The following is a first-person account from Armstrong County Commissioner Anthony Shea regarding his recent bike trip from Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh:

Shortly after I took office as Armstrong County Commissioner on Jan 2, 2024, I received the news of Armstrong Trails Executive Director Chris Ziegler’s plans to inaugurate a new 10-mile section of the Armstrong Trails from Schenley to Rosston on April 1st.

Moreover, Armstrong Trails had an old railroad bridge refurbished that crossed the Kiskiminetas River was also included in the project.

These two new additions (trail & bridge) now provide a contiguous trail corridor that stretches the entire length of Armstrong County (35 miles).

The northern end of Armstrong Trails in turn, connects to the Redbank Valley Trails which terminates another 42 miles further in Brookville creating a 91 contiguous mile bike trail corridor from Schenley to Brookville, with another 9 miles of trail added to it with the Sligo Spur.

Plans are currently in the works to add a five mile connector trail from the Hyde Park Walking Bridge in Leechburg to Schenley.

A flyover project in Westmoreland County will connect the Kiskiminetas River bridge in Schenley to the Tredway Trail adding an 8 mile trail corridor to Lower Burrell.

Furthermore, a trail corridor from the Tredway Trail to the Rt. 356 Bridge in Freeport will connect Armstrong Trails to the existing 22-mile Freeport to Butler Trail.

These interconnections from Schenley to Freeport will create a 126 mile trail corridor from Butler to Brookville via the Armstrong Trails.

The ultimate plan is to connect Pittsburgh to Lake Erie via Armstrong Trails.

I will talk more about these various efforts at the end this article series.

I then got to thinking, watch out now.

Pittsburgh has a bike trail that runs to Cumberland, MD, the Great Allegheny Passage or GAP Trail.

I further saw there was another bike trail that connected Cumberland, MD to Washington DC, the Chesapeake and Ohio (C & O) Canal Towpath Trail (a.k.a. C & O Trail).

To learn more, I researched my go to source for info of all things — YouTube.

I watched numerous videos of different folks who biked these trails; this looked like a lot of fun.

With that, I made the decision to bike from Washington DC back to Pittsburgh (334.1 miles).

I told my wife, Kerry, of my idea and she was not quite as enthusiastic as I was about it.

When I floated the idea by my 16 year old daughter, Abby, she looked at me like I had three heads, and asked “why we could not go to Myrtle Beach or somewhere else like normal families”.

The day, April 1st, came for the inauguration of the new Armstrong Trails segment.

On hand for the event were numerous dignitaries to include former Allegheny County Executive and current Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) CEO, Rich Fitzgerald.

I told Rich what I was thinking of doing, bike backing the C & O and GAP Trails; he said, “it was a good idea, and that he had done it four times already”.

Rich said “if I did the trek, he’d meet me on the last day to bike into Pittsburgh”.

After the formal ribbon cutting, Rich Fitzgerald, Chris Ziegler, my daughter, Abby and I did a short 10-mile bike ride up the new section of Armstrong Trails.

After seeing how well Rich and Chris moved on their bikes, I knew I needed to get in better shape, and quick, before taking on such an endeavor myself.

Fast forward to late July, the day had come to embark on our journey.

Kerry, Abby and I had done many practice runs up and down Armstrong Trails and were ready, at least we thought we were.

Also, my wife and daughter only wanted to do half of the trip.

Our plan had us driving to Cumberland, MD and staging our car for Kerry and Abby to do the C & O Trail only, and then drive back home to Leechburg.

I in turn, would do both trails (C & O & GAP Trails).

Day one

July 22 — We started our trek in earnest, having arrived in Cumberland, MD the night before to stage our car.

We took an AMTRAK Train from Cumberland, MD to Washington DC.

Our attendant at the Cumberland train station said we were lucky with the train being on time for 9:30 a.m.

The gentleman said he had a connection to Ford City after seeing my Divine Redeemer 5K Ford City t-shirt; he said his Dad had worked in Ford City at PPG for a while after being laid off from another plant – small world.

Even in coach, the seats on the train were nice and roomy.

Riding on the train gave a backyard view to America. Every so often, I could see snippets of C & O Trail across the Potomac River as we progressed toward Washington DC.

After the four hour train ride, we entered Union Station in Washington DC about 1:30 p.m.

