Rapid Transit/Light Rail

Tracks in the Sky: Overhead Lines Then and Now

SAN FRANCISCO – SFMTA’s transit service includes different types of vehicles, including regular buses, cable cars, and electric trolleys and buses that utilize overhead wires. Maintaining the overhead electric wires, an important part of the SFMTA infrastructure, and sometimes referred to as “tracks in the sky,” is a significant focus of the agency’s work.

Map Courtesy of TriMet

Watch: TriMet’s MAX Red Line to Close for Four Months

TriMet on May 24 announced that between June 18 and Oct. 21, MAX Red Line stations between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport will be closed, allowing crews to access TriMet right-of-way and perform major construction for its “A Better Red” MAX Extension and Reliability Improvements Project.

View from the front of the train of the new light rail tunnel under downtown L.A. (Metro photo)

LA Metro Sets Opening Date for Regional Connector

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) on May 22 announced that the $1.8 billion Regional Connector transit project, which will take riders from Azusa to Long Beach and from East L.A. to Santa Monica on one train, will officially open to the public on June 16.

The current PATH powerhouse in Jersey City, built in 1908. (Photograph and Caption Courtesy of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey)

PATH Powers a Resilient Future

The empty triangular lot tucked into a busy section of downtown Jersey City is undergoing the first stages of redevelopment. At the moment, it isn’t much to look at. But for PATH, it’s a powerhouse of a project.

NYMTA Transit Tech Lab Releases Results of Operational Efficiency, Human Capital Utilization Challenges

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Partnership for NYC Transit Tech Lab on May 9 reported the results of its Operational Efficiency and Human Capital Utilization challenges, in which 15 companies have been selected to collaborate with regional transit agencies and test technologies, such as AI (artificial intelligence), LiDAR and edge computing, to “mitigate service disruptions, automate operations and combat workforce shortages.”

The MERMEC-built rail inspection vehicle uses lasers, sensors, cameras, measuring systems, and data management systems to create a comprehensive profile of the track, all while traveling at speeds of up to 70 mph, according to BART. (BART Photograph)

First Look: BART’s MERMEC Geometry Car in Action

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District on May 3 unveiled its newly acquired rail inspection vehicle from MERMEC that will measure track position, curvature, smoothness, and alignment, as well as wear and corrugation, which contribute to train noise.

NYMTA Completes Renovation of Queensbridge Station

The New York MTA on May 1 announced that crews have completed renovation of the 21 St-Queensbridge (F) subway station in Long Island City, Queens, as part of New York City Transit’s (NYCT) Re-NEW-vation campaign to bring targeted resources to rebuild components of the station within a 55-hour window.