The Chicago Transit Authority Board awarded a design/build contract to Kiewit Infrastructure Co. to rehabilitate the following seven rail stations on the north mainline branch of the Red Line: Jarvis, Morse, Granville, Thorndale, Berwyn, Argyle and Lawrence.
The Federal Railroad Administration proposed a requirement that railroads must train and qualify employees in safety-related positions on federal railroad safety laws, regulations and orders.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in a meeting with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and local business leaders, affirmed the commitment to California high-speed rail and discussed how investments in high-speed rail are essential to keeping California’s economy moving.
Skanska USA’s civil construction business unit signed a contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the Second Avenue Subway Systems project in New York City.
The Regional Council of the Southern California Association of Governments approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the California High Speed Rail Authority, other Southern California Transportation Agencies, San Diego Association of Governments and Metrolink to upgrade existing regional rail systems.
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation received permission from the Federal Transit Administration to move forward with the next phase of construction of Oahu’s rail system.
Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation have received federal approval to increase maximum speeds of Amtrak trains in western Michigan and northern Indiana to 110 mph following successful installation and testing of a positive train control safety system on Amtrak-owned track between Kalamazoo, Mich., and Porter, Ind.
A collaborative effort among Amtrak, Metra and state and federal agencies to reduce diesel soot emissions and improve air quality in and around Union Station in Chicago has already produced positive results, but further progress requires the full cooperation of adjacent property owners, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) stated.
Construction has begun on a new 2.6-mile streetcar line in Georgia that will run through the heart of Atlanta’s business, tourism and convention corridor and bring jobs and new development to the city.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unveiled the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act. The initiative is a five-year, $260 billion infrastructure bill that reforms transportation programs and promotes increased domestic energy production to create American jobs.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation to increase funding for job creating Illinois rail and multimodal priorities, including rail line relocation grants, Amtrak and the TIGER grant program, in its bill to reauthorize the Surface Transportation Act. Durbin also urged the Committee to reject the proposals in the House Transportation bill that would eliminate or dramatically reduce funding for programs that are essential to creating jobs in downstate Illinois communities.
Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle presented a proposed solution to further strengthen the financial plan of Honolulu’s rail project, remain on target for its successful completion and obtain full funding in the amount of $1.55 billion from the federal government.
GO Transit’s new Allandale Waterfront Station in Barrie, ON, Canada, has opened for service. The new station allows GO Transit to extend service further into downtown Barrie, which will improve access and increase ridership on the Barrie line.
The Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads in Virginia selected William Harrell as the new president and CEO of Hampton Roads Transit. The vote was unanimous.
For the first time in its history, Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service between Chicago and Milwaukee, has a ridership that surpassed 800,000 in 2011. The year-end numbers put ridership at 823,163. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, that is a nearly four percent increase from 2010 when ridership totaled 792,848.
The $1.3 billion SunRail project in central Florida broke ground on Friday, January 27, 2012, at the future home of the Altamonte Springs station, located at the intersection of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and State Road in Seminole, Fla.
Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco, Calif., is continuing its work of earthquake safety strengthening of the Transbay Tube, which was not damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake but remains BART’s top earthquake safety priority.
United Transportation Union engineers, conductors and collectors employed by Chicago South Shore & South Bend, an electric-line passenger operation between Chicago and South Bend, Ind., have ratified a new two-year agreement.
Canada’s Evergreen Line in Vancouver, B.C., is taking a major step forward with pre-construction beginning in the next couple of weeks, bringing new jobs and improved transit options for residents of Metro Vancouver.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed a significant change in the way major transit projects compete for federal funds by streamlining the process and making decisions more responsive to local needs.