We emerged from track level of the train station to the terminal level and were thrust into a sea of humanity; the place was packed with baggage laden passengers scurrying about.

After eating a quick lunch, we exited the nicely air conditioned Union Rail Station and thrust into the 90 plus degree oven outside.

From here, it did not take too long to get oriented and bike toward the Capitol Building.

We then went along the Washington Mall making our way to our next waypoint, the Lincoln Memorial.

The mall grounds were packed full of people.

Every practical open spot along the mall seemed to have a food truck, or some vendor of some type in it selling their wares.

I am amazed every time I see the Washington Monument and White House.

We stopped by the Lincoln Memorial, and got ice cream floats.

The Coca Cola float I had was absolutely amazing, though we all suffered brain freeze multiple times.

I think the extreme heat exasperated this condition a bit.

Numerous folks played volleyball just beside us as we ate, oblivious to the heat.

We then followed the Rock Creek Trail along the Tidal Basin to get the C & O Trail southern terminus.

Finding Mile Marker 0 of the C & O Trail was a challenge in and of itself.

After a few false leads, we finally found the infamous C & O Trail Mile 0 granite marker in Georgetown; the marker was well hidden behind the Thompson Boat Center.

The marker already had several folks queued up for their ceremonial pictures. We talked to a couple just ahead of us from Morgantown, WV; they said they had just finished a trip from Pittsburgh to Washington DC and thoroughly enjoyed it.

We finally got our turn for the money shot at the Mile 0 Marker and were on our way.

We then found out the C & O Trail was detoured shortly after getting under way.

The trip out Georgetown quickly turned from city sprawl to desolate countryside.

We did make a slight mistake in our navigational efforts and got off the C & O Trail inadvertently staying too long on the Capitol Crescent Trail.

Two miles off course, we finally realized we were on the wrong trail! We were lost and had to backtrack.

After our detour, we got back on track on the C & O Trail at about Mile Marker 6. The next 10.7 miles of the trail followed the actual C & O Canal Tow Path.

The canal in this section was in various states of repair/dis-repair.

Along the trail in this section was a replica canal boat.

On a bridge, close to the replica, I came upon a young couple standing face to face.

They had not noticed me as I biked toward them.

I watched as the young man dropped to his knee and handed something to the girl, presumably an engagement ring.

She hugged him, I can only assume she said “yes”. I just biked by — the thought did cross my mind of offering to take a picture, but I did not want to spoil the moment for them.

I suspect if the answer was “no” someone may have got pushed off of the bridge into the canal water.

Further up the trail at Mile Marker 14.1, we came upon the Great Falls.

This spectacular landmark was easily accessible from the C & O Trail.

I was amazed at the pure power of the Potomac River as it roared through Mather Gorge. Many tourists also enjoyed this remarkable view as well.

At about 8:30 p.m., way later than planned, we arrived at Lockhouse 21; I had reserved the Lockhouse ahead of time as our lodging arrangement for the night.

The two bedroom lockhouse was furnished in a circa 1910 time period; it had many historic pictures. The one picture that stood out was of a young woman in a bridal dress.

The lockhouse did not provide bedding or towels, so we planned ahead and brought them with us.

Day two

July 23 — We got up early to head out to our next destination, Brunswick, MD.

The C & O Trail continued to follow the canal.

Some of the canal pools contained water, others just mowed grass and others were just filled with debris and green algae filled water.

We stopped at White’s Ferry, MD excited to get a good meal about 20 miles into our day at Mile Marker 35.5.

Unfortunately, the eating establishment was closed on Sunday and Mondays; we ate salami sandwiches.

White’s Ferry was one of the last remaining cable operated ferries in the country when it recently went out of operation in 2020.

When in operation, the ferry connected the nearby Maryland towns along the Potomac River to Leesburg, VA.

Plans are currently in the works to reconstitute the old ferry at some point in the future.

We later rode across the Monocracy Aqueduct at Mile Marker 42.2.

This impressive stone structure was 516 feet long and carried the C & O Canal over a large stream.

We arrived at the town of Point of Rocks, MD, Mile Marker, 48.8 at about 2:00 p.m.

We walked our bikes up to the first eating establishment we saw, actually the only one, Big Belly’s restaurant. Luckily, it was open.

As we walked in, we must have looked like a bunch of poor souls because the young man behind the counter said for us each to “grab a bottle of water on the house”.

Maybe he was just afraid one of us would pass out right there.

