is new to Oregonians in many ways,” said Jyll Smith, public information officer for ODOT. “We have to ask, ‘Where do we want to be? What kind of railways do we want crossing our state?’ ”

The study, partially paid for by the federal government, examines ways to improve rail service along the Oregon portion of the Pacific Northwest rail corridor, specifically the 125-mile segment between Portland and Eugene.

It will determine whether the existing railway should be adjusted or replaced – both options could involve implementation of high-speed trains. A third “no-build” option also will be explored.

Results will be based primarily on an environmental impact study and “scoping” – collection of public information to determine project feasibility and scope.

“We’re building up to high-speed rail; we’re taking small steps,” Smith said. “We want to reach out to the public to hear what they want and to look at the viable possibilities.”

The impetus for the study is the federal government’s $8.1 billion investment into high-speed rail; $814 million of that is designated for projects in the Northwest rail corridor.

The investment was made because high-speed rail is needed to meet travel demands of growing populations, according to Michael England, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Conventional passenger rail operates at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. High-speed rail operates at speeds of at least 110 mph.

“The changing travel habits of Americans are shifting, and investments in high-speed rail are a direct response to those changes,” England said. “High-speed rail creates new choices for travelers in addition to flying or driving.”

Complaints arising from the Portland-Eugene railway usually involve timing. Because the railway is owned by Union Pacific, freight trains sometimes hinder passenger trains, Smith said. Additionally, passenger trains are not able to use the railway enough to meet demand.

A new railway would let passenger trains travel more frequently. It also could introduce tracks through towns that currently do not have railway access, like Corvallis. However, construction would cost significantly more than existing railway adjustments – including corner replacements.

The study examines a number of possible new routes, including one directly alongside Interstate 5. Others would go through Corvallis or follow the route of the former Oregon Electric Railway, which operated in the early 20th century.

One worry is that certain routes could go through heavy agricultural areas, and possibly damage some farmers’ properties. ODOT will meet with the farming community many times before any final decisions are made, Smith said.

If the project were to move forward, the railway would create many more jobs than it would eliminate, England said.

“High-speed and intercity passenger rail investments position the country to better respond to the changing travel habits of Americans while generating jobs (and) spurring economic development,” he said. “(It) fosters urban and rural community development.”

The study also is looking at the train technologies that would be used. For example, engines could be electric or diesel-electric.

Public meetings for the study have already begun. Open houses have occurred in Salem, Oregon City, Albany, Lake Oswego and Portland. Another open house will take place today in Eugene. These meetings will continue until ODOT submits a recommended plan to the U.S. Department of Transportation in late 2014. The DOT will make a final decision in 2015.

When asked to give an honest opinion on whether high-speed rail will realistically happen by then, Smith seemed uncertain. However, she did promise that the study will lead to major changes.

“I don’t know if it’s in our lifetime, but it’s realistic that improvements in passenger rail will come from this,” she said.

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When you expect construction of an 820-mile railway for 100 mph trains to be done in time for  your political party’s 90th birthday, the results can be deadly.

Looking back on this weekend’s tragic train crash near Wenzhou, China that left at least , I can’t help but think that despite the autocratic fanfare that has fueled so much investment in green energy and public infrastructure in China, not all that glitters is gold. Maybe infighting between two political parties that accuse each other of killing the “American way” isn’t so bad after all.

High-speed rail in Oregon has been a hot topic for , a polarizing topic in a climate of tight budgets. At this point, the proposed Eugene-Portland high-speed rail is still in the pay-consultants-money-to-find-best-route stage. MyEugene.org in May that the Oregon Department of Transportation received $8.9 million to fund a new statewide freight and passenger rail plan, an Environmental Impact Statement and preliminary engineering to renovate Union Station in Portland.

All that planning is well and good, but the project will cost upward of , and the EIS isn’t planned to be complete until the summer of 2013.  But just as I’ll suffer through seemingly petty debates between the two political parties in our often dysfunctional democracy, I would rather have a railway that is foolproof than have it fail because some politician wanted a shiny birthday present.

