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News and Events
News
For each of the last 15 years, our
Federal Transit Administration has recognized
transit providers that overcome significant challenges
to deliver reliable services to families, seniors, and
persons with disabilities who live and work in rural,
often far-flung communities. Yesterday FTA Deputy
Administrator Therese McMillan traveled to the
National Transportation Research Board Rural Public and
Intercity Bus Transportation Conference in
Burlington, Vermont. There, she presented six transit
providers with this year's
Outstanding Rural Transit System awards:
- Special Transit of Boulder, CO
- Rural Community Transportation of St. Johnsbury,
VT
- Citylink Public Transit System of Worley, ID
- Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency of
Cookeville, TN
- Flint Hills Transportation Agency of Manhattan,
KS
- South Central Adult Services Council of Valley
City, ND
FTA
Deputy Administrator Therese McMillan announcing the
Outstanding Rural Transit System awards
Now, the millions of us who live and work in the
nation’s cities and suburbs have options for getting
around: car, taxi, bus, train, trolley, bike, or our own
feet.
But that’s simply not the case for many Americans
living in more rural areas. From the tribal communities
of North Dakota to the Ozark Mountain towns of Arkansas,
transportation choices are more limited—particularly if
you can't afford a car—and destinations are often spread
far apart.
Citylink,
a partnership of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, the State of
Idaho, the KMPO, and Kootenai County,
provides critical services to Idahoans
October 15, 2010 - Administration Announces Amtrak
Refinancing Plan to Save Taxpayers More Than $160 Million
A refinancing agreement between the U.S.
government and Amtrak will save taxpayers approximately $162
million, the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Treasury
announced today.
“This announcement is good for taxpayers
and important for the future of rail service in America,”
said U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. “Refinancing
these leases will save taxpayers money while continuing the
President’s vision of improving passenger rail service
across the country at a lower cost.”
“This is a great opportunity to help
Amtrak and save money for the taxpayer,” said U.S.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “These savings also
represent funds that could be used to support the
development of high-speed rail.”
Over the years, Amtrak has incurred a
large amount of debt paid by the government through an
annual appropriation to the railroad. The Passenger Rail
Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) permitted the
Treasury Department to study ways to repay or restructure
Amtrak’s debt that would save money for the taxpayer and the
railroad, and to take action on its findings if this would
produce substantial savings. Today’s action is based on the
government’s findings.
Under the terms of today’s Memorandum of
Understanding, the government will exercise early buyout
options on 13 existing high-cost leases over the next three
years. The $420 million up-front cost will save
approximately $582 million in future payments, in effect
saving the taxpayer approximately $162 million.
During fiscal year 2010 the railroad’s
revenue was 9 percent higher than during the previous 12
months and its ridership increased 5.7 percent.
Norfolk Southern
Crescent Corridor: The Future Needs Us - "The
Future Needs Us" is a new Norfolk Southern campaign seeking comments
and support for its proposed Crescent Corridor development. "The Future
Needs Us.
It needs green jobs, a competitive economy, clear roads,
clean air. That's why Norfolk Southern and its partners are thinking
ahead. ..." For more information, please
click on the link above, copy and paste the following address into your
browser's navigation bar:
http://www.thefutureneedsus.com, or click
here.
*
Future Events
2010
- Octoraro Railroad 150th Anniversary
The opportunity exists for communities along the old Octoraro Railroad
Line to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the creation of the railroad.
Please click here to see more
details.
Past Events
April 10, 2010 -
Meet the Author Event
The author of
"Andy's Peach Bottom Railroad Adventures", Mary Louise Boomsma,
made an appearance at the Oxford Public Library on Saturday, April 10, 2010.
Her work celebrates the history of the now-defunct Peach Bottom RR by
incorporating her research into a new children's novel, richly
illustrated by Michael Abel.
Also making an appearance was
Stan White, author of numerous books about the Lancaster, Oxford, and
Southern Railroad (the official name of the Peach Bottom RR), sharing
his research and knowledge of the LO&S (also affectionately known as the
"Little, Old, and Slow").
