Latest news with #SilverLine
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislation for Mecklenburg County transit plan takes vital step in NC House
RALEIGH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The bill that could eventually lead to the funding of Mecklenburg County's transit plan easily passed its second reading on Wednesday. The P.A.V.E. Act allows Mecklenburg County to hold a ballot referendum for voters to decide on a one-cent sales tax increase to improve roads, buses, and rail transit. After the second reading passed 102-6, it will go to a third reading and then to the State Senate. PREVIOUS: CATS board approves transit plan with expanded rail service, 'better bus' program The bipartisan bill's primary author is Republican Mint Hill Rep. Tricia Cotham, who is joined by Mecklenburg County Democrats Mark Belk, Becky Carney, Carla Cunningham, Aisha Dew, Beth Helfrich, Jordan Lopez, Nasif Majeed, and Julia Greenfield. 'Just like any good piece of legislation where others have had an input, it's not perfect, but it is a tremendous start,' said Rep. Tricia Cotham. Cotham took the House floor Wednesday afternoon to explain why she believes her fellow lawmakers should proceed with the P.A.V.E. Act. 'As you all know, traffic adds to frustration, congestion, and just grumpy people, we see it every day, and I believe and I know this will help,' she said. North Mecklenburg communities are celebrating the latest step on Wednesday as they prepare for a commuter rail from Uptown. Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam calls the bill a 'game-changer' that will bring 'real improvements that folks will feel right away.' The funding would create a new governing authority and allow for the construction of the Red Line, Silver Line, extension of the Blue Line, a 'better bus' program, and road improvements. The bill requires that the net proceeds of the bill be distributed as follows: 40% to the county's eligible municipalities, which can only be spent on roadway systems 60% to the metropolitan public transit authority to be used only for a public transportation system, specifically including microtransit services All of the county's municipalities but Matthews have shown support for the plan. 'I wish that we could go back to the drawing board and renegotiate a better deal on behalf of our residents,' said Matthews Commissioner Ken McCool. Matthews leaders have been outspoken against the idea from the beginning because there likely won't be enough funding to bring the light rail east. Commissioner McCool took his concerns to Raleigh this week. 'I'm disappointed, but at the end of the day, if this passes the Senate and goes to the governor's desk, the voters will ultimately decide and the voters of Mecklenburg County will have their choice to see what they want to do with this,' he said. The commissioner plans to challenge Cotham for her District 105 seat in 2026, saying the transit bill played a role in motivating him. Queen City News reached out to Cotham for comment on the transit bill's progress and McCool's announcement. We are waiting to hear back. The House will take one more vote before the bill makes its way to the Senate for approval. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
SilverLine or alternative? Kerala's wait for semi-high-speed rail to continue
Kochi: It seems the state's dream of having a semi-high-speed rail line is unlikely to become a reality soon, with neither Centre nor the state govt taking any concrete steps to take any of the two proposals forward. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The discussion chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan held with Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw earlier this week did not cover either the SilverLine proposal or the alternative semi-high-speed rail project proposed by Metroman E Sreedharan. As railways is yet to take a favourable stand on Sreedharan's proposal even after four months, the state govt's special representative in Delhi, K V Thomas, has requested Sreedharan to meet both Vaishnaw and railway officials. However, Sreedharan's stand is that he cannot approach Centre unless the state govt officially entrusts him to do so, demanding that the project proposal be taken up for further action. It seems the state govt is not planning to hold any further discussions with Sreedharan regarding the alternative proposal. The state govt submitted a draft of the semi-high-speed rail line proposal, prepared by Sreedharan, to the Union govt on Feb 10. The alternative proposal was submitted after the railway ministry informed that it could not approve the SilverLine project proposed by K-Rail. "It's been four months since the state govt submitted Sreedharan's proposal to Centre. But during the meeting, the proposal wasn't even mentioned or taken up for discussion. The only way to revive the project now is through pressure from Sreedharan himself. I've requested him to meet Vaishnav or railway officials directly to explain the project's benefits," said Thomas, who was present alongside Vijayan during the meeting with the railway minister. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But Sreedharan says he cannot take any further initiative regarding his proposal unless the state govt asks him to do so. He also expressed unhappiness over Vijayan's recent statement expressing hope over SilverLine. "The chief minister's recent statement that SilverLine will become a reality indicates that the govt is still focused on that project. State govt representatives have not held any discussions with me before or after their recent meeting with the railway minister. I cannot approach Centre directly regarding my proposal unless the state govt officially requests me to take the initiative. If they do, I am ready to hold discussions with Centre," Sreedharan told TOI. Minister V Abdurahman, who is in charge of railways, said the govt was not opposed to considering Sreedharan's proposal. He, however, did not give a clear answer when asked whether the state would request Sreedharan to hold further discussions with Centre. "Kerala is open to implementing either the SilverLine or Sreedharan's alternative project. SilverLine is not a closed chapter," he said.
