Openings and Construction Starts Planned for 2013

» Construction continues on rapid transit expansion projects around the country.

This year, more than $64.3 billion worth of transit expansion projects will begin construction, continue construction, or enter into service in the United States. It’s a huge investment, much of it the product of extensive state and local spending.

What is evident is that certain cities are investing far more than others. Among American cities, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington stand out as regions that are currently investing particularly dramatically. Toronto has the biggest investments under way in Canada. These metropolitan areas have invested billions of local dollars in interconnected transit projects that will aid in the creation of more livable, multimodal environments. Dynamic, growing cities require continuous investment in their transit systems.

Yet the federal government also continues to sponsor a number of these investments, contributing half and sometimes more of many of the projects’ costs. Washington’s involvement should not be downplayed.

Under the just-inked bipartisan compromise to head off the fiscal cliff, transportation funding will not be affected in the short term.* But an 8% reduction in federal discretionary spending (the “sequester”) — a threat that has yet to be neutralized — remains official policy and will be enforced on March 1st if no compromise is reached. That 8% cutback would reduce funding for the New Starts program, which funds most major new transit expansion projects, by $156 million in 2013 alone. Payments to the Transportation Trust Fund, which provides funding for transit maintenance programs and the purchase of new buses and trains (as well as money for highway projects), will decline by $471 million in the same period.

This is no phantom menace. Congressional Republicans in the U.S. House have demonstrated a deep-seeded desire to cut federal spending. The Obama Administration and Democrats in the Senate have shown themselves willing to compromise to a significant extent, and transportation is unlikely to be spared. The result could be significant cutbacks in funding — cutbacks that states and cities are unlikely to make up with their own revenues. Investments from Washington make transit expansion possible.

For now, though, the construction goes on. See below for the list of transit lines expected to open this year; projects beginning construction this year; and projects already under construction that will open after 2013, in that order. Not included are line renovations or intercity rail projects.

* Fortunately, the deal did expand the transit commuter tax benefit to make it equal to the parking benefit.

New Transit Capital Projects Opening in 2013

New Construction Starts in 2013

Already Under Construction, Opening After 2013

Opening in 2014

Opening in 2015

Opening in 2016

Opening in 2017

Boston Green Line Extension Phase 1 (light rail), from Lechmere to Washington Street Station and Union Square Station.

Honolulu Rail Transit Phase 1 (metro rail), from Kapolei to Aloha Stadium.

San Francisco Transbay Transit Center, downtown’s planned major bus and rail terminus, first phase.

Opening in 2018

Los Angeles Crenshaw Corridor (8.5-mile light rail), from Exposition Boulevard to LAX/Aviation Station.

San Francisco Bay Area BART to Silicon Valley Phase I (10-mile metro rail), from Warm Springs to Berryessa in San Jose.

Washington, DC Dulles Metrorail (Silver Line) Extension Phase 2 (11.6-mile metro rail), from Wiehle Avenue to Route 772, via Dulles Airport.

Opening in 2019

Boston Green Line Extension Phase 2 (light rail), from Washington Street Station to College Avenue Station.

Honolulu Rail Transit Phase 2 (metro rail), from Ala Moana Center to Aloha Stadium, via Airport.

Los Angeles Regional Connector (2-mile light rail), from Union Station to 7th Street/Metro Center and unifying the Gold Line with the Expo and Blue Lines.

New York City Long Island Railroad Eastside Access (4-mile commuter rail), connecting Long Island rail lines to Grand Central.

San Francisco Central Subway (1.7-mile light rail subway), from 4th and Brennan Station to Chinatown.

Opening in 2020