More Friday morning rail news:
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Preliminary statistics show decline in Canadian rail accidents in 2020
Preliminary statistics from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada show a decrease in rail accidents and incidents in 2020, numbers the agency believes were likely influenced by the impact of COVID-19 on the transportation. Numbers released as part of a look at all modes of transportation show there were 959 rail accidents reported in 2020, a 12% decrease from the five-year average of 1,091 and down 24% from the 1,257 in 2019. The 59 rail-related fatalities were a decrease of 13 from the previous year, and included 39 fatalities involving trespassers. The accident total included 81 involving hazardous materials, a decrease from the 2019 total of 171 and the five-year average of 128. Just three of those accidents involved a release of hazardous materials. Additional preliminary figures are available here; final reports will be released this spring.
Florida Supreme Court strikes down Tampa-area transportation sales tax
The Florida Supreme Court has struck down a county sales tax in the Tampa area which was to provide funding for an expansion of Tampa’s TECO Line Streetcar, among other projects. The website Florida Politics reports that in a 4-1 decision, the court ruled the 1% sales tax, approved by voters in 2018, was unconstitutional because it conflicted with a state law giving the County Commission the authority to allocate funds, and because a portion of a lower-court ruling on the tax fundamentally changed the terms of the amendment, making it no longer consistent with what had been approved by voters. The sales tax would have provided the local share of the funding for the proposed $234 million streetcar expansion, which received a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation in late 2020 and has been seeking a $100 federal grant [see “Digest: Florida DOT to provide $67 million for Tampa streetcar expansion,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 9, 2020].
Pittsburgh-area agency releases 25-year transit plan calling for light rail extension
The Port Authority of Allegheny County has released a 25-year plan for Pittsburgh transit improvements calling for extensions the light rail system, reopening a now-closed rail line through, and cutting back service on the lightly used Library line. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the plan also identifies a number of areas needing increased service — including a connection to Pittsburgh’s airport — but does not call for specific modes of transportation in these areas. More information on the NEXTransit plan is available here; details on upcoming community meetings are here.
