CSX will use a $5 million grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to support equipment upgrades, track work, and paving the dirt and gravel yard at its Detroit Livernois Intermodal Facility in southwest Detroit.
The state of Maryland’s six-year transportation spending plan includes some $3.3 billion in proposed cuts across modal administrations to address “declining revenue projections,” it reported Dec. 5.
AmeriStarRail proposes a battery electric streetcar system for Wilmington, Del. Also, CTA President Dorval R. Carter is named Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP) Co-Chair; the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) aims to boost officer retention with a new Police Association contract and announces that Commuter Rail ridership has reached a new post-pandemic peak; the Gateway Development Commission can now officially receive checks from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA); the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) awards two contracts to study potential transit-oriented development (TOD) at light rail and subway stations; the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Board approves a new contract agreement with TWU Local 234; and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) enters into an agreement with 13 rail labor unions.
The Michigan State Transportation Commission (STC) on Nov. 9 approved the final version of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) 2024-2028 Five-Year Transportation Program (5YTP) for posting on the agency’s website and transmission to the Michigan Legislature State Budget Director, and the House and Senate fiscal agencies by March 1, 2024.
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.
Amtrak is hosting in-person and virtual hiring events on June 14, and will temporarily suspend some Michigan-to-Chicago Wolverine service. Also, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) approves a two-year budget, including a fare hike; Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is seeking public input to help shape its long-range transportation plan; New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will introduce blue lighting inside select subway stations; and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ) issues a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the AirTrain Newark replacement program.
President Joe Biden traveled to Baltimore, Md., on Jan. 30 to join Amtrak, U.S. Department of Transportation and the state of Maryland to kick off the Baltimore and Potomac (B&P) Tunnel replacement
Ahead of service to Orlando, train testing of up to 110 mph continues for Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad. Also, Hitachi Rail publishes a study on attitudes toward public transport across eight global cities; former Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager and CEO Paul Wiedefeld is tapped as Maryland’s next Transportation Secretary; Warren Buffett speaks out against planned streetcar service in Omaha, Neb.; Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) receives the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Gold Standard Award for transit security and emergency preparedness programs; and a new Seattle, Wash., program gives free transit cards to public housing residents.
As Rail Safety Week (RSW) (Sept. 19-25), a collaborative effort among Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), state OLI programs and rail safety partners across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, continues to be observed, North American carriers and organizations are mobilizing to raise awareness about rail safety and to help stop track tragedies during this annual week-long event. Here is a roundup of the week’s initiatives.
Metrolink launches discount program for low-income train riders. Also, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)’s newly improved Orange Line stations will reopen on schedule featuring platform and customer upgrades; Valley Metro’s South Central Extension/Downtown Hub is halfway to the goal line; the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) releases $19.9 billion draft six-year capital budget plan; new reserved bike rooms are opening at five of Metrolinx’s GO stations; and LA Metro releases final limited edition TAP cards featuring rider portraits.