Photo by via Flickr

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The Port of Vancouver USA has been awarded $15 million from the federal government to help provide high-speed rail service.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today the port would receive the money to be put toward its $150 million West Vancouver Freight Access project. The money is part of a much larger $2.02 billion grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation for 22 high-speed passenger rail projects in 15 states around the country.

The West Vancouver Freight Access project is a multi-year project meant to improve movement of freight through the port and reduce congestion on the regional rail system. The project is expected to be completed by 2017, potentially spurring $400 million in rail related private-sector investment and creating up to 2,000 new permanent jobs.

The USDOT funding will be specifically used in the construction of a rail access point at the east end of the port that is separate from the mainline, according to a release on the announcement. The project is expected to reduce delay on the freight and passenger mainline by up to 40 percent while tripling the port’s rail volume. Construction on the project, which is expected to cost $38 million, will start in April of 2013 and is slated for completion in early 2016, the release said.

Oregon, for its part, was awarded $1.5 million for analysis of adding overnight parking for passenger trains at the Eugene Station. Having separate “stub tracks” to store passenger trains at night would allow for more capacity for passenger and freight service.

The $2.02 billion was originally meant to go to Florida as part of a $2.4 billion grant to help link Orlando International Airport to Tampa, Fla., but was rejected by Florida Gov. Rick Scott. About $800 million went to Northeastern United States to help increase rail speed from 135 to 169 mph. Another $404.1 million went to high-speed rail service between Detroit and Chicago, as well as rail upgrades between Chicago and St. Louis.

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Federal departments stand to lose a combined $40 billion in budget reductions, according to . The plan is the largest cut ever made to the federal budget in one year.

One widely-publicized casualty of the budget cuts could be President Obama’s . A $1.5 billion cut to the plan was part of the final budget deal Friday night – and that number as negotiations continue.

The cut, though significant, seems to be logical choice. The high-speed rail plan was heavily criticized, and several Republican governors had rejected funds for high-speed rail projects in their states.

The spending plan also includes $3 billion less for highway construction and a $6.2 billion less in Defense Department construction projects.

Another $942 million to $3.5 billion would come from the Department of Housing and Urban Development‘s community development fund. Additionally, $680 million would be cut from public transportation grants, and more than $700 million would be cut from low-income housing.

Another program that stands to be cut is a green energy loan program signed by President George W. Bush in 2005 that has provided $18 billion for 20 completed projects and could benefit 25 projects already started but in the application process. The program under a short-term spending bill passed by the House in February, putting those 25 projects in jeopardy.

Sen. Maria Cantewell, D-Washington, is one of the senators fighting to save the program. From the NYT:

“The House proposal will cost us tens of thousands of clean energy jobs today and threaten our energy future,” Senator Cantwell said in a statement. “We need to tackle our budget deficit, but killing American clean energy jobs and worldwide market opportunities will only set our recovery back.”

In all, the departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Justice, Labor and Health and Human Services could see smaller budgets.

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Federal departments stand to lose a combined $40 billion in budget reductions, according to . The plan is the largest cut ever made to the federal budget in one year.

One widely-publicized casualty of the budget cuts could be President Obama’s . A $1.5 billion cut to the plan was part of the final budget deal Friday night – and that number as negotiations continue.

The cut, though significant, seems to be logical choice. The high-speed rail plan was heavily criticized, and several Republican governors had rejected funds for high-speed rail projects in their states.

The spending plan also includes $3 billion less for highway construction and a $6.2 billion less in Defense Department construction projects.

Another $942 million to $3.5 billion would come from the Department of Housing and Urban Development‘s community development fund. Additionally, $680 million would be cut from public transportation grants, and more than $700 million would be cut from low-income housing.

Another program that stands to be cut is a green energy loan program signed by President George W. Bush in 2005 that has provided $18 billion for 20 completed projects and could benefit 25 projects already started but in the application process. The program under a short-term spending bill passed by the House in February, putting those 25 projects in jeopardy.

