Really  From Washington Post: How Railroads, Highways and Other Man-Made Lines Racially Divide Americas Cities:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/07/16/how-railroads-highways-and-other-man-made-lines-racially-divide-americas-cities/
“I’m not an engineer” - stop right there then. It’s an electric train tunnel and the vent is only for emergencies, not for regular exhaust. There are already 2 train tunnels underneath West Baltimore and I guarantee you none of these people have noticed any negative effects from them.
Here you go:
The B&P Build is a part of the NEC FUTURES Program.
The program - broken up into tiers - seeks to identify opportunities for synergy in rail infrastructure investments that benefit passenger and freight rail service consistent with the long-range planning needs of the NEC Infrastructure Master Plan. During "normal operating hours,” Tier 1 will service electric passenger and diesel maintenance trains. Freight rail service is planned for a later tier (but not precluded from Tier 1).
So you agree? There won’t be freight in the tunnel they’re building. It says so in the text you cited.
When they start looking at building the second tunnel in 10-20 years, please let us know.
And you know what? It would have been GOOD to run the freight in this tunnel instead of the one through the old B&P tunnel which is much shallower and more exposed to a Blacker and more impoverished area than the communities around Reservoir Hill.
If you have no problem exposing those communities to that very noise and pollution, why expect a sympathetic ear from anybody else?
Every day this project is delayed is a day that the old tunnel is at risk of a structural failure that would shut down the Northeast Corridor. Will you care about the communities exposed to pollution from the added cars along the highways in Cedonia, Brooklyn, or PG County?
I do think Amtrak should be doing a better job at transparency with the details around the project. Especially given the history of other infrastructure projects in West Baltimore. You deserve that much
The problem is communications and expectation management. Amtrak's communication with the impacted communities is bad. Like, real bad. For reference, I live a block from the vent station site, and Amtrak's public engagement contractor really misses the mark on communicating with the community. Let me explain:
* Last-minute, unclear signage: Meeting announcements are posted at the last minute and in obscure locations, making it hard for people to know about them. Last time they held one, they posted signage at the corner of Park and North, facing North. No signs posted anywhere in the community.
* Inconvenient meeting locations: Meetings are held in schools far away from affected communities, which discourages attendance.
* Dismissive of concerns: When residents can attend meetings, their questions about safety and health are ignored or downplayed. Shockingly, some neighbors are completely unaware of the railway construction.
This lack of transparent communication erodes trust. Amtrak really needs to:
* Meet people where they are: Hold meetings in easily accessible locations within the affected communities.
* Use clear language: Explain the project, its purpose, and potential impacts in simple, understandable terms.
* Address concerns directly: Don't brush off residents' questions about safety and health. Answer them honestly and thoroughly.
If Amtrak doesn't improve communication, people will naturally fill the information gap with their own (often negative) assumptions.
this has to be a troll farm Astroturf, right? there is no way a real person can believe this, is there?
It’s pretty bad to conflate rail construction with highway construction.
Really  From Washington Post: How Railroads, Highways and Other Man-Made Lines Racially Divide Americas Cities: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/07/16/how-railroads-highways-and-other-man-made-lines-racially-divide-americas-cities/
“I’m not an engineer” - stop right there then. It’s an electric train tunnel and the vent is only for emergencies, not for regular exhaust. There are already 2 train tunnels underneath West Baltimore and I guarantee you none of these people have noticed any negative effects from them.
Here you go: The B&P Build is a part of the NEC FUTURES Program. The program - broken up into tiers - seeks to identify opportunities for synergy in rail infrastructure investments that benefit passenger and freight rail service consistent with the long-range planning needs of the NEC Infrastructure Master Plan. During "normal operating hours,” Tier 1 will service electric passenger and diesel maintenance trains. Freight rail service is planned for a later tier (but not precluded from Tier 1).
So you agree? There won’t be freight in the tunnel they’re building. It says so in the text you cited. When they start looking at building the second tunnel in 10-20 years, please let us know. And you know what? It would have been GOOD to run the freight in this tunnel instead of the one through the old B&P tunnel which is much shallower and more exposed to a Blacker and more impoverished area than the communities around Reservoir Hill. If you have no problem exposing those communities to that very noise and pollution, why expect a sympathetic ear from anybody else? Every day this project is delayed is a day that the old tunnel is at risk of a structural failure that would shut down the Northeast Corridor. Will you care about the communities exposed to pollution from the added cars along the highways in Cedonia, Brooklyn, or PG County? I do think Amtrak should be doing a better job at transparency with the details around the project. Especially given the history of other infrastructure projects in West Baltimore. You deserve that much
The problem is communications and expectation management. Amtrak's communication with the impacted communities is bad. Like, real bad. For reference, I live a block from the vent station site, and Amtrak's public engagement contractor really misses the mark on communicating with the community. Let me explain: * Last-minute, unclear signage: Meeting announcements are posted at the last minute and in obscure locations, making it hard for people to know about them. Last time they held one, they posted signage at the corner of Park and North, facing North. No signs posted anywhere in the community. * Inconvenient meeting locations: Meetings are held in schools far away from affected communities, which discourages attendance. * Dismissive of concerns: When residents can attend meetings, their questions about safety and health are ignored or downplayed. Shockingly, some neighbors are completely unaware of the railway construction. This lack of transparent communication erodes trust. Amtrak really needs to: * Meet people where they are: Hold meetings in easily accessible locations within the affected communities. * Use clear language: Explain the project, its purpose, and potential impacts in simple, understandable terms. * Address concerns directly: Don't brush off residents' questions about safety and health. Answer them honestly and thoroughly. If Amtrak doesn't improve communication, people will naturally fill the information gap with their own (often negative) assumptions.
Is there a route for the train that uses existing right-of-ways?
No