High Speed Passenger Rail

for Indiana

August 21, 2012

About HEC

• Education and advocacy for stronger environmental policies –state, federal, local

• Statewide network of thousands linked by email, programs, personal outreach

• Offices in Indianapolis, Lafayette and Valparaiso

Amtrak in Central Indiana• Chicago to Indy (Hoosier State route)• Chicago to Washington DC (Cardinal route)• Chicago to New York (Cardinal route)50 mph average speedsCurrent Amtrak Service:

- Chicago to Indianapolis: 4 hr 50 min- Indianapolis to Cincinnati: 3 hr 7 min

Cardinal: 17% growth between 2006 and 2011Hoosier: 85% growth between 2006 and 2011

Federal Funding for Passenger Rail

• Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA)– Passed by U.S. Congress in 2008– Establishes grant program for states; 80/20 match– All states must have an approved State Rail Plan– Established framework for High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR)

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)– Passed U.S. Congress in 2009– $8 billion appropriated for high speed and intercity rail

Midwest Regional Rail Initiative

• Effort of 9 Midwestern states, including Indiana• Planned 3,000-mile high-speed rail system to connect Midwest

cities including:– Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, St. Louis

• HSR plan for Indiana includes:– Chicago to Detroit route– Chicago to Cleveland route– Chicago to Indianapolis to Cincinnati route– Feeder bus routes to expand system

Midwest Regional Rail System

Elements of the MWRRS• Make use of existing freight and commuter rights-of-

way• Upgrade existing rights-of-way to permit high speed

operations and integration with freight service• Introduction of trains operating at speeds up to 110

mph• Improved travel times and frequencies

Elements of the MWRRS – cont.

• Provision of multi-modal connections and feeder bus routes

• Generate revenues equal to or greater than operating costs

• Regional service in 100 to 500 mile corridors

Conveniences of High Speed Rail

• Faster, more reliable train service• Downtown to downtown service• Increased service frequency• On-board amenities

Chicago – Indianapolis - Cincinnati

• Proposed stops include: Gary, Lafayette, Indianapolis Airport, Indianapolis (downtown), Shelbyville, Greensburg

• 4 hours 8 minutes travel time– Chicago to Indianapolis:

2 hr 41 min– Indianapolis to Cincinnati:

1 hr 27 min• 5-6 daily round trips• $700 million in

capital costs

Needed Infrastructure Improvements

• Upgrades to FRA Track 6• Grade crossings• Bridge improvements

• Sidings• Improved signaling

(Positive Train Control)

What will Indiana gain?

Jobs and Economic Development

• Efficient connection to major urban centers• Expanded regional labor market• Increased commercial activity near rail stations• More business for Indiana manufacturers and service providers• 4,540 new permanent jobs in Indiana• $86 million of extra household income in Indiana

Quality of Life for Residents

• Mobility and choice• Relief from highway congestion• Increased productivity• Time savings• Safety

In the past 30 years: Amtrak experienced 0.04 fatalities per 100 million passenger miles, compared to 1.29 fatalities per 100 million passenger miles for automobiles

Energy Savings and Fewer Greenhouse Gases

• Current transportation system consumes 70% of U.S. oil demand

• Rail is 17% more fuel efficient than airplanes and 21% more fuel efficient than vehicles on a per passenger mile basis.

• Reduce dependence on foreign oil

Cleaner Air • 60% of ozone pollution in central

Indiana is from motor vehicles

• One HSR track can transport as many people as 10 highway lanes

• Fewer impacts on habitat and water resources, compared to expanding highways and airports

• Encourage downtown, compact development

An Efficient Use of Land

Communities that have capitalized on

passenger rail service

Uptown Normal Transportation Center

Normal, IL• $22 million TIGER grant• Multimodal transportation hub connecting

aviation, rail, bus, automobile, and pedestrian facilities

• Improves efficiency of transportation network for residents/visitors

• Catalyst for economic activity in Normal

Brunswick Maine Street Station

Brunswick, ME• $35 million in federal stimulus funds• Multimodal, mixed-use development • Centered around Amtrak service

extension from Portland to Brunswick• Public/private partnership

Union StationMeridian, MS

• $5.1 million in federal and state grants, including the MS DOT

• Multi-modal hub• Resulted in $8 million

in private reinvestment in downtown ‘Depot District’

Newark Rail StationEast Lansing, MI

• $6.3 million grant from Federal Transit Administration

• Multi-modal hub for rail, local transit, MegaBus, pedestrians

• Will be stimulus for economic growth

Where is Indiana?

High speed rail milestones

• 2002– INDOT’s Indiana Passenger Rail Initiative Public Meetings

• 2009 -- Coalition support for HSR stimulus funds • 2009 --Indiana signs on to MW states agreement• 2010 – Indiana receives $71 million federal grant

for share of Chicago – Detroit improvements

Rail InvestmentAmtrak in Indiana • 100% federal • Virtually no state money

15 other states provide state support for capital and operating

What’s Next?

Environmental Studies• NEPA• Preliminary engineering plans

• Neighboring states moving forward – Michigan, Illinois

• Availability of federal funding

Opportunities for HSR

Laying tracks for HSR

Look to Illinois model • Mayors, city & county officials• Chambers and EDCs• Universities & Colleges• Business – manufacturing,

services, commuters

Indiana coalition• State legislators

• Sen. Sue Landske, Rep. Randy Truitt, 7 others

• Mayors• Valparaiso, Lafayette, Carmel,

Greencastle

• Chambers of Commerce• Lafayette, Crawfordsville, Gary

• Non-profits• Indiana High Speed Rail

Association, HEC

Find us on

Facebook.com/hecweb twitter.com/hec_ed

and at www.hecweb.org

HEC contacts:Tim Maloney

tmaloney@hecweb.org

Emilie Pinkstonepinkston@hecweb.org

Indiana High Speed Rail Association

www.indianahighspeedrail.org