January 13, 2017
NEWS HEADLINES
Riders Flock to NYC Second Avenue Subway; City's First Major Subway Expansion in More than Half a Century

MTA New York City Transit’s Second Avenue Line—originally proposed in 1929 and the city’s first major subway expansion in more than half a century—is drawing large crowds since its opening on New Year’s Day, both for added rider convenience and for the soaring station infrastructure and art exhibits at the three new stations. [More]

CLASSIFIEDS
» Chatham Area Transit, Savannah, GA, seeks a chief operating officer. [More]
» Spokane Transit is looking for a director of human resources. [More]
» The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority requests proposals related to construction of a multimodal transit center. [More]
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Maryland MTA Opens Transit Center

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) recently opened the largest non-WMATA Metrorail station public transit transfer point in the Washington, DC, region—the $34.8 million Takoma-Langley Crossroads Transit Center in Prince George’s County—at ribbon-cutting ceremonies with other transit officials, FTA representatives and area city leaders in attendance. [More]

C-TRAN's BRT 'Vine' Sprouts Despite Cold Weather

Despite temperatures that hovered just above freezing, approximately 200 guests helped C-TRAN in Vancouver, WA, launch The Vine, its first BRT service, at a community event Jan. 7 that featured free rides on the service’s 60-foot articulated buses, the first in the agency’s fleet. [More]

Chao Supports HTF at Confirmation Hearing

In her Jan. 11 confirmation hearings, Elaine Chao, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for DOT secretary, stated her support for funding the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) and for creating a task force on Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan. [More]

Two Agencies Receive Large Federal Grants: LA Metro, CTA

Los Angeles Metro recently received approximately $1.6 billion in federal grant funds and a loan agreement toward its Westside Purple Line Extension, while the Chicago Transit Authority will receive approximately $1.07 billion in federal funding for the first phase of its Red and Purple Line Modernization Project. [More]

Passenger Transport Is 75!

This year, Passenger Transport is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its founding as a publication focusing exclusively on the challenges and opportunities facing the public transportation industry. [More]

Sound Transit, DOT Develop 'Master Credit Agreement'; Tool Will Provide Nearly $2 B for Four Projects

Sound Transit in Seattle recently entered into a $1.99 billion master credit agreement (MCA) with DOT’s Build America Bureau, which will allow the agency to manage loans for multiple projects under a single agreement with an expected long-term savings of between $200 million and $300 million. [More]

FTA Awards BRT Funds to SFMTA, UTA, Reno RTC

FTA recently announced grant funding for BRT projects operated by three public transit agencies: approximately $75 million each to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and approximately $39 million to Reno’s Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County (RTC). [More]

New CEOs, Interim Named

APTA announces the appointments of three permanent and one interim chief executives at public transit agencies and two new secretaries of state DOTs. [More]

2017: THE YEAR AHEAD

Public Transit Agencies Prepare for Facility, Line Openings, Part 1; From BRT to Intercity Rail, New and Expanded Options

Public transportation agencies across the U.S. have big plans for this year, from introducing new vehicle fleets to opening new rail lines and extensions and opening BRT. Here are just a few examples of what’s ahead; Passenger Transport will report on additional openings and expansions in future issues. [More]

Buy America: Current State, Future Prospects; Analyzing the Potential Impact of a New Environment

Whether Buy America regulations depart from or continue current policy will depend on how the new administration and congressional leadership will craft their economic agenda. [More]

Public Transportation's Big Winners at the Ballot Box: What's Next? Agency GMs Describe SGR, Expansion, Ridership Plans for Coming Year and Beyond

After all the grassroots outreach and education, public hearings, rider mobilization efforts, media interviews and election night vigils, winning public transportation agency leaders typically take a breath on post-Election-Day morning and then gear up for their next challenge: allocating the voter-approved funds among competing—and pressing—priorities. [More]

Members Look to 2017

APTAtv recently had an opportunity to speak with members about their organizations’ initiatives for 2017. Watch this brief video to see—and hear—what they’ve got on the drawing board. [More]

Federal Role in Safety Continues to Unfold; Officials at Three Major Federal Agencies Review Priorities

Safety and security invariably claim the top spot in a list of public transportation’s essential practices, with the aim of “keeping a safe network even safer”—a goal reflected in APTA’s current strategic plan, which was developed after a yearlong initiative to gather and incorporate feedback and insights from members. [More]

