Senate Panel Reviews Security Funding

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing June 14 to review railroad security after evidence found at Osama bin Laden’s compound showed he was plotting terrorist attacks against U.S. passenger trains. [More]

LaHood Attends NORTA Ceremonies

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood visited New Orleans to participate in ground-breaking ceremonies for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority’s (NORTA) Union Passenger Terminal/Loyola Avenue Streetcar project. [More]

Mica, Shuster Offer NEC Plan

House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) and Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the T&I Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, held a briefing June 15 to roll out a new approach to bring private sector competition to high-speed passenger rail in the Northeast Corridor and intercity passenger rail service across the country. [More]

MBTA Breaks Ground for Commuter Rail Station

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) broke ground June 7 for the $15.9 million Talbot Commuter Rail Station with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino in attendance. [More]

Millar Honored with Eno Lifetime Achievement Award

APTA President William Millar received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Eno Transportation Foundation June 8 in Washington, DC, at a dinner during the foundation’s Leadership Development Conference. [More]

FTA Seeks Proposals for Climate Change Adaptations

On June 1, the Federal Transit Administration released a request for applications for transit climate change adaptation assessment pilots, due by Aug. 25, 2011. [More]

TTCI Names Stabler as President; Allen to Retire

The Transportation Technology Center Inc. in Pueblo, CO, has selected Lisa Stabler as its next president, effective Oct. 7. She will succeed Roy A. Allen, who will retire in October. [More]

Google Maps = Transit Updates

Starting now, Google Maps for mobile and desktop can tell you when your ride is actually going to arrive with new live free transit updates. [More]

Wittig Is New GM in Green Bay

Tom Wittig recently was named general manager for Green Bay Metro Transit in Green Bay, WI. He previously served as general manager for Davenport CitiBus in Davenport, IA. Both transit agencies are First Transit management properties. [More]

Aging Baby Boomers May Face Poor Mobility Options

With the number of U.S. residents age 65 and older increasing in coming years, a report from Transportation for America shows that millions of them will live in areas with no or limited public transportation service. [More]

CUTA Elects King Chair

The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) elected John King, City of Lethbridge, as 2011-2012 chair of the CUTA Executive Committee June 1 at the Annual General Meeting in Regina, SK. [More]

MORE FROM THE 2011 APTA RAIL CONFERENCE

Murray: Rail is Successful Here in New England
BY SUSAN BERLIN, Senior Editor

“Where is rail working? In New England,” Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray told rail professionals at the June 13 General Luncheon, “The Power of Rail as a Foundation for Economic Growth,” during the APTA Rail Conference in Boston. He added: “When people have frequent, reliable transit, they leave their cars at home.” [More]

Focus on People, Benefits in Addressing Rail Critics
BY SUSAN JOHNSTON, Special to Passenger Transport

From environmental concerns to cost considerations, high-speed and intercity passenger rail service often face inaccurate and unfounded criticisms. The June 15 Closing General Session of the APTA Rail Conference in Boston, “Calling Out the Rail Critics: Facts Are on Our Side,” offered strategies for responding to and, in some cases, preempting criticism, an approach that moderator Kristina Egan, South Coast Rail manager for massDOT, called “proactive inoculation.” [More]

APTA Holds Press Event for State of the Rail Industry

Encouraged by increasing ridership and a commitment from the White House to expand funding for public transportation, industry leaders presented a forward-looking assessment of the state of U.S. public transportation in general—and intercity and passenger rail in particular—at a press event June 13 during the APTA Rail Conference in Boston. [More]

Transportation Reform in Massachusetts: On Track for Success
BY SUSAN R. PAISNER, Senior Managing Editor

Kicking off APTA’s 2011 Rail Conference in Boston, MBTA General Manager and Rail and Transit Administrator Richard Davey introduced his boss, Jeffrey B. Mullan, secretary and chief executive officer of massDOT. After jokingly noting that he (Mullan) had a bus waiting outside to take all the Canadians home (he being a Bruins fan) and observing that a newspaper article said of him: “Finally, a transportation secretary who talks as if he’s from Massachusetts,” he talked seriously and earnestly about how Massachusetts “is home to some of the most significant transportation innovations in history, including the first American subway system. To deliver more and better service for our customers – that’s what the massDOT is all about.” Mullan said, “The new massDOT is on the way to a successful path to fundamentally transform how the state government does the people’s business.” [More]

