MARTA GM/CEO Jeffrey Parker Dies at 55
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) General Manager and CEO Jeffrey A. Parker died on Jan. 14.
Connecticut Department of Transportation
CTDOT, LACMTA, NJT, NYMTA: $9.4B in Grants for COVID-19 Response
The Federal Transit Administration is awarding American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 grants for COVID-19 response to the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT, $332.5 million); Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA, $1.24 billion); New Jersey Transit (NJT, $1.6 billion); and New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYMTA, $6.2 billion).
Coming to Metro-North’s Waterbury, CT Branch: PTC, Increased Frequency
MTA Metro-North Railroad’s branch line from Bridgeport to Waterbury, Conn., is being upgraded, and plans call for more trains to run on weekdays, starting next June.
Transit Briefs: UTA, TransLink, SEPTA, CTDOT
Utah Transit Authority’s (UTA) FrontRunner commuter rail service may expand from Provo to Payson. In addition, metro Vancouver’s TransLink has released the first full draft of Transport 2050, the region’s 30-year transportation strategy; Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has selected Huitt-Zollars, Inc. for an 18-month study to create a regional rail network plan; and Connecticut will evaluate Aira, a service providing public transit assistance to individuals who are blind or have low vision.
CSX/Pan Am Merger: Pros and Cons
As a series of Surface Transportation Board comment periods continues for the CSX’s proposed acquisition of Pan Am Railways, letters both for and against the combination have been filed with the STB.
CT Rail Plan Aims to Cut Commuter Travel Time
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti have introduced a new passenger rail plan to boost capacity and improve frequency and travel times in Connecticut over the next 15 years.
APTA, AASHTO Release High-Performance Rail ROI Report
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) have issued a new high-performance rail return on investment report, quantifying the economic and social benefits of passenger rail corridor investments.
Amtrak, Vermont Partners Consider New Brattleboro Station
Amtrak is in talks with the state of Vermont, the town of Brattleboro and host-railroad New England Central Railroad (a Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary) to build a new station in Brattleboro.
FRA’s SOGR Grant Awardees
The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) is distributing $291 million in grants among 11 projects under its FY 2020 Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair (SOGR) Program.
California, Connecticut, New Jersey Win $172.1MM in SOGR Grants
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded grants to California’s North County Transit District (NCTD; $9.8 million), the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and Amtrak ($144 million), and New Jersey Transit ($18.3 million) under the FY 2020 Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair program.