President Obama’s proposed FY16 Budget includes $100 million for the second section of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Purple Line Extension Project. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, business, environmental, labor and community leaders applauded the inclusion of these funds as an important step in keeping LACMTA’s planned subway construction toward West Los Angeles on track.
Transportation fatalities in the United States decreased by three percent in 2013 from 2012, according to preliminary figures released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Fatalities in all modes of transportation totaled 34,678 in 2013, compared with 35,796 in 2012. Deaths in marine, aviation, highway and pipeline transportation decreased, although there was a rise in rail-related deaths. Railroad deaths increased six percent from 840 to 891, which a vast majority of these fatalities continue to be trespassers struck by trains.
“While this decrease represents a good trend, much more work needs to done, because 35,000 deaths is very troubling,” said NTSB Acting Chairman Hart. “NTSB continues to address safety issues in all modes to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads, rails and waterways, as well as in our skies.”
U.S. freight railroads plan to spend an estimated $29 billion on the nation’s rail network and project to hire about 15,000 people in 2015, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported in its 2015 Outlook. The AAR says these high-paying jobs and record private spending will further strengthen an essential transportation system that is today powering a U.S. economic comeback.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) in California are initiating an environmental study for the proposed construction of an approximately six-mile extension of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) from the now under construction Berryessa BART Station in San Jose to Santa Clara. The Project is planned to include four stations: the Alum Rock, Downtown San Jose, Diridon, and Santa Clara Stations.
Kansas City Southern says that implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) technology is a major, ongoing initiative, especially for the Signal, Mechanical, Telecommunications and IT groups.
Canadian National and members of the United Steelworkers (USW) union Local 2004 have ratified a four-year labor agreement covering approximately 3,000 maintenance-of-way employees who inspect, maintain and repair CN’s track, bridges and structures in Canada. The new agreement was reached prior to the expiration of the previous agreement and is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2015.
The Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) Senior Vice President of Safety and Operations Robert VanderClute has retired.
George Good, Jr., the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) first full-time safety investigator recently began according to a blog post to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Fast Lane.”
Metra has appointed John Milano to deputy executive director for administration, effective Feb. 1.
Amtrak has made a commitment of $12 million to continue renovations of Chicago’s 90-year-old Union Station. In the coming weeks and months, Chicago Mayor Emanuel will work in coordination with the federal government, the state of Illinois, Metra and Amtrak to facilitate a complete overhaul of Union Station that will require a multi-year, $500-million investment.
Edwin de Steiguer (Ned) Snead, the founder and chairman emeritus of Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX), passed away January 22, 2015 in Georgetown, Texas, at the age of 85.
A new pedestrian grade-crossing system was activated at the Wheaton, Ill., Metra station along the Union Pacific West Line on January 26. The system was activated at the Maywood, Melrose Park, Elmhurst, Villa Park, Glen Ellyn, College Avenue, Winfield and Geneva stations in 2011.
In Ontario, Canada, the Region of Waterloo voted to exercise a three-year option to extend its existing light-rail transit contract with Parsons Brinckerhoff and WSP.
According to a study released by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), mass transit providers in Northeastern Illinois do not receive the funds necessary from federal and state sources to address reinvestment needs.
Two tunnel boring machines (TBM) digging the western segment of the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) underground tunnel for Metrolinx‘s Eglinton Crosstown line, officially reached the half-way point of their journey Jan. 20 as they broke through the headwall at Allen Road, in Toronto, ON, Canada.
Recent track upgrades meeting or exceeding all applicable Federal Railroad Administration standards will allow Union Pacific to increase the speed of its trains in several locations on its rail line between Arlington and Picacho, Ariz.
As part of the Utah Transit Authority’s (UTA) Salt Lake City TRAX Station Tactile Tile Replacements and TRAX Grade Crossing Replacements light-rail project, Oldcastle Precast’s Ogden, Utah, facility was contracted to supply 2,400 track feet of their StarTrack Grade Crossing modules.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Federal Railroad Administration and the Olmsted County Regional Railroad Authority, released the Final Scoping Decision document on the Zip Rail, a plan for high-speed passenger rail service between the Twin Cities and Rochester.
All Aboard Florida has selected Moss & Associates as the general contractor for the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach stations. Construction activities are expected to commence at the end of the first quarter.
Canadian Pacific has appointed Timothy Marsh to senior vice-president sales and marketing, effective Feb. 1, 2015.