Abstract: In fall 2003, when New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson set a goal for implementing commuter rail service on a 47-mile line between Belen and Bernalillo via Albuquerque by the end of 2005, many thought the program to be overambitious. Now, less than one year away from the start of service, New Mexico's Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG) is well on its way toward meeting this goal. The program's success is because of, in large part, to the decisive, streamlined process that MRCOG has employed as its method for program management. This no nonsense approach has resulted in awards of contracts to Bombardier for new commuter coaches, and to MotivePower for locomotives; both programs are scheduled for fall 2005 deliveries. These programs complement aggressive station construction and track improvement projects that are also set for completion during the fall of 2005. As new commuter rail start-ups are competing vigorously for funding, one might consider the MRCOG model which focuses on several key elements: (1) value added cost analysis; expedited processes; (3) concentrated team effort: and (4) stay on track. On a project of this nature, it was critical that MRCOG not get bogged-down in technical or business issues that could jeopardize the schedule. This paper summarizes the processes and works that have resulted in this fast track procurement, plus provides examples of how these processes can be considered for regions facing similar issues with new start procurements.
Publication Year: 2005
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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