I'll Meet You At the Station

Regional Rail Steering Committee Meeting Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 17:57:00 +0000

There is going to be a regional rail steering committee meeting tomorrow. It should be interesting to hear about the newly released phase 3 report. If you want to let your voice be heard about the light rail system being proposed for Memphis be sure to attend. I'll take your questions and present them if you can't attend. Just leave them as comments on this post. Check back here for an overview of the meeting.

Meeting Details
Date: Thursday, March 29, 2007
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Place: Central Station Conference Room (Enter thru the doors on G.E. Patterson)
545 S. Main Street
Contact: J.C. Lancaster (901) 722-0307

New Mata Regional Rail Site Up and Runnng

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 05:32:00 +0000

MATA is looking spiffy these days. You may have noticed that the MATA website has recently been updated. I noticed it a couple days ago. Overall I think the site is great improvement over their previous site. However I was surprised to find that the information about the regional rail program was no longer on the site. I noticed it was missing when I was checking the site for updates on the light rail line to the airport.

Well I checked back today and there to the far right was a new tab for the regional rail program. I clicked on it and it took me to the new regional rail program website. The image below shows where the link to the regional rail program is located on MATA's homepage.

One of the great things about the new regional rail program site is that it has the reports posted on the website. They are located towards the bottom of the website. I have it highlighted in the image below. Now anybody can view and download the reports that MATA has been using to guide decisions about light rail development in Memphis. Ever wonder why the Lamar corridor was chosen? The answer is in the reports. You can also read a draft of the most recent report as well. I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I guess I know what I'm doing with my weekend. Enjoy!

Your questions answered by Tom Fox, MATA's Director Of Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 04:30:00 +0000

Questions From Readers of This Blog

Why is it hard to get the status information and updates on light rail initiatives in Memphis?
THE PROCESS THAT MATA MUST FOLLOW TO QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL FUNDS IS VERY TIME CONSUMING. THERE HAVE BEEN FEW NEWSWORTHY MILESTONES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. VERY SOON, MATA WILL BE POSTING THE DRAFT PHASE 3 REPORT, EARLIER REPORTS, AND MEETING MINUTES ON ITS UPDATED WEB SITE.

Where does MATATRAC stand today? What is the biggest obstacle to making this dream of light rail a reality? When can we expect to see progress?
FUNDING IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST OBSTACLE. THE PROPOSED FUNDING PROGRAM INCLUDES FEDERAL, STATE, AND CITY DOLLARS IN PROPORTIONS OF 50%, 25%, AND 25%. AT THE PRESENT TIME BUDGETS ARE TIGHT AT THE CITY AND STATE LEVELS, AND FEDERAL FUNDING FOR RAIL IS EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE. THE NEXT STEP IS TO SECURE FTA APPROVAL TO BEGIN PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING ON THE DOWNTOWN-AIRPORT LINE, WHICH WE HOPE TO GET WITHIN ABOUT A YEAR. A NON-FEDERAL FUNDING COMMITMENT (CITY/STATE) FOR THE MATCHING SHARE OF PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING WILL BE NEEDED AT THAT TIME.

What are the proposed routes and stops and how will those be kept safe? NYC has police patrol the subway stops and occasionally ride the cars.
THE TOP PRIORITY CORRIDOR IS THE ONE CONNECTING DOWNTOWN, MIDTOWN AND THE AIRPORT. THE SELECTED ROUTE IS ALTERNATIVE 2 AND THERE ARE 8 PROPOSED STATION LOCATIONS. THE MAP AND STATION LOCATIONS WILL BE POSTED ON THE WEB SITE. OTHER CORRIDORS ARE EXPECTED TO STUDIED AT A LATER DATE, INCLUDING POSSIBLE LINES SERVING AREAS SOUTHEAST, SOUTH AND NORTH. MATA IS AWARE OF SAFETY CONCERNS AND WILL EITHER HAVE ITS OWN TRANSIT POLICE FORCE OR MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR REGULAR PATROLS. PERSONAL SAFETY HAS NOT PROVEN TO BE A PROBLEM AT OTHER LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

What is the status of using the aboandon rail line out to Cordova? Seems this would be a good fit of unused land.
THIS LINE IS OWNED BY THE CSX RAILROAD AND THEIR ASKING PRICE IS $15-17 MILLION. THE CITY AND COUNTY ARE INTERESTED IN ACQUIRING THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR PASSENGER RAIL AND RECREATIONAL USE, BUT NOT AT THAT PRICE. MATA IS MONITORING THE SITUATION AND IS PREPARED TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE CORRIDOR (INCLUDING WORKING WITH MEMPHIS GREENLINE ON JOINT USE) WHEN/IF THE PROPERTY ACQUISITION ISSUE IS RESOLVED.

