Massachusetts’ $16.5 billion transportation bond bill, recently signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker, will support rail, bus and roadway improvement initiatives. The new law earmarks funds for the South Coast Rail, Green Line Extension and East-West rail projects, among others.
Transit riders throughout the country are facing severe service cuts, as ridership and revenue remain low, and state and local governments face severe financial woes. Earlier this month, Railway Age reported that Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA, known locally as the “T”) announced a lengthy litany of services to be slashed. The Fiscal & Management Control Board (FMCB), which is acting as the Board for the Boston agency these days, has now finalized and approved the cuts by a 3-2 vote.
As the COVID-19 virus continues its relentless march across the nation and around the world, U.S. transit is quickly becoming one of its casualties. The picture will probably get worse as the $24.9 billion that transit got from the CARES Act runs out next year.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) $2.3 billion Green Line Extension (GLX) is now more than 50% complete and on track to open in December 2021.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has announced the lowest bidder for a $403 million contract for work on the Middleborough Secondary & New Bedford Main Line (MS/NBML) section of its South Coast Rail project. South Coast Rail Constructors, a consortium of Littleton, Mass.-based Middlesex Corporation and Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini, was identified by MBTA as the lowest bidder and is expected to be awarded the contract for the commuter rail extension.
The MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board approved of a four-year extension—through June 30, 2026—of the Commuter Rail Operating contract between the MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services, LLC.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will complete deployment of the Wi-Tronix® Violet Edge IoT Platform on its diesel locomotive fleet in an effort to enhance the safety of its trains and to improve service reliability.
Keolis Commuter Services, the MBTA’s operating partner for Commuter Rail, earned the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Gold Sustainability Award for its commitment to and organizational enhancements focused on environmentally friendly business practices. Keolis is the first private commuter rail operator in the United States to earn the APTA Gold Sustainability Award.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board approved a new contract with Scheidt & Bachmann to initiate a series of upgrades to extend the life of the existing fare collection system and incorporate several new customer-focused improvements.
The MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) has awarded a $30 million contract for continued Franklin Line double-track design and installation to its Commuter Rail operating partner Keolis.