The food, gyros and cheese fries, were very good.

The last 6 miles into Brunswick, MD were a breeze.

The hardest part of that day however, was the 1.7 mile hike up the steepest hill I have ever seen to the Travelodge Also, a key lesson we learned on the trail that day was the C & O Canal Trail management had discontinued its purification of the water wells on the trail. We had to ration water all day that day.

Day three

Tuesday, July 24, 2024. We started the day in Brunswick, MD eating at an oldies themed diner co-located with the Travelodge.

The old time diner played Elvis songs, had nostalgic furnishings and pictures but required one to scan in a QR code to both order and pay for the meals on line; only then was the food delivered by a waitress in a poodle skirt.

The use of QR codes and ordering on the internet sort of took away some of the old time nostalgia.

After breakfast, we went back down the hill back through Brunswick to the C & O Canal and proceeded northward.

Six miles into the trip, Mile Marker 60.7, we saw the sign for Harpers Ferry. We locked up our bikes and walked across the Potomac River on a foot bridge to the small West Virginia village.

Being the location for the Appalachian Trail headquarters, the town had a very good outdoor gear outfitter in it.

We were able to purchase a camel back for my daughter, as well as water purification tablets, if we needed them.

Being on bikes, we could not get too many souvenirs with space very limited.

I hope to pass back through Harpers Ferry again to learn more about the John Brown Rebellion, and also someday possibly as an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker.

After buying supplies, we then crossed back over the foot bridge into Maryland and kept heading north to our destination for the day, Williamsport, MD.

As before, the trail followed the canal towpath. At Mile Marker 69.4, we crossed the Antietam Creek aqueduct, not too far from this location was the famous Antietam Civil War battlefield.

At Mile Marker 85.6, we came upon the Big Slackwater. This piece of the trail followed a dammed up section of the Potomac River.

Back in the day, C & O Canal goers used the Potomac River proper versus a separate canal for this portion of their journey.

The elevated trail was paved and easy to traverse, though it was a bit toasty mid-day with no shade. This area of the C & O trail was completely refurbished to its current state in 2012 eliminating a long off-trail detour.

We arrived at Williamsport, MD, Mile Marker 99.4 about 4:00 p.m.

Again, we had to walk up hill over a mile to get to our hotel, the Red Roof Inn; what is so easy to get to in a car becomes much more daunting via bike after 44 miles of trail riding.

This is where we will end this installment of the three article series. The next installment will detail the C&O Trail from Williamsport, MD to Cumberland, MD plus a KDKA interview on the trail.

For additional info regarding Armstrong Trails, see their website: armstrongtrails.org/.

For questions or comments regarding this series of articles, feel free to reach out to Armstrong County Commissioner Anthony Shea (Major – AF – Ret) at agshea@co.armstrong.pa.us.

Vie the full article at leadertimes.com.

Despite artificial intelligence rapidly changing the world, one sector has struggled to keep pace — healthcare. A symposium hosted at the University of Pittsburgh today by the Biotechnology Board discussed extensively how the sector can catch up.

Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Anantha Shekhar said that “the pace at which [AI] transforms consumer products versus healthcare is completely different” because of multiple reasons, including higher regulatory standards and data access.

Speaking on the topic of high regulatory standards, Dean of CMU’s Heinz College of Information Systems Ramayya Krishnan likened the development of healthcare technologies to stalled progress in the autonomous vehicle industry.

“We are terrible drivers, but we hold the technology to a very different standard,” Krishnan said. “Technology will find a way to improve the quality of the experience but society will set the standards.”

Shekhar also suggested that the healthcare field has been less likely to embrace AI because the technology is prone to error, referred to by the industry as hallucinations. Knowing how to adequately utilize the technology at scale will require broader education, and even still he suggested that some clinicians are unlikely to embrace the technology until it is further developed.

“You can use AI inappropriately and then blame AI for it doing the wrong thing but it isn’t AI’s fault that you used it incorrectly,” Shekhar said. “It’s ultimately the doctor who is going to be liable for everything, which is why adoption is so slow.”

The technology also presents a possibility for misinformation en masse – Biotechnology Board conference chair Rema Padman gave a presentation on how the internet has fundamentally changed how humans interact with health information and that a statistical majority of Americans lack proper medical literacy.

