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Subject: SWC stuck at Raton­SJ Valley cities fight over HSR jobs­Video of deputy saving driver at Caltraincrossing.

From: Rail Passenger Association of California (noelnoelt@cox.net)

To: ntbraymer@yahoo.com;

Date: Monday, August 10, 2015 9:31 AM

RailPAC Weekly E­Newsletter for August 10, 2015 Edited by Noel T. BraymerFeel free to forward copies of this E­Newsletter to your friends or someone who canuse this information. If you would like to subscribe to the E­Newsletter just send me your name and emailaddress to nbraymer@railpac.orgIf you'd like to see expanded and improved Rail Passenger Service­Join Us!Membership increases our strength in presenting the case for rail to policymakers at alllevels!

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This is an artist's representation from the California High Speed Rail Authority of the HSR Station inFresno and how Fresno will look like shortly after it opens.

Editorial: Fresno Works teams up on California high­speed rail for good of ourregionFresno Bee­Aug 4, 2015Fresno political and business leaders vowed six years ago to mount a unified effort to land the heavymaintenance facility that will anchor California’s high­speed rail system...And the package assembled to convince the California High­Speed Rail Authority to construct the heavymaintenance facility along Fresno’s southern edge is impressive.A site of about 510 acres has been identified and it meets all of CHSR’s criteria. Fresno County Councilof Governments — a transportation­planning and policy organization that includes representatives fromcities across the county — has authorized $25 million in money from Measure C, the county’s half­centtransportation sales tax, as an incentive to select Fresno over competing proposals from Madera, Merced,Kings and Kern counties.

Alternate high­speed rail route through Bakersfield ready for public inspectionThe Bakersfield Californian­Aug 4, 2015The proposed alternative unveiled in concept late last year would run parallel to the Union Pacificrailroad instead of along the BNSF Railway Co. tracks, as envisioned earlier. It would moveBakersfield’s bullet train station from the existing Amtrak station to the area around F Street and GoldenState Avenue...Shafter and Kern County still have lawsuits pending against the rail authority. While a countyrepresentative could not be reached for comment Tuesday, Shafter City Manager Scott Hurlbert said he isconcerned the alternative alignment would hurt the city’s bid for a maintenance facility that would servethe rail project and give the region about 1,500 good jobs.

Shoppers talk high­speed rail even as they hunt for nectarinesThe Bakersfield Californian­Aug 8, 2015But the newest alternative route being worked out with the help of Bakersfield city officials could sendthe passenger bullet trains into a station built close to the intersection of F Street and Golden State.

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Conceivably, such a major development would alter the area’s business landscape in a significant way, bypossibly razing old buildings like the seemingly luckless, box that once housed a Montgomery Warddepartment store, and replacing it with restaurants, a travelers’ hotel, a Starbuck’s­style coffee house orother retail outlets.

Hanford council says no to rail station planning grantVisalia Times­Delta ­ Aug 5,2015At a previous council meeting, Mike Olmos, Visalia’s city manager, told Hanford city officials at a studysession on the issue that while they had not taken a position on the project in the past, “if it is going to bebuilt we want to make sure we have a station stop here,” Olmos said. “Otherwise the project offers usnothing.”He added it is important for us to be connected to the rest of California for all kinds of reasons “includingeconomic development.”The California High Speed Rail Authority had announced it would build the Kings /Tulare station with orwithout Hanford’s input with a design contract slated for end of this year.

This is the vision of the California High Speed Rail Authority of what the area around the Fresno HighSpeed Rail Station will look like in the future.

