Transit Briefs: Amtrak, MARTA, City of Peoria, Ill.
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
“Receiving the EMAP accreditation for the second time reaffirms our dedication to maintaining the highest emergency preparedness and response standards,” said Mary Carlson Bis, Amtrak AVP of Response and Resilience and one of Railway Age’s 2022 Women in Rail honorees. (Amtrak Photograph)
Amtrak achieves emergency management accreditation. Also, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) this summer is beginning a $230 million renovation of Five Points Station; and the City of Peoria, Ill., advances the Peoria-Chicago passenger rail corridor project.
Amtrak
Amtrak on May 29 reported earning accreditation from EMAP (Emergency Management Accreditation Program), a recognition that it said is typically awarded to federal, state, local and tribal emergency response agencies.
“To achieve voluntary accreditation, an applicant must demonstrate through self-assessment, documentation and peer assessment, verification that its program meets industry standards,” according to “America’s Railroad,” which noted that EMAP “recognizes the ability of emergency management programs to bring together personnel, resources and communications from a variety of agencies and organizations in preparation for and in response to an emergency, in addition to obtaining the ability to measure those capabilities.”
Within Amtrak, the Emergency Management (EM) division is responsible for preparing employees and external partners “through awareness and promotion of Amtrak’s response plans and procedures,” the railroad reported. The EM team, it added, leads the cycle of “response planning, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating and fostering continuous improvement.”
“Receiving the EMAP accreditation for the second time reaffirms our dedication to maintaining the highest emergency preparedness and response standards,” said Mary Carlson Bis, Amtrak AVP of Response and Resilience and one of Railway Age’s 2022 Women in Rail honorees. “Consistently evaluating, exercising and updating the Amtrak Emergency Management Program is our commitment to our passengers, employees and the communities where we travel. We are ready to respond to any emergency as a unified and coordinated team.”
Amtrak reported that it first received accreditation in 2016 and was the first railroad to earn the five-year accreditation.
MARTA
MARTA in July will begin an upgrade project at Five Points Station in Atlanta. The first phase, which will last about 18 months, includes deconstruction of the concrete canopy, the transit agency reported May 29. Future construction phases include building a new canopy “that allows for ample light and ventilation,” establishing a centralized bus hub, and reconnecting Broad Street to pedestrian traffic, according to MARTA. Additional improvements include incorporating community spaces, public art, and urban agriculture.
The project will cost approximately $230 million and MARTA said it is funded through the More MARTA Atlanta half-penny sales tax, with $13.8 million from the state of Georgia, and a $25 million Federal RAISE Grant.
“Since 1981, Five Points Station has been the heart of Atlanta’s downtown and the central transfer point between all rail lines,” MARTA said. The redesigned station, it noted, will offer “revitalized plaza and platform levels”; “improved navigation and wayfinding”; and “expanded public space for future retail and activities.”
“Transforming our hub will have a direct impact for customers currently using MARTA and make transit a more attractive choice for those who live nearby,” MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood said. “Encouraging use of public transit to destinations surrounding Five Points reduces the need for surface parking downtown, allowing spaces to be redeveloped as affordable housing, green spaces, and other amenities that improve quality of life and enhance a city landscape.”
The first phase of the project will have service impacts to downtown bus routes and street-level station access. The platform levels of the rail station will not be impacted; all rail service will continue as scheduled, but there will be limited elevator access for rail transfers.
City of Peoria, Ill.
The City Council of Peoria has “set in motion” the Peoria to Chicago passenger rail plan, following its December 2023 award of $500,000 through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program, according to CBS-affiliate WMBD.
The proposed corridor would provide new service on an existing alignment, connecting Peoria and Chicago, through Ottawa, Ill.
“Patrick Engineering, a Chicago-based firm, is teaming with Hanson Professional Services in Peoria to develop a schedule, scope, and budget for the passenger rail project” under a $400,000 agreement, the media outlet reported May 29. “Phase one would ask questions, such as where the station locations would be, how many rail cars would be needed, and a rough cost estimate of the rail line. The next two steps being finalizing a service development plan and working through environmental clearances. From there, it would need to be adopted as part of the state’s railroad plans.”
The first phase “is entirely covered by federal funds,” WMBD reported, but the second and third phases would “require Peoria and other communities on the route to match 10-20% of whatever federal funding comes in.”
“While connecting Peoria to Chicago is a big selling point, it isn’t the only reason for building the railroad line,” WMBD reported. “[S]everal communities on the line, such as Ottawa and Utica, utilize Peoria’s healthcare facilities,” according to Peoria City Manager Patrick Urich, the media outlet said.
Urich also pointed out “there are differences between this route and the Amtrak routes in Rockford and the Quad Cities, saying this is more of a local initiative while those were mainly covered by the state. He did say, however, that he expects the state to take the lead at some point in the future.”
