Transit Briefs: Edmonton, LACMTA, San Diego MTS, Santa Clara VTA, TriMet

The Edmonton (Alberta) City Council approved municipal funding for the 2.8-mile (4.5-kilometer) Capital Line South LRT Extension. In addition, LACMTA finalized its 2021-24 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan; SANDAG and MTS unveiled the VA Medical Center Trolley Station; VTA is slated to receive $20 million from the state of California to help with recovery from the May 26 mass shooting; and TriMet was forced to suspend MAX service due to record-setting temperatures.

Transit Briefs: MBTA, Metrolinx, LACMTA, CTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has earned the New England Environmental Business Council Award for Climate Change Project of the Year; Metrolinx, the Toronto-area regional transit agency, has installed roof-mounted solar photovoltaic panels at four stations, saving almost C$1.8 million in energy costs to date; the CRRC Massachusetts plant recently celebrated the arrival of the first of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) new subway cars on order; and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has launched a Transit Ambassador program.

Major Construction Begins on Final LACMTA Purple Line Extension Section

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) held a ceremonial groundbreaking on May 24.

CTC Allocates $27.8MM for LA Metro LRVs

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has allocated $27.8 million for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (Metro) purchase of new light rail vehicles, as part of a $924 million investment to improve state transportation infrastructure.

Commentary

High-Speed Debate Continues—in Congress

The long-simmering controversy over high-speed rail (HSR) continued during a May 6 hearing before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. Its theme: “When Unlimited Potential Meets Limited Resources: The Benefits and Challenges of High-Speed Rail and Emerging Rail Technologies.”

LA Metro Taps STV for Gender Action Plan

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is looking to improve the transit experience for its largest rider segment: Women.

LA Metro: $8B FY22 Budget Proposed

The Los Angeles Country Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has released an $8 billion budget proposal for FY 2022 that prioritizes service restoration to pre-pandemic levels; the Board will consider it later this month.

DART Taps Nadine Lee as New Chief

Nadine Lee will become the next President and CEO of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) on July 12, succeeding David Leininger, who has served in an interim role since November 2020.

LA Metro Approves LRV Overhaul Contract

The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board has approved a $170.3 million contract with Kinkisharyo to perform midlife overhauls on the P2250 fleet of light rail vehicles running along the Gold Line.

LA Metro Board Appoints Wiggins as CEO

Stephanie Wiggins is slated to return to Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) in May as its first woman, and first African-American woman, chief executive.

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