High Speed Rail is popping up all over the world. Here's why that's a good thingCityMetric­Aug 3, 2015Added to that, HSR lessens the demand on roads and crowded airports, and are statistically safer thancars. For example, the French and Japanese high­speed systems have been operational for over 30 yearsand there have been no passenger deaths as a result of a high­speed crash in either country.Rail stations can also boost land value, as the areas around stations suddenly become more accessible to alarger number of people and therefore, more attractive to development and real estate interests. JapanRail East, the largest of the seven companies operating Japan’s HSR network, requires no publicsubsidy because it owns the land around its stations and is able to capture the added value of thatland and reinvest it into its system. Nearly one­third of JR East’s revenue comes from commercialdevelopments along the railway route.In order to seize these many advantages, Saudi Arabia is planning the Middle East’s first high­speed railline.Emphasis added NB

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At a crossroads: Miami­Orlando train service could get $1.75 billion boostMiami Herald­Aug 4, 2015All Aboard Florida, a planned inter­city passenger train system that would connect downtown Miami toOrlando, could receive a crucial approval Wednesday to issue $1.75 billion in tax­exempt bonds in orderto finance a 235­mile rail service...The company expects to run 32 intercity trains a day along the Florida East Coast railway tracks, startingin the second quarter of 2017 with operations in South Forida between Miami and West Palm Beach. Thesystem would expand to Orlando by the end of that year.

All Aboard Florida Gets Key Vote to Issue Tax­Exempt BondsOrlando Sentinel Aug 5, 2015The All Aboard Florida train that would link Miami with Orlando International Airport won the crucialapproval of a state board Wednesday night, allowing the 235­mile system to borrow nearly $1.75 billionat a low interest and tax­exempt rate.The 3­0 decision by the Florida Development Finance Commissiongreatly increases the likelihood that the Coral Gables­based operation will have its trains running in SouthFlorida by early 2017 and into Orlando by late 2017.

Train control systems around the worldLivemint­Aug 5, 2015After two passenger trains derailed on Tuesday, a look at existing train control systems in India and howthey compare with global standardsReports say the derailment happened due to heavy rains that triggered flash floods on the tracks,submerging them in the process.

US sees small number of railroads meeting safety deadlineReuters­Aug 7, 2015A report to Congress by the Federal Railroad Administration showed that just three out of 38 inter­citypassenger, commuter and freight railroads have submitted the plans necessary for regulators to certifyadvanced technology systems known as positive train control, or PTC.Barely four months before the congressionally mandated deadline, only 11 railroads have told regulatorsthat they expect to begin demonstrating PTC systems in 2015. Others have said PTC demonstrationscould start as late as 2020.

The Future of Rail Travel—and Why It Doesn’t Look Like Hyperloop Gizmodo Aug 5, 2015As the world’s population becomes increasingly urbanised, it is estimated that the number of journeysmeasured in passenger­kilometres will triple by 2050. Roads simply can’t absorb this increase.Railways, with their greater capacity for carrying more people, quickly and with greater energyefficiency, are the best bet to become our mobility backbone. Of course, engineers’ imaginations havecreated many alternatives to the original steel­on­steel approach to the railway. Maglev and the much­publicised but so far theoretical Hyperloop are often regarded as the ones to watch – but do they reallyrepresent the future of rail travel?

The Latest Routes, Deals and Developments in European RailTravelPulse­Aug 5, 2015As the dollar continues to do its limbo shimmy at $1.08 to the euro, Americans are finding Europe abargain this year, and Rail Europe continues to put out deals that add value to the journey. Railcompanies are adding new destinations, new conveniences, new products and yes, new discounts to directthis bumper crop of travelers onto the tracks this fall and summer even as new products come on line for

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luxury travelers.

Man pulled from path of oncoming train in California by sheriff's deputyABC Online­Aug 4, 2015A man has been dragged to safety seconds before an oncoming train tore through his car at a rail crossingin California.A sheriff's deputy pulled the man from his car at the South Mary Avenue crossing in Sunnyvale afterhearing the man crash into the crossing guard.The pair are seen running from the vehicle when the man falls to the ground, just as the train is heardapproaching.