“How many of you in this room have accessed Youtube on health related topics? I see a lot of hands,” Padman said. “We know in this audience to also go to the Mayo Clinic and other various sites… but the lay person, how do they access this information?”

Padman suggested that those developing patient focused technological resources need to prioritize design and ease of accessibility.

On the development side, Krishnan said that technologies that don’t require FDA approval will be able to reach commercial scale quicker. He pointed to Abridge, a Downtown-based company that transcribes conversations between clinicians and patients and has secured sizable funding, as an example of this.

Ultimately, AI models are built on data, something that presents challenges for development access. One barrier is ensuring HIPPA compliance, for example GPT, one of the most used AI technologies, is not HIPPA compliant. But another problem Shekhar said is that “health records are a mess.” Different health systems utilize different methods for storing data and records, which presents issues towards scale.

But gathering the data isn’t the only problem — access to computational components and energy presents a hurdle, and former Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald cautioned that as the Pittsburgh region grows as an AI hub, the area will require improved infrastructure to match energy demand.

“AI needs a heck of a lot of data and what data needs is a heck of a lot of electricity and energy,” said Fitzgerald, who is now the executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. “We need to make sure that we have a grid system that can provide the infrastructure for our region’s continued growth.”

But Fitzgerald and other policy makers also said that the region will need to improve its talent retention and attraction in the sector to remain competitive.

“What we lack here is branding,” Anand Rao, a distinguished professor of AI at CMU, said. “The work is phenomenal, but that’s not really known outside.”

Rao suggested that Pittsburgh should try a different message than Silicon Valley. He said that the Valley is “all in on the technology” but that Pittsburgh should focus its messaging less on the technology itself and more the applications of the technology.

View the full article at inno.bizj-production.com.

For the past few years, Clark Haynes has been strapping sensors onto bicycles to keep riders safe.

Using some of the same technology that powers driverless cars, the AI-enabled sensors, called Copilot, can detect a potential collision with a vehicle and thwart it by flashing a light or blasting a sound.

An alumnus of autonomous vehicle companies Aurora and Uber ATG, Mr. Haynes originally thought of the sensors as the end product. But through a partnership with the city of Pittsburgh, he realized the underlying data they gather might be more valuable.

“We’ve actually now generated more revenue using that than our consumer side,” said Mr. Haynes, founder of Velo AI.

The approach also caught the attention of the federal government. Velo announced Wednesday that it received $200,000 from the Department of Transportation through a new program called Complete Streets AI.

The Lawrenceville-based startup is one of 12 companies to receive the awards and the only one based in Pennsylvania.

“The funding we’re announcing today supports our country’s small businesses and startups so they can harness cutting-edge advancements, deploy them in local communities, and make our streets safer,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement announcing the awards.

Velo’s model is relatively simple.

“A city comes to us, we ship them a box of our devices, they deploy them throughout the city with volunteers,” Mr. Haynes explained.

Such participants then ride certain routes of interest to the city, or just complete their daily commute. When they get home, they connect the sensors to Wi-Fi and upload their data.

“Then we crunch the numbers and give them a report,” Mr. Haynes said.

Such reports allow cities to make informed decisions about where to fix potholes, build bike lanes and make other improvements. Velo did its first report for Roanoke, Va., about a year ago. It has since partnered with Pittsburgh, through a PGH Lab grant and Ann Arbor, Mich., through a downtown development initiative.

Mr. Haynes said the Ann Arbor example was “really exciting” because officials heard about Velo on their own and reached out, wanting to learn more about their bicycling culture.

“When you’re talking about community outreach, it’s really critical to share these numbers and to be able to inform the public, you know, why are we making these decisions?” Mr. Haynes said.

He is hoping the data allows urban planning to be a bit more proactive.

“All too often bike infrastructure is very reactionary to death for serious injuries,” Mr. Haynes said. Many of Pittsburgh’s bike lanes, including a Forbes Avenue artery, were the direct result of a fatality. But there are 100 near misses for every major crash, Mr. Haynes said.

“So there’s 100 times more data that we could be using… that’s really what we’re going after.”

Velo has benefitted from federal funding before. It was part of the inaugural Robotics Factory cohort last year, a co-working space and mentorship program created through the region’s $63 million Build Back Better grant for robotics.

For the new funding, Velo will partner with the Mobility Analytics Center at Carnegie Mellon University, where Mr. Haynes earned his Ph.D. It also plans to partner with the local public bike share program POGOH.

