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East-west rail proposal gains steam from Biden infrastructure plan

MASSLIVE (November 28, 2021)— Any east-west passenger rail connection from Boston through Worcester to Springfield and beyond should be operated by Amtrak, the state Department of Transportation said in a report that came out soon after Amtrak received $66 billion in the new federal infrastructure law.

The report supported the quasi-public passenger rail service over a potential private operator or the Boston area’s MBTA.

The state didn’t publicize its report, though. Instead, Ben Heckscher, co-founder of the advocacy group Trains in The Valley, said his group sent out out a news release for what he sees as a significant development.

“It looks like they are taking steps forward to see what it would take to actually make this happen,” Heckscher said. “Which is a different tone than we heard maybe a year ago.”

That $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill, called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, includes $2.5 billion in funding for mass transit in the Bay State, along with the opportunity to compete for $16 billion in “major projects” transportation funding.

“The states are going to be flush with revenue now for a decade when it comes to transportation,” said U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, which wrote much of the infrastructure bill and its companion Build Back Better bill now before the Senate.

“I’m determined that all of this money is not going to go to the MBTA, and everybody knows this, including the MBTA,” Neal said.

Everybody includes Gov. Charlie Baker, who many observers say is lukewarm at best toward east-west rail. When asked about its prospects, Baker typically cites stumbling blocks and cautiously seeks guarantees of ridership.

But Neal said Baker is open-minded. “The governor and I continue to have these conversations,” he said.

“The Baker-Polito Administration continues to consider options for the East-West rail, including commissioning the East-West Passenger Rail Study which entailed public comment, informational meetings, online engagement and outreach,” MassDOT spokeswoman Judith Riley said this month. “The Administration will continue to review the federal infrastructure bill and its impact on improving transportation options in Massachusetts.”

Neal expects Amtrak president Stephen J. Gardner to visit Springfield soon, and described the east-west rail project as a “unifying theme” for a Massachusetts congressional delegation he leads as the state’s senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch, D-South Boston, Seth Moulton, D-Salem, and Jake Auchincloss, D-Newtown, are members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

There will be other high-profile projects in Massachusetts covered by the infrastructure bill. Neal said he supports using the new law for upgrading the two Cape Cod bridges. He also pointed to the overburdened highway interchange in Sturbridge, where the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 84 meet.

MORE HERE: https://www.masslive.com/news/2020/05/rep-richard-neal-mayor-domenic-sarno-pvta-welcome-36m-in-cares-act-coronavirus-relief-funding.html

 

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Union Station rewards people practicing safe pedestrian habits

WWLP (October 20, 2021) October is National Pedestrian Safety Month and to increase awareness, Union Station will be giving gift cards and bus passes to people that practice safe road crossing practices.

From Monday to Friday, randomly selected visitors to Union Station that are witnessed using safe pedestrian habits will be gifted a $5 gift card to Dunkin Donuts and free bus passes, provided by the PVTA. Safe pedestrian habits include:

  • Using sidewalks and crosswalks
  • Looking both ways before crossing
  • Holding hands of children while crossing the road
  • Discharging or collecting passengers from vehicles on Frank B. Murray Street in a safe manner
  • Avoiding walking/biking/skateboarding between parked busses

Union Station Manager Nicole Sweeney takes pleasure rewarding cautious pedestrians, “I love it, I like to recognize people for being safe at Union Station. I enjoy the initial surprise when I’m handing them something walking across the street.”

“I always make sure I obey those signs whether traffic is going. I’m very cautious when I cross anytime,” said Morris Vitalien of Springfield.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, there were 6,721 pedestrian traffic deaths in the U.S. during 2020, 53 of which were in the Commonwealth.

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Springfield Union Station gets 24/7 livestream for railfans

MASSLIVE (September 18, 2021) Springfield Union Station now has a high-definition camera broadcasting a 24/7 livestream of train traffic to a network of aficionados known as railfans.