Motorist Pulled From Caltrain Tracks By Cop Busted For Suspected DUIPatch.com ­ Aug 4, 2015A driver who narrowly missed being struck by a Caltrain in Sunnyvale last night has been cited onsuspicion of drunk driving and other offenses in connection with multiple crashes, authorities said today.The driver, identified today as Nelson Gomez, 20, was pulled from his vehicle by San Mateo Countysheriff’s Deputy Lance Whitted around 6:35 p.m. Monday, moments before the car was struck by a trainnear Mary and West Evelyn avenues, according to sheriff’s spokesman Salvador Zuno...He has been cited on suspicion of driving under the influence, hit­and­run, driving without a license anda probation violation, Hunter said... The incident resulted in delays of up to 45 minutes as trains single­tracked through the area. Both tracksreopened for service by 7:45 p.m., according to Ackemann.

Weekend BART Closure Not The Disaster It Was Expected To BeSFist­Aug 3, 2015The weekend­long interruption of transbay BART service, which allowed BART crews to do someneeded track work in and outside of the Transbay Tube, turned out not to create the traffic nightmare thatsome expected on the Bay Bridge. People either heeded BART's warnings to stay home Saturday andSunday, or they opted for one of the army of free shuttle buses that were running, courtesy of buses onloan from AC Transit, Muni, and SamTrans.As one shuttle rider told ABC 7, "It was super easy. It onlytook like 20 minutes, 25 minutes. They've got a whole lane dedicated just to the bus."

BART gets go­ahead to buy clean energy directlySFGate­Aug 7, 2015SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Friday that allows BART to purchase renewableenergy directly from wholesale suppliers as the rail system looks to further reduce its carbon footprint.

Should Caltrain Add Bathrooms On­Board or at Its Stations?Streetsblog San Francisco (blog)­Aug 6, 2015On­board restrooms could be cut from Caltrain’s electric trains after the agency’s Board ofDirectors rejected a proposal to include one bathroom on every six­car train last month. The agency isexploring the costs of adding bathrooms, and while some riders say they’re crucial, there’s little supportfrom board members or disability advocates.

Caltrain proposal to close electrification funding gapGreen Caltrain Aug 6, 2015At today’s Caltrain board meeting, Caltrain modernization lead Marian Lee presented an update on howCaltrain intends to fill a $431 million funding gap that remains to pay for Caltrain electrification...Caltrain considered but isn’t pursuing loans and fare increases to help full the gap. Federal “TIFIA”loans would be available, but would add to Caltrain’s operating budget. Since Caltrain does not have

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stable operating funding, relying on voluntary (!) contributions from its partners to meet its budget everyyear, it didn’t make sense to add operating cost.

A crowded Weekend Caltrain, train back in October 2013. It was already standing room only beforethese people tried to get in. Photo by Noel T. Braymer

Amtrak's Southwest Chief stalls 10+ hours on Raton PassKOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News­Aug 8, 2015Spokesman Marc Magliari confirms the train broke down near Trinidad Saturday morning after departingfrom La Junta at 8:30 a.m. He says the problem was a mechanical issue with a locomotive on the ascentto the summit of Raton Pass, the highest point on the Southwest Chief route.Passenger Mitzie Stalsworth of Los Angeles tells News5 that passengers have not been allowed todisembark for any reason and intermittent electrical outages aboard the train have cut off air conditioningand prevented passengers from being able to use the restroom.

New Jersey Transit Has a Solution to Commuter Misery: Stay HomeBloomberg ­ Aug 6, 2015For six days in July, equipment failures forced New Jersey Transit trains to share a single Hudson Rivertunnel, delaying Manhattan commuters as long as 90 minutes...Sounds like a normal day on Caltrain when there is a grade crossing incident. NB

N.J. Senate hearing to focus on NJ Transit, Amtrak's 4 days of delaysNew Jersey.Com Aug 6, 2015Longer term, the committee also will look at NJ Transit funding and the agencies finances, Gordon said.A nine percent fare increase takes effect on Oct. 1.

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Both Gordon and Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D­Bergen), the committee's vice­chair,expressed concern about what happens next year, when $295 million from the New Jersey TurnpikeAuthority's contribute to the canceled ARC tunnel project, is no longer available. "We're concerned that NJ Transit has another deficit looming next year when $295 million in NJTurnpike money that has been used to cover NJ Transit operations is scheduled to go away," Weinbergsaid, in a statement.

