Trinity Metro was joined by representatives of the Federal Transit Administration, Tarrant County Commissioners Court, Fort Worth City Council and other leaders and stakeholders across North Texas to open the Trinity Lakes Station for Trinity Railway Express. Trinity Metro President and CEO Richard Andreski (second from left) was in attendance. (Trinity Metro Photograph)

Transit Briefs: LACMTA, MBTA, Metro Transit, SEPTA, Trinity Metro

The Final Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) is now available for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) planned 14.5-mile light rail line between Los Angeles and the city of Artesia, Calif. Also, the Massachusetts House budget is slated to include “record” funding for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA); Metro Transit of Minneapolis-St. Paul is upgrading its contactless fare system; Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) officially opens the rebuilt and renamed Drexel Station at 30th Street and unveils new fare gate pilot program; and Trinity Metro hosts a grand-opening event for the new Trinity Railway Express station in Fort Worth, Tex.

“Big news, @PATHTrain riders! The PATH Forward program launches with a $430M investment over 2 yrs to upgrade the system ensuring more reliable service, upgraded stations, and rehabilitated train cars,” PANY/NJ reported April 5 via social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. (Photograph Courtesy of PANY/NJ via X)

PANY/NJ Launches $430MM ‘PATH Forward’ Program

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ) on April 5 reported kicking off a two-year, $430 million program to upgrade stations, tracks, bridges and railcars at PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corp.), the fifth-busiest rapid transit system in the United States.

USACE Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon views damage to the fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge. USACE is leading the effort to clear the channel as part of the larger interagency recovery effort to restore operations at the Port of Baltimore. (USACE Photograph by Maj. Spencer Garrison)

USACE Targets End-of-May Restoration of full Port of Baltimore Access

As work to cope with the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse continued, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced a tentative timeline for the restoration of safe navigation in and

The 8.5-mile Link 1 Line light rail extension from Northgate into Lynnwood will open Aug. 30, 2024, adding four new stations. (Sound Transit Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Denver RTD, Sound Transit, WMATA

Denver (Colo.) Regional Transportation District (RTD) spearheads a pilot project that integrates trip planning and fare payment in the Transit app. Also, Washington’s Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) announces the launch date for Link 1 Line service to Lynnwood, Wash.; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) reports that efforts to reduce fare evasion and increase safety are working.

FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool

FTA: $20.5B in FY24 Funding for Transit Agencies

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on April 4 reported that $20.5 billion is available to support public transit for Fiscal Year 2024 and provided full-year tables that specify funding to states, urbanized areas, and tribal governments based on statutory formulas and funding levels set by Congress.

Rail Vision, Loram Launch Pilot Project

Rail Vision Ltd. has received an order from Loram for its AI-driven Shunting Yard System for a pilot project “aimed at leveraging Rail Vision’s advanced technology to enhance Loram’s rail track maintenance

Brightline covers 235 miles between Miami and Orlando. It launched the first phase of its South Florida operations in 2018, connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Stations in Boca Raton and Aventura opened in 2022. Construction of its 170-mile, $6 billion phase two extension from West Palm Beach to Orlando began in 2019 and service launched in September 2023. (Brightline Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Brightline, Capital Line South LRT, GCRTA

Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad, receives “investment-grade” ratings. Also, the city of Edmonton, Alberta, has selected its preferred bidder to design and build Phase 1 of the Capital Line South LRT Extension; and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) launches a new webpage for its Railcar Replacement Program.

The Operations and Maintenance Facility (East) is a LEED Gold certified facility. (Caption and Photograph Courtesy of Sound Transit)
Commentary

Sustainability: Core Feature of Sound Transit’s Eastside Light Rail Base

With all the environmentally friendly features of the 2 Line at Sound Transit, it seems only fitting that the new light rail service will open during Earth Month.

(Metra Photograph)

Metra Outlines 2024 Construction Plan

Metra on April 3 detailed its construction program for 2024, covering station, track, road crossing, bridge, and signal/communications improvement projects along the Chicagoland commuter railroad’s 11 lines totaling nearly 500 route-miles. In

Amtrak Selects Frederick Douglass Tunnel Delivery Partner

Amtrak has selected ADVANCE, a joint venture of AECOM and Jacobs, as Delivery Partner for the $6 billion Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in Baltimore. Amtrak says this

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