Members of OATS were on
hand to discuss their progress and future plans for the rehabilitation
and revitalization of the Octoraro Rail Line.
The event was held
on Saturday, April 10, 2010, from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm, at the
Oxford Public Library, located at 48 South 2nd Street in Oxford.
For further information about
future events,
please stop by the Library or visit online at: http://www.oxfordpubliclibrary.org
November 4, 2009 -
Legislative Breakfast
Meeting
OATS
members C. John Stevenson, M. Walter Saranetz, and Stephen A.
Burch attended a Legislative Breakfast Meeting, hosted by the Southern
Chester County Chamber of Commerce, on Wednesday, November 4, 2009. The
topic of discussion centered on Transportation in Southern Chester
County, and was held in the Student Union Building of Lincoln
University. The meeting was emceed by Mr. Lloyd Roach of the
Transportation Management Association of Chester County (TMACC) and
President of BrandywineRadio.com, where it was broadcast live.
Featured speakers at this
event included Mr. Ronald Bailey, Executive Director of the Chester
County Planning Commission, Mr. Michael Herron of TMACC, Mr. Al Sauer,
Vice President and Director of Marketing for Regional Rail, LLC, the
parent company of East Penn Railroad (the current owner of the Octoraro
line), and Mr. Robert Grabus of PECO Energy. Other notable attendees
included State Representative Tom Houghton, Mr. Tom McIntyre of the
Chester County Economic Development Council, and Ms. Linda Ingerthron of
SCCOOT, along with several government officials from the numerous
municipalities within the region.
Each presenter expressed a
strong desire to improve intermodal (bus, truck, freight- and
passenger-rail) transportation issues within the
region, and each commented on the difficulties of obtaining the funding
required, not only to effect these improvements, but to keep existing
services operating at current levels of service. With the planned
expiration of the S.A.F.E. T.E.A. 21 -L.U. funding legislation for
transportation, service providers are faced with an additional financial
burden until an alternative source of revenue is established by Congress.
However, discovering non-traditional funding sources, including the
establishment of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP's, or P3's),
may be effective in alleviating this burden. Each of the presenters
agreed that improved transportation infrastructure equates to the region
becoming more attractive to new business, which, in turn, leads to the
creation of more jobs and improves the tax base for municipalities, thus
driving the regional economy forward.
During the "question and
answer" session, and in various conversations held after the meeting,
each of the presenters, along with other interested parties, agreed to
meet and discuss potential strategies for overcoming the issues
affecting transportation in the region. All those present are looking forward
to working together closely with the Chester County Planning Commission, the
Economic Development Council, TMACC, SCCOOT, and Regional
Rail LLC in the near future to help garner public interest in, and bring about the necessary
transportation infrastructure improvements to, the areas along the
Octoraro RR line Right-of-Way, and foster an economic resurgence within
the region.
To view Regional Rail,
LLC's website, please visit our
"Useful Links" page, or
click on the following link:
Regional Rail LLC
August 19, 2009:
Some interesting developments have recently come to light with regard to
the Octoraro Railroad Revitalization Effort.
The
Chester County Transportation Improvements Inventory (TII)
document for 2009 - 2010 has recently been published by the
Chester County Planning Commission (CCPC). This Adobe *.pdf file
lists ongoing and proposed transportation improvement projects, both
short- and long-term, for Chester County, and is the document
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO's) like the
Delaware Valley Regional Planning
Commission (DVRPC) rely on to acquire funding from
State and
Federal Departments of
Transportation (DOT's).
Several new projects have
been added under both Major Public Transportation Projects (No
Funding Commitments) and Freight Railroads, when
compared to the same document published in 2007:
-
PTN-2,
SEPTA R3 Extension to West Chester;
-
PTN-3,
Greenline Passenger Rail (Phoenixville to Paoli);
-
PTN-4, Octoraro Passenger Rail;
-
FRR-2, Octoraro Rail Line Rehabilitation;
-
FRR-3,
Mittal Steel Railway Rehabilitation;
-
FRR-4, Wilmington and Northern Line
Rehabilitation;
-
FRR-5,
ARCELOR Mittal Rail Yard Rehabilitation.