Could any light rail plan share the rail lines that run along Poplar to Collierville? Or is it not practical to share that with the heavy trains owned by the commercial railroad companies?
THAT RAIL LINE AND RIGHT-OF-WAY IS OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD. MATA HAS HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH NORFOLK SOUTHERN OFFICIALS FROM TIME TO TIME AND THEY HAVE NOT INDICATED A WILLINGNESS TO SHARE THEIR RIGHT-OF-WAY (OR TRACK). BASED ON PAST STUDIES THIS WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT CORRIDOR FOR PASSENGER SERVICE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WITHOUT THE COOPERATION OF THE RAILROAD, IT IS UNLIKELY TO ADVANCE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

Has the cordova- downtown line really been properly studied because there seems to be a lot of people from that area that work downtown and would be willing to ride it?
A REVIEW WAS DONE OF THIS CORRIDOR AS PART OF THE PHASE 1 REPORT. MATA IS PREPARED TO CONDUCT A MORE DETAILED STUDY AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME (SEE ANSWER TO EARLIER QUESTION). ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN RAPID GROWTH IN THE CORDOVA AREA, IT IS FAIRLY LOW DENSITY, AND THE AREA BETWEEN CORDOVA AND MIDTOWN IS FAIRLY LOW DENSITY AS WELL. IT APPEARS THAT ANY LINE SERVING THIS CORRIDOR WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A LARGE PARK-AND-RIDE ELEMENT.

What are the obstacles to getting light rail projects started. Seems like we should be using funds for poposed stadiums for a light rail project instead since it is a better benefit to the public and the economy of the area. It would be better for a vast majority of the population than a stadium would.
FUNDING IS CERTAINLY AN OBSTACLE, BUT ALSO THE PERCEPTION BY SOME THAT IT IS NOT NEEDED. IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE TO CONVINCE SOME THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO START IMPLEMENTING TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS TO FUTURE PROBLEMS NOW.

How exactly will a light rail line built down Lamar spur development on the street when there won't be a need for anybody to ride it?
RIDERSHIP FORECASTS FOR 20 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE SHOW DAILY RIDERSHIP ON ALTERNATIVE 2 AT ABOUT 10,000 PER DAY. THE LAMAR AVENUE PORTION OF THE LINE MAKES UP LESS THAN ONE-HALF OF THE ROUTE AND ONLY 3 OF THE 8 STATIONS. LAMAR AVENUE IS ADJACENT TO VIABLE NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS GLENVIEW, AND ROZELLE-ANNESDALE. AND, REDEVELOPMENT IS ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE REGIONAL RAIL PROGRAM.

At the moment are there truly enough people moving between the airport and downtown to warrant a rail line as opposed to the cordova-downtown line?
20-YEAR FORECASTS SHOW THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 250,000 TOTAL DAILY TRIPS THAT BEGIN AND END WITHIN THE CORRIDOR. THERE ARE STATIONS ALL ALONG THE ROUTE THAT WOULD SERVE A WIDE VARIETY OF TRIPS – NOT JUST TRIPS BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND THE AIRPORT. IN FACT, FORECASTS SHOW THAT LESS THAN 10% OF THE TRIPS WOULD TRAVEL THE FULL LENGTH OF THE LINE. MOST OF THE TRIPS WOULD BEGIN OR END IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE CORRIDOR. THIS PROPOSED LINE IS NOT TARGETED PEOPLE FLYING INTO AND OUT OF MEMPHIS.

If the Lamar line fails, will the whole project be halted?
IT IS CRUCIAL THAT THE FIRST LINE BE SUCCESSFUL. THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHER CITIES SHOW THAT SUPPORT FOR LIGHT RAIL GROWS GREATLY AFTER THE FIRST LINE IS IMPLEMENTED.

Will the studies of each corridor be made public and will there be a private firm to back up the statistics that are determined by MATA?
ALL STUDIES DONE TO DATE WILL BE POSTED ON MATA’S WEB SITE SHORTLY. THE PHASE 1 AND PHASE 2 REPORTS HAVE BEEN PUBLIC FOR SOME TIME, BUT NOT POSTED ON THE WEBSITE. THE PHASE 3 REPORT PROVIDES DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN-AIRPORT LINE. ALL THE REPORTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY A NATIONALLY-KNOWN PRIVATE CONSULTANT.