The Springfield livestream can be found on YouTube, on the Virtual Railfan website and on the Amherst Railway Society’s website.

“It’s a hotspot for railfans, absolutely,” said Virtual Railfan Inc. president and CEO Mike Cyr. “It’s one of our most requested locations. And the spectacular city skyline is icing on the cake, particularly at night.”

The Springfield Redevelopment Authority owns the station. It’s managed by the Appleton Corp. with the cooperation of Amtrak. All thee helped Virtual Railfan install the equipment, said John Sacerdote, director of the Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show.

“The amount of cooperation we received to install the camera was extraordinary,” Sacerdote said in a news release. “Everyone pulled together to overcome any obstacles and make this a reality. The Amherst Railway Society is thrilled to sponsor Virtual Railfan’s first Massachusetts location.”

The camera offers views of Amtrak trains, CTrail commuter service, Connecticut Southern Railroad freight trains and passing CSX freight trains.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal made the now-completed $103 million rehab of Union Station a priority for more than 40 years. The station, built in 1926, reopened in 2017.

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“The Songstress of Springfield” Sets Records Over 4th of July Weekend

A Union Station performance of the National Anthem by Vanessa Ford received more than 33,000 video views

 Springfield, MA (July 26, 2021) – Springfield Union Station announced today that a recent performance[VIDEO] of the National Anthem by Vanessa Ford, “The Songstress of Springfield,” has set viewing records.

“We suspected that a video by Ms. Ford, who is well known for singing The Star-Spangled Banner at various area events, would be very popular,” stated Nicole Sweeney, Property Manager for Springfield Union Station. “But this video exploded on YouTube and Social Media over the July 4th  weekend.

The video was planned, recorded and produced by GCAi’s Darcy Young at Springfield Union Station. It was shown on social media and YouTube as well as featured on springfieldunionstation.com.

According to performance data provided by GCAi to Springfield Union Station, the video also received 34,000 engagement actions (like, shares, comments) and the two-minute performance accumulated over 25 hours of viewing on YouTube alone. Additional data demonstrated that the video’s popularity extended well beyond the Springfield area with Boston, Hartford, and New York City joining Springfield in the top five audience metro areas.

“In the end, the data provided two things,” said Ms. Sweeney. “Patriotism is alive and well in the Northeast Corridor and Vanessa Ford is a true local treasure.”

Ms. Ford began singing in the church choir at the age of seven, and she loves every genre of music. She is an aficionado of classical music, jazz, pop, traditional hymns and contemporary gospel music and has performed the National Anthem for many local college sporting events, for Springfield Police Academy graduations, and for a multitude of high profile local and national events.

About: First opened in 1926, Springfield Union Station featured gleaming terrazzo floors, a restaurant, lunch counter, barbershop, shoeshine parlor and small shops to service hundreds of daily passengers who boarded up to 130 trains every 24 hours. The station closed in 1973, which also launched a 40-year quest by present day Congressman Richard E. Neal to return the historic building to service. Neal eventually secured the funding needed to completely renovate and reopen the historic building. Today, Springfield Union Station is not only a train station and bus station but also included a state-of-the-art intermodal transportation center with local and long-distance buses and a new parking garage. Additionally, an architecture firm, two restaurants, a convenience store and the Hispanic American Library make their home at Springfield Union Station.

Media Contact

GCAi for Springfield Union Station

Darcy Young, 413-736-2245

dyoung@gcaionline.com

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Springfield Union Station Features “The Songstress of Springfield” over the 4th of July Weekend

An original performance by Vanessa Ford recorded at Springfield Union Station

Springfield, MA (June 29, 2021) – Springfield Union Station welcomed Vanessa Ford, “The Songstress of Springfield”, who is well known for singing the Star-Spangled Banner at various area events, to record a new version of the song at Union Station. The new video recording below will be running on social media starting on Friday, July 2 through Monday, July 5.

