Amtrak this month celebrated completing accessibility improvements at Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Railroad Station in Wilmington, Del. Pictured, from left to right: Delaware Gov. John Carney, Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, Amtrak EVP Laura Mason, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), White House Senior Advisor Mitch Landrieu, U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and FRA Administrator Amit Bose.

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, Brightline, CDOT, HART, LACMTA, SRPRA

Amtrak completes Wilmington, Del., station renovations. Also, Brightline releases Miami-to-Orlando, Fla., ridership data; Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is exploring northwest passenger rail service; the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) targets late 2023 to sign a new Full Funding Grant Agreement with Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART); Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) Ambassador Program may become permanent; and Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority (SRPRA) in Pennsylvania renews its contract with consultancy Transportation for America.

Accessibility upgrades were celebrated at Amtrak’s Del Rio station in Texas. (Amtrak Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, CTA, LACMTA, NJ Transit

Amtrak completes station accessibility upgrades in Texas and West Virginia. Also, ridership growth at Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) continues into September; Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) celebrates a $38.2 million grade separation project grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); and New Jersey Transit debuts contactless fare payment for light rail and bus riders.

CTA’s “Transit-Supportive Development Plan” for its Red Line Extension Project has been recognized with a 2023 Strategic Plan Award from the American Planning Association-Illinois Chapter (APA-IL). (CTA Photograph)

Transit Briefs: CTA, LACMTA, Metro Transit (Minn.)

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) earns a strategic plan award for its $3.6 billion Red Line Extension Project and reports downward trends in crime. Also, more than 250,000 people are now enrolled in Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) low-income fare program; and Metro Transit workers in Minneapolis, Minn., vote to authorize a strike.

Amtrak and Connersville, Ind., held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of an accessibility upgrade project at the city’s Cardinal-served passenger rail station. (Amtrak Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, Denver RTD, LACMTA

Amtrak celebrates the completion of a $1.9 million station project in Connersville, Ind. Also, Denver Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) FasTracks bonds rating is upgraded; and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) new Regional Connector project helps boost July ridership.

Alstom’s Mark V cars “will make SkyTrain better and more convenient for our customers, with added amenities for people using mobility devices, strollers, and bicycles,” reported Kevin Quinn, CEO of TransLink, which on Aug. 22 unveiled the new cars (above) that have entered the testing phase at a Kingston, Ontario, facility. (TransLink Photograph)

Transit Briefs: TransLink, Amtrak, Brightline, LACMTA, NJT, WMATA

TransLink offers a preview of its new Alstom-built Mark V cars for the SkyTrain automated rapid transit system in metro Vancouver. Also, Amtrak has approved a stop in De Soto, Mo., for its Texas Eagle line; Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad, selects Comply365’s mobile app for crews; Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) is renaming its West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor project; New Jersey Transit (NJT) ranks on Forbes’ America’s Best-in-State Employers 2023 list; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) reduces fare evasion by more than 70% with its new, higher faregates.

TriMet’s “A Better Red” project to completely replace the Portland International Airport MAX station and install a second track along the alignment, between the new station and Air Cargo Road, has hit its halfway mark. (TriMet Photograph)

Transit Briefs: LACMTA, MDOT, Metrolinx, SEPTA, Trillium Line, TriMet

A recent poll finds community support for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) C Line (Green) extension to Torrance, Calif. Also, Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) team on a new approach to transit-oriented development; the Ontario, Canada, government is investing in infrastructure upgrades at Metrolinx’s Aurora GO Station; six of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s (SEPTA) 1940s-era PCC cars will return to service next month; the DMU Trillium Line’s hand-over to the city of Ottawa, Ontario, has been delayed again; and Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) is on schedule to reopen the MAX Red Line on Oct. 22.

DART is adding more than 100 contract transit security officers to improve public safety and security for riders onboard its light rail vehicles and Trinity Railway Express commuter railcars and at stations. (DART Photograph)

Transit Briefs: DART, LACMTA, OC Transpo, WMATA, Amtrak

Contract transit security officers will join Dallas (Tex.) Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) police and fare enforcement officer team. Also, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) provides a progress report on its strategic goals in FY 2023 and reviews plans for FY 2024; Ottawa’s OC Transpo expects to resume light rail service this month on its Confederation Line; Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) begins rolling out new, higher faregates to help prevent fare evasion; and Amtrak’s public art program showcases two new installations at New York Penn Station.

The LACMTA Board has approved pursuing an in-house transit police department. (LACMTA Photo, Via Twitter)

Transit Briefs: LACMTA, MARTA, MBTA, Metra, TransLink

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) eyes an in-house transit police department, and in May marked the six consecutive month of year-over-year ridership growth. Also, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) advances the $230 million Streetcar East Extension project; Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in July will temporarily close the Green Line’s B Branch for a track upgrade; Metra launches a $33.9 million, three-station rebuild project in Chicago; and Vancouver’s TransLink releases study results showing that developer-sponsored incentives boost transit ridership and revenues.

The city of Torrance, Calif., on June 9 held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center, which will serve as the future light rail terminus of LACMTA’s C Line. (Photograph Courtesy of Torrance City Mayor George Chen, via Facebook)

Transit Briefs: LACMTA, Omaha Streetcar, SBCTA, Shore Line East, TTC

The city of Torrance, Calif., opens a new transit center, the future light rail terminus for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) C Line. Also, the Omaha, Neb., streetcar project advances; San Bernardino County (Calif.) Transportation Authority (SBCTA) readies for delivery of its HFC (hydrogen fuel cell) trainset; Connecticut reduces funding for Shore Line East commuter rail service; and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) reports that its safety and security incidents are declining.

Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner earlier this month received the Honorable Ray LaHood Award for 2023 at WTS International’s annual conference in Atlanta, Ga. (Amtrak Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, LACMTA, Maryland DOT Maryland MTA, SMART, TTC

WTS (Women’s Transportation Seminar) International recognizes Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner for his commitment to advancing women in transportation. Also, the TAP fare card program for 26 Los Angeles County transit agencies, including LACMTA, expands its vendor network; Baltimore (Md.) Metropolitan Council issues a long-range regional transportation plan, which includes capital projects for Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration; Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) in California is launching an on-demand microtransit shuttle to the airport; and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in Ontario, Canada selects SNC-Lavalin to provide enterprise asset management services.

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