Will there be a master plan made public detailing where MATA intends to build the tracts and how they will all connect in the future?
THE LONG RANGE PLAN IS PART OF THE MEMPHIS MPO PLAN. THE PLANNING PROCESS REQUIRES THAT THE FIRST STEP IDENTIFY BROADLY DEFINED TRAVEL CORRIDORS, THEN MORE DETAILED CORRIDOR-LEVEL STUDIES ARE DONE. SO, THERE IS A GENERAL MASTER PLAN, BUT NO SPECIFIC ROUTES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED EXCEPT FOR THE DOWNTOWN-AIRPORT LINE.

What is the status on the intermodal bus station near the airport?
IT IS BEING DESIGNED. CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATER IN 2007.

Why isn't a hydrofoil ferry being discussed to connect the future Beale Street Landing to the Tunica Riverpark with a MATA route connecting all the casinos to the Riverpark?
MATA COULD PROVIDE INPUT FOR SUCH A STUDY, BUT ANOTHER PUBLIC ENTITY (OR THE CASINOS) WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE LEAD.

Why don't we have Dial-a-Ride service or jitneys in the areas with less density for people who aren't allowed to ride MATA-plus?
INNOVATIVE SERVICES SUCH AS THIS HAVE GENERALLY NOT BEEN ACTIVELY PURSUED DUE TO FUNDING ISSUES. MATA DOES NOT RECEIVE ANY FUNDING FROM SHELBY COUNTY, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN TENNESSEE, OR MISSISSIPPI, WHERE MANY OF THE LESS DENSE AREAS ARE LOCATED.

Is it possible to buy just one light rail car just to show people what the diffrence is between a trolley and light rail on a daily basis?
MATA HAS CONSIDERED THIS. THE MAIN CHALLENGES ARE: A PLACE TO STORE IT, THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAINTAIN IT, AND THE COST ($3 MILLION FOR ONE CAR). WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

Has MATA looked at other cities to see how we can build the most effective light rail system?
WE ARE CONTINUALLY MONITORING THE ACTIVITIES OF OTHER LIGHT RAIL CITIES. THERE ARE ABOUT A DOZEN NEW SYSTEMS IN PLACE WITH OTHERS ON THE WAY (CHARLOTTE, PHOENIX AND SEATTLE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION). THE ONES THAT WE THINK WE CAN LEARN THE MOST FROM ARE PORTLAND, DALLAS, SALT LAKE CITY, AND BALTIMORE. OTHER SUCCESSFUL SYSTEMS ARE IN SAN DIEGO, ST. LOUIS, DENVER, HOUSTON, MINNEAPOLIS, SACRAMENTO, SAN JOSE, AND LOS ANGELES.

Capstone Project Update

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 18:00:00 +0000

In a previous post I mentioned that I would be using this blog as a way to test and share my ideas for my masters capstone project. For those of you who do not know, a capstone project is very much like a master's thesis. So when I say capstone think thesis.

Up to this point I really haven't posted much on my capstone. This has been for two primary reasons. The first reason is that I really haven't had much to post on my project. Most of my time has been spent preparing for my project. I am just starting to get into the meat of my capstone and as as a result am just starting to have some things worth posting. The other reason is that I'm a little wary of posting my work for all to see. I think my fear of failure and my perfectionist streak keeps me from posting anything till its perfect. Hopefully this blog will help me get over both these issues.

One may ask, why post anything at all? Some may think that I just trying to get other people to write my project for me and in a sense I am. I'm a firm believer in the democratization of the planning process and the importance of co-intelligence. The problems facing us today and into the future are increasingly complex and will require collective action and co-intelligence. No longer can the big problems be left up to experts and more and more often solutions are coming from the ground up. I see this project as a chance to harness the collective experience, ideas and intelligence of Memphis residents to make my project even stronger and hopefully impact the future of light rail development in Memphis.

Portland's Light Rail System

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 18:00:00 +0000

A couple months ago I visited City of Portland Oregon. I'm originally from the Pacific Northwest and I haven't gotten a chance to get back to visit the region since I graduated from high school in 1998. Overall I had a great trip and got a chance to reconnect with many of my old high school friends. I also got a chance to check out Portland's TriMet light rail system, the Max. Here are some pictures of the system with some of my impressions following the photo slideshow.

