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(William C. Vantuono Photograph)

Transit Briefs: NJT, LACMTA

New Jersey Transit (NJT) will offer a “transit fare holiday.” Also, the free-fare student GoPass program marks a milestone, according to Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA).

NS earlier this month hosted a RailCAST meeting that brought together a range of stakeholders, including representatives from U.S. and Canadian Class I railroads and federal regulatory agencies, as well as labor leaders. (Photograph Courtesy of NS)

Class I Briefs: NS, BNSF

Norfolk Southern (NS) hosts the Rail Coalition of Advanced Safety Technology (RailCAST) meeting in Georgia. Also, BNSF’s Hobart and Fresno facility teams in California celebrate safety achievements, and its dimensional clearance team is recognized by the Railroad Industrial Clearance Association.

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People News: GATX, HNTB

GATX Corporation appoints Christopher LaHurd to Senior Vice President, International. Also, Christine Kefauver joins HNTB as Project Director.

RRB Still ‘Concerned’ Over FY 2025 Funding

The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) recently announced that the Senate Committee on Appropriations has approved a fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding level of $129 million. While RRB says it “appreciates the Committee’s

Transit Briefs: BART, MBTA, Hill International/SCVTA, CTA, ACE

The first of three legacy Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) cars are delivered to the Western Railway Museum (WRM). Also, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) expands access to reduced fares for income-eligible riders; the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) selects Hill International to continue Project Management & Staff Support (PMSS) services for its ongoing capital program; the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Red Line Extension (RLE) Project moves closer to groundbreaking; and Levi’s® Stadium renews its partnership with the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) regional/commuter rail service.

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POLB Posts Record July TEUs

The Port of Long Beach (POLB) set a TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) record for July, moving 882,376 TEUs, up 52.6% from the same month last year and surpassing the previous record set

FTA Publishes Final Rule for PTSCTP

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Aug. 14 announced a final rule for its Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program (PTSCTP) to “maintain a uniform safety training curriculum and minimum requirements for rail transit and state safety personnel, building upon existing training requirements for safety professionals.”

MBTA crews and contractors earlier this month replaced track and ties along the Green Line B Branch. (Photograph Courtesy of MBTA Customer and Employee Experience Department)

Transit Briefs: MBTA, PATH, TriMet, WMATA

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) completes Green Line B Branch track work, removing eight speed restrictions. Also, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s (PANY/NJ) PATH tap-and-go fare payment system marks a milestone; Oregon’s new drug law will improve safety on TriMet (Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon); and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) receives LEED® certification for two more projects.

(CN photo)

AAR: North American Rail Volume Up in Week 32

Through the first 32 weeks of 2024 (ending Aug. 10), total North American carload and intermodal traffic rose 2.3% from the same point last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). The U.S., Canada and Mexico all experienced gains.

The Port of Los Angeles has reported that July 2024 was its busiest month in more than two years and the best July in the Port’s 116-year history. (Port of Los Angeles Photograph)

Intermodal Briefs: Port of LA, USDOT

An early peak season helps boost July volumes at the Port of Los Angeles, Calif. Also, the Port of Oakland, Calif., and the Northwest Seaport Alliance in Washington State join the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) initiative.

(Image Courtesy of the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks, via social media platform X, formerly Twitter)

Coalition to House: Reject Bigger Truck Proposals

A 20-member coalition, including the Association of American Railroads (AAR), American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and Railway Supply Institute (RSI), is calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to “reject any legislative language that would increase current maximum truck weight or length limits, including proposals that would allow for a 91,000-pound federal interstate truck weight limit in H.R. 3372.”