US Representative Louise Slaughter. FILE PHOTO.
Nothing says "public works project" like a little bit of chaos.
Renaissance Square leaders gathered today to announce the addition of $9.5 million in funding for the project. But it turns out that wasn't too new, the county has mentioned several times that this money - a mix of state and county funds - had been marked for the project.
Today's hubbub was about a combination bus and high-speed rail station. A Democrat and Chronicle blog post reported that a multi-modal facility, which is favored by Representative Louise Slaughter, may resurface for discussion, possibly as part of or in place of Ren Square.
But it's misleading: Slaughter's been talking up a multi-modal station for a long time - that's not new.
She's working with other Upstate representatives to lobby for a state DOT-backed high-speed rail proposal.
That proposal calls for the building of a third rail line between Buffalo and Albany. The track would allow for trains that can travel up to 110 mph, say aides, with the potential for speeds to increase as technology improves.
Rochester's Amtrak station on Central Avenue would need some upgrades to be high-speed compatible, say Slaughter aides. Upgraded tracks and docks would be among the upgrades. Seven years ago, when a new train station was under discussion, the estimated cost was $6 million. For it to be high-speed rail compatible, the cost would have been $26 million.
Going back to the multi-modal station, Ren Square leaders say that they won't consider it as part of the project.
"This project is moving forward as-is," says Mark Aesch, CEO of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority.
County Executive Maggie Brooks says that high-speed rail and Ren Square are separate conversations, and that talking about combining the bus station with a train station would only stop a shovel-ready project.
"We looked at this 10 to 12 years ago and the decision was made not to pursue that," she said.
Democrats feel differently.
"We support the Renaissance Square project, but if the opportunity for a combined bus and train station presents itself, it would be fiscally responsible to fully explore those options," said Minority Leader Harry Bronson in a press release.
Comments for "DEVELOPMENT: Ren Square on a rail" (1)
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Doug Midkiff said on Mar. 07, 2009 at 10:12am
The "high-speed" project that Representative Slaughter is promoting is timely and is an excellent way to provide a viable alternate to clogged highways, the high cost of fuel, and chaotic airlines. She needs the support of Rochesterians. I give her my heart-felt support and wish her luck.
Current maximum speed for Amtrak between Hoffman's, just west of Schenectady, and Niagara Falls/;Buffalo, is 79 MPH on the CSX freight line. East of Hoffman's and south of Albany speeds of 100 mph plus are authorized on Metro North tracks, with little freight train interference. What Louise and others are backing is the building of new passenger rail lines on the space remaining when Conrail removed two tracks of the four-track main line that stretched fom New York City to Chicago on the New York Central Water Level Route, the route of the famous 20th Century Limited and other fast trains, In the hey-day of rail passenger service, passenger trains ran on the two outside tracks and freight trains ran on the middle tracks, hence there was no problem with co-mingling fast passenger trains with slow freight trains. The track space and bridges remain alongside CSX tracks at least as far west as Toledo, to my knowledge, and maybe even further west. There are eight Amtrak trains daily on the Empire Corridor west of Albany, but remember, when you upgrade the speed and service in New York State, you are upgrading the service not only between New York points, but you are ugrading service between Rochester and Boston, Toronto, Cleveland, Toledo, South Bend, Chicago and New York City. Connections can be made to Amtrak trains to the Far West, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast. Chicago and New York City and at intermediate points.
Louise Slaughter is doing a great service that will not only lead to improved passenger rail service that will be tthe intermediate step between the 79 mph service we now have, with truly high speed service. It will bring jobs to New York State in the building of tracks, roadbeds, signaling, and stations, including, I hope, a brand-new intermodal station for Rochester.
We should enthusiastically get behind Louise with full support for what she is doing.
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