Sen. Maria Cantewell, D-Washington, is one of the senators fighting to save the program. From the NYT:

“The House proposal will cost us tens of thousands of clean energy jobs today and threaten our energy future,” Senator Cantwell said in a statement. “We need to tackle our budget deficit, but killing American clean energy jobs and worldwide market opportunities will only set our recovery back.”

In all, the departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Justice, Labor and Health and Human Services could see smaller budgets.

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The Oregon and Washington departments of transportation have received an additional $26.5 million in grants for development of a high-speed rail line between Eugene and Vancouver, British Columbia.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the award today along with $2.4 billion for high-speed rail development projects around the country. Planning and environmental studies will be performed on the potential Eugene-to-Portland rail corridor with $4.2 million of the award, including an update of the state’s overall passenger rail plan. Another $4 million will go toward a preliminary engineering and environmental study on potential renovations and track improvements at Portland’s historic Union Station to prepare the structure for future high-speed rail.

The plans make future rail funding more likely, according to Betsy Imholt, rail study director with the Oregon Department of Transportation.

“Until we are done with an environmental impact statement, we can’t compete for the big money for rail construction,” Imholt said.

The remaining funds will be used by the Washington Department of Transportation to complete upgrades to Seattle’s King Street Station to expand passenger facilities and seismically retrofit the building in anticipation of a future high-speed rail line.

This award adds to grant funds Oregon and Washington DOTs received in 2009 from the U.S. Department of Transportation for high-speed rail projects.

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The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced $2.1 billion in grants for high-speed rail corridor proposals and $245 million for specific construction projects within those corridors, but the Oregon Department of Transportation won’t apply for any of it.

Though ODOT has several multi-million dollar rail projects on the boards, Betsy Imholt, ODOT rail study director, said the transit department won’t apply for this round of funding. The reason, Imholt said, is that the timeline for the grants, which must be applied for by Aug. 6, is too tight to find a 20 percent funding match from another group.

“All of ODOT’s money is legally tied to other projects and can’t be used for this,” Imholt said. “The money from road fees has to go back into roads. The timeline is just too fast to find a project partner.”

If ODOT had a 20 percent funding match from another source, it could apply for funding for studies to improve freight rail connections near the Rose Quarter and to improve the traffic flow of freight trains along the east bank of the Willamette River, Imholt said.

In the meantime, ODOT is waiting to hear back on a DOT grant it applied for in May to update the state’s rail plan, Imholt said, and to study the possibility of a high-speed rail line between Eugene and Portland.

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In the previous round of high-speed rail stimulus grants, Oregon got a small fraction of Washington state’s total. The latest round, announced today, passed over the Pacific Northwest entirely.

U.S. Department of Transportation officials announced nearly $80 million in high-speed-rail money for projects in five states. Of that amount, $66.6 million will go to Florida’s Tampa-to-Orlando corridor, planned to accommodate 168-mph trains.

Projects in California, Wisconsin, New York and New Mexico will also receive money.

Washington got $590 million for the last round of high-speed-rail projects. Oregon got $8 million, most of it for repairs to Portland’s Union Station.

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The Oregon Department of Transportation’s goals for high-speed rail service between Portland and Eugene will get a public airing at open houses starting next month.

Oregon must spell out its goals and complete environmental analyses before it can qualify for federal funding.

The state did receive $8 million in high-speed rail stimulus money earlier this year. That was a tiny fraction of the $590 million Washington state received.

That disparity resulted, in part, from the work Washington officials had done to get projects ready for construction. Oregon’s $8 million will go toward replacing the roof on Portland’s Union Station and to do preliminary engineering work on north Portland rail sites.

Oregon’s draft goals, available in full , are:

• Increase average passenger train speeds (from 42 to65 miles per hour)
• Increase maximum passenger train speeds (from 79to 110 miles per hour)
• Reduce passenger rail trip time between Eugene and Portland (from 2 hours and 35 minutes to 1 hour and 55 minutes – the same time as it takes to drive between these cities along the freeway)
• Increase on-time performance of passenger trains (from 68 percent to 95 percent or higher)

More information on the hearings is .

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