Marcus Nelson

Taylor from Billions?

they made this into an highway vs transit funding infographic

Memphis transit is in deep trouble

It's time for clear eyed thinking about the potential for the large-scale destruction of public transit in American cities. It could happen in the next two years. Thread... 1/

Plans for an updated grade crossing at the CSX A-Line in Jacksonville. A large roundabout is built in the center of the tracks.

They are also doing this on other rail lines, such as this one on the CSX A-Line near Jacksonville:

The future intersection of Race Track Road and US-1, according to FDOT plans to improve the existing intersection. The intersection cuts through the FEC Railway.

A view of the new State Road 312 intersection with US-1, including a new grade crossing at the FEC Railway.

FDOT is continuing to build grade crossings much like these along other parts of the FEC where Brightline may run one day. The second picture is of a brand-new road with a new grade crossing.

Reading the markup and bill, this would essentially not fund any new transit project that isn't already part of the CIG program. That seems like a serious problem for long-term transit development.

$70k? These vans cost $392,000. The purpose-built shuttles that are supposed to replace them in a few years cost $409,000.

That's even worse, tracks are too permanent! That's why this was somehow a better idea to spend $66 million on, apparently.

Alas, JTA executives have claimed regular fixed-route buses are too large and inflexible for years in order to justify building this system with smaller vehicles.

Well…
bsky.app/profile/marc...

Yeah…
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There still has to be a guy in it to drive it when the computer gets confused (often). But JTA executives have repeatedly denounced the concept of operating fixed-route buses in order to justify building NAVI.

JTA will kick off autonomous shuttle service June 30 by offering rides for free Th Jacksonville Transportation Authority will begin its NAVI service with self-driving shuttles on June 30. Rides will be free the first three months.

Beep has been awarded a 5-year, $36 million contract to operate and maintain NAVI for JTA. This is in addition to the $40 million "Autonomous Innovation Center" built for the project.
www.jacksonville.com/story/news/l...

That would be neat if it worked particularly well at all. Unfortunately for everyone, most of all Jacksonville, the "Ultimate Urban Circulator" doesn't.

Here's my experience of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's NAVI "autonomous" shuttle system:
medium.com/@marcuscnels...

A NAVI "autonomous shuttle" near the future Four Seasons Hotel in Jacksonville. The Beep employee who must be constantly prepared to take over is in the driver's seat.

As one of the few people who has ridden this system, it's absolutely not ready for primetime. NAVI is the culmination of 8 years and millions of dollars that never should have been spent. Transit agencies can and should do better in other, proven ways. The operating cost is higher than the monorail!

Pepsi means they'd have Starry not 7up

Keolis is building a new light maintenance facility for the Fairmount Line project, which they are only ordering seven trains for. Different beast from a broader conversion effort.

True, there's a lot of facility overhaul that goes into moving from cars to MUs, that has to happen too. They probably don't have the setup to work on fixed sets let alone distributed power. Should definitely be planned for!

Money? Used trains are cheaper than new trains, especially if they're not yet prepared to wholly replace their rolling stock, some of which is brand new.

Well for starters that NSF program seems to have been defunded by DOGE.

But practically, it's a matter of the political will to provide funding for those trips and whether the agencies see (and are treated like they see) value in sending their employees on those trips instead of working back here.

I'm not talking about hypotheticals, I'm talking about reality. I want success, but I'm wondering how to get there from here. I'm not sure how this report sells success to people who might be open to it, much less those currently holding the power of the purse with little desire for better rail.

Why should politicians along the NEC prefer a cheaper plan they don't control (but have to fund) over a more expensive plan that they do control? If an advocate wants to take your plan to state officials, why should those officials trust it over the status quo? What is the political value of that?

I don't see what your claim about their "focus" to that end has to do with whether their actions are meant to or in fact disrupting or dismantling passenger rail. What Musk notices is impacted by the actions that follow. As you see with Gunn, it is rare & often ideological to fire the CEO of Amtrak!

To be clear, the original point made here was that DOGE is an ideological project to (in this case) disrupt or ultimately dismantle Amtrak & US passenger rail. They have taken steps towards that (such as defunding over $100 million from the Dock Bridge), even if not as many yet as at other agencies.

My point is that it's not clear why the people needed to create such a planning board (Congress & the states) would agree to cede state powers to it over something like the NEC Commission (created by Congress) that gathers the plans the states do support.

That's not true, both senators have championed their state receiving rail funding, and Markey has sponsored multiple rail bills. And none of them would allow all of said funding to be held hostage for the sake of electric trains, they'd make sure of that in the funding bill because that's their job!

Ed Markey & Liz Warren might have something to say about the FRA trying to commandeer their state's infrastructure. And grants generally require matches (often set by statute), so what if the state isn't willing or able to put up their share of that cost? No more capital maintenance?

1. You don't think Musk responds to things he notices?
2. Not prioritizing Texas HSR is one thing, declaring Amtrak cannot work on it at all is another.
3. Canceled grants & mass layoffs seem pretty wreck-y on their own.
4. It's pretty rare & ideologically focused to oust the CEO of Amtrak!

You mention a planning body (not sure where that leaves the NEC Commission) that would reduce the autonomy of NEC agencies. What incentive do the states have to agree to that? They have their own planners, can decide their own budgets, and send Congressmembers (e.g. Blumenthal) to defend themselves.