White House Highlights ‘Champions of Change’

DOT Secretary Ray LaHood honored 12 transportation professionals as White House Champions of Change at a May 8 event in Washington, DC. Three of the honorees are APTA members: Jeffrey ­Wharton, president, IMPulse NC, Mount Olive, NC; Akira (Kevin) Koyasu, chief executive officer, Nippon Sharyo U.S.A. Inc.; and Josh Whiton, chief executive officer, TransLoc, Raleigh, NC. [More]

 

APTA Announces Staff Restructuring To Keep Focus on Member Value

This week, APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy announced a restructuring of APTA staff responsibilities to ensure that the association stays squarely focused on member priorities and provides the best service possible to APTA members. The reorganization aligns with the recently adopted Fiscal Year 2014 budget approved by APTA’s Finance Committee and the Executive Committee. [More]

Injured MBTA Police Officer Continues Recovery

Richard (Dic) Donohue, the ­Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority police officer injured in the April 15 chase of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, appeared on CBS This Morning May 14 from his bed at Mount Auburn Hospital. [More]

CamTran Breaks Ground For New Facility

The Cambria County Transit Authority (CamTran) in Johnstown, PA, broke ground May 3 for its new Operations, Maintenance, and Administration facility in the Woodvale section of Johnstown. It will replace the agency’s current facility, which was built in 1893 and is in poor condition for continued bus operations. [More]

Proterra Names President, CEO

Proterra Inc., ­Greenville, SC, has named Garrett E. Mikita the company’s new president and chief executive officer. He succeeds David Bennett. [More]

Ground Breaking for Dallas Streetcar Project

Construction is underway in Dallas on the Union Station to Oak Cliff streetcar project along its future route south of downtown.
Representatives of project ­partners—the city, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and FTA—recently celebrated with a ceremonial ground breaking also attended by longtime supporter Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). [More]

Longtime San Joaquin RTD Employee Dies

Laurrie Brown, 65, a 40-year public transportation professional who worked since 2008 as director of operations for the San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD), Stockton, CA, died May 4. [More]

COVERAGE OF THE 2013 APTA BUS & PARATRANSIT CONFERENCE

IndyConnect: Central Indiana’s Transit Planning Initiative

Michael Terry, president and CEO, Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo), opened the Host Session at the APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference by sharing background on IndyGo, and then talked about Central Indiana’s long-range transit planning initiative in collaboration with several partners. [More]

Rogoff Addresses Safety Initiatives Under MAP-21

FTA Administrator Peter ­M. Rogoff held an informal session May 6 during APTA’s Bus & Paratransit Conference on the safety initiatives included in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and what they mean to public transit systems. Under MAP-21, FTA has the authority to establish and enforce a new framework to oversee and ensure the safety of public transportation throughout the U.S. [More]

Public Transit Joins Effort To Fight Human Trafficking

Almost 27 million men, women, and children are held against their will in America and trafficked into forced labor or prostitution.

The perpetrators use our trains, buses, ships, planes, and trucks.

DOT, APTA, and many other stakeholders have joined together as part of the Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking Initiative. [More]

Panelists Debate Procurement Processes and Job Growth

Public transportation is an economic engine in its communities, but the links among the  procurement process, business development, and job growth are increasingly complex, especially regarding emerging procurement evaluation methods, said the panelists at “Creating New American Jobs through Public Transportation Investments,” a well-attended session at the APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference. [More]

SEPTA Takes Top Honors at Bus Roadeo

Philadelphia’s Southeastern ­Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) received the Grand Champion Award for the highest combined score in the 2013 APTA International Bus Roadeo. SEPTA’s maintenance team of Joseph Miller, Eugene Bonner, and William Beirn placed first, while operator Zenon Rinylo took third place among drivers of 40-foot buses. [More]

A Standout in Customer Service

 Bus operator Bill Webb of Delaware Transit Corporation won the 2013 Customer Service Challenge. [More]

APTA Presents Bus Safety & Security Awards

APTA Chair Flora Castillo and President & CEO Michael Melaniphy announced the winners of the 2013 APTA Bus Safety and Security Excellence Awards during the Opening General Session of the Bus & Paratransit Conference. [More]

Franchitti: Individuals Win Races, Teams Win Championships

 What do buses and racecars have in common? They both rely on teamwork to operate safely and efficiently. Dario Franchitti, four-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, the featured speaker at the Closing General Session of APTA’s Bus & Paratransit Conference, talked about this subject. [More]

Scenes from the 2013 Bus & Paratransit Conference

Here are some more scenes from the 2013 APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference in Indianapolis. To view even more photos from the conference, click here. Conference photos by Rob Banayote and Chris Bergin. [More]

APTA MEMBER PROFILE

Meet Frank T. Martin!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing APTA members. The subject of this profile is Frank T. Martin, senior vice president, transit and rail, Atkins, Orlando, FL, a member of the APTA Business Member Board of Governors and of the Sustainability, High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail, Business Member Programs, and Business Member Small Business committees. [More]

MEET THE APTA STAFF

Meet Darnell Grisby!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing members of the APTA staff. The subject of this profile is Darnell Grisby, director-policy development & research, Policy Department.
 [More]

APTA NEWS

June Rail Conference Features New Sessions, Industry Experts

The 2013 APTA Rail Conference, June 2-5 in Philadelphia, features several new speakers and sessions.
FTA Administrator Peter M. Rogoff is a newly added speaker at the Opening General Session and panelist on “Getting Your Rail Safety Program on the MAP,” both on Monday, June 3. [More]

APTA Partners with Australian Association

APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy and Michael Apps, executive director, Bus Industry Confederation (BIC), the association representing the Australian bus and coach industry, signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference in Indianapolis. [More]

Castillo Honored for Transit Leadership

APTA Chair and New Jersey Transit Corporation board member Flora Castillo received an award for her outstanding leadership in transportation from the Newark Regional Business Partnership (NRBP) on May 13 during its annual Transportation Awards Breakfast. [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Fort Worth Opens Transit Plaza

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) recently held dedication ceremonies to open the Sierra Vista Transit Plaza, the first bus transfer center in southeast Fort Worth, TX. [More]

Metro-North Completes Renovations, Installs Art at Two Stations

MTA Metro-North Railroad recently completed major renovations at two stations on the Hudson Line—Peekskill and Croton-Harmon—that include the installation of new, site-specific art work at each location. Both stations received much-needed upgrades to platforms, canopies, staircases, and overpasses. [More]

Honolulu Seeks Station Art

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) has created a $5 million program for public artworks at its future rail stations and operations center as part of the Honolulu rail transit project. HART will accept applications until June 20. [More]

FTA Names 10 Participants In Environment Program

FTA has selected 10 public transportation organizations in the U.S. and Northern Mariana Islands to participate in the fourth round of its Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Training & Technical Assistance Program for Transit Agencies. [More]

TRB Seeks Nominations for Sharon D. Banks Award

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is seeking nominations for the Sharon D. Banks Award for Humanitarian Leadership in Transportation. The deadline is Aug. 31. [More]

Kawasaki Rail Car Celebrates 25th Anniversary in U.S.

Kawasaki Rail Car (KRC), a global manufacturer of commuter rail and light rail cars, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. [More]

Jazzing Up the Afternoon Rush Hour

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) recently invited jazz musicians to perform in MARTA stations on Monday afternoons during the Atlanta Jazz Festival’s 31 Days of Jazz. [More]

COMMENTARY

American Futures: Greener, Safer, More Compact?
BY NEAL PEIRCE

What will our cities look like by mid-century as America’s ­population expands a projected 36 percent to about 440 million? [More]