$1.2B for what? Much of the cash spent on scrapped plan for ARC tunnel will goto wasteNorthJersey.com­Aug 8, 2015“That’s a shocking number,” said Michael Phelan, a Leonia resident and co­founder of the New JerseyCommuters Action Network. “It is a shocking example of waste and bureaucracy. After 20 years, there’snot even a hole in the ground to show for it.”...Politically, criticism of Christie’s decision on ARC neverentirely died down, and it came roaring back to life during hearings held in May over NJ Transit’sdecision to hike fares 9 percent to close a $56 million budget gap. Critics said the move penalized traincommuters with higher fares and less service. They also said it will hurt drivers, as some train ridersabandon NJ Transit’s fares and delays and start driving to work instead...Many people at the hearings blamed Christie for the fare hike. The governor’s budgets have reducedgeneral fund subsidies to NJ Transit from $309.4 million in 2012 to $33 million in fiscal 2016. Christiehas tapped other sources to keep NJ Transit afloat, including $295 million from the Turnpike Authorityand $62 million from the Clean Air Fund.

Christie's 2016 bid dogged by cancellation of NYC rail tunnelThe Hill Aug 5, 2015Killing the rail tunnel, known as the Access to the Region's Core (ARC) project, was one of Christie'sfirst high­profile decisions after he was elected in 2009 in a surprise win over then­New Jersey Gov. JonCorzine, a Democrat.The project was originally projected to cost $8.7 billion, but it faced cost overruns. When Christiecancelled it, the price tag was up to $11 billion. Now the price tag is $16 billion. NB

What about Federal Dollars for California’s Rail Tunnels too?By Noel T. BraymerWhat about California? There is going to be a great deal of tunneling needed for the California HighSpeed Rail project. California has secured $3.3 Billion Dollars in Federal Funding for the first leg ofHigh Speed Rail between Burbank and Merced out of a total estimated cost of $31.3 billion dollars. Bycomparison the Hudson Gateway Project, which would include a new double track tunnel under theHudson River and related projects in Manhattan is now estimated to cost $16 billion dollars. For this theGovernors of New York and New Jersey are demanding that Amtrak and the Federal Government payhalf the cost which is $8 billion dollars.This is for a tunnel which the vast majority of use is for localcommuter rail service on New Jersey Transit. Already Amtrak has spent millions of dollars on theHudson Gateway Project even though it has not been funded. This is because the State of New Jerseyrefused to pay it’s share of that project.

California pays off $14 billion in costly debt from 2004cnsnews.com Aug 8, 2015SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California closed an ugly chapter in its financial history on Wednesdayby making its final payment on $14.2 billion in costly borrowing that plugged a budget deficit 11 yearsago but eventually cost taxpayers about $5 billion in interest and fees.State Treasurer John Chiang and Director of Finance Michael Cohen announced the final payment ofnearly $929 million toward the Economic Recovery Bonds, debt that was approved by voters in 2004

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after then­Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger led a bipartisan campaign promoting them.

Cuomo: Feds must pay more for NY­NJ rail tunnelAsbury Park Press ­ Aug 7, 2015ALBANY, N.Y. – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned federal transportation officials Friday thatAmtrak’s entire Northeast corridor could be disrupted and disabled unless Washington invests significantsums in a plan to build new Hudson River rail tunnels.If this was really an issue of fixing 105 year old tunnels, for much less than $16 billion dollars youcould build a new single tracked tunnel. Then you could rebuild each old tunnel, one at a time.When finished you would have three tunnels and tracks in a good state of repair. This is not whatthe Hudson Gateway Project is all about. It is about greatly expanding New Jersey Transit railservice for new commercial development in Manhattan, with as little local expense as possible. Asit is New Jersey Transit is falling apart by the failure of the State of New Jersey to fund it. It ishard to see even if 4 tracks were built built under the Hudson River if New Jersey Transit wouldbe able to run the extra trains to use these new tracks. NB