A significant coalition is supporting the project, including the city’s department of mobility and infrastructure, BikePGH, The Allegheny Conference, The Heinz Endowments, Innovation Works, The League of American Bicyclists, Mobilify, and The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

As the data portion progresses, early adopters are still using Copilot independently, Mr. Haynes said. The company sold out of its first launch and now has about 100 units deployed across the country.

“And we’ve been completely redesigning the product and getting a version two that we’re going to launch in 2025,” he said. “It’s half the size and half the weight… smaller than a deck of cards, and we packed in a ton of intelligence.”

Compared to the incredibly costly development of autonomous vehicles, Mr. Haynes said he is grateful to have tackled a more niche challenge.

Velo is a fraction of the size of Aurora, which raised another $483 million this month to support driverless trucking operations, but is “tackling a problem that has just as many road deaths as crashes involving tractor trailers,” Mr. Haynes said. “Actually, I think there are more.”

View the full article at post-gazette.com.

The City of Fort Wayne, in partnership with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, recently retained HNTB Corporation to assist with implementing the Midwest Connect Corridor Identification and Development grant.

A collaborative effort to connect Chicago, Fort Wayne, Columbus and Pittsburgh with passenger rail service is gaining momentum with the addition of HNTB Corporation’s expertise.

In December 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded the City of Fort Wayne a $500,000 Corridor Identification and Development grant. The federal grant funds the development of a scope, schedule, and budget for performing corridor planning and preparing a Service Development Plan to implement passenger rail service from Pittsburgh to Chicago via Fort Wayne and Columbus.

HNTB was awarded up to $450,000 to review past studies, remaining gaps, and establish the scope, schedule, and budget for the remaining planning work for the program. The contract for these initial tasks goes through June 2025.

HNTB, a consultant with extensive experience in transportation planning and design, has worked on more than 40 passenger rail corridors nationwide. HNTB played a key role in preparing the CID grant request and offers fully integrated services for all project phases, including feasibility studies, planning, environmental review, conceptual design, final design and construction management.

“This is a major step forward in the public-private effort to reconnect Central Ohio to the nation’s passenger rail network. This partnership across several states helps to advance the required work to qualify for federal funds for implementation. It builds on years of work showing passenger rail is a critical investment for prosperity and attracting talent,” William Murdock, MORPC executive director, stated.

Passenger rail on the Midwest Connect Corridor has garnered support from several key stakeholders, including the Northern Indiana Passenger Rail Association, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Michiana Area Council of Governments, Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council, Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission, Licking County Area Transportation Study, Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association and Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission and All Aboard Ohio.

View the full article at inkfreenews.com.

A collaborative effort to connect Chicago, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh with passenger rail service is gaining momentum with the addition of HNTB Corporation’s expertise. The City of Fort Wayne, in partnership with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), recently retained HNTB Corporation to assist with implementing the Midwest Connect Corridor Identification and Development (CID) grant.

In December 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded the City of Fort Wayne a $500,000 Corridor Identification and Development grant. The federal grant funds the development of a scope, schedule, and budget for performing corridor planning and preparing a Service Development Plan to implement passenger rail service from Pittsburgh to Chicago via Fort Wayne and Columbus. HNTB was awarded up to $450,000 to review past studies, remaining gaps, and establish the scope, schedule, and budget for the remaining planning work for the program. The contract for these initial tasks goes through June 2025.

HNTB, a consultant with extensive experience in transportation planning and design, has worked on more than 40 passenger rail corridors nationwide. HNTB played a key role in preparing the CID grant request and offers fully integrated services for all project phases, including feasibility studies, planning, environmental review, conceptual design, final design, and construction management.

“This is a major step forward in the public-private effort to reconnect Central Ohio to the nation’s passenger rail network,” said William Murdock, MORPC executive director. “This partnership across several states helps to advance the required work to qualify for federal funds for implementation. It builds on years of work showing passenger rail is a critical investment for prosperity and attracting talent.”

Passenger rail on the Midwest Connect Corridor has garnered support from several key stakeholders, including the Northern Indiana Passenger Rail Association (NIPRA), Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC), Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG), Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council (NIRCC), Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission (LACRPC), Licking County Area Transportation Study (LCATS), Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA), and Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission (BHJTS) and All Aboard Ohio.

