This is part two of Trains News Wire’s look at transit projects in 2019. Tuesday’s part 1 is available here. Today’s article focuses on light rail and ongoing construction.
Continuing our look at expected developments in rail transit for 2019:
Light rail
San Francisco residents are looking forward to the new Central Subway, planned to open late this year. The $1.6 billion, 1.7-mile project extends Muni’s T Line from the 4th Street Caltrain Station to Chinatown. Construction began in 2011, including four new stations. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency lists the project as on budget.
Due to open in Denver is the Southeast Rail Extension, a 2.3-mile addition to the RTD’s light rail system. It will enable through service on the E Line from RidgeGate to Union Station and to downtown Denver on the F Line. The R Line train will connect at Peoria Station with the commuter line to Denver International Airport.
The 1.9-mile, $184 million Gilbert Road extension of the Phoenix light rail system is due for completion in late spring. The line reaches Mesa, Arizona, with two new stations serving the East Valley. Valley Metro is also planning to open a new station at 50th Street this year, which will serve the local community and support future transit-oriented development.
At risk due to vocal opposition is Valley Metro’s planned South Central extension. Slated to begin construction this year, the 5.5-mile project to connect south Phoenix with downtown ran into protests from the community when the Phoenix city council approved replacing two lanes of Central Avenue with the light rail right-of-way. Local business owners fear customers will go elsewhere to avoid slower traffic and community members have expressed concerns that the light rail could bring crime to the area.
A political committee calling itself “Building a Better Phoenix” submitted a petition with 40,000 signatures in November calling for a ballot measure that would end light rail expansion throughout Phoenix and direct funds to roads and buses. If at least 20,510 signatures are verified by January 18, the issue could go to voters in either May or August.
But earlier this month, the Arizona chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America filed a lawsuit to block the measure from going to the ballot. Phoenix Mayor Thelda Williams and Councilwoman Debra Stark expressed their support of the legal action. [See “Contractors group files suit over planned Phoenix light-rail initiative,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 4, 2019.]
In Canada, phase one of a new light rail system between the Ontario communities of Waterloo and Kitchener is due to begin service this spring. The 12-mile line will operate with 14 Bombardier Flexity Freedom vehicles running 8- to 15-minute frequencies depending on time of day.
Meanwhile, in Ottawa, the Confederation Line is slated to go into service this year. The 7.8-mile route runs through the city’s downtown with three underground stations along a 1.5-mile tunnel. Linking a bus rapid transit route with Via Rail and the O-Train light rail system, it will use Alstom Citadis vehicles. Construction is also due to start this year on phase two of the project, which will extend the Confederation Line 7.5 miles further east and 9.3 miles west, as well as extend the Trillium Line south another 10 miles
Ongoing Construction
Construction continues at numerous projects across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. These include Maryland’s Purple Line light rail, the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, phase two of Charlotte’s CityLYNX Gold Line, Denver’s North Metro line, the Southwest light rail transit project in Minneapolis, and the Long Island Railroad third track from Floral Park to Hicksville.
LA Metro’s north-south 8.5-mile Crenshaw/LAX line connecting the Exposition Line and Green Line is under construction, with an opening set for 2020. Tunnels are being bored for downtown LA’s Regional Connector, a 1.9-mile underground light rail line, with an opening planned for 2021.
Seattle is busy building three light rail projects: Sound Transit’s 14-mile East Link, the 4.3-mile Northgate Link extension, and the 2.4-mile Hilltop Tacoma Link extension. Completion dates are projected for 2021-2022.
Meanwhile, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is spending $177 million to restore long-discontinued service to Wawa, Pa., on the Media/Elwyn line by 2021.
Honolulu is building a next-generation, elevated and driverless rapid transit system. Featuring platform screen doors as often found on airport tram systems, the first phase of the 20-mile HART (Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation) system is due to open in 2020. “The first ten miles of guideway on the western side of the project are complete, and construction of the nine stations should be completed this year,” says spokesman Bill Brennan.
Ontario’s regional transportation agency, Metrolinx, is building four light rail lines, two serving Toronto, one in Hamilton and another linking Mississauga and Brampton. Expected completion dates range from 2021 to 2024.
Montreal began construction in 2018 on the Réseau express métropolitain (REM), a 42-mile network that will connect downtown Montreal, South Shore, West Island, North Shore, and the airport. Described as a fully-automated light rail system, it’s expected to carry its first riders in 2021.
A 2.9-mile extension of Mexico City’s Metro Line 12 is underway, with completion expected in 2021.
Construction is also underway on three streetcar systems. The new Orange County, Calif., and Tempe, Ariz., operations are due to open in 2021, as is the San Diego Trolley Mid-Coast extension.
It is long overdue for Houston’s METRORail to build the proposed 11.3 mile Blue Line from the main campus of the University of Houston in the southeast part of town to the Hillcroft Transit Center near the Westpark Tollway in the southwest. Also known as the University Line, it would connect UH with Texas Southern University, the vicinity of Rice University, and St Thomas University. The project has been in limbo for over a decade.
Railfans in northern U.S. cities, it will be worth a visit north to Ottawa for the startup of the new LRT line. Been waiting a long time for this.