Flash Slideshow

My Impressions of Public Transit in Portland

Overall I was impressed with Portland's light rail system although getting around via transit wasn't as easy as I had expected. It was still much faster to hop into a car to get around the city, which I think is going to be the same case for Memphis. Despite that fact, you could still get wherever you wanted if you properly allotted time. I think I was spoiled from living in Boston where it was often faster and certainly more convenient to take transit than the ones car. I think the main difference between a town like Portland and Boston has less to do with the quality of the public transit and more to do with the congestion and lack of parking on streets. The worse the city is to get around in by car the more appealing transit becomes. Despite this fact that it is still relatively easy to get around in Portland by car transit ridership is amongst the highest in the nation and on the rise.

Another problem I had with the system is that it works great if you are traveling east west but not north south. If you want to go north south you have to transfer to the bus system. That isn't too much of a problem because the light rail stations where well connected with the existing bus system such that both systems work well to compliment each other.

One great aspect of Portland's transit systems is that it was very accessible. All the systems were created for easy use by differently abled individuals. While I was there I saw system used many different times on both the light rail line and bus system. It was easy, simple and efficient. Which brings me to the actual vehicles. I found the vehicles comfortable to ride on. Part of the reason for the comfort was that the vehicles all seemed to be clean and well maintained.

One of the greatest things about the Portland TriMet System is that the trains had GPS units on them. As a result there was a ticker at every stop that let you know the time till the next train arrived. Every bus stop had a phone number that you could call to see when the next bus was arriving as well. This made waiting all the more bearable. I know a couple times when I was downtown I stopped into a couple stores near the station because I knew I would be waiting a few minuets. Knowing when the next bus or train is arriving gives the rider the ability to do something else. As a result the time waiting doesn't seem like such a waste of time. You can also check the internet to see when the next train is arriving. All in all I think this was a major plus for the system.

Another great aspect of the transit system was the Fareless Square. The fareless square is an area in downtown Portland where all forms of transit are free to use as long as you stay within the square. This makes it easy to either jump on a bus, hop on the light rail system or use the streetcar system to get around downtown. With those three options you always had one nearby. This made it really easy to get around downtown and made spending time downtown a pleasure.

Lessons for Memphis

I think there are some valuable lessons that to be learned from Portland. First is to make it as easy to ride public transportation as possible. The easier it is to use the more people will use public transportation. In Memphis we could do things like attach GPS units to the buses and trolleys and eventually the light rail vehicles so that riders would know when to expect the next vehicle. Memphis should also make stations and vehicles as accessible as possible so that everybody, the young, the old and the differently ables, can all use the system.

Second, turn the downtown trolley into an actual people mover system. This would mean reducing fares or possible cutting them out all together and increasing frequency and reliability of the trolleys. MATA is already using this method to increase ridership downtown by reducing fares during lunch hours. One way to increase the reliability of the system would be to prioritizing trolley traffic over automobile traffic. There is no reason why a trolley should be waiting at red light at an empty intersection. In the best case scenario the trolley would have a straight shot along Main with green lights being triggered by the oncoming trolley to ensure continuous travel. Increasing usage downtown is an important step towards increasing ridership elsewhere on the system.

The final lesson I learned from Portland is that parking matters. Having a working people mover downtown keeps people downtown. If you want to reduce the number of cars downtown and ensure that people use public transit to get downtown then parking rates need to be increased. In Portland the city taxed parking downtown thereby raising the price. The money gathered from the parking tax then paid for transit projects such as the downtown streetcar system. I think there are credible tools to make our transit system among the best in the nation. All that is lacking is the political will to make it happen.

You got questions I got answers.

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:14:00 +0000

I thought it would be nice for people who are reading this blog to be able to ask MATA's director of planning and capital projects Tom Fox some questions about the future of light rail in Memphis. I met with Tom a couple months ago to talk about my capstone project and he seemed amicable to the idea of answering questions people brought up on my blog. So I am going to open up the floor to the readers for questions. Please leave your questions by commenting on this post. I will compile the list and send them off to Mr. Fox and post when I get a reply. Now you can get your questions about light rail answered straight from the horses mouth.

Why is Light Rail so Damn Sexy?

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 21:55:00 +0000

A common argument that I hear against light rail is that it costs too much to construct and operate. "Why not just use buses?" is a common question raise when light rail is brought up. Buses are cheaper to run and operate and do not require the large capital costs of light rail. Buses are able to respond to new and different demand patterns because their routes can be changed at little or no cost. Light rail just doesn't make economic sense when compared to buses, or so the arguments goes.

