Austin Transit Partnership

Rendering of a new light rail bridge crossing Lady Bird Lake. (Austin Transit Partnership)

Unveiled: Project Connect’s First Phase Alignment

The Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) on May 23 recommended a 9.8-mile, 15-station light rail alignment as the first phase of Project Connect, based on the expertise of partners ATP, the city of Austin, Tex., and CapMetro as well as community input.

As part of the Blue-Ribbon Panel's Final Report on Fare Evasion, the New York MTA plans to reimagine its subway fare gate system to "improve accessibility and deter evasion." (MTA photo)

Transit Briefs: VIA Rail, SMART, Austin’s Project Connect, NYMTA

VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) provides yearly progress update on sustainability plan. Also, the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) offers free public transit for K-12 youth; Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) recommends two Austin Light Rail options to transit leaders; and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Blue-Ribbon Panel unveils multi-layered plan with cutting-edge technology to reduce fare and toll evasion.

WMATA is readying for service its newest station: Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Va. (WMATA Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Austin’s Project Connect, Metra, Metrolinx, Tri-Rail, Sound Transit, STM, WMATA

The Austin (Tex.) Transit Partnership awards light rail planning and design contracts for Project Connect. Also, Metra’s Chicagoland commuter rail stations will offer train-tracking and schedule updates on new video monitors; Metrolinx provides an official “first look” at GO Trains on the Davenport Diamond Guideway in Toronto; South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) reveals a new Tri-Rail train wrap; Seattle’s Sound Transit receives a loan to finance its South Sounder Access Improvement Project; residents of the agglomeration of Montréal aged 65 and over will soon ride free on Société de transport de Montréal (STM) transit services; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announces the launch date of its 98th rapid transit station.