TriMet begins work on access control project in Gresham






TriMet in Portland, Ore.,
has begun work to improve safety, security and fare compliance at the Gresham
Central MAX station. Over the next two months, crews will be installing
railing, lighting and signage around the platforms to improve visibility, make
the platform a fare zone and help make the overall environment safer. With the
station platform as a fare zone, passengers will be required to have valid fare
before boarding, making it easier to check fares at the station.

DART exploring funding options for next phase of growth






As part of their review of
agency finances, DART officials are reviewing funding strategies for capital
projects scheduled beyond the current 37-mile light rail expansion. The
projected shortfall in sales tax revenue will result in the indefinite delay in
the third section of the Orange Line, from Irving to Terminal A at DFW Airport,
the second Downtown Dallas alignment and the Blue Line extension from Ledbetter
Station to the UNT Dallas campus, officials said.

Myth busting the NM Rail Runner Express






Services that impact the
lives of many are often the subject of public scrutiny, as they well should be,
the Mid-Region Council of Governments said in a press release. However, it’s
also important to separate fact from fiction. And, since you, the taxpayer are
helping fund this service, we think it’s your right to know the truth.

Norfolk building last to be demolished for light rail






Norfolk, Va., Moose Lodge
39 on Kempsville Road was knocked down to make way for The Tide light rail
project, The Virginian-Pilot reports. The giant jaws of a piece of heavy
machinery tore away at the building piece by piece this morning shortly after
10 a.m.

Cleveland RTA Board June 22 meeting highlights






At its regular meeting
June 22, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Board considered several
resolutions, including:

• Authorizing a $140,000
change to the design of the Buckeye-Woodhill light-rail station. The new design
will offer a canopy and a series of ramps on each side of the tracks, instead
of elevators/escalators. RTA will also look at the cost of heated sidewalks, to
keep the ramps safe in snow and ice.

• Authorizing agreements with the City of Cleveland
that will allow federal funds to flow through RTA to the City of Cleveland to
plan an intermodal transportation facility on the Lakefront, near Dock 32.


Dulles Connector construction update






For weeks, a giant yellow
and blue truss has been in place along the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267)
near Route 123 where the trains will move from the Connector Road to the
northwest side of Route 123. That truss weighs about 366 tons and is now being
used to lift huge concrete segments into place to make the spans between piers
that will create the aerial bridges for support tracks across Tysons Corner.
Those piers have been built along Route 123 and in the middle of the Dulles
Connector Road.  

STB to hold hearing on MMA abandonment in July






The federal Surface
Transportation Board announced today that it would hold a public hearing in
Presque Isle, Maine, on July 7, 2010, to allow interested persons to comment on
the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, Ltd.’s application to abandon 233
miles of line in Aroostook and Penobscot Counties.

Medina, Ohio, strikes deal for railroad repairs






Medina, Ohio, is upgrading
seven railroad crossings for the cost of two after Council recently approved a
deal with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, local newspapers report. According
to the agreement, the utilities commission will cover the city’s estimated
$400,000 share of installing crossing gates and upgrading warning signals at
five railroad crossings at South Court Street between Smith and Lafayette
roads; South Elmwood Avenue, West Smith Road between South Elmwood Avenue; and
South Huntington Street, Medina Street, and Prospect Street.

First cherries en route on new railcars

A train with refrigerated railcars is carrying its first load of Washington cherries to Chicago this summer, thanks to a new central Washington rail facility built to provide faster delivery of perishable products to the Midwest, the Associated Press reports.

Via Rail makes contingency strike plans

Via Rail Canada revealed a contingency plan should a work stoppage occur next week. The plan calls for running a skeleton schedule of train services across Canada if ticketing vendors and maintenance staff go on strike.

Tavares, Fla., picks up remaining tab for Dora Canal railroad bridge project

Tavares, Fla., City Council members decided to pick up the $84,000 tab remaining to begin work on the $1.3 million project Dora Canal railroad bridge project. The city had already received the majority of the necessary funds from a federal stimulus grant through the state Department of Transportation, which covered 75 percent of the project. But city officials had struggled to find help with matching the rest of money.

Amtrak schedules track work in Empire Corridor






Beginning Monday, June
21, the schedule for Amtrak trains operating between Niagara Falls,
Albany-Rensselaer and New York will be adjusted to accommodate track work and
engineering projects. The temporary schedule changes are designed to ensure
Amtrak trains continue to operate without lengthy delays.

VRE railroad bridge repairs will start next month






Work to repair the
concrete exterior of the railroad bridge in downtown Fredericksburg, Va., will
begin next month, local media report. The Virginia Railway Express Operations
Board picked the lowest bidder among three competing construction firms to
perform the work.