The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is providing approximately $13 million in FY 2022 grant funding through its Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning. Applications will be accepted through July 25, 2022.
Metrolinx selected Ricardo Certification to perform safety assessments for the GO Expansion project in Toronto; SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) released three options for its Reimagining Regional Rail project; Connecticut’s Shore Line East commuter rail is now operating M8 Electric Multiple Units (EMU); the Board of Directors for Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) approved the FY 2023 budget; and Valley Metro launched its Tempe (Ariz.) Streetcar system.
The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program partners are bolstering STEM education in the Chicago, Ill., area with donations totaling $400,000. Also, Stockton (Calif.) Terminal and Eastern Railroad, a managed affiliate of OmniTRAX, presented a community donation to the Waterloo-Morada Fire District in honor of Pacific Northwest Oil.
Capital Metro (CapMetro) of Austin, Tex., named Dottie Watkins interim CEO. Also, Greater Cleveland (Ohio) Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) elevated Janet Burney to Deputy General Manager, Legal Affairs/General Counsel, and consultancy Urban Engineers appointed Daniel Comorre as Senior Project Manager.
The government of Canada and the province of New Brunswick on May 25 announced multi-million investments to boost shipping capacity in St. John and McAdam.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) now has 20 weeks of rail traffic data for 2022 (ending May 21). Total North American carload and intermodal traffic dipped 3.8% from the same point last year—falling 3.6% in the U.S. and 6.4% in Canada, and rising 3.2% in Mexico.
BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS) and Union Pacific (UP) have answered the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) call to submit service recovery plans—identifying the steps they will take to clear congestion and improve service plus the metrics they will use to evaluate progress over the next six months.
CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS), and the Alabama State Port Authority and its Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks division (collectively, the Port) are again requesting Surface Transportation Board (STB)-sponsored mediation as they “continue to believe that an amicable resolution is possible—one that facilitates a prompt and orderly commencement of Gulf Coast passenger service while protecting the customers and shipping partners that rely on quality freight rail service.”
National Railway Equipment Company (NRE) has appointed Merritt Becker CEO, effective June 1.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., handled 887,357 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) and 820,718 TEUs, respectively, in April 2022. Volumes are expected to grow this summer once COVID-19 lockdowns end in China.
