DOT Seeks Public Comment on New Transit Safety Authority

DOT is seeking public comment on the most significant regulatory step taken under FTA’s new transit safety authority. Safety advocates, industry leaders, and the general public are all invited to comment on several MAP-21 requirements that are part of FTA’s new safety and transit asset management authority. Comments must be received within 90 days of the date the notice is published next week.

DOT Hosts Public Information Session on DBEs

DOT will host a public information session on Oct. 9 concerning the proposed modifications to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs. The five-hour session will allow interested parties to offer views and ask questions about the implementation of the proposed changes.

Public Transportation Ridership Up in 2013's Second Quarter

More than 2.6 billion trips were taken on public transportation in the second quarter of 2013, according to a new APTA report. Compared to the second quarter of 2012, this year’s second quarter increased by 1.2 percent, with nearly 31 million more trips taken from April through June.

APTA's Annual Meeting to Begin

APTA's 2013 Annual Meeting in Chicago kicks off Sept. 29. The meeting will feature dozens of informative sessions, as well as expert speakers and the products and services showcase. See you there! 

APTA's Calendar Competition to Open Soon

APTA will soon begin accepting entries for its 2014 calendar competition. Public transportation systems and businesses are invited to send in photographs of infrastructure, buses, trains, and other projects. Stay tuned for more details.

SAVE THE DATE

The 2013 ITS Transit Best Practices Workshop will be held from Nov. 13-14 in Detroit, MI. The workshop will bring together industry leaders using Transit ITS, transit systems exploring innovative enhancements for their current and future systems, as well as the consultants and suppliers involved in the deployment of public transit ITS. Register now!

IN THE MEDIA

US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx wants to create long-term plans for the nation's public transportation systems, he told the WTS Policy Symposium. The plan can then became the basis for tracking the systems from year-to-year and provide information for authorization decisions.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) hasn’t abandoned plans for a high-speed rail project between Las Vegas and Southern California. Reid said he has spoken recently with White House officials and California Gov. Jerry Brown about getting the project back on track.

Reporters got an inside glimpse into the metro tracks and four stations that will soon begin carrying thousands of passengers on the Silver Line into the Virginia suburbs.