The Cuomo Plan to Rebuild LaGuardia Airport Is Seriously Flawed ...New York Magazine­Aug 4, 2015Meanwhile, he stands shoulder to shoulder with Governor Christie in pushing the proposed Hudson rail­tunnel project back to the federal government, where it can die decorously of neglect. He wants to bringMetro­North into Penn Station (even as Amtrak will eventually be moving across the street) but he’sshown little interest in uprooting Madison Square Garden, demolishing the whole miserable rat mazebelow, and replacing it with a safer, saner station. As for the prospect of genuine high­speed rail, NewYorkers can only look at Japan’s bullet trains and sigh.A new LaGuardia will leave most — nearly all — of the region’s transit problems unsolved.

Snyder: Re­election shows lawmakers can back tax hikesDetroit News Aug 5, 2015Gov. Rick Snyder is pointing to his own re­election last fall as evidence that fellow Republicans can feelsafe voting for tax increases to support road repairs, while summer­long negotiations with lawmakerscontinue to slog along.

Carper Proposes Nearly Doubling the Gas TaxThe Hill Aug 6, 2015Sen. Tom Carper (D­Del.) is introducing legislation that would nearly double the 18.4­cents­per­gallonfederal gas tax to help pay for road and transit projects around the nation.Carper's bill would increase the gas tax by 4 cents per year for the next four years, resulting in a 16­cents­per­gallon increase by 2020. The legislation would offer tax credits to offset the impact of the gastax hikes on drivers, according to Carper's office.

With crude at $50, oil firms fear deeper crisis than in 1980sReuters Aug 5, 2015LONDON (Reuters) ­ After slashing spending by $180 billion to deal with one of the worst industrydownturns in decades, oil companies are still bleeding cash and slipping further into debt to maintaindividends to shareholders.Depressed crude prices ­ at below $50 a barrel Brent crude is half what it was a year ago ­ mean evenmore cuts are needed at new projects and existing operations. Companies trying to dispose of oilfields toraise cash could be forced to sell quickly and for less than they hoped.

US crude­by­rail projects; Questar delays California rail project

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Yahoo! Maktoob News­Aug 6, 2015 HOUSTON, Aug 6 (Reuters) ­ U.S. oil producers, refiners and logistics companies are deep into thecrude­by­rail movement with dozens of projects throughout the United States, although crude movementsvia rail retreated to less than 900,000 barrels per day in the first quarter this year from more than 1million bpd in the second half of 2014. That decline came amid tight spreads between U.S. crude andBrent prices, leading coastal refiners to take imports because a narrow spread squashes economicadvantages of oil­by­rail.

Highway bill delay stalls Amtrak crash victim relief effortThe Hill­Aug 4, 2015A bid to increase the amount that Amtrak can be sued for in the wake of a deadly train crash nearPhiladelphia has been stalled by the gridlock in Congress over highway funding.A six­year transportation­funding bill that was approved last week by the Senate would have lifted a capon Amtrak's liability in accident lawsuits to $295 million.The House refused to take up the Senate's long­term transportation bill, however, forcing the chamber toaccept a temporary patch that does not include the rail liability provisions.

Amtrak trains selling out ahead of pope visit to Philadelphiawitf.org­Aug 6, 2015(Harrisburg) ­­ As Pope Francis's visit to Philadelphia nears, Amtrak is seeing more business ­­ a lotmore..."For this far out in advance, we're seeing a stronger than typical level of bookings," saysAmtrak's Craig Schulz.Amtrak still has Harrisburg to Philadelphia tickets for both days, though nearly all cost $42 ­ about $15more than the usual fare.The rail carrier might add more cars to trains so more people can get to Philly for Pope Francis's visit."So we'll make some trains longer so there's extra seats and we'll look into the possibility of runningsome extra trains as well," says Schulz.

