Lilee Systems, provider of communication systems designed exclusively for the railroad industry, has achieved Red Hat Hardware Certification for the company’s WMS-2000 wayside messaging server, making it the first wayside messaging server with internal 3G, GPS and IP KVM options to achieve Red Hat certification. Now, Lilee says customers deploying WMS-2000 with embedded Red Hat Enterprise Linux are offered proven performance and reliability.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board certified the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the Merced to Fresno section of the high-speed project, allowing the Authority to take additional steps toward starting construction in late 2012 or early 2013. The Authority also chose a north-south route and station locations for Merced and Fresno.
The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which owns and operates the San Fransisco Bay area’s Caltrain, unanimously approved a regional agreement to fully fund the electrification of the railroad.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority released a new mobile “Go Metro Los Angeles” smartphone app that will make it easier for the public to navigate L.A. County’s extensive and growing bus and rail system utilizing their mobile devices.
Southern California’s Metrolink Board of Directors us initiating a public outreach process for a potential system-wide fare increase to help close an existing $13 million funding gap for Fiscal Year 12-13 budget and Metrolink’s proposed Title VI Service Delivery Policy. The public will be asked to give feedback regarding an average system-wide fare increase between five and nine percent to go into effect on or after July 1, 2012.
The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, the agency that owns and operates Caltrain, will consider a preliminary operating budget at its board meeting on May 3 that will be balanced using one-time funds for the fourth consecutive year.
Caltrans, BNSF and Amtrak broke ground on a $38 million rail project that will add 3.8 additional miles of track to the Los Angeles area, increasing efficiency and rail capacity.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit named Jesse Oliver as deputy executive director and Carol Wise as executive vice president, chief operating officer. DART Senior Vice Presidents David Leininger and Timothy McKay were promoted to executive vice president.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Expo light-rail line officially opened to the public on April 28.
The Chicago Transit Authority along with the Village of Skokie opened the Oakton Station, the first new ‘L’ station to open in 18 years.
“This joint effort resulted in a state-of-the art station and an additional, accessible station option for the expanding business and transportation needs of Skokie residents,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool.
An $86 million Chicago Transit Authority Red Line renovation project will involve seven stations: Jarvis, Morse, Granville, Thorndale, Berwyn, Argyle and Lawrence. The funding comes from a mix of federal and local resources and will generate approximately 250 full-time equivalent jobs.
California’s North County Transit District, through its contract with Herzog Transit Service, Inc., will assume dispatching responsibility for the 60-mile coastal rail line that begins at the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego County and ends at the Orange County line.
Seattle’s Sound Transit Board of Directors identified potential station locations for staff to study as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for light rail between Northgate and the Lynnwood Transit Center. The DEIS will also look more closely at impacts associated with the alignment running along the I-5 corridor.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics added a new safety section to the Multimodal Transportation Indicators that will track seasonal and long-term rail fatality trends. The latest monthly rail data comes from the Federal Railroad Administration. The rail data exclude public grade-crossing accidents, eliminating double-counting that would occur with highway fatalities.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors certified the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report for the $1.37 billion Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project, a priority transit project that will connect light-rail lines through downtown L.A. and greatly improve connectivity for the entire L.A. County transportation network.
Amtrak is creating a new Emergency Management and Corporate Security department to integrate existing company-wide efforts into a single, cohesive unit to more effectively prepare for emergencies and disasters, mitigate effects and allow for fast and efficient response and recovery.
Officials from the Chicago Transit Authority and the Village of Wilmette will celebrate the 100th anniversary of ‘L’ service to the North Shore community on Saturday, April 28.
The National Association of Railroad Passengers 2012 Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Safety Award was presented by the Burch family to three Amtrak employees for their groundbreaking work on the monitoring of track conditions, reducing the risk of accidents and derailments. The award, which honors individuals who have significantly enhanced rail passenger safety, is sponsored by the family of Dr. Burch, who died in a 1991 passenger train derailment in South Carolina.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority Board of Directors approved an updated expenditure plan for the Foothill Extension light-rail project from Pasadena to Claremont. The expenditure plan includes an estimated cost to complete the 23-mile light-rail extension and a timeline for needing funding.
The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance to create the Chicago Infrastructure Trust, a way to leverage private investment for transformative infrastructure projects and guide the city’s renewal of these elements in the 21st century.
“Chicago will be a city that shapes its own destiny,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Nowhere is this more important than with our critical infrastructure needs. The Chicago Infrastructure Trust will allow us to consider transformative infrastructure projects and build a world-class infrastructure for our city.”
Mayor Emanuel announced the Trust on March 1, in an event in which he was joined by former President Bill Clinton.
The trust will provide advantaged financing, enabling each project to customize a financing structure using taxable or tax-exempt debt, equity investments and other forms of support. Each project will be coordinated with the city and its sister agencies’ long-term plan for transformational infrastructure investments.
The Chicago Infrastructure Trust was created with the private sector, non-profit organizations and union leaders. An amended ordinance was submitted this week, which calls for one Alderman to be on the trust’s board and clarifies that the trust will be completely subject to FOIA, Open Meetings laws and the city’s ethics ordinance.
The trust will require City Council approval for all projects and will operate as a non-profit organization as it seeks projects.
The trust passed by a vote of 41-7.