**Rail Trolley Extension**

######## Galveston, Texas

(November 2003)

# Description 

The city of Galveston, through its transit operator Island Transit, has
proposed a 1.5‑mile extension of the existing fixed rail trolley system
from downtown to the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and
farther to Stewart Beach on the Gulf of Mexico. The city has identified
two phases for construction purposes. The first phase is a 0.8-mile
minimum operable segment that is a single-track extension with passing
track. Phase 2, 0.7 miles in length, will complete the extension to
Stewart Beach. The proposal incorporates transit-oriented pedestrian and
Americans with Disabilities Act improvements between the trolley system
and Magnolia Homes, a public housing project for low-income persons
along the corridor, and to the UTMB campus. These improvements will
greatly enhance transit patron access to the trolley.

The project is estimated to cost \$9.4 million (in 2002 dollars), with a
proposed Section 5309 New Starts share of \$8.3 million. Project cost
estimates and proposed New Starts share are developed by local project
sponsors and are not FTA assumptions. [Because the proposed New Starts
share is less than \$25 million, the project is exempt from the New
Starts criteria and is thus not subject to FTA's evaluation and
rating]{.underline} (49 USC 5309(e)(8)(A)).

  ------------------------------------- ---------------------------------
  **Summary Description**               

  **Proposed Project:**                 Fixed Rail Trolley Extension

  ** **                                 1.5 Miles

  **Total Capital Cost (\$2002):**      \$9.4 Million

  **Section 5309 New Starts Share       \$8.3 Million (80%) \*
  (\$2002):**                           

  **Annual Operating Cost (\$YOE):**    Not Available

  **Ridership Forecast:**               Not Available
  ------------------------------------- ---------------------------------

\* Accounts for State toll revenue credits.

##### 

##### Status

FTA issued a Categorical Exclusion for the trolley extension dated
August 2001 on the basis of an Environmental Assessment prepared by the
city and approved the project for entry into final design in September
of 2001. Design of Phase I was nearing completion in 2002 when UTMB
announced its new bio-defense research program. As a consequence, the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security declared a secure perimeter
requirement around the proposed lab and restricted all vehicular
traffic. Because part of the final alignment was within this newly
secured perimeter, that portion of the construction plan was redesigned
to follow an alternative alignment. This design adjustment is nearly
complete.

TEA-21 Section 3030 (a)(28) authorized the Galveston Trolley Extension
for final design and construction. Through FY 2003, \$4.95 million in
Section 5309 New Starts funding has been appropriated for this project.

+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| **Locally Proposed    |                       |                       |
| Financial Plan**      |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| **[Proposed Source of | **[Total              | **[Percent of         |
| Funds]{.underline}**  | F                     | Total]{.underline}**  |
|                       | unding]{.underline}** |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
|                       | **[(mi                |                       |
|                       | llion)]{.underline}** |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| **Federal:**          | \$8.30                | 80.0 %                |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Section 5309 New      | \$0.53                | 5.1 %                 |
| Starts                |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Department of Housing |                       |                       |
| and                   |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Urban Development     |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Community Development |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Block Grant           |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| **State:**            | \$ 0.93               | 9.0 %                 |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Toll Revenue Credits  |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| **Local:**            | \$0.25                | 2.4 %                 |
|                       |                       |                       |
| UTMB                  | \$0.36                | 3.5 %                 |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Unspecified           |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| **Total: \***         | **\$10.37**           | 100.0 %               |
|                       |                       |                       |
|                       | **[\[\$               |                       |
|                       | 0.93\]]{.underline}** |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
|                       | **\$9.44**            |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| **NOTE:** Funding     |                       |                       |
| statements reflected  |                       |                       |
| in this table have    |                       |                       |
| been made by project  |                       |                       |
| sponsors and are not  |                       |                       |
| DOT or FTA            |                       |                       |
| assumptions. Sum of   |                       |                       |
| figures may differ    |                       |                       |
| from total as listed  |                       |                       |
| due to rounding.      |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| \* The statutory      |                       |                       |
| grant maximum is      |                       |                       |
| calculated based on   |                       |                       |
| the sum of the        |                       |                       |
| project cost and toll |                       |                       |
| revenue credits;      |                       |                       |
| however, actual       |                       |                       |
| project costs do      |                       |                       |
| include toll revenue  |                       |                       |
| credits.              |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Project Cost + Toll   |                       |                       |
| Revenue Credits =     |                       |                       |
| Cost basis for Grant  |                       |                       |
| Match Requirement =   |                       |                       |
| \$10.37 million.      |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Statutory Grant       |                       |                       |
| Maximum = 80% of      |                       |                       |
| \$10.37 million =     |                       |                       |
| \$8.30 million        |                       |                       |
| Section 5309 New      |                       |                       |
| Starts funding.       |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Actual Total Project  |                       |                       |
| Costs = Grant Cost    |                       |                       |
| Basis -- Toll Revenue |                       |                       |
| Credits = \$10.37     |                       |                       |
| million - \$0.93      |                       |                       |
| million               |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| = \$9.44 million.     |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+

MAP