Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) General Manager Dr. Beverly Scott recently joined state and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking for the new MBTA Salem Commuter Rail Station.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker approved four freight rail improvement projects totaling approximately $11 million in grants and loans. The goal of Wisconsin’s freight railroad assistance program is to increase the use of rail transportation and support economic development and job creation.
On September 13 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx joined four members of Congress, Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Ted Deutch D-(FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL) and Patrick Murphy (D-FL) and other local leaders to talk about how the South Florida Freight and Passenger Rail Enhancement project will help South Florida.
The Washington State Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to stop the construction of East Link light rail across Lake Washington on I-90.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) said the Oakland Airport Connector (Connector) project is on time, on budget and will be complete one year from now.
BNSF‘s Nebraska property will see an estimated $110 million in maintenance and rail capacity expansion projects in 2013.
The Northern Lights Express (NLX), a proposed intercity passenger service between Minneapolis and Duluth, Minn., may proceed to preliminary engineering after the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on the Tier 1 Service Level Environmental Assessment.
A $9.7 million project to add freight railroad mobility and relieve congestion for the commuting public in the Chicago region has been completed in Blue Island, Ill.
Bryan Mulqueen, the national manager of Gannett Fleming’s Transit & Rail Practice, has taken on added responsibility for Gannett Fleming Transit & Rail Systems (GFT&RS), along with the operations of the firm’s Transit and Rail Practice in the northeast United States.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s (SEPTA) Bridgeport Viaduct project reached the 50 percent completion point.
Union Pacific Railroad will strengthen Minnesota’s and Wisconsin’s transportation infrastructures by investing $10 million in the rail line at various locations between St. Paul, Minn., and Humbird, Wis.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will begin major construction work on the $71.2 million Ravenswood Connector rehabilitation project.
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), in coordination with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), published the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation (FEIS) on September 6, marking the start of the 30-day public comment period.
Sound Transit will hold an open house for community members to review the progress of the East Link extension along the Bel-Red corridor, which is now approximately 60 percent complete.
The National Gateway coalition has completed its first phase on-time and on-budget, which clears the way for double-stack intermodal rail service between CSX‘s existing terminal in Chambersburg, Pa., and its hub facility in Northwest Ohio.
The first streetcar to travel Utah’s streets in more than 50 years will be open for service starting December 8, 2013.
Union Pacific plans to strengthen Illinois’ transportation infrastructure by investing $30 million in the rail line at various locations between Dolton and Ellis.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has been awarded an $8.9 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant to rehabilitate a freight corridor and prepare it for future passenger service.
The $18.5-million project involves rehabilitating 20 miles of the state-owned Vermont Railway from Rutland to Leicester, which includes replacing nine miles of rail, upgrading 11 at-grade farm crossings and other improvements. When completed, this project will eliminate track-related slow orders, allowing for unrestricted Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Class 3 speed operations of up to 40 mph. The Vermont Rail System operates over the line and provides a critical connection for shippers to the Class 1 network in New York.
The project also supports the state’s efforts to improve the line to allow for the future extension of Amtrak’s Ethan Allen service from Rutland to Burlington. Approximately $6 million in match funding is coming from previous federal appropriations benefiting the corridor, as well as $3.2 million from the state and $200,000 in-kind contributions from the rail operator.
“This investment is helping to move the economy by improving track, bridges and other infrastructure, building stations and intermodal facilities, advancing higher-performing rail service and improving safety,” said FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo.
Fifty-two transportation projects in 37 states will receive a total of approximately $474 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. Among these, $146 million will help fund rail projects.
Maryland plans to invest nearly $1.5 billion in transportation investments for the Baltimore Metropolitan Region that will support more than 13,000 jobs, reduce traffic congestion and revitalize communities.