Here is the problem, at least in Memphis, people just won't ride the bus. Why? It may have to do with problems with the bus routes and stops, or the scheduling, or the fare, or even the buses used. My guess is that the problem is as much one of perception as having to do with real problems that keeps people from riding. I have heard people call MATA buses unsafe and dirty. When pressed further these individuals often state that they don't use the bus or used it once and decided to never use it again. Do these perceptions match reality? Are buses in Memphis unsafe? Are they unclean? I did a quick search on the Commercial Appeal and didn't find anything to suggest MATA buses are unsafe. I rode the bus for a week while my car was in the shop and didn't find it to be unclean. Perhaps MATA's biggest problem is one of public perception.

Here is a thought experiment to help illustrate my point. Try imaging a transit system in Memphis where the buses are always on time, where the routes and bus stops are convenient, and the buses are new clean vehicles. Would this hypothetical Memphis have more ridership on the bus system? Probably, but would there be a drastic increase in ridership, probably not. Now imagine the same scenario with light rail instead of buses. Would ridership be higher under the light rail scenario?

For some reason there is just something different about riding a train. Why does bus transit have such a stigma associated with it while light rail come off with a squeaky clean image? Why is light rail so damn sexy?

Light Rail In Memphis?

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:09:00 +0000

I couldn't believe my eyes when I passed by South Main and GE Patterson today. There, right in front of central station, was a light rail vehicle. When did Memphis get a light rail system?

Turns out the vehicle was on its way to Charlotte's new light rail system and was taking a break in Memphis. According to a Memphis Business Journal article this vehicle is typical of the vehicle that Memphis might use for its light rail system. It was nice to see a light rail vehicle in Memphis. Kinda makes imagining a system here easier. Here are some photos I took.

Flash Slideshow

August 24th Transportation Policy Board

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 21:03:00 +0000

I attended the August 24th transportation policy board to hear about the progress the ERA consultants had made so far on their economic study of light rail in Memphis. As I understand their charge, the consultants are going to study the economic impact of light rail development in Memphis and the surrounding region. To do this they needed a test corridor, something on the ground to run the numbers against. It would be too difficult to run an economic study without a specific light rail corridor due to the spacial characteristics of most economic factors. The economic impact of this corridor would then be compared to the economic impact of the same study area without a light rail line. By studying the economic impact with and without the corridor the consultants will be able to tell if the light rail corridor will have a positive, neutral or negative economic impact.

The two main economic indicators the consultants will be comparing are job growth and the gross regional product, a regional version of the gross national product. Using these indicators they should be able to tell which alternative is better economically for Memphis, light rail or no light rail. It is important to note that since the economic study is "site specific" the study is not saying whether or not light rail is good for Memphis only whether a light rail corridor at the locations studied is good economically for Memphis.

The next topic discussed at the meeting was the actual process of selecting the corridor for the study. The consultants evaluated four different corridors based on these five criteria: 1) potential ridership, 2) potential for creating transit oriented development (TOD) 3) right of way capacity 4) capital costs and 5) impact on existing businesses. The four corridors evaluated were: 1) Poplar corridor, 2) Summer Corridor, 3) Northern Corridor, similar to the corridor identified in the light rail Regional Rail Plan and 4) the CSX corridor. Based on the above five criterion the consultants choose the CSX corridor as their preferred corridor of study. They also said that at no additional charge they would study the Lamar Corridor as well due the fact that extensive research had already be completed for the corridor and that it had been selected as the preferred light rail corridor from Downtown to the Airport.

The consultants have already submitted two papers. The third paper will be case studies of what they call peer cities. The three main peer cities they selected were: 1) Baltimore, 2) Dallas and 3) Sacramento. From basic research from these studies they suggested targets or goals for the light rail line such as: 1) stations a mile apart, 2) 1000 trips per station per day, 3) 25% of the operating cost covered by fairs, and 4) a subsidy of around $2 to 4$ per trip. I have requested the consultants powerpoint and will post it here if they send it along to me.

After the initial presentation the questions from the public shifted the focus of the meeting to the Poplar Corridor. It was pointed out that all the major rail studies today have identified the Poplar Corridor as a prime, if not difficult, candidate for a light rail corridor. Those in the audience questioned why CSX was being studied when the Poplar Corridor holds the most promise. There was some discussion on the board and they decided to ask the consultants if they could come back with the price of adding the Poplar Corridor to the study.

