Author: Carolina Worrell

Sound Transit photo

Transit Briefs: Sound Transit, AECOM/ATP, DPU/MBTA

Sound Transit adds GoodMaps wayfinding tool for riders to five more Link stations. Also, Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) selects AECOM for the Phase 1 delivery of Austin’s first light rail system; and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) receives a favorable report from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on its safety oversight of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

Port of Los Angeles: November Cargo Volume Up 16%

The Port of Los Angeles processed 884,315 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in November, a 16% increase over the previous year, the Port reported Dec. 17. Eleven months into 2024, the Port of Los Angeles has moved 9,375,735 TEUs, 19% ahead of its 2023 pace.

PennDOT: $55MM for 30 Freight Rail Projects

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) on Dec. 18 announced the approval, through the state’s Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP), of $55 million in funding for 30 rail freight improvement projects that will “enhance freight mobility while creating or sustaining 344 jobs across Pennsylvania.”

BNSF, IBEW Ratify New Collective Labor Agreement

BNSF, in partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), announced Dec. 18 that members of the labor union have voted to ratify a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with the Class I, giving covered employees “certainty about upcoming enhancements to their pay, healthcare, and vacation.”

REEF Act Heads to Biden’s Desk for Signature

The Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness (REEF) Act is heading to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Dec. 18. Included in the National Defense Authorization

AAR: Carloads Down, Intermodal Up for Week 50

Total U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 14, 2024 (Week 50) was up 4.8% from the prior-year period, with intermodal gains offsetting carload losses, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest report.