The Hindu
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
State, Centre agree to bring Sabari rail project on track
After a protracted delay, the State and the Centre have decided to implement the Sabari rail project, a project that was conceived with a view of bringing the Sabarimala temple on the country's rail map. The decision was taken at a meeting of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on Tuesday. It was decided at the meeting that an expert committee will visit Kerala in July to bring the project back on track and to kick-start the land acquisition process, said V. Abdurahiman, State Minister in charge of Railways, who accompanied the Chief Minister along with K.V. Thomas, State's special representative in New Delhi. But it is not clear how the issues related to cost-sharing of the project, which was a bone of contention between the State and the Centre, will be sorted out. The Centre had earlier insisted that Kerala should shoulder 50% of the revised estimate of ₹3,810.69 crore. In turn, Kerala had requested that the liability incurred for financing the project through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) should be fully exempted from the State's borrowing limit. The Centre then suggested a tripartite agreement to implement the project, involving the State government, Ministry of Railways, and the Reserve Bank of India. As part of the agreement, the RBI will pay the State's share to the Ministry if Kerala fails to pay its share of the project cost on time and deduct the amount from the Central share of assistance to Kerala for various schemes. However, the State had been insisting on KIIFB financing for the project. The 110-km Angamaly-Erumeli route was first announced in the Railway Budget 1997-98. Land acquisition had been completed in 8 km, while the work on the 7-km stretch between Angamaly and Kalady was completed earlier. Recently, the Southern Railway had said only ₹20 crore could be diverted of the ₹142.70 crore sanctioned for the Sabari rail project in the last Budget for stalled projects, indicating the revival of the project. The State has also sought approval for the SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project . Though the Union Minister did not give any assurance at the meeting, he said the alternative proposal submitted by technocrat E. Sreedharan could be considered. The Centre is likely to convey its stance on the project to the State after a meeting with Mr. Sreedharan. The State also reiterated its demand for a third and fourth line to decongest the existing network and speed up trains. The meeting also brought the issue of poor-quality food on the Vande Bharat train in Kerala to the attention of the Union Minister.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Sabarimala rail to become reality, says Kerala minister
Thiruvananthapuram: The long-pending Angamali–Sabarimala railway line, eagerly awaited by the people of the state, is set to become a reality, said state minister in-charge of Railways V Abdurahiman. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking after high-level talks with Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi, Abdurahiman announced that procedures for land acquisition will begin shortly. A technical team from the Railways is expected to visit Kerala in July to assess the requirements on the ground. The announcement was made after a meeting led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in which Abdurahiman and Kerala's special representative in Delhi K V Thomas participated. "This is a long-cherished dream of Kerala's people. We are proud that the project is finally progressing under the leadership of the state govt," Abdurahiman said. The land acquisition process is expected to bring relief to hundreds of families whose properties are affected by the project, addressing long-standing concerns and ensuring fair compensation and rehabilitation. The govt aims to expedite the completion of the rail line, which remained stalled for years. The Angamali–Sabarimala project is now receiving top priority, Abdurahiman added. The state has also requested the Centre to speed up plans for constructing the third and fourth railway lines in Kerala to ease congestion in existing routes. Meanwhile, the minister clarified after the meeting that the LDF govt's ambitious SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project was not part of the discussions held with the Union minister. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Originally announced by the in 1998, the proposed 111km Angamali–Erumeli line is considered a crucial infrastructure project, primarily catering to millions of pilgrims travelling to the Sabarimala temple every year. The line is also expected to catalyse development in Kerala's south-eastern region. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the state and the ministry of railways was signed on Jan 27, 2016. Although the project was estimated at Rs 2,815cr, the state govt after initial hesitation agreed to bear 50% of the project cost. In 2022, the state submitted a revised project estimate of Rs 3,421cr to the Indian Railways, a Rs 600cr increase from the earlier estimate. The Kerala govt has also proposed that the project be executed by the Kerala rail development corporation ltd (K-Rail), a joint venture between the state and the ministry of railways.
Axios
30-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
How San Antonio wants to catch up on mass transit
San Antonio is the largest U.S. city without a light rail system, but experts say two new rapid bus lines can offer similar transportation benefits with lower costs. Why it matters: As the city cements its status as one of the most populous in the U.S., it has lagged behind its peers in public transit efforts. Context: A decade ago this month, San Antonio voters passed a charter amendment that said the city would have to get voter approval for any light rail or streetcar systems. In 2000, voters rejected a light rail proposal; in 2014, a streetcar project died. State of play: Fast-forward 10 years, and VIA Metropolitan Transit leaders and transit experts say two coming bus rapid transit routes — the Green and Silver lines — will offer an experience similar to rail and move almost as many people. And officials are betting on it to increase public transit use. VIA's buses had nearly 27 million trips in 2024, up more than 11% from 2023, per American Public Transportation Association data. "People taking the Green Line are going to be able to get to their connections to other lines faster and more reliably than ever before," Rod Sanchez, VIA's senior vice president of planning and development, tells Axios. "We're definitely taking our service to an all-new level." The latest: The Green Line will run along San Pedro Avenue from San Antonio International Airport on the North Side through downtown to the Missions on the South Side. Construction is slated to begin in July. The Silver Line will run from the Frost Bank Center on the East Side through downtown to North General McMullen on the West Side. It's still undergoing design; construction could begin in 2027. How it works: A rapid bus runs in a dedicated lane, rather than sharing the street with cars. It's expected to arrive every 10 minutes, and riders can pay their fare before boarding to speed up the process. Construction of both rapid bus routes is largely funded with federal dollars. Despite threats to funding under the Trump administration, Sanchez says VIA feels confident the city will keep it. It's already secured $268 million for the Green Line. Maintenance and operation will fall to VIA. Follow the money: The Green Line is projected to cost a total of $480.8 million and the Silver Line $289.2 million. What they're saying: Frequency is what matters most to convince riders to take public transit over driving, Kelly Blume, associate research scientist at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, tells Axios. If San Antonio creates "a transit service that achieves high frequencies and fast speeds and can carry a lot of people, you could meet that need with bus rapid transit or with rail," Blume says. Zoom out: As San Antonio builds out its transit future, systems in major U.S. cities are faltering. Ridership and revenue tanked during the pandemic and has still not fully recovered. Federal funding is uncertain.
