Metro

Service along the LACMTA D Line Extension project’s Section 1 corridor includes three new stations: Wilshire/La Brea and Wilshire/Fairfax—which bookend Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile —and Wilshire/La Cienega in Beverly Hills. (LACMTA Photograph)

Transit Briefs: LACMTA, SEPTA, Sound Transit, WMATA

Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) announces the launch date for the D (Purple) Line Extension Section 1. Also, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) awards a lease contract for transit-oriented development near Regional Rail’s Ambler Station; Seattle’s Sound Transit adopts the 2026-2030 Sustainability Plan; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is expanding its University Pass program.

Construction is now under way along the entire Ontario Line in Toronto, which when complete will be a 9.7-mile (15.6-kilometer), 15-station stand-alone subway. (Map Courtesy of Metrolinx)

Transit Briefs: Metrolinx, HART, LACMTA, SEPTA

Metrolinx’s C$29.5 billion Ontario Line project advances in Toronto’s east end. Also, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) will study potential extensions to Skyline; the upcoming 2.3-mile Claremont extension of the LACMTA (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority) A Line could generate more than $1 billion in economic output; and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) reports January ridership.

WMATA/Metro and KRC on Feb. 5 announced their “resolution of several ongoing contract disputes regarding, among other things, the 2021 Blue Line derailment of a 7000-series railcar which led to the entire 7000-series fleet being grounded.” (WMATA 7000-Series railcars, courtesy Wikipedia)

Transit Briefs: WMATA/KRC, NCDOT, PennDOT

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA/Metro) and Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc. (KRC) resolve their 7000-Series railcars disputes. Also, a new North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) study confirms that restoring Salisbury-to-Asheville passenger rail service would benefit the economy, job opportunities, and public transit in the area and the state; and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) advances the Scranton-to-New York Penn Station Passenger Rail Corridor project.

The proposed CV Rail intercity passenger service would span approximately 144 miles, linking the City of Coachella, Calif., with Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. (Courtesy of RCTC)

Transit Briefs: LACMTA, BART, UTA, Phoenix Valley Metro, SEPTA, CV Rail

Parsons Transportation Group (Parsons) lands a contract for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) Metro A line extension project. Also, crime on the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) drops 41% in 2025; Utah Transit Authority (UTA) shares 2025 achievements and 2026 service plans; Phoenix Valley Metro in Arizona is identified as a top transit agency in the nation for ridership growth; leased railcars will soon enter Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) commuter rail service; and Southern California’s Riverside County Transportation Commission advances the proposed Coachella Valley Rail (CV Rail) project.

The joint venture of MBTA, Massachusetts Port Authority, and Massachusetts Department of Transportation is seeking a developer for a mixed-use transit-oriented development project at the Anderson Regional Transportation Center in Woburn. (BMRR, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)

Transit Briefs: MBTA, NJT, WMATA, BART, Amtrak, GCRTA

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), New Jersey Transit (NJT) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) advance transit-oriented development projects. Also, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) fares will increase Jan. 1 to keep pace with inflation and help pay for service; Amtrak resumes Lake Shore Limited service between Albany, N.Y., and Boston, Mass.; and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) is discontinuing Wi-Fi service on buses, trolleys and trains.

NC By Train in October experienced its highest ridership month in 35 years of service. The state-supported Amtrak intercity passenger rail service carried 74,400 riders, nearly 10% more than in October 2024. (Courtesy of NCDOT)

Transit Briefs: NC by Train, WMATA/COG, MBTA, Rail Runner Express

NC By Train—North Carolina-supported Amtrak service—celebrates the highest ridership month in its 35-year history. Also, the boards of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) endorse a plan to modernize Metro rail and bus service and strengthen regional transit coordination; Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will soon debut Commuter Rail fare gates at Boston’s South Station; and security cameras will be installed on New Mexico’s Rail Runner Express trains.

MBTA on July 16 celebrated the newly renovated Winchester Center Station on the Lowell Commuter Rail line. Now fully accessible, station had not seen major repairs since the 1950s. (Photograph Courtesy of MBTA)

Transit Briefs: MBTA, ARTM, LACMTA

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) celebrates completing the Winchester Center Commuter Rail Station accessibility project. Also, Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) in Montreal is deploying a new fare collection system; and Transit Ambassadors at Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) ratify their first union contract.

Rendering of the Siemens Mobility AP 220 high-speed trainset for Brightline West. (Courtesy of Siemens Mobility)

Transit Briefs: Brightline West, LACMTA, Calgary Transit, NYMTA

Brightline West’s private activity bond sale “exceeds expectations.” Also, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) readies for expanded Foothill Gold Line light rail service; Calgary Transit is launching a two-car train service pilot; and New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) completes more than 50% of a system-wide subway-lighting upgrade project and reports on Reduced-Fare rider use of its new contactless tap-and-go fare payment method.

VIA Rail on March 28 launched an RFQ, seeking a co-development partner for its Dorval Hub Project. (VIA Rail Photograph)

Transit Briefs: VIA Rail Canada, Sound Transit, WMATA

VIA Rail, Canada’s national passenger rail service, launches a request for qualifications (RFQ) for its Dorval Hub Project. Also, construction for a transit-oriented development (TOD) project begins on land contributed by Seattle’s Sound Transit and the City of Bellevue, Wash.; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) celebrates “cherry blossom season” with special train and bus wraps.

LOAD MORE