ERA Proposed Light Rail Stations

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 01:11:00 +0000

Click on the station locations for a detailed station photo

MPO Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:31:00 +0000

There is an upcoming MPO meeting where the consultants looking at the CSX rail line as a potential light rail corridor will present some of their findings. I received the below information from Allan Lummas' Blog. You can reach his original post here EJ Meets Smart Growth: Agenda for MPO Transportation Policy Board Aug 24, 1:30

Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization
Transportation Policy Board

August 24, 2006 - 1:30 PM
Central Station Board Room
545 S. Main Street - Memphis, Tennessee

Agenda Packet

1. Call To Order
2. Approval of July 27, 2006 minutes
3. Announcements
4. Approval of FY07 PUBLIC HEARING—ACTION
Item Summary: The draft UPWP has been approved by TDOT and FHWA, and has been through a thirty-day public comment period. No comments were received.
5. Light Rail Economic Impact Study
Item Summary: The consultant team (ERA, Crandall Arambula PC, Kimley-Horn and HNTB) has submitted their first two working papers along with a document showing potential alignments and station locations. TPB approval is sought to move forward with the study of the alignments presented.
6. Reports - UPDATE
Travel Demand Model—Kimley Horn
7. New Business
8. Adjournment

Bad News from CSX

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:53:00 +0000

As I was doing my research for the capstone I came across the July 17th Commercial Appeal article "The End of the Line:; Plans to Purchase old Railroad Corridor Screech to a Halt." According to the article the planned purchase price of the rail line was well below the expectations of CSX. In fact there was over a 13 million dollar difference between the price the city was willing to pay and the price the cities own appraiser valued the land at. According to the article:

CSX appraisal of the property last year set its value at $17.8 million. The local governments hired their own appraiser to counter that, but A.E. Balkin & Associates this spring arrived at a sum that's not much lower - $15.7 million. Both appraisals were based on an "over-the-fence" method of setting value. It means the land price was based on what it would be if it was an extension of adjoining property lots. With the high appraisals in hand, CSX rejected a city-county offer of $2 million for the corridor.

Citing their shaky financial situation, the city and county have pulled their bid to purchase the right of way. As a result the status of the greenline and the possibility of a light rail corridor are put on hold. The city believes that they have presented a good package, since it would seem that the only market for the corridor is local government. On the other hand, CSX is a business and seek to maximize profits for their shareholders. From the article:

CSX spokesman Gary Sease said the company is obligated to seek the market price when selling land."We are a for-profit company and we're responsive to our shareholders, so we don't give the property away. We sell it for fair market values,"

With the city and county pulling out of the negotiations the only entity left pursuing the purchase of the rail right of way is the non-profit, Greater Memphis Greenline. It remains to be seen if the non-profit will be able raise the substantial funds needed for the current purchase price.

The central question is what is going to happen now? Does CSX have any other potential buyers to realize what they consider to be the market price of the land? Could they sell the rail right of way to the land owners adjacent to the rail line? It seems to me that if CSX's only option is to sell the corridor in its entirety than the market analysis used by both the local governments and CSX is flawed. Connecting the market value of the corridor to the market value of the neighboring parecls makes little sense if the land cannot be purchased by adjacent land owners. The question then becomes, what is the market value for the entire right of way taken as a transportation/recreational corridor. With either side not willing to negotiate the corridor will be on hold until one or both sides are willing to compromise?

What is this blog all about?

noreply@blogger.com (Tim) — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 15:58:00 +0000

I created this blog to two reasons; 1) to chronicle my masters capstone project from the start to finish and 2) to educate and comment on the prospect of a light rail system in Memphis. For those who do not know a capstone is similar to a masters thesis. The capstone is supposed to incorporate all that you have learned during the program. I will post updates as I make progress on my capstone.

A little bit about me: I am a grad student in the Masters of City and Regional Planning Program at the University of Memphis. I first became interested in this topic when I heard about the old CSX rail line and the non-profit, Greater Memphis Greenline, that wanted to creat a rails to trails path in its old right of way.

A little bit about my capstone: it proposes a new light rail corridor not yet planned for in the mass transportation master plan. I am still working on defining the study area but plan on using the old CSX line for as the backbone for the corridor. It is my hope that this blog will provide much needed feedback as I test my ideas and make progress on my capstone. Please post your comments as they will only make my work better. I am looking forward to hearing from you in the future.