Light Rail

Ken Kessler, Chief Financial Officer, Valley Metro, Phoenix, Ariz. (left); Stuart Summers, Chief Communications and Engagement Officer, Regional Transportation District (RTD), Denver, Colo.

People News: Valley Metro, RTD

Valley Metro in Phoenix, Ariz., appoints Ken Kessler as Chief Financial Officer. Also, Denver (Colo.) Regional Transportation District (RTD) hires Stuart Summers as Chief Communications and Engagement Officer.

LACMTA’s Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 project would extend the L Line nine miles from East Los Angeles (at Pomona and Atlantic boulevards) to Whittier, serving the cities of Commerce, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, and Whittier, and the unincorporated communities of East Los Angeles and West Whittier-Los Nietos. (Rendering Courtesy of LACMTA)

Route OK’d for LACMTA’s Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) will extend its L (Gold) light rail line approximately 4.6 miles east from the current terminus at Pomona/Atlantic in East Los Angeles to Greenwood Station in Montebello. The Board on Dec. 1 approved this alignment as the initial operating segment for the nine-mile Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 project, which will extend the L Line in phases to Whittier.

“Our new fare capping policy will save our customers money and ensure that no one overpays,” LACMTA CEO Stephanie Wiggins said on Dec. 2. (LACMTA Photo, Via Twitter)

Transit Briefs: LACMTA, NCDOT/Amtrak, OLI, VTA

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board approves a new fare policy. Also, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) completes the first phase of construction for a new Amtrak station in Charlotte; Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) awards more than $140,000 in grants to eight transit agencies in six states; and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) receives authority to pursue federal funding for up to 50% of the cost of Phase II of the BART Silicon Valley Extension Project.

TAP wearables are back for a limited time and are available at Metro Customer Centers.

Transit Briefs: LA Metro, BART, WMATA, East-West Rail, Santa Cruz RTC, NYMTA

LA Metro releases limited edition TAP wearables at Customer Centers. Also, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) approves developer for North Berkley Transit Oriented Development (TOD); a new transit station area plan for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Huntington Metro Station, which serves the Yellow Line in Northern Virginia, has been approved; the East-West Rail Commission plans first hearing on Boston-Springfield passenger service; the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) pursues concept report for electric rail; and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grants the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) a waiver for train safety at Grand Central Madison.

LRT Growth Continues, But at Restricted Speed (UPDATED With Commentary)

RAILWAY AGE, NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE: Light rail was a transit phenomenon like none other since the advent of the streetcar itself. A transit mode that burst onto the scene four decades ago, it brought rail transit to dozens of locations in the U.S. and Canada that had lost it during the mid-20th century. It deserves credit for revitalizing urban neighborhoods and central business districts, re-establishing rail transit as an important component of mobility and economic development. It accomplished all that despite having a title that virtually none of its riders understood, and without an agreed-upon definition or taxonomy.

Railway Age/RT&S LRT Conference Spotlights the Tech Side

More than 100 conferees from transit management and the supply and consulting industry gathered in Boston on Nov. 16-17 for “Light Rail: Planning, Engineering & Operations,” which returned to an in-person format following two virtual events in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New York MTA on Nov. 30 said it “needs to boost fares above its expected 4% hike and may be forced to cut service and implement layoffs if state and city lawmakers fail to direct more aid to the system to help fix an estimated $3 billion deficit in 2025,” according to a Bloomberg report. (Photograph Courtesy of MTA)

Transit Briefs: NYMTA, Sound Transit, VIA Rail

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has released its proposed 2023 budget and four-year financial plan. Also, live-wire testing continues for Sound Transit’s East Link light rail line, which will extend 14 miles from downtown Seattle to Redmond, Wash.; and VIA Rail Canada has released a third-quarter 2022 report and entered into a long-term agreement with CGI for work on its new online reservation system.

NYCT crews have completed deep cleaning at six out of the nine Bronx stations with the final three expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

Transit Briefs: NYCT, MBTA, Amtrak

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) announces launch of “Station ReNEWvation Program.” Also, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) South Coast Rail is on track for late 2023 start; and Amtrak releases Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) summary.

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