Sam Desue, Jr., Selected to Lead TriMet
The TriMet Board of Directors has named Sam Desue, Jr., General Manager; he has served in an interim capacity since March, following Doug Kelsey’s retirement.
Passenger
Is Amtrak Really Coming Home to Alabama?
Is this New Orleans-to-Mobile Amtrak commuter-like train proposal “a rather complex story,” like the meaning behind the lyrics of the 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd hit, Sweet Home Alabama?
Amtrak Debuts Long-Distance Train Improvements
Amtrak unveiled refreshed railcar interiors and other onboard improvements for riders this week at Chicago Union Station, as part of a three-year, $28 million initiative to modernize more than 450 long-distance service cars.
Senate Commerce Committee’s Bipartisan $78B Surface Transportation Bill Advances
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has passed its five-year surface transportation bill authorizing $78 billion for rail, freight, safety and research programs; it is a bipartisan measure supported by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).
Texas Central: Contractor Secured. Funding? (Updated)
Privately funded high-speed rail developer Texas Central has signed a $16 billion “final agreement” with Italian firm Webuild Group and its U.S. subsidiary Lane Construction Corp. to build its 236-mile line connecting Dallas and Houston. Funding, however, is still yet to be secured.
Transit Briefs: Greater Cleveland RTA, Denton County TA, WMATA
Greater Cleveland (Ohio) Regional Transit Authority (RTA) canceled its railcar procurement Request for Proposal (RFP); Denton County (Texas) Transportation Authority (DCTA) received four first-place honors in the 2021 AdWheel Awards, presented by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA); and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Amazon are partnering on a transit-oriented development (TOD) program to create 1,000 affordable housing units.
Final in a Series: From “Commuter Railroads” to “Regional Railroads”
The COVID-19 virus did not kill all of its victims. Most people who were infected with it recovered. Still, the virus not only wreaked havoc on individuals, but also on communities and the economies of those communities. Transit is no exception. It is recovering slowly, but its long-term future is uncertain.
Wabtec, GM Team on New Locomotive Power Systems
Wabtec Corp. and General Motors (GM) have signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding to develop and commercialize GM’s Ultium battery and HYDROTEC hydrogen fuel cell systems to power locomotives.
Fernandez Confirmed as FTA Head
The U.S. Senate on June 10 confirmed Nuria Fernandez as the 15th Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Fernandez is also the first Senate-confirmed woman of color to lead FTA, and the first confirmed Administrator in more than a decade.
Transit Briefs: MBTA, Metrolinx, LACMTA, CTA
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has earned the New England Environmental Business Council Award for Climate Change Project of the Year; Metrolinx, the Toronto-area regional transit agency, has installed roof-mounted solar photovoltaic panels at four stations, saving almost C$1.8 million in energy costs to date; the CRRC Massachusetts plant recently celebrated the arrival of the first of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) new subway cars on order; and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has launched a Transit Ambassador program.