On May 29, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Sarah Feinberg as administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. Feinberg has been serving as acting administrator since January 9, 2015.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will conduct a track renewal project on a portion of its Route 15 trolley line from June 14-September 19, 2015, which was originally installed in the 1950s.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board of Directors has approved a new $5.56 billion FY 2016 budget.
Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) presented a proposal to Québec’s Committee on Public Finance that would integrate the light-rail systems of the South Shore and West Island.
Wednesday’s commute for riders on New York City Transit’s (NYCT) A Line was delayed due to damage caused by copper cable thieves who vandalized cable from subway tracks near Howard Beach, Queens.
A bill to extend current surface transportation funding at MAP-21 levels through July was approved by the Senate on Friday, May 22, and now awaits President Obama’s signature.
Protran Technology, a Harsco Rail company, has received an order for railway safety technology from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), operator of the sixth largest rapid transit system by ridership in the United States, the company announced on May 26, 2015.
The province of Ontario will provide up to CA$1 billion (US$804 million) to build a new light-rail transit (LRT) line in Hamilton as part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario’s history.
Parsons appointed Jannet M. Walker as vice president and deputy eastern sector manager for the corporation’s Rail and Transit Systems Division. Based in Jacksonville, Fla., her primary focus will be growing the rail and transit business in the eastern United States, providing leadership in overall operations and sector management.
California’s Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority held a community open house and dedication for the Foothill Gold Line Operations Campus.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued an Emergency Order that will assist in controlling passenger train speeds at certain locations on the Northeast Corridor (NEC). FRA also intends to take additional actions in the coming days to address potential speed issues on all other passenger corridors.
Safety improvements, including the installation of vehicular traffic gates and warning lights, have been completed at a private railroad crossing in the Springdale neighborhood of Stamford where there have been several accidents in recent years involving vehicles striking trains.
Minnesota’s Metropolitan Council‘s Southwest Project Office is analyzing options for cutting $341 million in costs for the Green Line light-rail extension from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie.
U.S. Rep. John Culberson (R-TX-7) and Houston Metro Board Chairman Gilbert Garcia made an agreement, which they say paves the way for future transportation solutions to address the growing needs of the region.
The Chicago Transportation Authority (CTA) is moving forward with its Red and Purple Modernization Program (RPM), a transformational, multi-phase program to completely rebuild the northern sections of the Red and Purple lines and provide CTA with the ability to add trains to meet the demands of growing ridership on its busiest rail line.
The House of Representatives passed H.R. 2353, a short-term authorization extension that will provide surface transportation funding through July 31, 2015.
The Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015, sponsored by House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), passed by a vote of 387 – 35 – 1. This extension comes after several weeks of failed negotiations to find approximately $11 billion to fund the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) until the end of the calendar year. House and Senate leaders were unable to reach an agreement on offsets for a bill that would extend the programs through the end of the year, which was intended to give Congress time to form a larger tax reform package to pay for a multi-year surface transportation bill.
In a statement, American Public Transportation Association President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Melaniphy said, “We appreciate the U.S. House of Representatives for passing an extension of the federal program for surface transportation funding. However, this extension does not increase funding for public transportation, roads, bridges and rails, it merely maintains the current funding levels of the program until the end of July. It also avoids the May 31 deadline when the program was set to expire.
“It is our understanding that it is likely this action by the House will lead to an additional extension of the federal program which could last until the end of the year. Congressional leaders note that this extension is intended to provide time to secure funding for a long-term bill.
“APTA strongly believes that Congress should expedite its efforts and find a solution that provides for long-term investment in our public transportation, road and rail network. It is crucial that Congress act with urgency to address the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.
“Congress must get focused and use these two months to develop realistic and viable options for a long-term solution to funding the nation’s transportation system.”
Amtrak resumed full Northeast Corridor (NEC) operations May 18, following a derailment on May 12 in Philadelphia, Pa. Additionally, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has instructed Amtrak to immediately take several actions to improve safety along the NEC.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and other officials and project partners took the first ride on the TriMet Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Project, the future MAX Orange Line, on May 15.
An estimated 40,000 Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) customers face significant delays over the weekend of Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 when the railroad suspends train service between Hicksville and Mineola during demolition of the Ellison Ave. Bridge in Westbury.
The Virginia Beach City Council has adopted a budget for the coming year that includes $20 million for a Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) light-rail extension. The total budget will increase 2.2 percent – roughly the rate of inflation.