DART Opens Two New Light Rail Segments

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) opened two more segments of its light rail system, extending the Blue Line to Rowlett and the Orange Line farther into Irving and closer to Dallas-Ford Worth (DFW) International Airport. [More]

 

UTA Launches New FrontRunner Commuter Rail Line

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) in Salt Lake City celebrated the opening of FrontRunner commuter rail service between Provo and Salt Lake City with ceremonies in both cities. Passengers had their first opportunity to ride the new line on Dec. 8, with regular service beginning Dec. 10. [More]

APTA Chair Visits the White House

APTA Chair Flora Castillo was invited to a White House holiday reception where President and Mrs. Obama addressed the guests. [More]

Superstorm Sandy Hearings Held

Chief executives of public transportation agencies in New York and New Jersey reported on the impact of Hurricane Sandy to their operations at a Dec. 6 hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security. [More]

Melaniphy Visits Paris, Madrid

This past week, APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy attended the International Union of Railways (UIC) General Assembly in Paris on the occasion of its 90th anniversary [More]

St. Paul’s Union Depot Is Now Multimodal Facility

Metro Transit in Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) in Burnsville have a new bus transfer site in St. Paul, MN: historic Union Depot, which opened to the public Dec. 8 for the first time in 40 years. Following a $243 million restoration, the station—owned by the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority (RCRRA)—is now a state-of-the-art multimodal regional transportation hub with provisions for future additional modes. [More]

FTA Sets Online Dialogue on Transit Asset Management

FTA invites public transportation professionals to participate in a national online dialogue on Transit Asset Management (TAM), which began Dec. 12 and continues through Jan. 4, 2013. [More]

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little … Bus

Metro Transit in Minneapolis-St. Paul brings color and light to the holidays with its Twinkle Bus, which participates in the Target Holidazzle Parade in Minneapolis Thursday-Sunday evenings through Dec. 23. [More]

Lanman Dies; Past Chair of High-Speed Rail Committee

Raymond V. Lanman, 68, vice president, corporate development, for Herzog Transit Services Inc. in St. Joseph, MO, died Dec. 4 at his home following a seven-year battle with cancer. [More]

COMMENTARY

Standing at the Edge of Great Change, Growth, Promise
BY FLORA CASTILLO, Board Member, New Jersey Transit Corporation,Newark, NJ, and APTA Chair, 2012-2013

First, let me say how proud I am to be APTA’s Chair at this exhilarating time in our association’s history. We stand at the edge of great change, growth and promise.

Throughout the year, you, our APTA members have given your time, energy and passion to the industry. I hope as we step into the New Year that you will continue to push APTA to new heights. [More]

APTA MEMBER PROFILE

Meet Jacqueline Sheader!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing APTA members. The subject of this profile is Jacqueline Sheader, marketing manager, Centre Area Transportation Authority, State College, PA. [More]

MEET THE APTA STAFF

Meet Cynthia Bush Owens!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing members of the APTA staff. The subject of this profile is Cynthia Bush Owens, executive assistant, Policy Department. [More]

APTA NEWS

APTA Calendar ‘All About the People’

APTA would like to thank all public transportation systems that submitted entries in the 2013 Photo Invitational. The 14 winning photos have been selected to appear in the calendar. [More]

Marketing Workshop Is Feb. 24-27

The 2013 APTA Marketing & Communications Workshop, Feb. 24-27 at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles, will consider a number of timely and important topics for public transit marketing and communications professionals. Los Angeles Metro is the conference host system. [More]

Apply Now for APTF Lichtanski Scholarship

The American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF) is accepting applications through Jan. 25, 2013, for the Frank J. Lichtanski Memorial Scholarship. [More]

2012: THE YEAR IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

2012: Moving Forward on Legislative Issues
BY CHRISTIAN RICHARDS, APTA Legislative Analyst

This past year was an exciting time for the public transportation industry, with APTA and its members leading the way on several important issues. [More]

A Last Look at the Year in Public Transit
BY BARRINGTON M. SALMON, Special to Passenger Transport

