The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors appointed Beverly Scott as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and MassDOT Rail and Transit Division Administrator. A 30-year transportation veteran, Scott will be the first female general manager of the MBTA.
Construction has begun on a new 2.6-mile streetcar line in Georgia that will run through the heart of Atlanta’s business, tourism and convention corridor and bring jobs and new development to the city.
The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association honored individuals and companies by awarding the Railroad Construction Project of the Year, Field Employee of the Year and inducting the inaugural class of the association’s Hall of Fame.
U.S. Representative John Lewis and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed joined the State Transportation Board, other officials and private-sector partners in commemorating the signing of an agreement for the initial development of a Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal and commercial center in downtown Atlanta.
To be located in the long under-utilized "Gulch" area near Philips Arena, the Georgia Dome and World Congress Center, the MMPT will be developed for the Georgia Department of Transportation by Forest City/Cousins/Integral, a consortium of private firms.
The Atlanta MMPT will be the hub for existing and proposed transportation networks serving Metro Atlanta and beyond, including MARTA rail and bus, regional express busses and the state’s passenger rail network. It may also accommodate future transportation, including high-speed rail, light rail and streetcar services.
In addition, it will serve as a catalyst for one of the largest Transit-Oriented Development projects in the U.S., with expected commercial, recreational and residential mixed-use development. Georgia Department of Transporation’s $12.2 million, two-year contract with the consortium will provide a conceptual design of the MMPT and potential funding options.
Lewis, a long-time supporter of the MMPT concept, said "it is a great day for Atlanta and the whole region. We have reached an important milestone in this development, and I look forward to returning in a few years for the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the MMPT."
"The Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal will help transform how we move around our city and region," said Reed. "The MMPT will serve as the focal point for many existing and future transit networks. It is an important part of the overall effort to improve and expand public transportation in metropolitan Atlanta and it will help our region maintain its competitive edge."
The Executive Committee of the Atlanta Regional Transportation Roundtable reached a unanimous agreement on a draft list of transportation projects to get the region moving in the next 10 years. The five-member committee voted to approve a $6.14 billion draft list of transportation projects to be potentially funded by a penny sales tax to come before voters next year.
"Today, the Roundtable Executive Committee worked tirelessly to craft a constrained list of priority projects that represent tremendous benefits to the entire region," said Norcross mayor, Bucky Johnson, chairman of the Roundtable Executive Committee. "We had representatives from all the major jurisdictions in the Atlanta region rolling up their sleeves to help the Executive Committee select projects with the greatest impact. By working creatively and cooperatively, we approved a constrained list of investments today that can usher in a new era of transportation possibilities for our residents."
With public feedback, the five-member Roundtable Executive Committee completed their task of narrowing a $22 billion list of projects down to $6.14 billion. That meant whittling a regional list of more than 400 transportation projects to just over 100 in two and a half months.
The list now must be approved by the full 21-member roundtable by October 15 and submitted to the Georgia Department of Transportation. The next meeting of the full roundtable will be held on Friday, September 16.
Rail-related projects that are part of the draft include:
MARTA North Heavy Rail Line Extension to SR 140: Project cost of $903,900,000 ($37,000,000 funding commitment).
Atlanta Beltline Streetcar Circulator and Trail: Project cost of $1,547,100,000 ($601,892,477 funding commitment).
Northwest Corridor (Acworth to Arts Center Station) Fixed Guideway Transit – Phase 1 from Midtown to Cumberland: Project cost of $1,234,900,000 ($856,499,900 funding commitment).
I-85 North Transit Corridor (all phases): Project cost of $1,303,300,000 ($95,000,000 funding commitment).
MARTA State of Good Repair and Station Enhancements (consolidated): Project cost unknown ($600,000,000 funding commitment).
MARTA East Heavy Rail Line Extension from Indian Creek Station to Wesley Chapel Road Near I-20 East: Project cost of $791,600,000 ($225,000,000 funding commitment).
Clifton Corridor Transit – Rail Corridor Phases 1A, 1B and 1C: Project cost of $1,113,400,000 ($700,000,000 funding commitment).
At a rate of 73 percent,
voters across the country in 14 states approved 22 measures out of 30
state and local public transportation-related ballot initiatives, authorizing
nearly $500 million over the next five years.
When the Link light rail
system first began running in July 2009, Rainier Valley and Tukwilla residents
in south Seattle were upset with the noise.
Unit Rail, the rail
fastening division of Amsted Rail, appointed John Stout director of sales, responsible
for sales and marketing activities in North America for both the Unit Rail and
Advanced Track Products brands.
In what is the strongest
sign to date that it will abandon the Yucca Mountain Project, the Department of
Energy on Feb. 9 withdrew 116 water applications it had filed with the Nevada State
Engineer for building a rail line to haul nuclear waste to the mountain from
Caliente, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
A plan to build a major
passenger terminal in downtown Atlanta might soon boast new life, in the form
of an $80 million-plus jump start, state officials said at Transportation Board
meetings, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The idea has reeled in
big supporters, but raised questions too — including whether it’s legal.
The celebration will include a display of about 45 North American Rail Car Operators Association motorcars during an open house at the Harsco facility in Fairmont. The 45 restored cars were originally built at the Fairmont plant and shipped to railroads around the United States and Canada.
