NEWS HEADLINES

Honolulu Breaks Ground for Rail

Before a crowd of more than 400 people, Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle kicked off construction of the city's rail transit project at a ceremonial ground breaking and blessing Feb. 22, held near the site of the first of 21 stations planned along the 20-mile route. [More]

House Approves FY 2011 CR; Consideration by Senate Next

On Feb. 18, the House passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund government operations through the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. The legislation would reduce federal spending in FY 2011 by $61 billion from FY 2010 enacted levels. [More]

EPW, T&I Committees Hold Joint Hearing in CA

Leaders of California public transportation agencies testified on the relationship between surface transportation projects and job creation efforts at a Feb. 23 joint field hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in Los Angeles. [More]

Walder Joins APTA Executive Committee

Jay H. Walder, chairman and chief executive officer of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), has joined the APTA Executive Committee, which approved his appointment as a member-at-large to fill the remainder of Christopher Boylan's one-and-a-half-year term. [More]

HART Extends Streetcar

Peter M. Rogoff, administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, presided over the official opening of the extension of Hillsborough Area Regional Transit's (HART) TECO Line Streetcar System in Tampa, FL. The $5.3 million extension--including $1 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds--covers one-third of a mile, connecting the Tampa Convention Center to the central business district. [More]

BART Opens 44th Station

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) hosted ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the 44th station in the BART system--West Dublin/Pleasanton Station--on Feb. 18, the day before the station entered service. [More]

Clifford Heads Metra

Metra, the commuter rail agency serving Chicago, has named Alexander D. Clifford, an executive with Los Angeles Metro, to be its next executive director and chief executive officer. [More]

EPA Opens Competition for Smart Growth Awards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting entries through April 6 for the 10th annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, which recognizes and supports communities that use innovative policies and strategies in ways that bring benefits to a wide range of residents and protect the environment. [More]

Rockefeller Report: Support for Infrastructure Investment Crosses Party Lines

Seventy-one percent of voters--including 66 percent of Tea Party movement supporters and 71 percent of Republicans--want federal officials to seek common ground regarding transportation infrastructure investment legislation including public transportation, roads, and bridges, the Rockefeller Foundation announced in a study released earlier this month. [More]

APTA NEWS

New Publication Released: 'Moving America Forward'

APTA has released a new publication, Public Transportation: Moving America Forward, which highlights the critical importance of public transit to the nation's economic well-being. [More]

Attention: Now Accepting Nominations for 2011 APTA Awards

Each year, APTA Awards recipients are called the "best of the best" of the public transportation industry. Nominations for the 2011 APTA Awards program are now open through April 22, as announced by the APTA Awards Committee. [More]

'Passenger Transport' Takes the Silver

Passenger Transport recently received a significant award in the 2010 Association TRENDS All-Media Contest--the Silver Award in the Monthly Newsletter/Communication category--for its July 5, 2010 issue. [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

TANK, University Create App for Riders

The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) and Northern Kentucky University's (NKU) College of Informatics have released a second mobile application (app) for download to Android hand-held devices. The "myTANK" app--previously made available for the iPhone--provides passengers with on-demand, location-aware bus routes, times, and trip planning tools in the agency's service area. [More]

AATA Park-and-Ride Facility Heralded as 2010 Project of the Year

The Metro Detroit Branch of the American Public Works Association has honored the Plymouth Road Park-and-Ride Lot constructed by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (TheRide) in Ann Arbor, MI, as its 2010 Project of the Year. The citation recognizes the transit agency for "reducing traffic congestion and improving parking availability in the city of Ann Arbor by constructing a parking facility implementing environmentally preferred best management practices." [More]

Dayton Bus Operator Lends His Voice to Announcements

Thanks to a lucky meeting on board a Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (GDRTA) bus in Dayton, OH, bus operator Derrick Hardin now has a second career that also involves public transportation. [More]

COMMENTARY

Views on Infrastructure Investment

Editor's Note: Infrastructure investment is a critical element of the Obama administration's Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The administration sees such investment as the key for economic competitiveness and job growth. Here are some views on this issue. [More]