Staff of Metro, the Portland metropolitan planning organization, recommended light rail as the best kind of high-capacity transit to connect Portland and Bridgeport Village, Ore., for the Southwest Corridor Plan.
Former President of Plasser American Corporation Josef W. Neuhofer passed away peacefully at home on March 29, 2016, at the age of 78.
The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) Board of Directors approved the contract for David Genova as the general manager and chief executive officer of RTD. Genova was chosen following an 11-month international search that included 37 public meetings.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on April 4, 2016 announced that it is accepting applications for $25 million in competitive grant funding available to railroads, suppliers, and state and local governments for Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation. The funding is part of the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act that funds the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a service provider on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield intercity rail line, now branded as the CTrail Hartford Line. The RFP is open only to those service providers approved and “short-listed” after a Request for Qualifications issued by ConnDOT in 2014.
Watco Terminal and Port Services has named Albert Perez II terminal manager at its Linden, NJ, location. In this role, Perez will be responsible for maintaining high quality customer service, ensuring targeted profitability, and supporting the overall attainment of expected performance goals. He will also be coaching his team and driving safety and operational efficiencies.
Network Rail Consulting has appointed Thomas Downs as a non-executive director of Network Rail Consulting Ltd and chair of its North American business, Network Rail Consulting Inc.
Norfolk Southern Corporation on March 31, 2016 posted its 2015 Annual Report online, highlighting early accomplishments of a recently announced five-year strategic plan to drive growth, streamline operations, improve network performance and deliver enhanced shareholder value.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, Senate Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeffrey Klein and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced an agreement on the 2016-17 state budget, including a whopping $27 billion for Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
The tunnel boring machine (TBM) mining the tunnel that will serve northbound Sound Transit light-rail trains to Northgate beginning in 2021 holed through the wall of its retrieval shaft at the University of Washington light-rail station March 30, completing one of two 3.5-mile tunnels for the Northgate Link Extension.
Plans for the first modern streetcar in Orange County, Calif., took several steps forward when the Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) Board of Directors approved a series of actions to help facilitate the design and construction of the project.
Rocla Concrete Tie, Inc., producer of pre-stressed concrete railroad ties, has opened its new manufacturing facility in Ft. Pierce, Fla.
Sound Transit has launched a month-long effort to hear from residents on the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) Draft Plan and launched a series of seven public meetings around the region starting April 19.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has released its proposed Fiscal Year 2017 Operating Budget and Fiscal Years 2018-2021 Financial Projections and plans to hold a series of public hearings on the spending plan throughout the five-county service region April 25-29.
A consulting firm has been hired to assist in the environmental review and formal community engagement process for the Long Island Rail Road Main (LIRR) Line Expansion Project, which calls for adding a third track along a critical 9.8-mile section of LIRR’s mainline between Floral Park and Hicksville Stations.
To accommodate growing client needs, Gannett Fleming Transit & Rail Systems (GFT&RS) has expanded teams in the U.S. and Canada. GFT&RS is a North American transit and railroad track, signal, communication, catenary and electric traction design company.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board of Directors has approved the release of a draft expenditure plan for public review and input that could become part of a possible November ballot measure to fund a wide variety of transit and highway projects, local roadway improvements and pedestrian and bike paths to be built over the next four decades.
A public involvement period will begin March 29 on an extensive Sound Transit Board proposal for responding to the region’s chronic transportation challenges.
The Short Line Safety Institute on March 24, 2016 announced the onboarding of two key staff members—Mike Long, Senior Safety and Operations Manager, and Michele Malski, Safety Programs Manager. These two new positions will be instrumental in driving the Institute’s key initiatives forward.
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) ratified their first-ever union contract with the Illinois Railway (IR) on March 21, 2016. More than 80 percent of members who cast a valid ballot voted in favor of the agreement.