Trains running again after fire shuts down service at Newark Penn StationWABC­TV ­ Aug 6, 2015NEWARK (WABC) ­­The temporary hold on all tracks at Newark Penn Station has been lifted after atrack fire, meaning some trains are running again, albeit with heavy delays.New Jersey Transit says they have 45­minute delays on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Lineand Raritan Valley Line.Amtrak is telling its customers to expect residual delays.

Amtrak: Body found near Westfield tracks was missing female passengerMassLive.com­Aug 4, 2015Amtrak has confirmed that it is participating in the investigation of a missingpassenger found dead by the train tracks in Westfield.In a statement released Monday, Amtrak said the woman, whose identity has not been released, wastraveling on an Albany to Boston line when she was reported missing. She was found dead shortly around7:45 p.m. Saturday after Westfield police received a call about a body on the tracks.

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Drought relief, by railRailwayAge Magazine­Aug 3, 2015The use of railways to transport water holds historic precedence both in the U.S. and abroad. Beginningin May 2000, Indian Railways provided emergency WBR service to several drought­stricken regions,with a reported 262 trips totaling 4,535 tank cars (an average 17 cars per trip) delivering water to ninetowns and 200 villages. Between September 2002 and April 2003, India’s water shipments increased to1,277 trips, handling 65,512 tank cars (an average 51 cars per trip). News of such operations has gonevirtually unnoticed in the Western world.

Before the car, an electric railroad ruled the Napa ValleyNapa Valley Register­Aug 6, 2015ST. HELENA — The current Highway 29 channelization project is just the latest solution to the NapaValley’s ongoing transportation woes. But some may not realize that the most efficient and successfultransportation system ever built in the county, an electric railway line, once transported 830,000 ridersbetween Calistoga and Vallejo in a single year.

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August is Toy Train Month at the Railroad MuseumThe Sacramento Press­Aug 3, 2015Perfect for train enthusiasts, rail fans, children and the young­of­heart of all ages, California State Parksand the California State Railroad Museum have deemed August as “Toy Train Month,” an annualcelebration that focuses on the crowd­favorite Thomas W. Sefton Gallery and “Small Wonders: TheMagic of Toy Trains” exhibit.

Light Rail Viability Key Issue for Phoenix Mayoral Race AZ Central Aug 6, 2015By far, the dominant issue in this summer’s election for Phoenix mayor and City Council has beenProposition 104, a ballot initiative that would pay for a massive expansion of Phoenix's transportationsystem.The $31.5 billion, 35­year plan would extend and increase the city's current transit tax to fund operationsand expansions of light rail and bus service, along with street improvements. Phoenix voters will decideProp. 104’s fate in the city’s Aug. 25 election; early voting started last week.

17 Environmental Nonprofits Endorse Transit Tax in Los AngelesThe Nonprofit Quarterly (blog)­Aug 3, 2015Metro’s board will be considering a transportation ballot measure in 2016 for a sales tax that will helpfund additional projects in the region’s long­range plan. The proposed ballot measure will includeprojects and expenditures over a 30–45 year period and will produce tens of billions of dollars inrevenue.

Elevated Crenshaw Line Station Takes FormUrbanize L.A. Aug 5, 2015Infrastructure projects always move slower than molasses, but a year­and­a­half after breaking ground,Metro's $2 billion Crenshaw/LAX Line is gradually beginning to take form.Progress is most apparent at the intersection of Century and Aviation Boulevards, where the installationof falsework portends the arrival of a future elevated station served by both the Crenshaw and GreenLines. The site was previously home to a 1960s­era freight rail viaduct which ferried trains abovecongested Century Boulevard. The single­track bridge was demolished last summer in a three­day eventdubbed "the Century Crunch."