“This project represents a transformative opportunity for our region,” said Parag Agrawal, chief mobility & infrastructure officer and senior director of programming at MORPC. “By enhancing connectivity and accessibility, we are not only fostering economic development but also promoting sustainable and efficient transportation solutions for the future.”

View the full story at logandaily.com.

The city of Fort Wayne, in partnership with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), has retained HNTB Corporation to assist with the implementation of the Midwest Connect Corridor ID Grant.

“This is a long process,” City Councilman and Northern Indiana Passenger Rail Association (NIPRA) board member Geoff Paddock said. “It’s kind of a complicated process and many steps along the way.

As part of the effort to do, to conduct the service development plan, you’re looking at really five states, because you’ve got to include Chicago (Illinois), right, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania.”

The selected engineering consultant, HNTB, has worked on over 40 passenger rail corridors nationwide. With over 110 years in transportation planning and design, HNTB is no stranger to the Midwest Connect corridor, having analyzed sections of the route over the past decade.

They provide fully integrated services for all project phases, including feasibility studies, planning, environmental review, conceptual design, final design, and construction management.

Money to pay HNTB will come from the $500,000 Corridor ID grant from the Federal Railroad Administration that the the city of Fort Wayne received in December.

The federal grant funds Step 1 to develop a scope, schedule, and budget for performing corridor planning and preparing a Service Development Plan to implement passenger rail service from Pittsburgh to Chicago via Fort Wayne and Columbus, Ohio, which will run through Whitley and Kosciusko counties in Northeast Indiana.

“It’s encouraging to see this progress as Fort Wayne continues to lead an effort that will have a lasting and meaningful impact,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker in the announcement. “As work continues with our partners, it’s our belief that this latest effort gives us the best chance to restore passenger rail services to Fort Wayne.”

Having HNTB will be having the “boots on the ground in several areas” to determine what will be needed to bring passenger rail service back: the addition of rail overpasses, track, trains, signals and more, Paddock said.

As HNTB does it work, Paddock said, it probably can fine-tune figures that have been put forward in the past, such as the estimated cost of $3 million to $5 million per mile for bring rail service to Fort Wayne.

View the full story at fwbusiness.com.

An engineering firm with offices in Columbus has been tapped to join the team trying to restore Amtrak service in the city.

HNTB Corporation will be tasked with planning and development services for the Midwest Connect route, a potential route connecting Pittsburgh to Chicago via Columbus and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The route would include stops in Marysville, Columbus and Newark.

The engineering firm joins a multi-entity partnership made up of the City of Fort Wayne, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

“This is a major step forward in the public-private effort to reconnect Central Ohio to the nation’s passenger rail network,” said William Murdock, MORPC executive director, in a press release. “This partnership across several states helps to advance the required work to qualify for federal funds for implementation. It builds on years of work showing passenger rail is a critical investment for prosperity and attracting talent.”

The firm specializes in transportation and has worked on more than 40 passenger rail corridors across the country, according to the release.

HNTB was awarded a contract of up to $450,000 to review past studies, identify remaining gaps and establish the scope, schedule and budget for the remaining planning work, according to the MORPC. The contract for the initial tasks ends in June 2025.

The funds come from a $500,000 grant the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded the City of Fort Wayne for the project in December.

The Midwest Connect is one of two proposed routes that include Columbus. The other is the “3C + D,” connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati, sponsored by the Ohio Rail Development Commission. It has also received a $500,000 grant for an initial study.

Last month, the Central Ohio Passenger Rail Committee, a temporary select panel composed of leaders from surrounding municipalities, was formed to help MORPC advance the bid to restore Amtrak routes through Columbus by providing data and guiding strategy throughout the multi-year process.

Design and construction will take several years to build stations and upgrade existing freight lines to handle 79-mph passenger trains. MORPC has said service could be online by 2030.

“This project represents a transformative opportunity for our region,” said Parag Agrawal, MORPC chief mobility and infrastructure officer, in the release. “By enhancing connectivity and accessibility, we are not only fostering economic development but also promoting sustainable and efficient transportation solutions for the future.”

Amtrak shut down its last route through Columbus in 1979.

View the full article at bizjournals.com.

1 Can you elaborate on engineering consultant HNTB’s specific role in the Midwest Connect Corridor ID Grant? How close does this bring us to passenger rail service?

