Port Everglades in Broward County, Fla., says it is partnering with public and private entities on several multi-million-dollar landside infrastructure improvements designed to improve connections with south Florida’s major highway and railroad systems.
VIA Rail Canada appointed Susan Williams to general manager for eastern Canada. The passenger rail service provider said this will involve adding value to the services offered to communities served in the maritimes and eastern Québec, as well as business development activities intended to build on partnerships that began in 2014 with local community representatives.
President Obama unveiled his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2016, which includes a six-year $478-billion surface transportation reauthorization proposal that contains rail funding sources through the Generating Renewal, Opportu¬nity, and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency, and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America (GROW AMERICA) Act.
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.
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) opened the Mid-Suffolk Train Yard Information Center at Ronkonkoma Station so customers and community residents can learn about the LIRR’s proposal for enlarging its train yard in Ronkonkoma.
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.
New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) officials, Mayor Mitchell Landrieu and city council members gathered Jan. 28 to kick off the construction on the 1.6-mile North Rampart Street/St. Claude Avenue Streetcar Project, which will connect the French Quarter and Treme to Canal Street and Loyola Avenue via the network of streetcar lines in the city.
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.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Senate Budget Committee ranking member, has introduced legislation to rebuild America’s crumbling network of roads, bridges and transit systems and other infrastructure projects. The five-year plan would invest $1 trillion and create or maintain at least 13 million decent-paying jobs, says Sanders.
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.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has proposed a plan to fix Minnesota’s aging transportation systems, which would invest $6 billion over the next 10 years to address the state’s highway funding deficit, invest $2.356 billion in local government transportation projects and provide $2.92 billion for Metro and Greater Minnesota transit systems. The Governor’s proposal would create an estimated 119,000 new jobs and build the infrastructure necessary to meet the demands of a growing population and an expanding state economy.