Based upon the ratings
scores assigned, it appears that each of the passenger rail projects
stand a better than average chance of being funded in the near future.
Congratulations to John
McKinstry of the R3 West Chester Extension effort, and Barry Cassidy of
Phoenixville Mainstreet for the first of many successful outcomes
for their efforts.
To read the CCPC TII
document in its entirety click the hyperlink above or click
here. For further information on the agencies listed above, please
feel free to click the hyperlinks above.
*
Secondly, the Oxford
Regional Planning Commission (ORPC) recently ratified by unanimous
vote the Transportation portion of the Multi-Municipal Planning Code
(MMPC), of which the Octoraro Rail Rehabilitation and Passenger
Service Revitalization efforts, along with the OATS Group, are scheduled
to play a significantly vital role with respect to the future of
transportation in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania.
The ORPC, comprised of
members from each of the surrounding communities, townships, and
municipalities bordering the Borough of Oxford, is tasked with
responsibility of creating a comprehensive codes document for this
region. This MMPC
document attempts to standardize ordinances among each of the
jurisdictions with respect to Open Space, Environment, Recreation, Land
Use, Water and Sewer, and numerous other issues affecting the residents
of the region.
We at OATS would like to
extend a sincere and heartfelt "Thank You" to everyone who has offered
their input, whether positive or negative, to this effort. Without this
information provided by you, we would never have been able to accomplish
these two HUGE successes mentioned above. Once again, THANK YOU!
July 25, 2009 -
The 30th Street Station Philadelphia Special
The
West Chester Railroad sponsored a special Excursion trip on
Saturday, July 25th, 2009. The trip originated at the Market Street
Station, West Chester, and travelled the old SEPTA R3 Right of Way between
West Chester, PA, and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. The return
trip followed the same route.
May 9, 2009 -
National Train Day
The Second
Annual celebration of National Train Day is scheduled to be held
Saturday, May 9, 2009. The City of Philadelphia is one among four cities
chosen to hold celebration events. For further information on this
event, or to find out how to participate, please visit the
National Train Day
Website. National Train Day is a yearly event sponsored by Amtrak.
March 22, 2009 -
Philadelphia
Inquirer, Sunday Edition, "Currents" Section
Oxford Area
Transit Services was featured in an article in the Sunday, March 22,
2009 Edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer. It appeared in
the "Currents" section of the newspaper. You may read the
entire article by clicking
here.
January 29, 2009 -
Mass Transit Funding
added to Stimulus Bill
Published: Thursday,
January 29, 2009 Trains Magazine News Wire.
WASHINGTON - The amount of money allotted to mass transit was increased
in the economic stimulus bill passed Wednesday by the House of
Representatives. An amendment by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), passed by
a voice vote, increases transit funding from $9 billion to $12 billion
by adding $1.5 billion each to the transit capital improvement program
and the new starts transit program. The move restored the total transit
funding to the level originally proposed by House Transportation and
Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and ranking member John
Mica (R-Fla.). The vote sent the bill to the Senate, where debate could
begin as early as Monday on a companion measure already taking shape.
Democratic leaders have pledged to have legislation ready for President
Obama's signature by mid-February.
William Millar, president of the American Public Transportation
Association, congratulated the House. "This important legislation will
invest $12 billion in public transportation projects and $1.1 billion in
high speed rail and intercity rail projects that will create and support
hundreds of thousands of green American jobs," he says. "With public
transit ridership at modern record levels, it is clear that the American
people want expanded public transportation services. The public
transportation industry is ready to go to create and support jobs and
give better public transit services to millions of Americans.
Additionally, this federal investment in public transportation will
promote energy independence and reduce our nation's carbon footprint,
two other important national goals." --- ©
2009 by Kalmbach Publishing.
