Transit Briefs: WMATA, Amtrak
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Transit Police leaders graduate from DC Police Leadership Academy (DCPLA). Also, Oklahoma officials want to expand Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer into Kansas.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Transit Police leaders graduate from DC Police Leadership Academy (DCPLA). Also, Oklahoma officials want to expand Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer into Kansas.
Charlotte Area (N.C.) Transit System (CATS) addresses its lack of required Operations Control Center staff. Also, Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority, and an Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga partnership submit proposals for intercity passenger rail service through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development (ID) Program; Greater Cleveland (Ohio) Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) selects Siemens Mobility as the likely supplier of its new light rail vehicle fleet; Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) publishes a three-year safety improvement plan; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) readies for the spring reopening of its Yellow Line.
Seattle’s Sound Transit identifies the preferred alternative for the Ballard Link light rail extension and will conduct Rainier Valley safety improvements in partnership with the city’s transportation department using a $2 million Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Also, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) police department launches a Body-Worn Camera Program.
Amtrak awards Rail Clearance Management system contract. Also, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) lowers its ridership estimate for San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District’s (BART) extension through San José; CapMetro’s Project Connect in Austin, Tex., has five new light rail options; Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is developing a unified, statewide public transit information system for mobile devices; PATH introduces nine-car train service on the Newark (N.J.)-World Trade Center (N.Y.) line; the city of Toronto, Ontario, and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bolster transit system outreach efforts; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) tests new fare gates.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) subways reach 3.94 million riders on a single day for the first time since March 2020. Also, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) gets a service boost systemwide amid ridership surge; and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) releases results from Phase 2 of its Transit Workforce Shortage Study and welcomes hundreds of industry professionals to Washington, D.C., for 2023 Legislative Conference.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is making plans to bring back automatic train operation in 2023. Also, Genesee Valley Transportation Co. (GVT) purchases 74-year-old locomotive in hopes of restoring it and returning it to the rails in Scranton for potential passenger excursions; NJ Transit introduces new cash payment option within its mobile app; and Amtrak Downeaster passengers can continue to purchase alcohol as the train passes through New Hampshire on an interim basis.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on Feb. 28 reported that its plan to change the way it presses wheels on the 7000-series rapid transit cars is under development, based on technical data issued the same day by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The safety move could cost approximately $55 million and take up to three years to complete, the Authority said.
The Bright Orange 2 trainset from Siemens Mobility arrives at Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad. Also, the Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois (RTA) adopts a new strategic plan; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) selects Reflexions to update its website and fare-collection web applications.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces $6 million in funding to explore transportation insecurity that leads to poverty. Also, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announces new partnership between the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) and the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to enhance public safety; NJ Transit engineers say they could strike over pay disparity; the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) latest interactive scorecard reveals more reliable service in January; San Diego County supervisors approve resolution to expand free youth public transit ridership program; ORDC will apply for the first phase of funding to study expanding passenger rail service in Ohio; and tunneling on the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) Bloor-Danforth Subway Line began in January.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochel addresses the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s “fiscal cliff” in her state budget proposal; MTA signs a program management and design services contract to support capital program infrastructure work. Also, south Florida’s Tri-Rail commuter railroad homes in on a 2023 start date for downtown Miami service; and Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority mourns the loss of employee Robert Cunningham, who intervened on behalf of a customer at Potomac Avenue rapid transit station and was a victim of gun violence.