 

“This 4th of July will be a celebration like no other in recent memory,” stated Nicole Sweeney, Property Manager for Springfield Union Station. “So, we wanted to offer something that both captures the spirit of the celebration as well as features a local treasure – Vanessa Ford.”

Ms. Ford began singing in the church choir at the age of seven, and she loves every genre of music. She is an aficionado of classical music, jazz, pop, traditional hymns, and contemporary gospel music and has performed the National Anthem for many local college sporting events, for Springfield Police Academy Graduations, and for a multitude of high profile local and national events.

About: First opened 1926, Springfield Union Station featured gleaming terrazzo floors, a restaurant, lunch counter, barbershop, shoeshine parlor, and small shops to service hundreds of daily passengers who boarded up to 130 trains every 24 hours. The station closed in 1973, which also started a 40-year quest by present-day Congressman Richard E. Neal. Neal eventually secured the funding needed to completely renovate and reopen the historic building. Today, Springfield Union Station is not only a train station but also included a state-of-the-art intermodal transportation center with local and long-distance buses and a new parking garage. Office, retail, and restaurant space has been leased.

 

 

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Nice to be home: Hispanic-American Library supporters praise new site at Springfield Union Station

MASSLIVE (June 17, 2021) — It’s nice to be home.

That was a theme on Friday as organizers and supporters of the Hispanic-American Library gathered on Friday for the grand opening of the Hispanic-American Library’s new home at Union Station on Frank B. Murray Street.

The new leased location is in a vacant, 1,100 square foot storefront in the station’s concourse, adjacent to a Dunkin’ Donuts.

“It feels awesome to have a home,” said Juan R. Falcon, executive director of the library organization. “Mi casa es su casa, translation, my home is your home. Anytime, please come in, spend some time with us and let’s go do this together.”

The library had previously been a tenant of the New North Citizens Council, and years ago was located at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. There have been tough times financially, but the library has collaborations with many educational and cultural groups and has private and public funding, officials said.

Those attending the ribbon cutting ceremony included U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, state Sen. Adam Gomez, state Reps. Carlos Gonzalez and Brian Ashe, and City Councilors Gumersindo Gomez, Victor Davila, Melvin Edwards, Justin Hurst, Jesse Lederman, and Tracye Whitfield, and School Committee member Maria Perez, and Sheriff Nick Cocchi..

The library provides educational and cultural programs and activities, stressing the achievements of Latin Americans locally, regionally, nationally and beyond, the group said. It includes education programs for young children and the site has a computer lab for youth.

The library has collaborations with many groups including the Springfield Public Schools, the Springfield Library, and the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation.

The library group provides programs on education, literacy, financial literacy, cultural diversity/awareness, library services, literature, historical data and investment, according to a summary. It plans to be open five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday.

Armando Feliciano, who is on the boards of both the Springfield Redevelopment Authority and the Hispanic-American Library, served as emcee, and praised the new site and expanded plans. Feliciano said he did not take part in the lease vote intended to avoid any conflict of interest.

Feliciano praised Falcon as someone who had the vision to pursue the library program nearly 30 years ago “to demonstrate not only to our young people and our community how important it was for them to understand the history, the culture and most importantly the contributions to society.

The Springfield Redevelopment Authority board decided to provide the site as “a good match here; they saw that we will bring people here and that the people we bring here will make this a vibrant place.

Sarno said Falcon “had this dream, this idea, this vision, this heart and soul to have this Hispanic Library. Union Station made perfect sense, as a crossroad of all creeds, colors and backgrounds, and all ages coming through here.” Falcon never lost his drive,” Sarno said..

“He wants to highlight all the good our Hispanic community has done throughout the years” and the trials and tribulations, Sarno said.

“Juan, my friend, I’m very happy you are not a nomad any more,” Sarno said. “And you have a home right here at Union Station with thousands and thousands of individuals all creeds, colors and backgrounds.”

Both Adam Gomez and the state representatives presented House and Senate citations congratulating the library on its new location.

