In a statement released Sept. 10, the Obama Administration called on the Senate to pass H.R. 3288, the Fiscal Year 2009 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Act. [More]

Across the country, public transportation agencies have been developing response plans for a possible H1N1 flu pandemic after the U.S. government issued a declaration on April 26, 2009, of a public health emergency. [More]

Public transit agencies are using their American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds in a variety of ways beyond purchasing buses and rail cars. For example, these systems must keep their station escalators operating properly and their maintenance and storage facilities current and in good repair, mitigate environmental effects, and ensure that they provide the safest possible service. [More]

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood will offer the keynote address at the Oct. 5 Opening General Session of the APTA Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff also will speak during this session. [More]

The future of the federal transportation authorization bill was just one of the items facing Congress as it reconvened Sept. 8. [More]

Alan F. Kiepper, 81, of Annapolis, MD, APTA chair in 1990-91 and a member of the APTA Hall of Fame, died Aug. 26. [More]

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) broke ground Aug. 31 on a new transit facility in downtown Las Vegas. RTC is using a $5.5 million American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) grant for the $17 million Bonneville Transit Center, which will serve as the central transit hub for the ACE Rapid Transit system, ACExpress Commuter services, and the RTC’s fixed route transit system when it opens next year. [More]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting entries through Sept. 25 for its 10th Annual Clean Air Excellence Awards Program. The purpose of this program is to recognize and honor both individuals and organizations that have taken innovative steps to help improve air quality. [More]

U.S. DOT has announced a new program under which Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) can apply to be reimbursed for bonding premiums and fees incurred when competing for, or performing on, transportation infrastructure projects funded by ARRA. [More]

A report released Sept. 1 by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), Driving and the Built Environment: The Effects of Compact Development on Motorized Travel, Energy Use, and CO2 Emissions, shows that—assuming that compact development focuses on new and replacement housing, as converting existing housing to higher densities could be prohibitively difficult—significant increases in density would result in modest short-term reductions in personal travel, energy use, and CO2 emissions, but the reductions would grow over time. [More]

Many public transit agencies use an outside contractor to provide management services, but the “delegated management” contract between the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) and Veolia Transportation goes further, giving the contractor responsibility for all activities below the board level. The five-year contract, with a five-year option, began Sept. 1, although Veolia has had a management contract in New Orleans since October 2008. [More]

APTA recently unveiled a new, month-long advertising campaign targeting lawmakers at two of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Metrorail stations on Capitol Hill with a clear message: Increase our nation’s investment in public transportation. [More]

See anything different lately when you visit the APTA web site? How about a streamlined service that provides easier navigation with a single sign-on? [More]

The proposed changes to APTA’s governance and committee structure will be the topic of a 90-minute webinar on Sept. 22, beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time. [More]

APTA’s Emergency Response Preparedness Program (ERPP) invites all public transit professionals to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities in September as part of National Preparedness Month (NPM), sponsored by the federal Ready.gov Campaign and Citizen Corps. APTA operates ERPP under the auspices of a Federal Transit Administration grant. [More]

Trapeze Software, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Constellation Software Inc., has entered into an asset purchase agreement for the Public Transit Solutions (PT) business of Continental Automotive AG. This division develops, produces, and integrates Intelligent Transportation Systems including operation control systems, on-board computers, and passenger information displays. [More]

Daimler Buses North America announced that it has reached a milestone with its production of more than 3,000 Orion VII diesel-electric hybrid buses. More than 2,200 of the vehicles are already in service, with an additional 850 firm orders in backlog from regions including New York City, Seattle, Houston, Ottawa, and Puerto Rico. [More]

Ghirardelli Chocolate partnered with the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District for a "Rider Thank You" event during the morning rush hour Sept. 4. [More]

Citilink in Fort Wayne, IN, joined with Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) to launch its new campusLink shuttle service with ribbon-cutting ceremonies Aug. 17 on the IPFW campus. The service entered regular operation on Aug. 24. [More]

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) in Salt Lake City has implemented new wireless communications software from In Motion Technology on all 530 buses in its fleet. The technology provides wireless communications capabilities that will allow in-vehicle credit card payments, Internet access, and other advanced services for passengers. [More]

A recent study, sponsored by APTA’s Business Members Activity Fund, provides an assessment on how the collapse of the financial markets over the past year has affected transit agencies and the private sector public transportation industry. [More]

MTA New York City Transit unveiled “Whirls and Twirls (MTA),” a 53-foot by 11-foot wall installation comprising 250 porcelain tiles in six colors, on Sept. 9. [More]

The London Underground, or “the Tube,” is not only a way to travel around London; it’s also a source of artistic inspiration. As part of its Art on the Underground program, the system recently published a booklet containing stories inspired by the system’s Central Line and its staff. [More]

Here’s the problem: We use a gas tax to fund our nation’s transportation system. That means that we pay for roads and transit by burning gasoline. It also means that when Americans drive less, transportation funds dry up. [More]