WMATA takes control of Silver Line Phase 1

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority transferred care and control of the first phase of the Silver Line to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on May 27.

WMATA has up to 90 days for testing and training prior to opening the line for passenger service this summer. The opening date will be set by the WMATA Board of Directors in the near future.

When it opens this summer, Silver Line service will run from Wiehle-Reston East station to Largo Town Center, with trains every six minutes during rush hour and every 12 to 20 minutes at other times. Five new stations will be added to the system: McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill and Wiehle-Reston East.

Work also has begun on Phase 2 of the project, which will connect the system with Herndon, Washington Dulles International Airport and points in Loudoun County, Va.

 

 

Edmonton LRT project gets funding guarantee from Canadian government

The Canadian government has guaranteed up to CA$150 million (US$138 million) for the Valley Line Stage 1 Light Rail Transit expansion project in Edmonton, AB, under the New Building Canada Fund-Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component, bringing the total federal contribution to the project up to CA$400 million (US$386 million).

NYCT says Central Park West FASTRACK a success

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit’s (NYCT) FASTRACK maintenance program came to the A, C, B and D Central Park West line in Manhattan last week. Hundreds of NYCT employees performed a range of cleaning and maintenance tasks of station and tunnel infrastructure, signal equipment and track and third rail components.

Houston METRO moving forward with Hughes Street Overpass to complete Green Line

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston METRO) is taking the Green Line over Hughes Street to connect the line to the Magnolia Transit Center following a favorable vote for an overpass.

Minneapolis Interchange/Target Field Station open for business

The Metro Transit Interchange/Target Field Station multi-modal transportation hub in Minneapolis, which opened May 17, 2014, links light-rail transit, regional rail and bus service and contains a civic space for retailers, an amphitheater and green space.

RailWorks-Archer Western JV celebrate role in SunRail success

SunRail passenger rail service began May 1 in Central Florida along a 32-mile route comprised of 12 stations between DeBary and south Orlando. The new service marks completion of the first phase of the $1-billion Central Florida Commuter Rail Transit (CFCRT) project.

SEPTA warns public of dangers of ‘Distracted Commuting’

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) warns, it can happen in an instant; just checking e-mail, sending one text or turning up the music can take a driver’s attention from their surroundings and put them in a potentially dangerous situation, especially when at a bus stop, train station or transportation center.

LACMTA receives FTA grant, TIFIA loan for Purple Line extension

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) was granted $1.25-billion dollars in federal funds, as well as approved for a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Loan to help pay for the Purple Line Extension Project.

Old grant funds transferred to Cincinnati streetcar

Cincinnati’s streetcar project is the unexpected recipient of an extra $268,000 via a rail-related grant Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) received.

PATCO set to begin Ben Franklin Bridge Track Rehabilitation Project next week

Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) is ready to start a two-year, $103-million track rehabilitation project on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which connects the New Jersey and Philadelphia portions of the system.

Metro-North undertakes series of safety reforms

MTA Metro-North Railroad has announced details of a sweeping series of reforms it is undertaking to better ensure the safety of its customers and employees. The reforms address factors identified during several serious safety incidents over the past year, as well as issues identified by an in-depth Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) review of its operating practices that took place this past winter.

VIA Rail presents action plan to address Barrhaven-area railway crossings’ challenges

VIA Rail Canada has developed an action plan based on a study conducted by RailTerm, Hatch Mott MacDonald and Siemens that looked into issues with Automatic Warning Devices (AWDs) systems at six Barrhaven-area rail crossings in Ottawa.

Comment period on SCVTA’s Mountain View Double Track Environmental Document begins

The public now has the opportunity to comment on the environmental document for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (SCVTA) project to add a second set of light-rail tracks in Mountain View, Calif.

SEPTA plans overhaul of Levittown Station

Elected officials joined Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) representatives to reveal reconstruction plans for Levittown Station. SEPTA says the project will enhance service for customers at a key station along the Trenton Regional Rail Line and represents one of many critical improvement projects under SEPTA’s renewed “Catching Up” capital improvement program.

Caltrain releases RFQ for electrification portion of modernization program

The Caltrain Modernization Program in southern California released the Request for Qualification (RFQ) for the electrification contract portion of the project that will reinvent Caltrain.

TIGER grant applications request 15 times more than available funding

The application period for the sixth round of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants recently ended. Once again, USDOT says the request for funds far exceeds what is available. The 797 eligible applications, compared to 585 in 2013, request $9.5 billion, 15 times the $600 million set aside for the program.

Metra hosts Rep. Duckworth to highlight need for Fox River bridge replacement

Metra officials gave U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) an up-close look at why Metra needs to replace an aging, single-track bridge that carries the Milwaukee West Line over the Fox River near Elgin, Ill.

Metro-North continues power upgrades on New Haven Line

An ongoing power upgrade for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line has achieved a major milestone with the installation of a second new transformer at Mount Vernon, providing additional redundancy and increased capacity.

Construction begins on Metra Lombard station improvements

Chicago’s Metra, Union Pacific, the Village of Lombard, Ill., and DuPage County officials broke ground May 14 on more than $9.7-million in improvements at the Lombard Station along the UP West Line, including a new pedestrian underpass, rebuilt platforms and new platform canopies.

Arlington County releases new ridership and cost estimates for streetcar projects

By 2035, transit ridership along the Columbia Pike and the Crystal City-Pentagon City corridors is expected to more than double, according to updated ridership forecasts released by Arlington County, Va., with more than 62 percent of projected daily transit trips to be on streetcar versus bus.

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