List of American rail transit currently under construction

[Cirrus]

It's quite a boom, really. This is under construction only, as best as I can figure. If your line is planned but not under construction yet, or if it recently finished (looking at you Norfolk & Pittsburgh) then tough luck, you're out.

• Heavy Metrorail: 53 miles total
  • Honolulu - 20 miles
  • New York 2nd Ave subway and #7 extension - 3 miles
  • San Francisco Warm Springs/Berryessa extension - 16 miles
  • Washington Silver line phase 1 - 12 miles
• Light Rail: 123 miles total
  • Dallas Orange line - 10 miles
  • Denver 225 line - 11 miles
  • Houston East End, Southeast, and North lines - 14 miles
  • Los Angeles Expo, Gold, and Crenshaw lines - 29 miles
  • Minneapolis Central corridor - 11 miles
  • Phoenix Mesa extension - 3 miles
  • Portland Orange line - 7 miles
  • Sacramento Green line and Cosumnes extensions - 5 miles
  • Salt Lake City Airport & Draper lines - 8 miles
  • San Francisco Central subway - 2 miles
  • Seattle University, Northgate, & South 200th links - 9 miles
• Commuter Rail: 240 miles total
  • Boston Wachusett extension - 5 miles
  • Denver East & Gold lines, and NW phase 1 - 40 miles
  • New Jersey Lackawanna cutoff - 7 miles
  • New York LIRR east access - 4 miles
  • Orlando Sunrail phase 1 - 31 miles
  • Providence Wickford extension - 20 miles
  • Salt Lake City Front Runner south - 44 miles
  • San Francisco eBART & SMART - 80 miles
  • Seattle Lakewood line - 8 miles
• Streetcar: 17 miles total
  • Atlanta - 1.4 miles
  • Cincinnati - 2 miles
  • New Orleans Union Terminal line - 1.5 miles
  • Salt Lake City - 2.7 miles
  • Seattle 1st Hill - 2.5 miles
  • Tucson - 3.9 miles
  • Washington H St & Anacostia lines - 3 miles

Now opened, and therefore removed from the list:

• Miami Airport Link - 2 miles of heavy metrorail
• Seattle's Lakewood commuter rail extension (was never on the list; we missed it)
• Portland Eastside - 3.3 miles
• Dallas Blue line - 5 miles
• Denver West line - 12 miles

[Busy Bee]

Isn't Honolulu considered somewhere in between Heavy and Light Rail. I was under the impression is very comparable to the Vancouver SkyTrain.

[Cirrus]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Isn't Honolulu considered somewhere in between Heavy and Light Rail. I was under the impression is very comparable to the Vancouver SkyTrain.

Yes, it's in between. I suppose I could move it if people really want me to.

But getting into the weeds of details like that would be a major headache, and would really go beyond the scope of this list. The projects have to be categorized somehow, and there are plenty of discrepancies. Seattle's light rail is also sort of in between because it operates more like heavy rail. There are also major differences in the quality of the commuter rail projects. Some of them (such as Denver) are going to run basically like light rail, whereas others will only be a few trains per day.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Yes, it's in between. I suppose I could move it if people really want me to.

But getting into the weeds of details like that would be a major headache, and would really go beyond the scope of this list. The projects have to be categorized somehow, and there are plenty of discrepancies. Seattle's light rail is also sort of in between because it operates more like heavy rail. There are also major differences in the quality of the commuter rail projects. Some of them (such as Denver) are going to run basically like light rail, whereas others will only be a few trains per day.

Thats why the term "heavy rail" and "light rail" is actually becoming antiquated, because there are soooo many different forms in between.

So a better way to list these projects (not including the commuter rail or streetcar) would be "fully grade separated" or "non fully grade separated"

Simply because that is the strict definition of a true metro, if it is fully grade separated or not. From there a grade separated rail can be split into light metro, heavy metro, automated, etc...

So, Honolulu would be fully grade separated while Seattle's would not, due to its at grade crossings and running along the road in areas.

Also, just as an fyi, places like Vancouver even further blur the "LRT" "HRT" border with the Canada line, which actually uses full HRT subway cars, but only runs 2 car train sets as of now (but automated).

PS - Metro-Vancouver is building 11 km of new grade separated skytrain (RRT = rapid rail transit) this year, pre construction, such as clearing and prepping utilities has already started.

[Nexis4Jersey]

whoops wrong thread...

[Prahaboheme]

Re: Orlando SunRail

It is a phased opening, but the total mileage is actually 61 miles.

Phase I (operational 2014): 31 miles
Phase II (operational 2016): 30 miles

[Centropolis]

The partially privately funded Delmar Loop streetcar is scheduled to break ground this fall. It's going to use renovated St. Louis Car Company vehicles instead of the Skodas.


http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townn...8d36.image.jpg

UNIVERSITY CITY • The Loop Trolley project, having amassed almost all the $43 million it needs, is ready to move into high gear.

Construction is expected to begin late this year, with the trolleys in operation about a year later.

When completed, the 2.2-mile system connecting the Delmar Loop to Forest Park will look a lot like the system that ran on St. Louis streets a half-century ago.

In a big change of plans, old, renovated streetcars will be used instead of pricier electric/battery cars. And the system will be powered by overhead electric lines running above Delmar Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue, like St. Louis' old streetcar system.


Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/m...#ixzz1rwJjxvGE

[TarHeelJ]

Atlanta's current streetcar project is actually 2.7 miles rather than 1.4 miles. I didn't see where anyone corrected that. http://www.atlantadowntown.com/_file...cember2011.pdf

[daperpkazoo]

Minneapolis/Saint Paul's Central Corridor is not and never was the "central line". It will open as the Green Line.

[bmfarley]

What 'threshold' would posters here consider as meeting the definition as "Under construction"?

There are several early actions that can referenced....
"Utility Relocations" typically not undertaken by eventual contractor
"Staff Recommendation for selected Contractor"
"Board Approval for Contractor"
"Notice to Proceed" for Contractor (rarely announced publicly)

Is this worthy of a poll?

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Yes, it's in between. I suppose I could move it if people really want me to.

I think I'll have to insist. If you must choose, it's closer to heavy rail than light rail. If only by virtue of complete grade separation and third rail power.

[the urban politician]

Nothing: 0 miles total

• Chicago

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Nothing: 0 miles total

• Chicago

Well, if you count reconstruction (of core infrastructure), rehabilitation & modernization (of vehicles and facilities)...

[mfastx]

To make a correction, Houston's Uptown and University lines aren't being constructed yet, and might not be for some time (sadly), so that brings the milage total in Houston down from 28 miles to about 15.3 miles.

[electricron]

Dallas will start building a 2 mile streetcar line later this year, and is already extending about a 1/2 mile an existing streetcar line.

[Cirrus]

Originally Posted by mfastx

To make a correction, Houston's Uptown and University lines aren't being constructed yet, and might not be for some time (sadly), so that brings the milage total in Houston down from 28 miles to about 15.3 miles.

Corrected. Thanks.

[SnyderBock]

From Wikipedia:

The Gold Line is a planned commuter rail line between Denver Union Station and Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

The Gold Line is part of the FasTracks project, and will be operated by Denver Transit Partners as part of the Eagle P3 public-private partnership. The line received final approval from the Federal Transit Administration in November 2009, and groundbreaking occurred on 31 August 2011, at a ceremony in Olde Town Arvada where US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the approval of a $1 billion grant to fund the project. Completion of the line is expected in 2016.

The line will be 11.2 miles (18.0 km) in length, and is expected to cost $590.5 million. There will be a total of eight stations: Union Station, 41st Avenue, Pecos, Federal, Sheridan, Olde Town, Arvada Ridge and Ward Road...

...Eagle P3 is scheduled to be completed in two phases. Phase one includes the construction of the East Corridor and a part of the section of the Northwest Corridor included in Eagle P3, as well as the maintenance facility. Also undertaken during this phase is the design work for the Gold Corridor and the remaining part of the Northwest Corridor included in Eagle P3, the purchase of rolling stock and the electrification of trackage in Denver Union Station. The second phase of the project is the construction of the Gold and Northwest Corridors that were designed during phase one.

Construction of the East Corridor began in August 2010 and the groundbreaking for the Gold Corridor took place in August 2011. Completion of the East and Gold Corridors is expected in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

On 21 October 2011, Wabtec signed a $63 million contract with Denver Transit Partners to construct the positive train control system for the Eagle P3 commuter rail lines. The contract included installation of the signaling and communications systems, a dispatch center and other management services...

...Under the terms of Eagle P3, a private company is responsible for designing, building, partially financing, operating and maintaining (DBFOM) two commuter rail corridors, the East Corridor and the Gold Line, as well as a maintenance facility for commuter rail equipment and an 8.4 kilometres (5.2 mi) segment of the Northwest Corridor. Additionally, the private company is responsible for the operation of the North Metro line and the maintenance of facilities on the Northwest Corridor line. The contract stipulates that the Regional Transportation District owns all assets involved and collects all revenues generated, while Denver Transit Partners assumes all risks involved in the project's operation. In return, the RTD will make monthly payments to Denver Transit Partners, a total of $7.1 billion over the length of the operation. Eagle P3 is the first full DBFOM transit public-private partnership in the United States.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_P3

So would it be more like this?

Commuter Rail: 233.4 miles total
Denver East line - 23 miles
Denver Gold line - 11.2 miles
Denver NWES - 5.2 miles
New Jersey Lackawanna cutoff - 7 miles
New York LIRR east access - 4 miles
Orlando - 31 miles
Providence Wickford extension - 20 miles
Salt Lake City Front Runner south - 44 miles
San Francisco eBART lines - 80 miles
Seattle Lakewood line - 8 miles

[Lipani]

San Diego is working on an 11-mile mid-coast extension for the trolley to UCSD and UTC, although I'm not sure if any actual construction has started yet since part of that project will be using an existing rail corridor.

[bmfarley]

Originally Posted by Lipani

San Diego is working on an 11-mile mid-coast extension for the trolley to UCSD and UTC, although I'm not sure if any actual construction has started yet since part of that project will be using an existing rail corridor.

But, it is not yet under construction.

[mhays]

Seattle will start the 2 mile First Hill Streetcar this month. This will connect the King Street / International District dual stations with First Hill (hospitals, housing, and Seattle U) and the new Light Rail tunnel station currently going in on Capitol Hill.

Won't run anywhere near often enough. Grrr.