The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will allocate $544.3 million to seven transit infrastructure projects—five rail-specific— through the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program. This discretionary grant program funds capital investments in rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, streetcars and bus rapid transit (BRT).
The Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority in Phoenix has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract for 14 additional S700 light rail vehicles, primarily for the South Central Extension/Downtown Hub, now under construction. Also under way is Northwest Extension Phase II.
Engineering firm HDR has added Brian Buchanan to its transit practice as a transit principal project manager and transit section manager.
Three more states won’t have to worry about the Federal Transit Administration withholding transportation funding.
The Valley Metro Rail Board has authorized the purchase of rail fleet from two manufacturers to support future growth and service expansion.
Electrified rail transit in Phoenix, Ariz., host city of the 2016 APTA Rail Conference, has been growing rapidly. Valley Metro recently opened two extensions to its light rail network—the Central Mesa LRT and Northwest Extension LRT. Kearny, N.J.-based MAC Products, Inc. won the OCS (overhead catenary system) component contracts for both, and completed them ahead of schedule.
Valley Metro will install a solar plant at its light rail transit operations and maintenance facility in Phoenix, Ariz, awarding a $2.8 million contract to Natural Power and Energy LLC.
The Phoenix City Council, in an 8-to-1 vote, has approved plans for a five-mile Valley Metro light rail transit route extending south of downtown, choosing LRT over Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and streetcar options.
With “galloping me-tooism” at work in a positive vein for light rail transit, Phoenix’s Central City Village has approved a recommendation to extend LRT along a South Central Corridor to serve the neighborhood, citing the need to be included among planned LRT expansion plans.