Report says N.Y. MTA wasted $722,000 in safety program






The New York MTA, which is
about to raise fares, wasted at least $722,000 on a safety program so fatally
flawed it should be scrapped, a scathing report concludes, the New York Daily
News reports. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority routinely miscalculated
how well contractors were doing in preventing accidents and curbing
injury-related costs on construction projects, the MTA inspector general’s
office concluded. As a result, contractors got larger bonus payments than they
deserved.

Failing transport system imperils prosperity






The United States is
saddled with a rapidly decaying and woefully underfunded transportation system
that will undermine its status in the global economy unless Congress and the
public embrace innovative reforms, a bipartisan panel of experts concludes,
reports The Washington Post.

HCR president’s fall color is rosy; C$30 million will do the job






Mario Brault, president
of Huron Central Railway, sees on the horizon for the first time, a profit for
his company, Sault Ste Marie This Week reports. He doesn’t look for huge sums
of money. Brault, upbeat and forthcoming, pointed out few companies can survive
without "a little bit of profit," and a C$33-million contribution
from the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario has opened the way.

Hampton Roads Transit receives $8.48-million grant for new headquarters






Hampton Roads Transit has
been awarded an $8.48-million federal grant toward replacing its aging
administrative headquarters, a former Cadillac showroom on Monticello Avenue, The
Virginian-Pilot
 reports.

MBTA redesigns Boston’s Government Center Station






The Government Center T
station has the charm of a bomb shelter – and that’s its most winsome feature,
the Boston Herald reports. Impressions only get worse up close.

Backers continue promoting rail line to Duluth






Is a proposed passenger
train line from Minneapolis to Duluth on course for a $700 million derailment?
Or is it merely headed toward a $300,000 detour that could delay plans a year? The Minneapolis Star Tribune asks.

Top U.S. official looks at BART’s innovative ways of creating jobs






The nation’s top official
in charge of helping minorities with big dreams but often little cash visited
BART to look at the innovative ways the transit agency gives small business
owners a leg up in a down economy.

Rail inspection will affect LIRR Ronkonkoma Branch Oct. 9






The MTA Long Island Rail
Road will provide bus service in place of early-morning trains on the
Ronkonkoma Branch on Saturday, October 9, as track inspections are made by the
Sperry Rail Car. Customers on four eastbound and four westbound early-morning
trains between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma will be affected. Customers should
expect up to 36 minutes additional travel time.


Proposal underscores critical need for a national freight program






Legislation introduced by
Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) helps underscore the growing
recognition of the need to increase federal support for freight infrastructure.

Joint Rail Conference extends deadline for paper abstract to Oct. 17






Joint Rail Conference
2011 is a multidisciplinary North American railroad conference encompassing all
aspects of rail transportation and engineering research. The conference is a
cooperative effort of the six co-sponsoring organizations and will be held March
16-18, 2011 at the Pueblo Convention Center in Pueblo, Colo.

Amtrak starting $40-million upgrade for Chicago Union Station






Amtrak has begun work to
improve Union Station in Chicago and relieve some Amtrak passenger overcrowding
by nearly doubling the seating in its general passenger lounges, increasing the
number of public rest rooms and by providing air conditioning in the Great Hall
for the first time since the early 1960s. The $40-million project is expected
to be completed by the end of 2012.

Steel Dynamics’ Standard Rail now approved by major U.S. railroads






Steel Dynamics, Inc., said
that Standard Strength rail produced at its Columbia City, Ind., mill has been
tested and approved by four U.S.-based Class 1 railroads and by Amtrak (the
National Railroad Passenger Corporation). The Class 1 railroads include BNSF,
CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, and the Union Pacific.

New Jersey, CSXT to celebrate Liberty Corridor Freightway






U.S. Senator Robert
Menendez (D-NJ), Commissioner James Simpson, New Jersey Department of
Transportation, Richard Larrabee, director of port commerce, Port of New York
and New Jersey, Clarence W. Gooden, executive vice president of sales and
marketing and chief commercial officer, CSX Transportation will be among the New
Jersey, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and CSXT officials who will
celebrate the opening of the Liberty Corridor Freightway, a major
public-private project that paves the way for growth by providing improved
access to the Port of New York and New Jersey. This engineering milestone will
expedite freight traffic between inland markets and the Port by increasing
train capacity and improving service levels.


Mass. gives technical assistance grants for South Coast Rail planning






Mass. Lt. Gov. Tim Murray
said $320,000 in technical assistance grants is coming to 15 communities across
Southeastern Massachusetts to help them plan for the growth associated with the
South Coast Rail project, local media report. The funding announcement, the
third round of these grants, comes about a year after the state released the
South Coast Rail Economic Development and Land Use Corridor Plan, which
estimated that commuter rail could generate about $500 million in new economic
activity annually.

Bill proposes Pennsylvania State funding for Marcellus infrastructure






As Pennsylvania lawmakers
debate requiring that natural gas drillers compensate communities for any
damages to local roads, bridges and water supplies through a state severance
tax on their production, they are also proposing that state tax dollars be used
to develop infrastructure projects to support the industry, the Scranton times
Tribune reports.

Positive Train Control moves ahead at Los Angeles Metrolink






At a special board
meeting, the Metrolink Board of Directors authorized its CEO, John E. Fenton,
to complete the final terms and conditions to award a $120-million contract to
Parsons Transportation Group to manage and integrate Positive Train Control technology
on Metrolink’s 512-mile system.

MBTA offering real-time subway train location information






As part of Massachusetts Patrick-Murray
Administration’s proven commitment to transportation reform and focus on
customer service, Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray said real-time train location
and arrival information is now available for the MBTA’s Orange, Red, and Blue
Lines. Following the successful release of real-time information for all 187
MBTA bus routes, this program expands the Administration’s award-winning open
data initiative to hundreds of thousands of daily subway riders.

VTA Debuts Free WiFi on New Commuter Express






On October 4, the Santa
Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is making significant improvements
to light rail service since its inception nearly 23 years ago. VTA will operate
a new non-stop, faster express light rail service now featuring free WiFi. With
the debut of the VTA Commuter Express, customers will enjoy faster and more
frequent light rail service with six newly added, peak-hour commute trips from
south San Jose, Calif. through downtown to North San Jose.

Geocomp Corporation hires two senior executives






Scott R. Bamford, P.E., and
Don Jacobs have recently joined Geocomp Corporation, a geo-engineering services
firm headquartered in Boxborough, Mass.

Sound Transit U-Link making progress

Sound Transit’s University
Link is moving forward n the Seattle area. At the Capitol Hill Station, more than 40 percent of
the excavation for the station box is now complete. A conveyor system is now in
place to transport the excavated spoils to the surface.

 

The contractor is currently
building a temporary bridge over the station excavation at approximately Denny
Way within the construction work site. Trucks and other construction vehicles
will use the bridge to move around the work site. A number of existing
utilities will also be suspended below the bottom of the bridge in order to
allow the utilities to span the station box excavation.

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