A: The role of HNTB is to help the City of Fort Wayne as the primary applicant and its partners, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) and Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, set up and prepare the scope of work for the Service Development Plan for the Midwest Connect project.

HNTB, as a well-known transportation planning corporation, will serve a vital role as the vendor helping us to meet the expectations of the Federal Rail Administration in Step One of this Corridor ID passenger rail grant.

Many factors will influence the return of passenger rail service, but our hope is to see it happen in five to seven years, less if we can do it!

2 How does NIPRA engage with local communities, businesses and government officials to ensure support and successful implementation of the passenger rail project?

A: NIPRA board members have been meeting with elected officials and representatives of business organizations like Greater Fort Wayne Inc. and the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana for years to ensure support for the restoration of passenger rail service to Fort Wayne, northern Indiana and the Midwest. We have also spent time educating key businesses like Steel Dynamics and others as to the importance of the restoration of passenger rail service for not only transportation options but also for the very significant economic development it will bring to our city and region.

3 How do partnerships with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission influence the project’s scope and timeline?

A: The partnerships have been of immeasurable help to our efforts to bring back daily passenger rail service along the five-state Midwest Connect Corridor ID line. This project is not just a Fort Wayne or an Indiana-only passenger rail line; it is a five-state Midwest passenger rail corridor connecting three large cities and many smaller communities with another important transportation option.

We were selected because the Federal Rail Administration recognized the impact and importance of our unique multistate, 545-mile-long passenger rail corridor.

And the match costs to the federal grants will be spread over five states, not just Indiana.

With several states involved showing the interest and importance of Midwest Connect, we hope this will expedite and cut the timeline.

4 Is there a plan to integrate the historic Baker Street Station into the new passenger rail service, and how has the community responded to these efforts?

A: Yes, we hope to see the Midwest Connect passenger rail stop in Fort Wayne at the Baker Street Station downtown. We expect that Baker Street Station, formerly the Pennsylvania Railroad Station, will be part of the service development plan for stops along the Midwest Connect line. The public knows about Baker Street Station and sees it as a past and future home for passenger rail service in Fort Wayne and Allen County.

We have held rallies for passenger rail service twice in the past few years at Baker Street Station with 800 to 1,000 supporters attending, as well as many elected officials. Along this same theme, NIPRA is planning to hold a passenger rail rally Oct. 27 at Baker Street Station, and we expect a large and enthusiastic crowd of supporters and many elected officials as well.

5 What strategies is NIPRA using to raise public awareness and educate the community about the project’s benefits and progress? How can people get involved?

A: NIPRA has used the media to keep the public informed about our progress toward the restoration of passenger rail service in Fort Wayne, northern Indiana and the Midwest. Some of our board members, like City Councilman Geoff Paddock, speak to many organizations each year about passenger rail and the Midwest Connect Corridor ID project. NIPRA maintains a website, niprarail.org, and has a Facebook page as well with updates on our progress, and of course we do media interviews whenever there is more news to report.

We are also members of business organizations like Greater Fort Wayne Inc. and the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana and have representatives of business on our board of directors.

The public can support our efforts to restore passenger rail service by joining NIPRA as a member for a whopping $10 per year and by contacting state and local elected officials to express their support for the Midwest Connect Corridor ID passenger rail project.

View the full article at journalgazette.net.

The City has a new partner in efforts to bring a passenger rail service to Fort Wayne.  The project would get federal funds but now has the experience of the HNTB Corporation – a Kansas City-based engineering company to help in the planning work of bringing back passenger railway to Fort Wayne.

Current plans are for the rail service to run from Chicago to Pittsburgh through Columbus and Fort Wayne.

The City of Fort Wayne released the following:

The City of Fort Wayne, in partnership with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), has retained HNTB Corporation to assist with the implementation of the Midwest Connect Corridor ID Grant.

In December of 2023, the City of Fort Wayne received a $500,000 Corridor ID grant from the Federal Railroad Administration. The federal grant funds Step 1 to develop a scope, schedule, and budget for performing corridor planning and preparing a Service Development Plan to implement passenger rail service from Pittsburgh to Chicago via Fort Wayne & Columbus.

The selected consultant, HNTB, brings vision and extensive experience, having worked on over 40 passenger rail corridors nationwide. With over 110 years in transportation planning and design, HNTB is no stranger to the Midwest Connect corridor, having analyzed sections of the route over the past decade. They provide fully integrated services for all project phases, including feasibility studies, planning, environmental review, conceptual design, final design, and construction management.

