NEWS HEADLINES

Obama Calls for Increased Public Transit Investment

In remarks Nov. 2 in Washington, DC, President Obama called on Congress to pass the transportation piece of the American Jobs Act, which will make immediate investments of $50 billion in U.S. transportation infrastructure. [More]

Transportation Funds Included in Minibus Bill Passed by Senate

The Senate voted Nov. 1 to approve a $182 billion appropriations minibus bill that includes DOT. The bill passed by a bipartisan margin of 69-30, with one senator voting present. [More]

Melaniphy Takes Helm at APTA

Michael P. Melaniphy is now officially on board as president and chief executive officer of APTA, effective Nov. 1, 2011. [More]

COMMENTARY

I Am Thrilled to Be on Board as Your President and CEO
BY MICHAEL P. MELANIPHY

It is both an honor and a privilege to have been selected to serve as APTA’s President and Chief Executive Officer. This is an extraordinary time for the public transportation industry and I am excited about the many opportunities that lie ahead. [More]

ADDITIONAL NEWS

NJ Transit and Google Simplify Buying Tickets
BY SUSAN R. PAISNER, Senior Managing Editor

New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) has some good news to share about purchasing tickets.

The system, working in partnership with Google Wallet, Google’s recently released contactless payment system, notes that it is the first public transportation agency to offer rail and bus customers the option of using their smartphones to pay for transportation tickets at select locations. [More]

Cardinals Fans Take Transit to the Ballpark

When the St. Louis Cardinals played the Texas Rangers at Busch Stadium during the 2011 World Series, St. Louis Metro was there to help baseball fans get to and from the games. [More]

York Agency Breaks Ground in Gettysburg; New Transit Center with Historic Look

The York Adams Transportation Authority (rabbittransit) in York, PA, broke ground Oct. 19 for its new Gettysburg Transit Center. The authority manages and operates Freedom Transit fixed route service in Gettysburg. [More]

SFMTA Renames Streetcar Yard in Memory of Beach

At ceremonies Oct. 25, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors renamed the San Francisco Municipal Railway’s (Muni) Geneva Yard, home of the F Market & Wharves historic streetcar fleet, in memory of SFMTA board member and transit advocate Cameron Beach. Beach, who died in the spring, worked in public transportation for 44 years and was a member of the SFMTA board for more than four years. [More]

New in New York City: MTA Boutique at Macy’s

This holiday season, one New York City tradition—the public transportation agencies of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)—is partnering with another—Macy’s. A 1,000-square-foot boutique in The Cellar of Macy’s flagship Herald Square store features a unique collection of MTA-trademarked products developed especially for the store. [More]

‘Don’t Text and Drive’; Take the Bus Instead

Citilink in Fort Wayne, IN, has partnered with Parkview Hospital to introduce a Citilink bus wrapped in a message promoting the hospital’s “Don’t Text & Drive” program. The wrapped bus will remain in service for a year. [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

OCTA Unveils Parking Structure at Tustin Metrolink Station

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) in Orange, CA, opened a new, 823-space Metrolink parking structure at the Tustin Metrolink Station in mid-October. The station serves approximately 800 daily passengers and previously provided 300 parking spaces. [More]

Fort Worth’s ‘T’ Turns Plaza into Student Art Canvas

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) opened the plaza of its downtown Intermodal Transportation Center in Fort Worth, TX, for a student sidewalk art celebration on Oct. 20. Forty students from kindergarten through high school represented the Fort Worth Independent School District for the Lights On! Afterschool Sidewalk Art Celebration. [More]

CamTran Updates Fleet with Low-Emission Buses

The Cambria County Transit Authority (CamTran) in Johnstown, PA, recently dedicated seven new 35-foot Gillig buses, replacing older buses in the fleet that have reached the end of their their useful life. The new buses are accessible and operate with ultra-low-sulfur, low-emission diesel engines, as well as improvements to the exhaust system to limit carbon emissions. [More]

PSTA Launches New Trolley Service

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority in St. Petersburg, FL, recently initiated its new Central Area Trolley service, which connects the St. Petersburg Pier with Pass-a-Grille Beach. [More]

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

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

APTA NEWS

TCRP Releases Three New Publications

The Transportation Research Board recently published three new Transit Cooperative Research Program publications. [More]

IN DEPTH

Translation Keeps Transit Agencies, Riders Speaking the Same Language
BY SUSAN BERLIN, Senior Editor

Suppose you’re visiting a country where you don’t speak the language, and you’re trying to navigate an unfamiliar public transportation system without being able to read the signage in the station. Where can you turn?

For many U.S. transit agencies, the answer is a translation service that helps non-English speakers find their way to their destination. [More]