Brightline tops off Aventura Station with placement of 131-foot-long pedestrian skybridge. Also, Chicago Transit Board approves two measures authorizing future land acquisitions in support of advancing the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Red Line Extension (RLE) project; and an off-Broadway play is set aboard Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).
“Take your BART, please!” If memes existed in the late 1980s, comedian Henny Youngman would undoubtedly have become one with these four words–a take on his signature phrase, “Take my wife, please.”
In September, our sister agency San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, celebrated its 50th anniversary. BART service changed transportation in the Bay Area forever, connecting communities in a way that hadn’t been done before. For San Francisco, the construction of BART not only provided new travel options within the city and to the East Bay, but also built the Muni Metro system.
For almost-three-year-old Kevin Franklin, riding BART for the first time was something of a wonder. The trains were big, shiny, and fast. The stations, grandiose and cathedral-like. And the people watching, unparalleled.
Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) Add Fare machines undergo major upgrades to improve customer experience. Also, Amtrak trains could be coming into the Miami Intermodal Center; the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) breaks ground on new accessibility project at Tasker-Morris Station; the Honolulu Authority for Rail Transportation (HART) and Hitachi Rail run small-scale exercise drills in partnership with the city’s first responders; the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) adopts a new Transit-Oriented Communities Policy to promote commercial development near transit stations; and NJ Transit rolls out two initiatives as part of its ongoing Safety Education Program.
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) announces its inaugural short story contest finalists. Also, Caltrain celebrates the first public viewing of its Stadler US-built KISS EMUs (electric multiple unit); Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is launching its commuter rail fare gate program; New Jersey Transit is advancing its New Brunswick Station improvement project; California’s Valley Link is seeking funding for design and construction of the proposed 42-mile, seven-station passenger rail project between the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station and the North Lathrop Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) station, which could be powered by hydrogen; and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is in the final stages of preparation for the Silver Line extension opening.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) on Sept. 20 announced that, beginning Nov. 19, a soft launch of the Central Subway Project, an extension of the T Third Line, will open with dedicated shuttle service on weekends between 4th and Brannan Station to Chinatown/Rose Park Station, stopping along the way at Yerba Buena and Union Square where passengers can make transfers to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) service and the Market Street subway.
“It’s incredibly important to keep this history alive because, even though it happened 80 years ago, with Executive Order 9066, it’s still a history not everyone knows. It hasn’t been covered extensively in the history books. This exhibition is a place for remembrance and acknowledgement, education and healing.” —Na Omi Judy Shintani, Curator, “Tanforan Incarceration 1942; Resilience Behind Barbed Wire”
Thousands attend Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) 50th anniversary celebration. Also, BART’s schedule changes go into effect with several improvements; Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Assurance Wireless partner to offer free cell phone service to eligible riders; the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) seeks input on new brand identity and logo; and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) celebrates the reigning National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) champion Washington Spirit with new commemorative Metro SmarTrip card.
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Police Department has been reaccredited by the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation (TPCAF). Also, a new study gives a clearer picture of commuter rail project in Research Triangle, N.C.; Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) commuter railroads set ridership records, Metrolinx selects development partner to transform Spadina-Front GO Station; Caltrain improves Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) connections and increases San Francisco and South San Francisco service with new weekday schedule; new report details “critical need” for the return of VIA Rail Canada’s commuter train service along the Kingston to Toronto corridor; and the City of Boston, along with Boston Public Schools (BPS) make Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) M7 student passes available year-round.