October 7, 2016
BREAKING NEWS
Southeastern U.S. Agencies Brace for Hurricane Matthew

As Passenger Transport went to press, public transit agencies on the southeast coast were shutting down or cutting back service, closing facilities and protecting vehicles and rolling stock as Hurricane Matthew scraped the coastline from Miami Beach to Cape Fear, NC, starting Thursday, Oct. 6. [More]

CLASSIFIEDS
» The Regional Transit Authority of New Orleans is looking for an executive director. [More]
» The city of Gardena, CA, seeks a transit administrative officer. [More]
» The Chatham Area Transit Authority requests proposals for vendors to manage its advertising sales program. [More]
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NEWS HEADLINES

RTA New Orleans Celebrates Historic Streetcar Opening; Event Marks Return of Streetcars after 70 Years

The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in New Orleans entered revenue service Oct. 2 with its latest addition to the city’s growing streetcar network by putting back on track—for the first time since 1949—streetcars operating along the North Rampart Street/St. Claude Avenue corridor through some of the city’s most historic neighborhoods. [More]

VTA Opens Bus Stations in Downtown San Jose; Incorporates Locale-Inspired Pavers

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) recently opened two stations—one in downtown San Jose, CA, and the other at City Hall—that serve three regular VTA bus routes and ultimately will become part of the Alum Rock-Santa Clara BRT, currently under construction. [More]

MBTA Opens Wachusett Station in Fitchburg

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has opened its newest five miles of commuter rail service, which terminates at the new Wachusett Station on the Fitchburg Line. [More]

Metrolink Opens Expanded Vincent Grade/Acton Station

With a historic train as a backdrop, Metrolink in Los Angeles recently hosted a ceremony at its upgraded Vincent Grade/Acton Station to unveil the station’s second platform, pedestrian at-grade crossing, 5,000-foot extension to the Vincent siding and other improvements. [More]

Presidential Search Task Force Announced

APTA Chair Doran J. Barnes convened the first meeting of APTA’s CEO Search Task Force at the association’s recent Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. [More]

Port Authority Opens Reconstructed Red Line

The Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh reopened the light rail Red Line between Fallowfield and Potomac stations on Sept. 25, following the successful completion of a rail reconstruction project that closed the line for six months. [More]

SARTA Opens Hydrogen Fueling Station

As part of its effort to join the hydrogen fuel cell “revolution” with 10 fuel cell buses due to enter service in 2018, the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority, Canton, OH, recently opened a state-of-the-art hydrogen fueling station at its headquarters. [More]

Sacramento Reopens Light Rail Station

At ceremonies Sept. 27, the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) reopened its 7th & Capitol light rail station, which had been closed since May to undergo substantial renovations. [More]

APTA Delegation Makes Exploratory Trip to Cuba; Leaders Cultivate New Insights and Relationships

A delegation of 15 APTA members and partners participated in a study mission to Havana, Cuba, Sept. 26-30 to gain an understanding of the country’s political, economic and social climate and to explore how Cuban officials plan and manage transportation and infrastructure projects. [More]

NWS Survey Seeks Data on Weather Advisories

NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) is seeking feedback in a survey gauging how decision-makers, such as transportation managers, use NWS watches, warnings and advisories. [More]

Cuomo Announces $1.6B P3 Plan for Transit Hub

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recently released plans for a $1.6 billion P3 to transform the historic James A. Farley Post Office, adjacent to Manhattan’s Penn Station, into a transportation hub that expands access to Amtrak and MTA Long Island Rail Road. [More]

White House Adds $80 Million to Smart Cities Initiative; Chattanooga to Receive Funding to Test Self-Driving Vehicles

Urban transportation projects will receive more than $15 million in new federal grants and planned funding as part of an $80 million expansion to the White House Smart Cities Initiative, announced at a Sept. 26 event to kick off Smart Cities Week. [More]

New Datwyler Sealing Solutions CEO

The Datwyler Group announced the appointment of Torsten Maschke as chief executive officer for its Sealing Solutions Division. [More]

Rep. Davis Visits Connect Transit

Connect Transit in Normal, IL, welcomed Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), a member of the House Transportation Infrastructure Committee, to its offices as part of his Oct. 4 “Transit Tour” of central Illinois communities. [More]

Up Close and Personal: Community Tours Honolulu's First Train

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) recently invited Honolulu area residents to visit and board the agency’s first train. [More]

Cubic Transportation Systems Opens Global Operations Centre in U.K.

