The Metropolitan Transportation Authority welcomed Former New York Governor David A. Paterson to its board. Gov. Paterson was nominated to serve on the board by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on April 23 and was confirmed to the position by the New York State Senate on June 20. He succeeds Nancy Shevell, who served on the board from June 2001 through January 2012. His term expires on June 30, 2017.
The Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement evaluating high-speed rail service improvements along the 280-mile Chicago to St. Louis Corridor was released on Tuesday, June 26. A key question with the improvements was what route to funnel freight and passenger traffic as it traversed through Springfield, Ill. The Illinois Department of Transportation recommended rail traffic be moved to the existing Norfolk Southern corridor running along 10th Street.
VIA Rail Canada, as part of its ongoing modernization, is taking action to better meet customer demand. VIA Rail is introducing significant improvements to its operations, including tracks, stations and trains, better interconnectivity with other carriers, enhanced customer experience and e-services.
Beijer Electronics, through its subsidiary Westermo, won a $SEK30 million (US$4 million) contract from Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to provide its new solution for IP communication (Westermo IP-train solution).
William D. Kennedy, a respected expert on tunnel ventilation and former vice president and senior engineering manager with Parsons Brinckerhoff, died on June 23 at the age of 69.
Atkins, which specializes in engineering and design consultancy, hired Jonathan McDonald, PE, as vice president and senior practice manager for the company’s transit and rail practice. He is based in Atkins’ San Francisco office.
Two 1920s-era subway stations on Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s Broad Street Line have been modernized under a $30 million project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Amtrak has named Jason Molfetas as chief information officer to lead the company’s information technology team and develop and implement systems to support customer service initiatives, enhance business operations and improve financial performance.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority has awarded a contract for the station finishes, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, ancillary buildings and entrances for the 96th Street Station of the Second Avenue Subway. The contract, valued at $324.6 million was awarded to a joint venture of E.E. Cruz and Company and Tully Construction Company Inc.
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $21 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for the Raleigh Union Station project.
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $10 million grant to build a new regional rail transportation center on the proposed University of Delaware Science and Technology campus under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s $500 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2012 program.
The Chicago Transit Authority will be able to move forward on major upgrades to one of the busiest stations in its transit system as a result of an infusion of $20 million in federal funding to the 95th Street Terminal Improvement Project. The intermodal project will reduce pedestrian and bus congestion, cut travel times, improve accessibility and create jobs on the South Side of the city.
Barloworld and Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc., a subsidiary of Progress Rail Services Corp., a Caterpillar company, formed a joint venture, Electro-Motive Diesel Africa (Proprietary) Limited. The new joint venture will provide rail and transit customers with locomotive products and services, including access to diesel and emissions technology.
Forty-seven transportation projects in 34 states and the District of Columbia will receive a total of almost $500 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2012 program.
The Virgina Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approved $11.4 billion in allocations for transportation improvement projects over the next six years beginning July 1. The Six-Year Improvement Program distributes funding for highway, road and bridge projects, as well as rail, transit, bicycle, pedestrian and other transportation improvements across the state.
The board of The T (Fort Worth Transportation Authority) in Texas unanimously approved a new site for the agency’s TEX Rail commuter rail station.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority launched a new visual information campaign aimed at reminding subway customers how dangerous it is to stand too close to the tracks. The posters have begun appearing in subway cars this week, rotating through three different themes.
Achieving another major milestone in the Los Angeles Country Gold Line Foothill Extension construction project, crews worked 18 hours over the past several days to place more than 200 truckloads of concrete to form the superstructure and main crossbeam of the I-210 Gold Line Bridge.
Los Angeles Mayor and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board Chair Antonio Villaraigosa joined Culver City Mayor Andy Weissman and other local elected officials to dedicate the opening of the Expo Line Culver City Station located in the heart of Culver City at the intersection of Washington and National.
AECOM Technology Corporation is part of a consortium that has been awarded a $555 million contract for a package of work on Australia’s Regional Rail Link in the state of Victoria.
