Build America Bureau

Brightline train in Orlando. (Photo by David C. Lester)

Transit Briefs: Brightline, CTA, Sound Transit, USDOT

Ahead of service to Orlando, train testing of up to 125 mph is beginning for Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad. Also, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is livestreaming the morning rush service conditions on Blue Line O’Hare Branch; Sound Transit’s Link light rail extension from Tacoma to Seattle is delayed again; and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) establishes a partnership with the city of Austin, Tex., to finance mobility and Infrastructure projects, including the $7.1 billion Project Connect.

USDOT: $4.8MM for RIAs

A total of $4.8 million will be awarded under the Regional Infrastructure Accelerators (RIA) program, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported.

“We’re excited to give some of the most promising INFRA finalists a chance to receive a TIFIA loan instead, so we can help advance transformative infrastructure projects all across the country,” Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg said.

First ‘INFRA Extra’ Projects Unveiled

Nationwide, 44 projects that applied for but were not awarded 2021 INFRA competitive grant funding are now INFRA Extra designees, eligible for credit assistance of up to 49% of costs, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Artist Rendering of the Lynwood Link Light Rail Extension’s Mountlake Terrace Station, which is due to open in 2024.

Sound Transit: $3.84B in TIFIA Loans for Project Advancement

Sound Transit will receive up to $3.84 billion in Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans to finance the Downtown Redmond Link Extension and refinance five additional projects, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported Sept. 17.