“It’s encouraging to see this progress as Fort Wayne continues to lead an effort that will have a lasting and meaningful impact,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker. “As work continues with our partners, it’s our belief that this latest effort gives us the best chance to restore passenger rail services to Fort Wayne.”

The Corridor ID program garnered additional support from several key stakeholders, including the Northern Indiana Passenger Rail Association (NIPRA), Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC), Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG), Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council (NIRCC), Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission (LACRPC), Licking County Area Transportation Study (LCATS), Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA), and Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission (BHJTS). The program also received advocacy from the Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation.

“We are thrilled to have HNTB on board as our consultant for this project. Their extensive experience and vision will be invaluable as we move forward,” stated City Councilman Geoff Paddock. “The momentum of this initiative is inspiring, and while we recognize that there is a long road ahead, we are confident that with the support of our dedicated stakeholders, we can navigate this journey successfully.”

View the full article at 963xke.com.

The city of Fort Wayne announced it has gained another partner to try and bring a passenger rail to the community. The city is already partnered with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC.)

The city has now retained HNTB Corporation to assist in executing the Midwest Connect Corridor ID Grant to bring the Midwest Connect Passenger Rail Project to life. The rail would provide passenger rail between Pittsburgh and Chicago, through Fort Wayne and Columbus.

HNTB is a consulting company that creates “infrastructure that best meets the unique demands of its environment. With client relationships spanning decades, we understand infrastructure life cycles and have the perspective to solve technical challenges with clarity and imagination,” according to the company’s website.

In December 2023, the city received a grant for $500,000 for the project. The Federal Railroad Association gave the city the grant to start working on the planning portion for the Midwest Connect Passenger Rail. The planning portion includes developing a scope, schedule and budget.

“It’s encouraging to see this progress as Fort Wayne continues to lead an effort that will have a lasting and meaningful impact,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker. “As work continues with our partners, it’s our belief that this latest effort gives us the best chance to restore passenger rail services to Fort Wayne.”

This planning portion is just the first step for the project and is fully funded by the federal government. The second step is creating a service development plan—  90% of which is federally funded.

“That’s when we really get into the planning and understand where stations are going to go,” Paul Spoelhof, planning and policy director for the City of Fort Wayne, said. “What type of track alignments are necessary, where we can use existing track, where it makes sense to add new track alignment, what kind of speeds we’ll be able to achieve.”

The third step is 80% federally funded. Having been approved for step one, Fort Wayne is automatically approved by the federal government to conduct steps two and three if remaining local funding is secured. That money doesn’t have to only come from Fort Wayne, Spoelhof said. It can come from states and other cities along the entire proposed rout from Pittsburgh, Penn. to Chicago.

“That will involve some environmental management, environmental analysis of some of the projects that need to be built, and it will also involve preliminary engineering,” Spoelhof said.

Fort Wayne city councilman and board member for the Northern Indiana Passenger Railroad Association, Geoff Paddock, said this doesn’t only mean Fort Wayne residents can easily access places like Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, but people living in other proposed stops like Lima, Ohio and Warsaw can come to the summit city. The passenger rail station would be the old Baker Street station on the southern edge of downtown Fort Wayne.

“We’re right across the street here from Parkview field,” Paddock said. We’re two blocks south of the Grand Wayne Convention Center. We’ve got the Citilink bus station that could take someone to the Fort Wayne international airport to catch a flight.”

Spoelhof stressed that big projects like this take time. He is hopeful that because of these steps being taken now, Fort Wayne will have passenger rail service in the future.

“If we had not been spending the last 10 to 15 years studying this corridor, we would not have been in a position to get the attention of the Federal Railroad Administration and get in this program,” Spoelhof said. “Many communities applied and did not get in.”

Both Paddock and Spoelhof said this is a combined effort requiring collaboration between all communities along the proposed route. Lima, Ohio is a proposed stop between Fort Wayne and Columbus. The following is a statement from Lima’s mayor on the progress of this project:

“We are excited to learn that the City of Fort Wayne is aggressively moving forward with bringing passenger rail back to the region. The selection of a consultant is an important next step, and we are pleased to continue supporting Fort Wayne as the lead applicant.”

View the full article at wane.com.