CTA Reopens Fully Rebuilt Red Line South

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn joined Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) representatives and other officials Oct. 17 to mark the reopening of the Red Line South following a five-month shutdown of service to renovate and modernize the line. The rebuilt rail line opened to the public Oct. 20. [More]

FTA Announces $29 Million for Research; Grants to Focus on Strengthening Transit Safety and Disaster Recovery Projects

FTA is making available $29 million in competitive research funds for innovative public transportation projects that will help agencies strengthen operational safety, better withstand natural disasters and other emergencies, and improve emergency response capabilities. [More]

What A Difference a Year Makes; Public Transit Agencies Recovering from Sandy

Hurricane Sandy slammed into the east coast one year ago on Oct. 29, killing hundreds of people from Jamaica to New England, causing more than $65 billion in damage in the United States, shutting down communities in 24 states, and forcing several public transit systems to close. Agencies that experienced particularly severe damage included the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, New Jersey Transit Corporation, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. [More]

Rail-Volution Attracts Record Attendance

 Rail-Volution founder Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) opened the 2013 annual conference with praise for the importance of the federal government’s role in creating livable communities and suggested strengthening public-private investments by funding public transportation using vehicle miles traveled instead gallons of fuel consumed. [More]

Foothill Opens First Agency Park-and-Ride

 Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA, recently opened its first agency-owned park-and-ride, located at the Metrolink commuter rail station in the City of Industry, just south of West Covina. All previous agency-used park-and-ride structures or lots were owned by either Caltrans or private businesses. [More]

Ground Breaking for New Staten Island Rail Station

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke ground Oct. 18 for the first new MTA Staten Island Railway station since the MTA took over the rail line in 1971. The new Arthur Kill Station will replace the existing Atlantic and Nassau stations. [More]

APTA, Chinese Execs Share Transit Insights

Representatives of the Suzhou Transportation Bureau from China recently met with APTA staff to benchmark U.S. strategies for improving public transportation management, alleviating traffic congestion, integrating other transportation modes (including bike-sharing programs) with public transit, and incorporating GPS and other technologies in buses that help improve on-time performance. [More]

GCRTA Begins Construction for Little Italy Rail Station

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) broke ground Oct. 22 for the newest station on its rail Red Line: Little Italy-University Circle. [More]

Percy to Succeed McNeil at GO Transit in Toronto

Metrolinx in Toronto has named Greg Percy president of GO Transit, effective Nov. 9. He succeeds Gary McNeil, who is retiring after 14 years in that post. [More]

Public Transit Systems Partner with Military Bases

As the country prepares to honor the military on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Passenger Transport interviewed some general managers of public transit agencies that provide service to their neighboring military installations. The question and their responses follow. [More]

APTA MEMBER PROFILE

Meet Freddie C. Fuller II!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing APTA members. The subject of this profile is Freddie C. Fuller II, senior account executive, Cubic Transportation Systems: a member of the APTA Board of Directors, Legislative Committee, and Authorization Task Force, vice chair of the Business Member Government Affairs Committee, and a member of the Business Development Committee. [More]

MEET THE APTA STAFF

Meet Brian Tynan!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing members of the APTA staff. The subject of this profile is Brian Tynan, director of government relations, Government Affairs Department. [More]

APTA NEWS

Recognize Your ‘Front Line’ and Enter APTA’s Call Center Challenge

 Public transit call centers handle everything from inquiries about lost items to questions about fares and schedules to comments about potholes, earphone etiquette, and snowstorms. The best call centers in the business handle it all with diplomacy, good cheer, and a positive attitude.

How does your call center measure up? [More]

TCRP Releases Reports

The Transportation Research Board recently released two new Transit Cooperative Research Program publications. [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Red Rose’s Kilmer Also Heading BARTA for Six Months

The  executive director of the Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) in Lancaster, PA, will oversee the Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority (BARTA) in Reading, PA, following the Sept. 5 death of BARTA Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Louwerse. [More]

Midwest Bus Wins Historic Contract; Hosts Plant Tour with Michigan Governor

 Midwest Bus Corporation, located in Owosso, MI, recently started work on a two-year, $31.4 million contract to remanufacture 192 public transit buses for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, a project that will create approximately 100 new jobs at the company and many more for its suppliers. The contract is the largest remanufacturing project in Midwest’s 33-year history. [More]

CDTA Announces Plans for Two New BusPlus Routes

The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) in Albany, NY, has announced its plans to expand BusPlus, its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, through development of a “40 Miles of BRT” route network. [More]

LIRR's Jamaica Station Marks Centennial

Helena E. Williams, president, MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), spoke at ceremonies Oct. 23 to rededicate LIRR’s Jamaica Station on its 100th birthday. [More]

Riverside, Omnitrans Receive Regional Clean Air Awards

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) recently presented Clean Air Awards to the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), Riverside, CA, and Omnitrans, San Bernardino, CA. Each year, SCAQMD recognizes companies, organizations, and individuals that have made a significant contribution to clean air and a more sustainable economy. [More]

Public Transit Professionals Named ‘Sustainability All Stars’

Three APTA members were among the 40 fleet professionals recently honored as Sustainability All Stars. Edgar Benning, president, Mass Transit Authority (MTA), Flint, MI; Roland Cordero, director of maintenance and vehicle technology, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA; and Joe Thompson, president, ROUSH CleanTech, received the honor at the recent Green Fleet Conference & Expo in Phoenix. [More]

WMATA Breaks Ground for Bus Facility

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has begun work on a state-of-the-art bus storage facility in Lorton, VA, that is expected to house newer buses and generate 300 construction jobs. [More]

SEPTA Expands Free Wi-Fi, Launches App

Philadelphia’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority formally launched its official iPhone app and the expansion of free Xfinity Wi-Fi to stations that serve subway, bus, and trolley customers at an Oct. 29 event in the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby, PA. [More]

Fall Is In the Air

Taking public transportation is a good way to see the bright fall foliage. [More]

COMMENTARY

The Unexpected Ways Engineers Help Us Move Faster
BY ROBERT VICTOR, P.E., NOVA/DC/MD Transportation Business Group Lead, HDR Engineering Inc., Washington, DC

 We are a society obsessed with speed—“the fastest” never ceases to capture our imaginations. The fastest production car? The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. The fastest train? The SCMAGLEV in Japan. The fastest passenger plane? The Concorde. Astonishing engineering has endowed these vehicles with remarkably quickness, but their raw feats are only half the story. The Veyron couldn’t reach 267 mph on a bumpy back road, the SCMAGLEV couldn’t hit 361 mph without a highly specialized track, and the Concorde wouldn’t have been able to travel at twice the speed of sound if no runways existed to get it aloft. Marvelous machines fulfill one half of our need for speed. Infrastructure satisfies the other. [More]