COMMENTARY

2017: A Year of Opportunity ... With Details TBD

The start of every New Year inspires us to be aspirational. As 2017 begins, there is reason to be optimistic despite the uncertainty that always occurs with a change of administrations in Washington, DC. [More]

APTA MEMBER PROFILE

Meet Raymond J. Melleady!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing APTA members. The subject of this profile is Raymond J. Melleady, managing director, North America, USSC Group/4ONE/FMNA, Exton, PA, a member of the APTA Board of Directors, Business Member Board of Governors and Bus Operations Committee and co-chair, Business Member Legislative Committee. [More]

APTA NEWS

APTA Supports Tax-Exempt Municipal Bonds for Infrastructure Investments

APTA recently joined 28 other associations and nonprofit organizations in a letter distributed to every member of Congress supporting the continued use of tax-exempt municipal bonds to finance repairs and construction of a wide range of public facilities and systems, from public transportation, roads, bridges and airports to schools, hospitals, housing and libraries. [More]

Conferences on the Horizon

APTA has scheduled conferences to meet the specialized needs of public transit agency CEOs and deputy CEOs, marketing and communications professionals, fare and revenue professionals and technology specialists. [More]

APTA's New Toolkit Provides Funding Messages for Congress

As President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to invest up to $1 trillion in strengthening and building infrastructure in the early days of his administration, APTA has developed a toolkit to help members reach out to their elected leaders to reinforce the value and importance of including public transportation in any infrastructure package that might move forward. [More]

Youth Summit Industry's Chance to Help Support Future Workforce

APTA is presenting its fifth biennial Youth Summit, June 19-23 in Washington, DC, an event that will introduce up to 50 high school juniors and seniors to careers in the public transportation industry.   [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Snowstorm Slows Portland; TriMet Keeps Going

Public transit agencies in various parts of the U.S. are dealing with snow, ice, flooding and other severe weather by adapting routes, providing information to potential riders and keeping service going as long as they can. [More]

AC Transit Launches Second Stage of 'Go' Plan

AC Transit, Oakland, CA, recently introduced a new bus line and adjusted service on an existing route in the second part of AC Go, a four-stage plan that ultimately will result in the most significant expansion of service in the agency’s history. [More]

Klepper to Head DOT's Build America Bureau

DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx has named Martin Klepper the initial executive director of DOT’s Build America Bureau, a recently created entity that streamlines access to federal credit and grant opportunities; provides technical assistance for project planning, financing, delivery and monitoring; and helps state and local governments develop and finance transportation-related P3s. [More]

Fort Worth Receives $499 Million for TEXRail

FTA Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers joined Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) President/CEO Paul Ballard, FWTA Board Chair Scott Mahaffey and Project Counsel Kevin L. Twining to sign a $499.39 million Full Funding Grant Agreement to complete funding of the TEXRail commuter rail project. [More]

New DOT Report Describes Transit Benefits of ARRA

A new DOT report estimates that the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or Recovery Act) infused roughly $48.1 billion in investments in transportation infrastructure, helping to facilitate a “historic ­economic turnaround.” [More]

CCW to Electrify Four Buses for GTrans

Complete Coach Works, Riverside, CA, has entered into a contract with Gardena Municipal Bus Lines, Gardena, CA, to convert four of the agency’s buses from gasoline hybrids to all-electric battery-powered engines using CCW’s Zero Emission Propulsion System technology. [More]

UITP Summit Kicks Off in May

Public transportation experts will convene at the UITP’s (International Association of Public Transport) Global Public Transit Summit in Montréal, May 15-17, in an event that encompasses all public transit modes, includes educational sessions and features an exhibit of the latest innovations and products in the industry and urban mobility. [More]

TSA Issues NPRM on Security Training for Surface Transportation Employees

In news related to TSA’s comments on the agency’s role in public transportation safety, officials announced that the organization is accepting comments through March 16 on a proposed rule to require security training for employees of public transportation agencies, including public transit bus systems and passenger railroads. [More]

Autonomous Vehicles Entering Operation Soon: Testing by First Transit; Keolis' Free Preview in Las Vegas

First Transit is preparing to test 12-passenger autonomous vehicles (AV) in anticipation of launching North America’s first AV passenger shuttle pilot later this year. [More]

WSP | PB to Drop 'PB' from Name

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), a global engineering and professional services consulting firm, will assume the WSP name effective May 2017. [More]

Honoring Veterans Year-Round

Of the 10.2 million employed U.S. veterans, 7 percent of them, or approximately 712,000 individuals, work in the transportation industry, according to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. [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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