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), a business unit of Cubic Corporation, recently opened its new Global Operations Centre (GOC) in the northeastern part of the United Kingdom, an existing base of Cubic resources and infrastructure and the home of its intelligent transportation management system operations. [More]

FTA Issues Revised EEO Guidance

FTA recently published revised guidance on complying with federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) guidelines to help public transit agency leaders better understand and follow EEO requirements to prohibit workplace discrimination and stay current with federal laws that impact civil rights. [More]

CDTA 'Tickled Pink' to Support Breast Cancer Outreach

The Capital District Transportation Authority, Albany, NY, led by CEO Carm Basile, is once again partnering with the American Cancer Society in its fight against breast cancer. [More]

FTA Publishes New TAM Materials

FTA’s Transit Asset Management (TAM) final rule became effective Oct. 1 and, as part of the agency’s technical assistance to transit providers in implementing the rule, FTA has published new materials, including a webinar series, presentations and updated FAQs. [More]

COMMENTARY

Letting the Public Lead the Way: How--and Why--Austin's Capital Metro Incorporates Extensive Public Feedback Into System Planning

Contrary to what some people may think, we transit agencies don’t design services on a whim, nor do we do it in a vacuum. And statistical data, for all of its scientific validity and concrete value, can only provide us with a portion of the information we need to make smart planning decisions. The rest has to come from those we serve—our community. [More]
APTA MEMBER PROFILE

Meet Beverly Silas!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing APTA members. The subject of this profile is Beverly Silas, vice chair, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin, TX, a member of the APTA Executive Committee, Task Force on Member Collaboration, Transit Board Members and Awards committees. [More]
MORE FROM THE 2016 ANNUAL MEETING

Getting Creative in Financing Regional Projects; Ballot Measures, P3s, Leveraging Properties Among Methods

Representatives of public transit agencies and businesses reported on P3s, regional programs and revenue-generating measures for infrastructure construction and system operation at an Annual Meeting session titled “Creative Funding and Finance Approaches with Public and Private ­Partners.” [More]

Smaller Agencies Share Challenges, Successes

Chief executives of smaller public transit agencies discussed the unique challenges they face—such as increasing efficiency on a limited budget, reaching out to stakeholders in their communities, and meeting the disparate needs of specific areas—at an Annual Meeting session titled “Leading the Way: Small Operations Best Practices and Innovative Solutions.” [More]

Smart Cities: Reimagining Transportation

What makes a city smart? Speakers at the “Smart ­Cities: Reimagining Transportation” session—led by W. Curtis Stitt, president/chief executive officer of the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) in Columbus, recently named the winner of DOT’s Smart City Challenge—described ways in which information technology connections will help public transit provide better and more comprehensive service. [More]

Update, DBE Programs and Best Practices

In the “Update on the ­Federal DBE Program” Annual Meeting ­session, federal, state and local DBE program administrators provided overviews on key program elements and recent changes, including payment requirements. [More]

APTF Awards Lichtanski Scholarship

Carl Sedoryk, general manager/chief executive officer, Monterey-Salinas (CA) Transit (MST), accepted the 2016 Frank J. Lichtanski Scholarship on behalf of Joshua Baker, general manager of the Lynchburg (VA) Transit Company, at the 2016 Annual Meeting. [More]

APTA NEWS

APTA Report: Transit Riders Save $9.6K Annually as Gas Prices Rise

Commuters who switch from driving a car to taking public transit can save, on average, $9,686 a year or about $807 a month, according to APTA’s September Transit Savings Report, which analyzes the costs associated with both types of ­commuting. [More]

Photo Invitational Now Open

APTA invites public transportation professionals to submit their best high-resolution photos of public transit in their communities by Oct. 27 to participate in the 17th Annual Photo Invitational. [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

FTA, NTI Announce EJ Course

FTA and the National Transit Institute (NTI) have announced a training course for employees of public transit agencies, MPOs, state DOTs and U.S. DOT, Introduction to Environmental Justice (EJ), Oct. 24-25 at DOT headquarters in Washington, DC. [More]

NYC Transit Reopens Renovated Brooklyn Subway Stations

MTA New York City Transit recently reopened two elevated stations in Brooklyn after closing them in April for renewal work as part of an $88 million capital project to rehabilitate seven stations. [More]

Maryland MTA Launches Bus Line in BaltimoreLink Roll Out

As part of the BaltimoreLink public transit improvement plan to better connect people to employment centers, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) recently opened a commuter bus route to the largest employer in Harford County, MD, about 35 miles northeast of Baltimore. [More]

Metrolinx Orders 125 Railcars

Metrolinx in Toronto has exercised options for an additional 125 bi-level railcars from Bombardier Transportation, for service with GO Transit, valued at $328 million ($428 million Cdn.), with construction due to begin in 2018 at the Thunder Bay, ON, plant. [More]

Muni's Heritage Weekend Showcases 'Boat Tram'

Guests at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s recent fifth annual Muni Heritage Weekend celebration rode free on Streetcar No. 228, an open-air “boat tram” from Blackpool, England, built in 1934. [More]

Industry Briefs

Here are some brief news items from APTA member public transit agencies. [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 as space permits. [More]

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