Big Blue Bus System Overhaul Begins August 23, Getting Ready For Expo Santa Monica Next Aug 2015The coming changes, which will occur in three phases over the next 12 months, are designed to betterintegrate Big Blue Bus routes with the Expo line, which is expected to begin passenger service in the firsthalf of next year.“Big Blue Bus is embarking on its first of three major service changes to implement its Expo IntegrationPlan called Evolution of Blue,” said Suja Lowenthal, manager of Government and Community Relationsfor the Big Blue Bus.Following an extensive community outreach effort, the Expo integration plan has undergone somerevisions since it was first proposed last summer. Once all three phases of the “Evolution of Blue” planare fully implemented, we will some exciting stuff, like an “Uber­like” on­demand service on theevenings to help get people home from Expo stations and the addition of several new routes.

Metro survey shows high levels of sexual harassment on public transitLA Curbed Aug 5, 2015Rather than fit under an all encompassing question of whether customers had been sexually harassed, thissurvey delineates between non­physical sexual harassment, instances of groping, and indecent exposure.

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They found 18 percent of bus riders and 21 percent of train riders had experienced sexual harassment ingeneral (a slight drop). 7 percent of all respondents for both bus and rail said they had experiencedinappropriate touching or groping. 7 percent of bus riders had experienced indecent exposure versus 10percent of train riders. Overall the number of people getting sexually harassed is down from last year'ssurvey, but (in terms of general harassment) identical to the numbers from the winter 2013 survey.

North County Transit District's CEO Accused Of Harassment ...KPBS­Aug 4, 2015Former managers at the North County Transit District, which provides more than 12 million passengertrips a year via train and bus routes in San Diego County, have sworn under oath that the district’s topboss harassed and bullied older female employees while maintaining it was “one of the perquisites ofpower” to hire younger women who were “easier on the eyes.”

Nudie's, Famous Hollywood Western Tailor, Reopening in NewhallSCVNEWS.com­Aug 5, 2015Jamie Nudie is proud to announce that legendary Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors and Nudie’s Custom Java willopen their doors to the public once more on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015 in old town Newhall. The GrandOpening Celebration is slated for Saturday, Oct. 3.Now you can order a great cup of custom coffee, tantalizing meal, AND a custom made Nudie Suit all inone convenient location, right across from the Metrolink railway station in the scenic Santa ClaritaValley.emphais added NBNudie’s Rodeo Tailors was opened by Nudie Cohn in 1947 and invented the Rhinestone Cowboy, hencethe slogan “Embellishing the West since 1947.”

ONTARIO AIRPORT: Deal returns facility to local controlPress­Enterprise ­ Aug 5, 2015Ontario and Los Angeles have reached terms to return Ontario International Airport to local control,ending decades of remote ownership by Los Angeles and avoiding what promised to be a lengthy andcostly civil trial over Ontario’s 2013 lawsuit to wrest the facility back.The trial, in which jurors could have heard about billions of dollars in economic damage to the city ofOntario from years of reduced airport services, was set to begin Aug. 17 in Riverside County SuperiorCourt.There are plans to extend Light Rail from Azusa to Ontario Airport as well as a future CaliforniaHigh Speed Rail Station at the airport. Metrolink trains now run close to the airport which couldbe connected by buses. NB

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We Get EmailsRe:Trains to PlanesI have thoughts on a few items mentioned in the latest news you provided will stick to one..no direct railservice into LAX. Distance so short from the Green Line light rail how about alternate trains via a newroute to LAX.. one to Redondo beach and one direct to LAX. I used the bus service from Aviationstation, ok no charge but time consuming seems like the connection would be worth it. Yes several majorUS cities have direct rail to airports, proudly I mention Chicago. But the Big Apple, New York City, a

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world class city has no direct rail to any of its three airports. Newark: a people mover [now due forreplacement] when thru PATH service via Newark would be logical, Kennedy, a thorn to get to, finallygot their shuttle train at a hefty fare to connect with subways and LIRR at Jamaica, some short years ago..distance from the "A" train Rockaway line direct to JFK not that great. La Guardia.. well a bus toManhattan local fare with connections to various subways. An extension of the Astoria line elevated toLAG would be possible except for NIMBY's who in the NYC area oppose any further outdoor rail linesespecially elevated. So IMHO New York has slept on it 3 decades or more too long. Pity.Ed Davis Sr. Boise ID

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