The past year saw the continued growth and development of bus and rail systems. DOT and FTA made significant investments in public transit projects, developing, maintaining, or extending the nation’s public transportation systems in all modes: heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, and bus. [More]

Spreading the Word About Public Transportation
BY BARRINGTON M. SALMON, Special to Passenger Transport

Throughout the year, APTA’s Communications and Marketing Department held a range of events and activities and produced a variety of supporting materials showcasing the association’s position as a thought leader. The primary message was that public transit both creates jobs and takes people to their jobs. [More]

Expanding Professional Development and Training for APTA Members
BY PAMELA BOSWELL, APTA Vice President-Program Management and Educational Services

During the past year, APTA worked to expand its professional development and training efforts to provide improved service for its members. Here are a few examples. [More]

Sustainability: Adding Value to the Industry
BY KYLE BELL, APTA Program Manager-Environment & Infrastructure

As we finish the year, public transportation is becoming cleaner and more energy-efficient. [More]

2012: The Policy Year in Review
BY ART GUZZETTI, APTA Vice President-Policy

This year can be characterized by new APTA partnerships, new inroads into thought leadership, and in rolling up our sleeves to figure out new challenges brought on by enactment of Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) and other new policy directions. [More]

In Memoriam 2012: Saluting Public Transportation Professionals

During the past year, the public transit community said goodbye to industry leaders, pioneers of transportation technology, and two members of the APTA Hall of Fame.

Here is how they were remembered in the pages of Passenger Transport, in chronological order of their deaths. [More]

A Look Back in Pictures

Here's a look back at highlights of the past year in public transportation, as they appeared in Passenger Transport.  [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

GRTA Receives Award from Atlanta’s Clean Air Campaign

Atlanta’s Clean Air Campaign recently presented the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) with its inaugural UPS Exemplary Diesel Idle Reduction Award. The honor recognizes GRTA’s program to improve fuel economy and air quality through its cost-cutting idle reduction efforts for the Xpress commuter service fleet in metropolitan Atlanta. [More]

Snohomish County Introduces Queue Jump Light for BRT

Thanks to the installation of a queue jump light funded by a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant, Community Transit’s Swift Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service in Snohomish County, WA, is able to save its riders even more time. [More]

St. Louis Metro Celebrates 25 Years of Paratransit

Metro in St. Louis is marking the 25th anniversary of Call-A-Ride, its paratransit service. The system, then known as the Bi-State Development Agency, introduced its curb-to-curb van service in November 1987, providing a vital transit option for citizens across St. Louis City and County who had mobility issues that prevented them from using MetroBus. This service currently provides 700,000 trips each year. [More]

Pittsburgh’s Port Authority to Provide Prepaid Access for Pitt Students

Pittsburgh’s Port Authority of Allegheny County and the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) have reached an agreement that will provide prepaid transit access for approximately 40,000 university students, faculty, and staff for the next five years. [More]

Capital Metro’s 'Wrapped Bus': A ‘Seriously Transparent’ Object

When the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) in Austin, TX, received its third consecutive Gold Leadership Circle designation from the Texas Comptroller’s Office for financial transparency online, the agency found a uniquely appropriate way to let the public know. [More]

Citilink Receives Design Award

Citilink in Fort Wayne, IN, recently received a 2012 Downtown Design Award for Outstanding Design & Technology from the Fort Wayne Downtown Improvement District. [More]

KCATA Honored for U-Pass Program

The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) recently honored the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) as part of the 2012 Sustainable Success Stories program for their implementation of the U-Pass program, the first university transit pass in the region. [More]

Greensboro Transit Authority Gets ‘Sensitive’ for Riders
BY KEVIN ELWOOD, Information Specialist, Greensboro Transit Authority, Greensboro, NC

The Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) has long embraced its central task: the provision of public transportation services in the Greensboro, NC, area. It is the compelling drive of moving people full of dreams instead of mere containers full of goods.

In the area of paratransit, GTA’s responsibility for its human cargo is even more critical as the riders deal with a host of physical and emotional disabilities. They use our service so they can remain engaged with their friends, family, and community. [More]

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Who's Doing What in the Industry

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]