The city of San Antonio, Texas and Bexar County have withdrawn support of the proposed $280-million VIA Modern Streetcar Project, instead asking VIA to develop a new transportation proposal that could be taken to area voters.
Denver’s historic Union Station officially reopened to the public on July 26, 2014, after being closed for extensive renovations on December 2, 2012.
SNC-Lavalin Group appointed Marc Rivard to the role of executive vice president infrastructure engineering, within the company’s Infrastructure Group. SNC-Lavalin’s Infrastructure Group addresses the full life cycle of infrastructure and includes its infrastructure concession investment, engineering, construction and operations and maintenance businesses.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved four highway-rail grade crossing projects in Marion, Holmes, Shelby and Huron counties.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board of Directors voted nine to three to approve a $1.6-billion contract with Skanska, Traylor and Shea, a Joint Venture (STS), to construct the 3.9-mile first phase of the Purple Line Extension subway. The first phase, with a total budget of $2.7 billion, is currently forecast to open in 2023.
The Sound Transit Board of Directors have identified a site in Bellevue’s Bel-Red corridor between Bellevue and Redmond, Wash., as the preferred alternative for a new Link light-rail operations and maintenance base. The new facility is needed to store, service and deploy the expanding light-rail train fleet as the system expands from 16 to 50 miles by 2023.
Watco Companies named Dan Smith Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (EVP, COO). In this position, Dan will be responsible for overseeing the operational performance, organizational development and process improvements of Watco’s Operating Divisions.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) and the city of Gilroy have entered into a station-area funding agreement that will allow the city and CHSRA to initiate the planning process for a potential high-speed rail station in the downtown area of the city.
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC-08) joined representatives from the Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railway (ACWR) and the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association for a tour of ACWR’s facility in Candor, N.C.
TriMet hired Dee Brookshire as executive director of finance and administration. Brookshire, who will start August 18, comes to TriMet from the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) where she has served as chief financial officer for the past seven years.
She will be responsible for directing the agency’s financial services; providing oversight and directing procurement and contracts, financial analysis and grants. Brookshire will continue the work of the agency’s five-year plan to ensure financial stability.
Brookshire has more than 20 years experience in public agency and private sector finance. Her background includes substantial debt restructuring and multiple bond issuances for public agencies. She has aided in successful labor negotiations for agencies with multiple bargaining units.
Brookshire lead efforts at RT in economic recovery, bringing back more efficient and cost-effective transportation services following the economic down turn. In addition to her financial experience in transit, she has worked for water and public utility districts, city government and as a public agency consultant.
Among her many community involvements, Brookshire has served on the finance committee for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and on the board of the Sacramento Business Services Center.
Dave Auxier, TriMet’s current interim CFO will stay on full time through the end of August.
Denver’s Regional Transportation District Board of Directors gave the go-ahead to move forward with the Southeast Rail Extension in Douglas County, authorizing a $207 million extension of the existing line farther south into Lone Tree.
All Aboard Florida revealed designs for its new West Palm Beach station, planned and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP in association with Zyscovich Architects.
The Connecticut State Bond Commission plans to approve $2.75 million for the Connecticut Department of Transportation to hire a consultant to complete the engineering, design and environmental permitting to develop the site of the new Barnum Train Station on Bridgeport’s East Side.
Sound Transit‘s Link light-rail service in Seattle, Wash., celebrated its fifth anniversary July 18.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Board of Directors authorized MassDOT Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Richard Davey to execute an agreement to purchase the Berkshire Line from the Housatonic Railroad Company, a step toward delivering passenger rail service between New York City and the Berkshires.
President Obama spoke at the Port of Wilmington in Delaware on July 17 to announce a new executive action to create the Build America Investment Initiative, a government-wide initiative to increase infrastructure investment and economic growth by engaging with state and local governments and private sector investors to encourage collaboration, expand the market for public-private partnerships (PPPs) and put federal credit programs to greater use.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Prendergast and United Transportation Union (UTU) President Anthony Simon, representing a coalition of eight Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) labor unions, have agreed to settle a four-year-old contract dispute between the MTA and the unions.
AECOM Technology Corporation and URS Corporation have executed a definitive agreement under which AECOM will acquire URS.
More than $25.5 million in state capital investments has been awarded for a major grade separation project in Aurora, Ill. The project will improve traffic flow and safety at the U.S. Route 34 and Canadian National crossing and create 370 jobs.
“Soon motorists on Ogden Avenue won’t have to wait for passing trains at this heavily traveled crossing,” Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said. “This grade separation project will make it easier and safer to travel in Aurora and create jobs for our hardworking residents to help drive Illinois’ economy forward.”
A bridge carrying U.S. Route 34 (Ogden Avenue) will be built over the Canadian National tracks. The project will include retaining walls, new pavement, noise abatement and traffic signals. Herlihy Mid-Continent Company of Romeoville was the lowest of seven bidders for the job with a quote of $25,523,407. Construction will begin this summer and will be managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The average daily traffic volume along U.S. Route 34 at the CN crossing is 31,200 vehicles per day with an average of 42 trains per day. Based on an Environmental Impact Statement, this crossing experiences a total vehicle delay of nearly 73 hours per day. The project will eliminate those delays and reduce the potential for train, vehicle and bicycle accidents by eliminating the at-grade crossing. The work will also enhance emergency vehicle response times in Aurora and the surrounding communities.
The Aurora project is part of Governor Quinn’s $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years.
Transport Workers Union Local 250-A, which represents San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Muni transit operators, ratified a new three-year agreement that increases wages, strengthens pension benefits and is in line with the budget needs of the agency.
