Savannah port sees first traffic at new container terminal; rail capacity project advances
The Port of Savannah, Ga., has welcomed the first container ship to call on its Ocean Terminal, partially converted from roll-on/roll-off cargo to handle container traffic. The Savannah Morning News reports the conversion adds 210,000 twenty-foot-equaivalent units, or TEUs — the standard measure of container cargo — to the port served by CSX and Norfolk Southern. Work is also continuing on the port’s Mason Mega Rail project, which began in 2018 and will allow for the loading of 10,000-foot trains while doubling port capacity to one million container lifts annually. The Mega Rail terminal combines two existing yards, adding 18 new tracks and 97,000 feet of new track. The project includes a new bridge which opened last summer, reducing grade crossings and allowing unimpeded operation of eight tracks.
Vancouver, B.C., transit police hand out more than $74,000 in tickets for mask violations
Transit police in Vancouver, British Columbia, have handed out more than $74,000 in tickets for failure to wear masks since the COVID-19 measure requiring masks in public spaces took effect in November. That includes 228 of the $230 tickets in 2020 and 94 through Feb. 21 of this year. Peach Arch News reports a spokesman for Metro Vancouver Transit Police said officers have also experienced increased physical and verbal abuse in enforcing the regulation, while “already at an increased personal risk by having to deal with people who are unmasked and whose health status is unknown during a pandemic.”
Huntersville, N.C., commissioners vote to oppose Charlotte-area transit tax
Officials in Huntersville, N.C., have voted to oppose an effort to add a one-cent sales tax increase to fund transit projects in the Charlotte area. WSOC-TV reports Huntersville commissioners unanimously approved a resolution opposing the effort by the Charlotte Moves task force, which would expand light rail and include funding for the Red Line commuter rail project from Charlotte to Lake Norman, N.C., which has been stalled because of Norfolk Southern’s opposition. Officials said residents have paid transit taxes without receiving anything in return, and urged the Metropolitan Transit Comission to reject a countywide referendum to authorize the sales tax.
“The Port of Savannah, Ga., has welcomed the first container ship to call on its Ocean Terminal…” Well, that’s great, but what railroad(s) switches and connects with the port? Might railfans want to know such info? This IS Trains magazine, after all. As for Vancouver and that $74,000 in tickets for mask violations, I’m really beginning to suspect that all this disease has been a boon to government coffers and power.
Uh Ruppert, the second sentence in the news item ends with “to the port served by CSX and Norfolk Southern.”
“Huntersville, N.C., commissioners vote to oppose Charlotte-area transit tax”….”Officials said residents have paid transit taxes without receiving anything in return”. Ouch. Lesson learned, if you make them pay the tax you have to offer something. Look at Longmont, Colorado.