FRA Forum: Implementing the President’s Vision for High-Speed Rail in America
BY SUSAN R. PAISNER, Senior Managing Editor

 It was a standing room only crowd the afternoon of June 13, during APTA’s 2011 Rail Conference, at the FRA Forum featuring Joseph C. Szabo, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. [More]

WMATA Takes Top Honors at Rail Rodeo; BART Maintainers, MBTA Operator Also Award Recipients

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) earned the top honor, the Team Achievement Award, at the 19th Annual APTA International Rail Rodeo, held June 11 at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Orient Heights Maintenance Facility in Boston. The WMATA operators, Charlie Richardson and Danielle Glass, placed second and maintainers Adrian Tase, Roland Lamar, and Jacob Stout took third place in the maintenance competition. [More]

Scenes from the 2011 Rail Conference

Here are more scenes of the 2011 APTA Rail Conference in Boston. All photos, unless noted, by Josh Nunes, Natural Light Photography. [More]

APTA NEWS

Nomination Process Now Open for APTA Leadership Positions

The nominations process for APTA leadership positions opened June 8 and continues through July 8. APTA Chair Michael J. Scanlon has appointed the nominating committee that will recommend individuals to fill these positions to the membership for approval at the APTA Annual Meeting. [More]

Nowakowski: Dulles Corridor Metro Unique in Funding Process
BY SUSAN BERLIN, Senior Editor

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s (MWAA) Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project is unique among major heavy rail projects in its manner of funding, Patrick Nowakowski, executive director of MWAA’s Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, said June 7 at the last APTA Transportation Tuesday program for the year. [More]

Did Your Company Exhibit at the First EXPO?

APTA held its inaugural EXPO 30 years ago—in 1981—in Chicago. If your company exhibited at the first EXPO, we'd like to recognize you! [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Virginia Transit Association Honors Agencies for Marketing, Other Programs

The Virginia Transit Association (VTA) recognized the marketing and promotional efforts of six public transportation agencies in the state at a recent event in Portsmouth, VA. [More]

LBT Opens Renovated Transit Hub

Long Beach Transit (LBT) in California celebrated the opening of the Long Beach Transit Mall—renamed “First Street Transit Gallery”—with a public event June 2. [More]

Montreal’s AMT Receives First Diesel-Electric Locomotive

The Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) in Montreal, PQ, took delivery June 9 of its first bimodal locomotive, which can operate with either diesel fuel or electricity. [More]

AATA Joins in IT Partnership

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (TheRide) has joined with the city of Ann Arbor, MI, and Washtenaw County to save on the costs of operating their respective computer networks. [More]

Metro-North Station Project Wins Honor in Infrastructure Category

MTA Metro-North Railroad has received the Greater New York Construction User Council’s 2011 Top Project honor in the infrastructure category for its Hudson Line Station Improvement Project at the Philipse Manor, Scarborough, and Ossining stations. [More]

BART Opens Doors to Friends of Fallen San Francisco Firefighters

As hundreds of firefighters gathered June 10 in San Francisco to attend memorial services for two firefighters who died while battling a house fire, the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) set aside the last car of each train for the use of the visitors. [More]

Taking Them Out to the All-Star Game

Valley Metro Rail in Phoenix introduced the first of six themed METRO light rail train wraps June 3 to promote the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and surrounding activities, coming to the area July 8-12. [More]

COMMENTARY

Public Transit, Access to Jobs: Escaping Our ‘Exit Ramp’ Economy
BY NEAL PEIRCE

Are we ready for a “transit moment” in America?

In one way, it seems impossible. “Who cares” when three out of four of us still commute in a car, alone? And then there’s money: Federal transit assistance may well be on the chopping block of a cut-hungry Congress. State and local budgets are so pinched that regional bus and rail agencies already face serious service cuts and deferred maintenance. [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]