December 15, 2008 -
PA Gov. Ed Rendell
Authorizes $30M Capital Investment Grant
Read about it
here.
December 15, 2008 -
PCTI Funding Application Deadline
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has initiated a
new funding revenue program entitled "Pennsylvania Community
Transportation Initiative:
Implementing Smart
Transportation Projects on the Ground".
The OATS project is eligible to apply for this funding through PennDOT's
Center for Program Development and Management. We will be seeking this
funding to pay for the Feasibility Study required to begin the
revitalization efforts for both improved Freight service and the return
of Passenger service on the Octoraro Line. To view PennDOT's Fact Sheet,
click here.
November 3, 2008 -
Newspaper Article, The
Trend (Delaware and Chester County Editions), supplement to
The Philadelphia Inquirer
An article written by staff writer
Amanda Hoffman appeared in The Trend Magazine (both Delaware and Chester
County editions) as a supplement to the Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday,
November 3, 2008. You may read the entire text of the article by
clicking on the "Newspaper Articles" button in the navigation frame to
the left of this page, or by clicking
here.
October 3, 2008 -
Newspaper Article,
Business Section, Daily Local News
An article written by
staff writer Gretchen Metz appeared in the Business section of the Daily
Local News newspaper on Friday, October 3, 2008. You may read the entire
text of the article by clicking on the "Newspaper Articles" button in
the navigation frame to the left of this page, or by clicking
here.
September 26 and 27, 2008
-
OxfordFest,
the 175th Anniversary celebration of the Incorporation of the Borough of
Oxford, Pennsylvania. Oxford Area Transit Services was present with an
information booth for public viewing, and members were present to
answer any questions.
September 19, 2008 -
Radio Interview
C. John Stevenson and M.
Walter Saranetz were the featured guests on Brandywine Valley
Speaks, a weekly radio talk show hosted by Lloyd Roach of
brandywineradio.com.
You may hear the complete interview
here (*.MP3 format,
28 MBytes, 30 Minutes)
September 4, 2008 -
Meeting with the Chester
County Planning Commission
A Meeting was held at
the Government Center, 601 Westtown Road, West Chester, with the Chester
County Planning Commission Executive Director Ronald Bailey and the CCPC
Director of Transportation Planning, and Natasha Goguts. This was the Second
Meeting in a planned series of meetings to be held over the course of
this project. A diversity of topics were discussed, including but not
limited to; Funding, Organizing, Networking, Operations, the potential
creation of a southern Chester County regional Transportation Authority,
and an ongoing effort to align OATS' goals of "Freight First and
Commuter Rail Services" with the current needs and future goals of the
owners of this particular sub-network of existing railroad
infrastructure. This was a very productive meeting and, as a result, we
believe this has inspired all present to continue our efforts with even
greater motivation.
July 10, 2008 -
Regular Meeting. In attendance was the Director of
Transportation Planning, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Topics discussed
were "Freight First", including infrastructure improvements, cost
analyses, shared use (freight with passenger) of single track ROW's, FRA
Shared Use Waiver requirements, equipment availability and costs, and
availability of capital and operational funding. Future meetings are
planned.
April 18, 2008 - Oxford Chamber of Commerce
Legislative Luncheon. Primary topic of discussion was
Transportation Issues affecting Chester County. In attendance were
Congressman Joseph Pitts, US House of Representatives, State Senator
Arthur Hershey, State Representative Andrew Dinneman, and Chester County
Commissioners Terrence Ferrell, Carole Aichele, and Kathi Cozzone.
April 17, 2008 -
Chester County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast. OATS
cost analysis data for Octoraro Line ROW infrastructure improvements
presented during the course of public discussion to Chester County
Commissioner Terrence Ferrell. Also in attendance were Commissioners
Aichele and Cozzone.
Signals Monthly Newsletter
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February 3, 2009 |
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August 18, 2008 |
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July 21, 2008 |
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June 16, 2008 |
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May 19, 2008 |
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