The climate change legislation—the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES)—that passed the full House by a seven-vote margin on June 26 includes provisions that will benefit public transportation agencies. [More]

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has now awarded 221 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants totaling $2.22 billion to public transit agencies across the U.S. Another 346 grants worth a total of $3.8 billion are pending. [More]

As the Federal Transit Administration releases more American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding to public transit agencies, here is information on how some of the grant recipients are using their funds. [More]

The June 22 fatal rail accident on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Red Line has sparked renewed discussion and debate about the need for increased federal investment to keep our nation’s public transportation infrastructure in a state of good repair, particularly as systems age. [More]

The largest transit public works project in the nation broke ground in June with the launch of the $8.7 billion Mass Transit Tunnel project between New York and New Jersey. New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey are partnering on this effort, which ultimately will include two new rail tunnels under the Hudson River and an expanded New York Penn Station. [More]

While many greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction studies fail to include smart growth and improved transportation choices, the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) study—Cost-Effective GHG Reductions Through Smart Growth & Improved Transportation Choices: An Economic Case for Strategic Investment of Cap-and Trade Revenues—shows how these policies can reduce by 10 percent per capita from 2005 levels the amount Americans need to drive, as measured in vehicle miles traveled (VMT). [More]

The Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts has released two complementary reports that demonstrate how clean energy can lead to economic growth and increased living standards. [More]

Will Kempton, head of California DOT (Caltrans) for the past five years, is joining the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) in Orange, CA, as its next chief executive officer. He plans to begin Aug. 3 and succeed Art Leahy, who left OCTA to head Los Angeles Metro. [More]

The question of whether to shift some federal highway and bridge funding to public transit is stirring up enough interest that it is the topic of an opt-in poll conducted by Parade magazine. [More]

APTA invites and encourages its members to participate in a July 10 webinar that will describe recommended changes in the make-up of the association’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. [More]

The Nominating Committee that will recommend individuals to fill APTA leadership positions to the membership for approval has been appointed by APTA Chair Dr. Beverly A. Scott and is now accepting nominations for office. [More]

APTA has planned an in-depth and comprehensive series of activities for the 2009 Transit Board Members Seminar and Board Support Employee Development Workshop, July 18-21 at the Westin Cincinnati, hosted by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority/Metro. [More]

Representatives of the federal government will offer their perspectives on “greener communities” at the Aug. 3 Opening Session of APTA’s fifth annual Sustainability and Public Transportation Workshop. “Making the Business Case for Sustainability” is the theme of the conference, Aug. 2-4 at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center in Salt Lake City, UT. [More]

APTA is joining with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and U.S. DOT to present the ITS International Best Practices Workshop: “Wireless Communications,” July 13-14 at the Omni Charlotte Hotel in Charlotte, NC. [More]

APTA is joining the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) and the Urban and Regional Information System Association to present the Fifth National GIS in Transit Conference, Nov. 16-18 at the Hilton Bayfront in St. Petersburg, FL. NCTR is part of the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida. [More]

The APTA Human Resources (HR) Committee, in collaboration with APTA’s Workforce Development Blue Ribbon Panel, recently launched its “9000 in ’09” student outreach initiative. The goal of this effort is to communicate personally job and career opportunities available in public transportation to 9,000 students of all ages during calendar year 2009. [More]

APTA welcomed a delegation of representatives from French cities and local governments to its offices on June 25. [More]

As part of an effort to generate momentum for signing and ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), people with roles in the disability movement convened a conference on accessibility issues in June at the University of Pittsburgh. APTA President William Millar addressed transportation accessibility issues during the program. [More]

When the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) needs to add a cable car to its world-renowned historic fleet, the system doesn’t ask outsiders to do the work. Employees of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees Muni, built the newest cable car on the line—Car 15, which entered service June 21—in-house, according to original blueprints. [More]

For the first time, GO Transit in Toronto is operating seasonal weekend and holiday rail service to the Niagara Falls region of Ontario. The service began June 27. [More]

For Major League Baseball’s third annual Civil Rights Game on June 20 in Cincinnati, the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) in Fort Wright, KY, participated in an unusual way.  To support this game, which honors baseball’s contributions to the struggle for civil rights, TANK sent Bus #209—the same model of bus as the one in Montgomery, AL, on which Rosa Parks refused to move to a seat in the back, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955—to the city’s National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. [More]

Broward County Transit (BCT) in Pompano Beach, FL, is introducing “Transit Watch,” a public awareness campaign developed by the Federal Transit Administration and practiced by public transportation agencies nationwide to encourage the active education and participation of passengers and employees in maintaining a safe and secure transit environment. [More]

Lake Erie Transit (LET) in Monroe, MI, wants the public to know that its new hybrid bus is not just good for the environment—it’s also fun. The bus highlights the counterculture roots of the green movement by wrapping itself in a bright design of smiley faces, recycling symbols, and peace signs. [More]

In Las Vegas, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) has doubled down on its efforts to improve the rider experience. [More]

The Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX) in Orlando recently used the first of its federal American Relief and Recovery Act (ARRA) funds to purchase an innovative micro-particle disinfectant machine from Zimek of Sarasota, FL. [More]

Cesar Vergara, a world-renowned industrial designer of public transportation infrastructure and rolling stock, announced the creation of Vergarastudio in Ridgefield, CT. The firm will focus on industrial design projects with a specific emphasis on the design of public transportation infrastructure and rolling stock. [More]

PV Inova, a Brazilian company that offers telecommunications technologies to public transportation users and software for transportation managers, is one of the 11 honorees of infoDev’s Global Innovators 2009 Contest. infoDev is a global development financing program among international development agencies, coordinated and served by a secretariat housed in the Global ICT Department of the World Bank. [More]

The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) recently presented Kevin C. Foy, mayor of Chapel Hill, NC, with first place among small cities in its 2009 City Livability Awards Program—but the city couldn’t have done it without its public transit agency. [More]

One of the most popular breakout group exercises in the hundreds of board retreats I’ve facilitated over the years is what I call “stakeholder quid pro quo analysis.” First the breakout group makes a list of the transportation authority’s stakeholders; then the group identifies the stakes involved in each relationship. [More]