California’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and partner San Francisco Bay Area transit agencies approve standardized sign designs. Also, Plano, Tex., cancels its Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) withdrawal election.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) on Jan. 30 reported reaching an agreement with the Office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state’s Department of Finance for a $590 million loan that will “avert major service cuts” at San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Caltrain, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Muni, and Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) during the 2026-27 fiscal year that begins July 1.
California’s Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) secures state funding for new LRVs (light rail vehicles) and station construction and other transit projects. Also, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) celebrates the phase one-opening of a Carollton, Tex.-based transit-oriented development; and San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and 23 regional transit partners launch an electronic fare payment system.
KC Streetcar #814 arrives in Kansas City. Also, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Bay Area transit agencies debut new transit maps and signs; the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) budget proposal includes targeted rail service increases; and Amtrak releases its Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Year-End Summary video.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) celebrates the upcoming one-year anniversary of the agency’s opening of Grand Central Madison. Also, Metrolinx partners with AccessNow to provide detailed accessibility information; the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) begins running a second set of new Red Line train cars; and Phase II of the Clipper® BayPass Program, jointly managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), is now under way.
A project is under way to unify San Francisco Bay Area transit maps and signs. Also, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) renames the West Santa Ana Branch Corridor Project to avoid rider confusion; and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Amtrak Virginia set ridership records in 2023.
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is the first employer to sign up for Clipper BayPass, the Bay Area’s first unlimited regional transit pass, according to San Francisco Bay Area Rapid
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) are expanding their unlimited transit pass pilot program. Also, a Massachusetts legislative-panel report finds that MassDOT should run east-west passenger rail; Metrolinx addresses the launch date for Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto; New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is considering recommendations for a congestion pricing toll rate schedule; Sacramento (Calif.) Regional Transit District (SacRT) provides a light rail transit-modernization update; and California Transit Association elects San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s (MTS) Sharon Cooney as Chair.
Amtrak and Vornado Realty Trust transform the 7th Avenue and 32nd Street entrance of New York Penn Station. Also, Chicago’s Metra commuter railroad debuts its holiday trains; North Carolina’s Carolinian and Piedmont intercity passenger rail services experience record-breaking ridership; a new site designation will promote Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (SCVTA) transit-oriented communities; and Seattle’s Sound Transit is testing an accessibility app to improve wayfinding for riders with vision disabilities.
![“This [emergency transit operations] funding [plan] from the MTC supports BART’s new Safe and Clean Plan to welcome riders back to our system and it buys us time to explore a sustainable funding model while avoiding devasting service cuts,” San Francisco Bay Area Transit District (BART) General Manager Bob Powers said Nov. 15.](https://www.old.railwayage.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/giorgio-trovato-G_OrUEadUzo-unsplash-1-315x168.jpeg)
California’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) approves an emergency transit operations funding plan. Also, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) extends its partnership with City of Chicago to provide outreach and assistance to unhoused riders; the village of Westbury, N.Y., completes a rezoning project to promote transit-oriented development near MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR); and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ) releases proposed 2024 budget that advances a new PATH fare payment system and the development of a new AirTrain Newark system.
