State DOT Conducts Open House About Passenger Rail Service

ALBANY, NY (11/09/2010)(readMedia)-- The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), today held a public meeting at the Utica Hotel in Utica, Oneida County, to discuss plans to improve passenger rail service.

The meeting is the fifth in a series of six initial scoping events called for as part of a detailed environmental review being conducted for the High Speed Rail Empire Corridor Project (HSR Project). These meetings are a way for the public and other project stakeholders to provide input to the project team. This input will help create the type of high speed passenger rail service that is right for residents, businesses and travelers in New York State.

"Expanding high speed intercity passenger rail service will give New Yorkers and others who visit our great State additional travel options, increase mobility, create jobs along the corridor, enhance tourism and spur economic growth," NYSDOT Acting Commissioner Stanley Gee said. "We encourage the public to attend this initial round of public meetings because active community involvement is essential to developing passenger rail improvements that will serve us effectively now and for decades to come."

This project is examining how to introduce passenger train speeds of at least 110 mile per hour between Schenectady and Niagara Falls and adding to the areas between Schenectady and New York City where passenger trains can travel at least 110 miles per hour. The project also seeks to improve reliability, travel times, and the frequency (number of trains) of passenger rail service. "

"High speed rail represents the Erie Canal-like vision that can rebuild the Upstate economy," said Congressman Mike Arcuri. "The short term construction jobs coupled with the long term benefits of being able to move people quickly and efficiently around the State is a recipe for economic success."

State Senator Joseph A. Griffo said, "This is an opportune time for the public to show its support for high-speed rail for our community. The competition for federal funds is fierce and I've said before that once the public sees the prospect for high -speed rail service that's reliable, dependable, affordable and accessible, it will be a fully realized alternative to traveling by car or plane."

Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito said, "High Speed Rail is an important and necessary economic development revitalization tool for upstate New York, especially here in the Mohawk Valley. This project will provide a safe, reliable and environmentally friendly intrastate connection that upstate needs to compete in the global marketplace. This development project will be as beneficial to commerce as the Erie Canal was when it was first built."

The 463-mile Empire Corridor runs north from New York City through Albany, turns west to Schenectady and then passes through Utica, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo before terminating at Niagara Falls. Most of the corridor is owned by CSX Transportation (CSX) and it is one of their busiest freight lines in the nation. Passenger service on the corridor is provided by Amtrak. Partners working with NYSDOT on this project include: CSX, Amtrak, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro North Railroad, Canadian Pacific Railways and many interested groups.

At each meeting, attendees play an important role in helping make the project team aware of factors critical to them for consideration in assessing the potential needs and benefits associated with improving Empire Corridor passenger rail.

Interested parties also can view an online public briefing covering the same information available at the scoping meeting by visiting www.nysdot.gov/empire-corridor. Comments can be made online.

Public scoping meetings are an essential element of the first tier of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which will help decide what is right for the Empire Corridor. This is the first step of the two-tiered environmental process being conducted for the High Speed Rail Empire Corridor Project. An EIS is a method of providing a strategic plan and assuring appropriate environmental documentation, project costs and benefits have been made available to public officials and citizens before major public investments are made or actions are taken.

In the current phase of this EIS, the public can help NYSDOT and the FRA evaluate potential improvements to intercity passenger rail service within the corridor by attending the public scoping meetings and other events, visiting the project website, and sharing their comments with the project team. Based on the findings of this project, NYSDOT will then refine this corridor-wide strategic plan into an implementation plan that sets forth specific programs and projects to improve passenger rail service on the Empire Corridor and meet current FRA requirements to compete for additional federal funding for corridor-wide service improvements.

The sixth and final public scoping meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 10th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Monroe County Community College, Brighton Campus, Campus Center Atrium, 1000 East Henrietta Road, Rochester, N.Y. 14623.

To learn more about the project, or to provide the project team with written comments, please visit the project website at www.nysdot.gov/empire-corridor.