VIA Launches ‘Primo’ BRT Line

VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, TX, recently introduced service on the region’s first high-capacity Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line—VIA Primo. [More]

 

LaHood to Keynote Legislative Conference

DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, who has announced his plans to step down from that post, will present the keynote speech at the March 11 Opening General Session of the APTA Legislative Conference in Washington. This is likely to be one of the last opportunities APTA members will have to hear from LaHood before his departure. [More]

DOT Announces $12.5 Million for National Parks Access

DOT has just announced grants totaling $12.5 million for 29 projects in 20 states to improve access to the nation’s national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. The funds—provided through FTA’s Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program—will help reduce traffic congestion and provide increased access to these sites. [More]

APTA Launches Early Career Program

APTA has announced the launch of its newest professional development program: the year-long Early Career Program, designed for rising public and private sector members of the public transportation industry. [More]

FTA Seeks Comments for New Starts and Small Starts

FTA is inviting comments by March 11 to proposed policy guidance accompanying the final rule that sets a new regulatory framework for projects seeking federal New Starts and Small Starts funds. [More]

Transit CEOs Meet at Professional Development Seminar
BY LYNNE MORSEN, APTA Senior Program Manager-Member Support

Public transportation chief executives and their deputies convened Feb. 9-12 at the 2013 APTA Transit CEOs Seminar. SunLine Transit Agency in Thousand Palms, CA, was host system for the seminar. [More]

Peterson to Head Washington State DOT

Lynn Peterson, a former planning manager with Portland’s Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, has been named secretary of Washington State DOT by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. [More]

PATH Names Kingsberry to Permanent Post

The Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH), Jersey City, NJ, has named Stephen Kingsberry its permanent director and general manager. He previously served in those positions on an acting basis. [More]

Prendergast Joins Executive Committee

Thomas F. Prendergast, president, MTA New York City Transit, has joined the APTA Executive Committee. [More]

APTA MEMBER PROFILE

Meet Raul Bravo!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing APTA members. The subject of this profile is Raul Bravo, president, Raul V. Bravo + Associates Inc., Reston, VA chair, APTA Standards Development and Oversight Council; and chair, International Subcommittee, APTA P3 Projects Committee. [More]

MEET THE APTA STAFF

Meet Billy Terry!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing members of the APTA staff. The subject of this profile is Billy Terry, senior legislative representative, Government Affairs Department. [More]

COMMENTARY

Listening, Learning, Sharing
BY FLORA CASTILLO, Board Member, New Jersey Transit Corporation, Newark, NJ, and APTA Chair, 2012-2013

In the past few months, I’ve been honored to participate in a few meetings of members where lively, forward-looking conversations have taken center stage. During these gatherings, I’ve been reminded of a wise saying: We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak. [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Cherriots Offers Free Rides to ‘Polk Community Connect’

Salem-Keizer Transit (Cherriots) in Salem, OR, provided free rides to Polk Community Connect, a recent resource fair in Independence, OR, for area residents who are in need, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. The Chemeketa Area Regional Transportation System (CARTS), providing service to rural Polk and Marion counties, helped with service to the event, which drew almost 400 participants. [More]

‘CATA-Man’ Spreads the Word to Young Riders in Lansing

A new superhero has emerged in Lansing, MI, through a multimedia campaign to inform area students about the benefits of the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) and its semester passes. [More]

Chattanooga’s CARTA Marks 40th Anniversary of Service

The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) in Chattanooga, TN, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its founding this year. But that’s only the latest step in a public transit story dating back to 1875, when the first horse-drawn trolley cars entered service on Market Street from the Tennessee River to what is now Martin Luther King Boulevard. [More]

MATA Airways Transit Center Granted LEED Silver Certification

The Memphis Area Transit Authority’s (MATA) Airways Transit Center recently received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, becoming the first newly constructed, publicly funded building in Shelby County, TN, to be so recognized. [More]

BAE Systems Opens New Facility

BAE Systems recently opened a new, 100,000-square-foot facility in Endicott, NY, which will serve as headquarters for the company’s HybriDrive Solutions business. The term refers to BAE’s green propulsion system for public transit vehicles, designed to manage vehicle power while reducing emissions and improving fuel economy. [More]

APTA NEWS

Sign Up for ‘Virtual Trade Mission’

APTA invites its members to participate March 5, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, in a free “Virtual Trade Mission” to the Mexican states of Mexico and Puebla. [More]

Seeking Presenters for APTA’s Multimodal Workshop

APTA invites its members to submit abstracts to be considered for presentation at the 2013 APTA Multimodal Operations Planning Workshop, July 29-31 in San Francisco. The deadline is March 20. [More]

Current Trends, Best Practices Focus of Fare Collection, TransITech

Public transportation professionals can learn about the latest in information technology, traveler information, electronic payment systems, and other Intelligent Transportation Systems issues affecting public transportation at APTA’s Fare Collection Workshop and TransITech Conference, March 18-20 in Phoenix. [More]

Champion Racer to Speak at Bus Conference

Dario Franchitti, four-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, will be the featured speaker at the Closing Session of the 2013 APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference, May 5-8 in Indianapolis. [More]