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Planners promise 10-to-1 payback with $6.4B to $9.4B Hartford-Springfield-Boston rail proposal

MASSLIVE (May 6, 2021) — The Springfield/Hartford area has missed out on 130,000 new jobs since 1990, jobs that could have come here if the region had the commuter rail service enjoyed by other East Coast cities.

“That’s the major differentiating factor, the availability of rail,” said Jessica Jones, senior analyst for the engineering firm AECOM.

Improving rail service from New York City to Boston through Hartford, Springfield and Worcester could cost $6.4 billion to $9.4 billion over a 10-year-buildout. But that expenditure would yield $47 billion to $84 billion in new gross regional product over 30 years, according to a study AECOM prepared for Connecticut’s Capital Region Council of Governments and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in Springfield.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Kimberly H. Robinson, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. “That’s a 10-to-1 return. I think it would be transformative.”

The economic improvement would come in the form of recapturing 20,000 to 40,000 professional services jobs and 97,000 to 115,000 construction jobs, and in the form of transit-adjacent housing and commercial development, according to the study. The 25-page report is available online at crcog.org.

U.S. Reps. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and Rep. John B. Larson, D-Hartford, announced the findings Thursday at Springfield Union Station. Both men said the funding is realistic under the Biden administration’s proposed $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan.

Neal said funding passenger rail from central and Western Massachusetts into Connecticut is a matter of regional equity.

Boston deserves a first-class transportation system, he said. “But it’s not the only city in New England that deserves a first-class transportation system. We pay for the MBTA.”

Larson and Neal said they have discussed the project recently with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

And Larson said the region has the political clout to get it done. Neal is chair of the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-New Haven, is chairwoman of Appropriations. U.S. Rep. James McGovern, D-Worcester, is chairman of the Rules Committee.

“The time is now,” Larson said.

McGovern and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey stumped Wednesday in Worcester for a plan to make a $5 billion-a-year investment in passenger rail.

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PVTA secures $487K for bus route linking Northampton, Holyoke Mall and Springfield Union Station

MASSLIVE (March 24, 2021) — The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority has received $487,000 in state grants to try out a Northampton-Holyoke-Springfield Express bus route, which it said can save nearly an hour off some travel times.

The pilot program offers hourly service between Northampton and the Holyoke Mall, hourly service between Northampton and Union Station in Springfield, and half-hourly service between the Holyoke Mall and Union Station. It’s all from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays, and it will all be done with electric buses, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The new service will begin July 1, according to PVTA spokeswoman Brandy Pelletier.

PVTA services the three stops already, Pelletier said Wednesday, but there is no direct route between them.

For example, existing service between Northampton’s transit hub outside the Academy of Music and Springfield Union Station requires a transfer at the Holyoke Transportation Center. And the trip can take an hour and a half versus an auto-drive time of 28 minutes, Pelletier said. The new express bus service can do it in 35 minutes.

The trip from Northampton to the Holyoke Mall takes 48 minutes due to the alignment and number of local stops, Pelletier said. The auto-drive time is 16 minutes. The new express service will operate hourly between Northampton and the Holyoke Mall, with 20 minutes of travel time.

The PVTA has an existing express service between the Holyoke Mall and Springfield taking 18 minutes. New express half-hourly service between the Holyoke Mall and Union Station will take Interstate 91 and shave travel time to 15 minutes.

The MassDOT announced $3.5 million in grants across the state this week. This is the third round of grants for regional transit authorities to develop innovative services, for a new total of $7.5 million.

“Over $10 million in funding has been awarded to support regional transit authorities in their continued efforts to increase ridership, develop innovative and sustainable service models and practices, and create accessible and reliable transportation connections across the Commonwealth,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement. “The funding helps RTAs meet their identified goals of improving customer service, develop pilot programs and micro transit opportunities to further extend service locations, and to provide more efficient transportation options that are specific to each regional area.”

