The U.S Department of Transportation awarded $10 million in TIGER funding to Seattle area’s Sound Transit in support of constructing an extension of Link light rail from Sea-Tac Airport to South 200th Street.
AECOM Technology Corporation has been awarded a $10.6 million contract for the second phase of the New Orleans Streetcar Expansion project in the Rampart/St. Claude corridor.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit is making the final push to DFW Airport with the award of a design-build contract to construct a 5.2-mile extension of the Orange Line from the future Belt Line Station to the airport’s Terminal A. A joint venture of Kiewit, Stacy and Witbeck, Reyes, Parsons (KSWRP) was selected by the DART Board of Directors to complete the $149,750,000 project known as Irving-3 (I-3).
The Federal Transit Administration will provide $116 million to extend TRAX light-rail transit service from downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, into the suburb of Draper. The 3.8-mile extension is the final project in a bold seven-year, 70-mile effort to significantly expand transit options for residents and commuters in the Salt Lake City area, one of the nation’s fastest growing cities.
Illinois will receive a total of $44,288,000 in TIGER grant funding for three Illinois projects in the Chicagoland area and Alton. The grants represent approximately eight percent of total funding available through the program.
The future of mass transit in the Charlotte region reached another milestone this month. The Charlotte Area Transit System received its Record of Decision from the Federal Transit Administration for the LYNX Blue Line Extension light rail project.
Former Richardson, Texas, Mayor Gary Slagel was appointed by Richardson, Addison, Highland Park and University Park to represent them on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit board of directors.
Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority will advance major projects to rebuild sections of the Red and Orange lines December 2 to December 4.
South Florida Regional Transportation Authority will receive $5.7 million through the Federal Transit Administration’s TIGGER III Grant Program. The funds will be used to construct Tri-Rail’s first green, LEED certified, sustainable station at Pompano Beach. The SFRTA project was one of 46 nationwide selected to receive grants.
The FTA reviewed 266 project applications representing more than $1 billion in funding requests from transit providers across the country. The awards to the projects selected totaled over $100 million.
“We are grateful to the FTA for providing the funds to go forward with this very important project. It is a win-win for South Florida. A win for the environment and a win for the economy due to the construction jobs it will create,” said SFRTA Chair, Commissioner Kristin Jacobs.
The rebuilt Pompano Beach Station will generate more than 100 percent of the station’s energy demand through solar panels. The project will send the excess energy to the power grid and store daytime energy for nighttime lighting of the station, parking area, and other parts of the facility.
Implementation of this demonstration project will result in a significant reduction in energy consumption, which is consistent with the FTA’s livability and environmental sustainability goals to support green building. Tri-Rail’s Pompano Beach Station will be the first transit station in the State of Florida to be 100 percent supported by solar energy and will become SFRTA’s green station prototype for future improvements at all Tri-Rail stations.
Portland-area TriMet’s ridership during the month of October showed strong upward trends and reached new records. For the month, there were 8.8 million trips taken on buses, MAX and WES Commuter Rail, up more than two percent compared to October 2010.
Seattle’s Sound Transit Board received the Federal Transit Administration’s Record of Decision for the East Link light rail project and voted unanimously to launch work on the final design for the route between Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond.
The I-210 Gold Line Bridge, which will one day serve as the “Gateway to the San Gabriel Valley,” moved closer to completion with the approval of its final design by Caltrans and the The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority. The bridge is the first component of the 11.5-mile Gold Line Foothill Extension light-rail project from Pasadena to Azusa, Calif., to advance from the design phase to the construction phase.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution ratifying a Memorandum of Agreement that will ensure the continuation of the Dulles Rail extension to Loudoun County. The Memorandum of Agreement is a multi-party agreement that outlines the fiscal responsibilities of federal, state and local entities in the estimated $2.8 billion phase 2 of the rail project.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the overwhelming demand for TIGER grants has once again far surpassed the available funding.
The Chicago Transit Board approved a $1.24 billion budget for 2012 that holds the line on fares and maintains current service levels, relying on deep management cuts and work rule changes from labor unions. The proposed budget is $66.2 million, or 5.1 percent, less than the 2011 budget.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors, which oversees all surface transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), held a ceremony to rename Muni’s Geneva Yard for SFMTA board member and transit advocate Cameron Beach.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc., in cooperation with its local partners, completed construction of an Automated People Mover system capable of fully automated, driverless operation. The APM system connects Miami Airport Station with the Miami Intermodal Center over an approximately 1.25 miles of track, smoothly and efficiently transporting passengers on a one-way journey of roughly four minutes from one end of the system to the other.
Service began on September 8, 2011.
The APM project began in September 2008 when MHIA and Sumitomo Corporation of America, as a subcontractor to the Parsons-Odebrecht Joint Venture, won the competitive bid process. MHIA was responsible for supplying the operating system, which includes the vehicles, train control, power distribution and communication systems. The APM project was successfully completed in just 36 months.
The Toronto Transit Commission hired Andy Byford to become TTC’s first chief operating officer. Byford will join the TTC in November from Sydney, Australia where he was COO of RailCorp.
Byford’s appointment follows an international search conducted to fill the senior operations position at the TTC, formerly the general manager of operations. The title change and role is in keeping with organizational structures in large urban transit systems around the world.
In addition to overseeing TTC operations, Byford will act as deputy chief general manager.
“I am very excited to be joining the TTC and look forward to being part of the team to drive forward our customer service delivery,” said Byford.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency received $20 million in federal funds for Phase II of the Third Street Light-Rail Project, the Central Subway. In addition to these funds, the SFMTA will send to the Federal Transit Administration the final submittal for the New Starts Full Funding Grant Agreement by September 19.
“The momentum continues to build for San Francisco’s Central SubwayPproject because it will expand transit options in the heart of the city,” said Jerry Lee, vice chairman of the SFMTA Board of Directors. “The city’s transportation infrastructure serves as the lifeblood of our expanding industries as well as our vibrant neighborhoods and the residents, visitors and employees that support them.”
“The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce continues to support the Central Subway Project for the simple reason that it will improve San Francisco’s economic growth,” said Jim Lazarus, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce senior vice president of public policy. “Economic growth does not happen by accident. A great workforce and the right policies bring businesses to the City; well-planned infrastructure makes it possible for them to thrive here.”
The project will serve as an engine for economic growth and recovery in San Francisco, creating thousands of job opportunities as the project moves into the construction phase.
During these difficult economic times, the progress and development of the Central Subway will employ thousands of individuals throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Furthermore, the improved service will decrease transit travel times, relieve congestion, enhance the environment and stimulate economic activity along the corridor.
The project has consistently received positive reviews as part of the FTA’s New Starts program. The new infusion of $20 million from the program means that Central Subway has received $92.4 million in New Starts funds to date. The total project cost (with contingency) is expected to be $1.57 billion, with the federal government contributing close to $1 billion.
The SFMTA continues to work closely with its funding partners: the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the leadership in Sacramento and the FTA. This collaboration has leveraged state and local funds to secure $942.2 million in federal New Starts funding for this project that would otherwise be unavailable to San Francisco for any other project.
A team of engineers hired by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro-North Railroad is inspecting and assessing the catastrophic flood damage to the Port Jervis Line. Meanwhile buses are providing alternative service for the 2,300 people who normally use the line each weekday.
