PO Box 10696 Rochester, NY 14610 Voice Mail (585) 234-6096 www.ggw.org/rrtc

                     

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:           April 23, 2002

 CONTACT:                                         DeWain Feller 783-2964

Study Shows Light Rail Transit Line is Feasible for Rochester

Rochester Rail Transit Committee Releases Report by National Consultant

 A Charlotte-downtown light rail transit line would be feasible, according to a study being released today by the Rochester Rail Transit Committee (RRTC).  The focus of the study is a permanent electric light rail transit line, which would cost $83.7 million if new vehicles are used, and $64.3 million if refurbished vehicles are used.  If a lower-cost first step were deemed necessary, a temporary diesel Demonstration Project would cost between $10.2 and $12.7 million.  Approximately one half the cost of a light rail project would come from the Federal Transit Administration, and therefore light rail would not compete with any other Rochester project for federal funding.

DeWain Feller, Chairman of RRTC said, “This will benefit the whole community.  It will encourage more development downtown, link our neighborhoods together, and provide much better transit service.”  The report also suggests that several other lines could be feasible, including light rail lines to the Strong Hospital/UR complex, Winton Road, the airport, and commuter rail lines to Fairport and Brockport.

The study was conducted for the Rochester Rail Transit Committee by Stone Consulting & Design, a national firm that specializes in modest-scale transit and railroad projects.  The study was funded by a grant from the Molly Lee Campbell Foundation. 

Light rail transit has been successfully implemented in 22 US cities, including Baltimore, Denver, Portland, Sacramento, St. Louis, and Salt Lake City.  Several newer systems including the Portland Streetcar project, a downtown trolley loop in Kenosha (WI), and the “O Train” line in Ottawa (Canada), are adopting cost-saving techniques that were used in the Rochester study.

Light rail transit uses vehicles that are essentially modern versions of the trolley.  Light rail transit is faster and more reliable than urban bus service.  The report recommends restructuring Rochester’s current radial bus system to create crosstown bus lines that would intersect and feed into the light rail trunk line.

Both the permanent line and the demonstration project would use existing railroad rights-of-way between Charlotte and downtown.  The permanent line would use street surfaces to enter into downtown Rochester, where the line would use a portion of the former Broad Street Subway.  The demonstration project would be limited to railroad rights-of-way, and would serve downtown with stations at State Street and the Amtrak station.

The Rochester Rail Transit Committee, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 grassroots citizen's group dedicated to exploring and promoting the opportunities of rail transit in the greater Rochester area.  RRTC's focus is on rail transit's ability to promote downtown and neighborhood revitalization.

###