The PVTA recorded 8 million passenger trips in its 2020 fiscal year, down from more than 10 million passenger trips in the previous year. The system’s schedules have been in flux since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Overall, ridership is holding its own,” Pelletier said in response to an emailed question. “Ridership did decrease over the winter due as much to impacts of the resurgence of the virus as to typical seasonal fluctuations. We expect ridership to improve steadily as vaccine distribution continues and the impacts of the pandemic subside.”

Elsewhere around the region, the Franklin Regional Transit Authority received $246,122 to continue its microtransit program. Microtransist is shared transportation that fills the gap between fixed-route buses and ride hailing.

The Worcester Regional Transit Authority received $527,000 for its microtransit program.

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Travelers starting to return as restrictions are lifted

WESTERN MASS NEWS (March 22, 2021) — COVID-19 travel restrictions are easing up in Massachusetts on Monday, which means anyone visiting or returning to the Bay State is no longer required to quarantine. Now, it’s only advised.

Union Station was bustling Monday morning as these restrictions lifted. One traveler told us he’s not really worried about taking public transit or an influx of people coming from out of state.

“I think as long as the safety procedures are in place, everything should be copacetic, everything should be good,” said Amo Rodriguez from Springfield.

Rodriguez told Western Mass News he feels better about traveling more so now than this time last year

“There wasn’t many things open. There was more precautions, everyone was more on edge about everything going on…Now since I’ve been vaccinated, so now since the vaccine is out and everything is going back to full capacity, I think we’re getting back to the normal,” Rodriguez added.

Starting Monday, anyone visiting Massachusetts or residents returning are advised to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival but are no longer required to do it.

However, the recommended quarantine does not apply to anyone:

  • Travelers who tested negative in the 72 hours before arriving
  • Travelers entering for less than 24 hours
  • Travelers who are fully vaccinated

Now with these eased guidelines, Union Station property manager Nicole Sweeney told Western Mass News she expects to eventually see an increase in travelers, though maybe not right away.

“I’ve noticed that our Fridays, which historically are the biggest travel day of the week for us, have begun to recover a little bit. It’s certainly not pre-pandemic levels, but are seeing some more bodies here in the concourse, which is nice…It’s been a long year. It’s been a long year for everyone and people are ready to get out there. They’re ready to go visit friends and family,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney said all trains and busses are stringent with mask-wearing and sanitizing regularly. She said this ease of restrictions is a great step forward for the travel industry.

“As the vaccine program ramps up, hopefully as we get into the mid-summer time and we get more and more people vaccinated, we’ll really start to see those numbers pick up and have a nice summer of recovery for our carriers,” Sweeney added.

Watch the full video interview.
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Springfield’s Ruth Carter to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

MASSLIVE (February 22, 2021) – Springfield-born costume designer Ruth E. Carter will cement her place in cinematic history this month when she receives her star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Carter, the first Black person to win an Academy Award for costume design, has created the look for characters in more than 45 movies including Black Panther, Do the Right Thing, and Amistad.

Carter, 60, will be only the second person to receive a star of the Walk of Fame for costume design.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce began the honor in 1955. It will honor Carter during a virtual ceremony on Feb. 25 at 11:30 a.m. on walkoffame.com

After the announcement, Carter tweeted, “I raise my star, thankful for my life, to embrace the people who know my journey and are very proud of me and of my work. And now that history is made I raise my star as I am forever grateful!”

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno applauded the Hollywood chamber’s decision to honor Carter.

“Ruth continues to make Springfield proud,” Sarno said. “She is memorialized here in Springfield at our Union Station on a mural with other prominent Black historical figures and I know many of us will be watching the virtual ceremony and cheering Ruth on later this month as she continues to make history. Continued success, Ruth, and God bless.”

Carter, a Springfield Technical High School graduate and StageWest apprentice, was elected to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ prestigious board of governors in 2019. That same year, Carter received a career achievement honor from her peers at the 21st annual Costume Designers Guild Awards.

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