Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff joined Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Congressman Alcee Hastings at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Tri-Rail Station at Dania Beach, Fla., to highlight the president’s FY2013 budget proposal that calls for greater investment in transit infrastructure as part of an America built to last.
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s board of directors selected Daniel Grabauskas, chairman and senior strategic adviser of the Bronner Center for Transportation Management and former general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, as the finalist for the agency’s chief executive officer position.
The Seattle-area’s Sound Transit Board of Directors unanimously approved an amendment to the agency’s 2012 budget to provide $24.3 million in additional funding for establishing a shovel-ready plan to extend light rail from S. 200th Street to the heart of Federal Way.
The Metropolitan Council has approved the final piece of the identity and branding framework for the Minneapolis-St.Paul developing transitway network of light-rail transit and bus-rapid transit.
Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff on February 23 visited three stations along the 28-mile Dallas Area Rapid Transit Green Line light-rail expansion project in Dallas, Texas, to see firsthand the economic development resulting from the federal government’s investments in the region.
The final year of heavy construction on the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project is kicking off.
The Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority will take a break from its aggressive schedule of trackwork and rebuilding to accommodate customers traveling during Cherry Blossom season.
TriMet in Portland, Ore., has a solar project at the South Terminus of the MAX Green and Yellow lines at SW Jackson Street that is now operational. Located near Portland State University, it’s the largest solar project in downtown Portland and a first for the MAX light-rail system.
The Chicago Transit Authority’s President Forrest Claypool exposed millions in waste at CTA supply warehouses, while unveiling a host of improvements to the agency’s system for managing parts and materials; each designed to reduce costs, increase oversight and improve operations.
Unitrac Railroad Materials, Inc., received a three year contract to supply special trackwork to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The amount of manufactured trackwork that will be provided by Unitrac under this contract is valued at approximately $8 million over the next three years.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit wrapped up its second FASTRACK line segment closure successfully completing an ambitious schedule of work on the Seventh Avenue Line from 34 th Street-Penn Station to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. NYCT said it remains clear that the FASTRACK program is both a safer and more efficient way to maintain and clean a 24/7 subway system.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood helped kick off construction of a new 3.9-mile streetcar line that will spur Cincinnati’s efforts to revitalize its downtown core by improving access to major employers, the developing riverfront and many area attractions. LaHood was joined at the event by Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff and Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) recently launched the U.S. DOT Research Hub website, a searchable database of the latest agency-sponsored research, development and technology projects.
Kevin Clyne has joined RailComm as the director of transit sales. He is based in Northern New Jersey.
As part of a four-day GE Works event with discussions centered around manufacturing, innovation and jobs, GE Transportation, Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) celebrated the operation of Amtrak trains at 110 mph on 97 miles of Amtrak-owned line between Kalamazoo, Mich., and Porter, Ind. The new service will reduce the travel time on Amtrak’s owned section of track on the Wolverine and Blue Water service by approximately 20 minutes.
The Department of Transportation received 26 TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) letters of interest exceeding $13 billion. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that the overwhelming demand for TIFIA program loans has greatly exceeded the dollars available, underscoring President Obama’s call for greater transportation investment.
U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari spoke to Midwest-based railroad manufacturers and suppliers at a Chicago rail forum about opportunities for their companies to participate in the growing industry of next-generation, American-made trains.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recommended $2.2 billion in funding to begin or advance construction of 29 significant rail and bus rapid transit projects in 15 states. All the recommendations are part of the Federal Transit Administration’s Annual Report on Funding Recommendations for Fiscal Year 2013.
On Monday, Reps. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and Robert Dold (R-IL), Chicago Transit Authority President Forrest Claypool, Metra Executive Director/CEO Alex Clifford, RTA Executive Director Joseph Costello, Illinois Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Doug Whitley and other transportation, business, labor and environmental leaders called on House Republican leaders to work with them to fix the transportation reauthorization bill before it comes up for a vote in the House this week.
Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Senator Daniel K. Akaka, U.S. Representative Mazie K. Hirono and U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa released a statement saying the Obama Administration requested $250 million for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project for fiscal year 2013, the largest amount for any rail project in the country.The money would come from the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts program.