June 21, 2010

In This Issue

» NEWS HEADLINES

» COVERAGE OF THE 2010 APTA RAIL CONFERENCE

» COMMENTARY

» PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

 

The classifieds in this issue offer employment at transit and government agencies throughout North America!

“We’ve got a lot to be proud of, but we’re not sitting idly by. FTA is mindful of the struggles we’re going to have to face.”

With those words, Peter M. Rogoff, administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), emphasized in his keynote address before about 1,200 attendees at the June 7 Opening General Session of the APTA Rail Conference in Vancouver, BC, that FTA will continue in the effort to secure a transportation authorization bill and build on its concerns including safety issues and State of Good Repair. [More]

U.S. Mayors’ Report on High-Speed Rail

The introduction of U.S. high-speed rail will serve as a catalyst for economic growth at the city and regional levels, incorporating the creation of new jobs, improved market access, greater connectivity, and savings in commute times. [More]

NRDC, Sierra Club Help APTA ‘Dump the Pump’

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Sierra Club are partnering with APTA for the fifth annual observance of National Dump the Pump Day on June 17. The day’s activities provide public awareness of the benefits of public transportation, which include saving money and promoting energy independence. [More]

Pedestrian Bridge to Link Modes in Riverside, CA

The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) in Riverside, CA, marked a milestone in the construction of its Corona Transit Center with the June 14 installation of a 56,000-pound pedestrian bridge that will join the future transit center with a nearby Metrolink commuter rail station. [More]

‘Action Plan’ Promotes U.S. Transit Manufacturing

Members of the APTA Business Member Board of Governors (BMBG) learned at the BMBG meeting during the APTA Rail Conference about a forthcoming study that will examine the connection between growing the U.S. industrial economy and support of transit-related manufacturing projects. The Apollo Institute’s Transportation Manufacturing Action Plan (T-MAP) incorporates research, contact with stakeholders, and recommendations for the industry. [More]

APTA Announces Webinar on Crashworthiness

APTA will host a two-hour webinar titled “Crashworthiness: A Comprehensive Look at Crashworthy Vehicle Design and Procurement” June 30 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time. [More]

Sustainability in the Spotlight at Conference

“Creating a Culture of Sustainability” is the theme of APTA’s Sixth Annual Sustainability & Public Transportation Workshop, July 25-27 at the Westin Hotel in New York, NY. This event will emphasize the creation of partnerships with and within public transportation, business practices and innovations in sustainability within the transit industry, and the role of transit in creating livable communities. [More]

Rate of Ridership Decline Slows in First Quarter of 2010

Public transportation riders across the U.S. took nearly 2.5 billion trips during the first quarter of 2010, according to a recently released APTA report. Even taking into account continued high unemployment, a severe economic downturn, lower state and local revenue for public transportation, and historic snowfalls in the mid-Atlantic region and Texas, transit use in the quarter declined less than 3 percent. [More]

COVERAGE OF THE 2010 APTA RAIL CONFERENCE

Denver RTD Takes Top Honors at Rail Rodeo

The Regional Transportation District in Denver earned the top honor, the Team Achievement Award, at the 18th Annual APTA International Rail Rodeo, held June 5 at TransLink’s VCC/Clark Station in Vancouver, BC. The team – comprising first-place rail operator Robert Dennis and second-place rail maintainers Randall Lovegrove and George Sweeney – and the other winners received their awards June 6 at the Rail Rodeo Banquet held in conjunction with the APTA Rail Conference. [More]

Price: North American Cities Use Old Streetcar Grids for Newfound Livability

BY JOHN R. BELL, Program Manager-Communications

Gordon Price, director of the city program at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC, told a rapt audience June 7 at the APTA Rail Conference about how cities have gone from pursuing “Motordom” to expanding public transportation—and increasing their livability and vitality in the process. [More]

High Reliability Organizations: When Failure Is Not an Option

BY SUSAN BERLIN, Senior Editor

Rick Hartley, a safety expert from the nuclear industry, presented the essentials of building and maintaining a “High Reliability Organization (HRO)” during the June 9 Closing General Session in Vancouver. [More]

More Scenes from the Rail Conference

Here are more scenes from the APTA 2010 Rail Conference in Vancouver, BC. All conference photos by Grant McAvoy. [More]

COMMENTARY

'Livability’: Wimpy Term but Means Big Stakes for Us All

BY NEAL PEIRCE

WASHINGTON—Is the Obama administration’s “livability” initiative just a way for intrusive federal bureaucrats to choke off Americans’ prized “automobility”—four wheels to commute from ever-distant suburbs or just to pick up a quart of milk? [More]

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

People on the Move

Passenger Transport announces the following hirings and promotions in public transportation agencies and suppliers. Items appear in People on the Move in the order in which they are received. [More]