MTA Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) $11.1 billion project to bring commuter rail service to Manhattan’s East Side is on track to start later this year. Riders will travel to a new 700,000 square-foot LIRR terminal, which is nearing completion and now called Grand Central Madison, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA officials announced on May 31.
Metrolinx selected Ricardo Certification to perform safety assessments for the GO Expansion project in Toronto; SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) released three options for its Reimagining Regional Rail project; Connecticut’s Shore Line East commuter rail is now operating M8 Electric Multiple Units (EMU); the Board of Directors for Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) approved the FY 2023 budget; and Valley Metro launched its Tempe (Ariz.) Streetcar system.
MTA Long Island Rail Road President Phillip Eng will retire and hand the throttle to Catherine Rinaldi on Feb. 26; Rinaldi will serve in an interim capacity while continuing as MTA Metro-North Railroad President, a role she’s held since 2018.
RailWorks Transit LLC, in a joint venture with Halmar International, has been awarded the design-build contract for New York MTA’s Metro-North Penn Station Access Project.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) later this month will launch a four-month pilot fare program to encourage riders to use the city’s subways, buses and trains; it includes fare-capping.
New York MTA acting CEO and Board Chair Janno Lieber on Jan. 20 was confirmed by the state Senate to serve in those roles; also confirmed, Elizabeth Velez as an MTA Board member.
MTA Metro-North Railroad has expanded its rider seat availability tracker to Google Maps. In addition, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has scheduled pilot testing of autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle routes in 2022 and 2023; and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has selected WSP USA’s Jannet Walker-Ford to serve on its Executive Committee.
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.
RAILWAY AGE, NOVEMBER 2021 ISSUE: Railway Age’s Women in Rail awards recognize leaders for driving their businesses forward while making a difference in the industry and in their communities.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has released a draft 2045 Transit System Plan. In addition, Denver (Colo.) Regional Transportation District is surveying riders to assess communication needs; MTA Metro-North Railroad is piloting a bike storage program in New York City; and Via Rail Canada will begin the final phase of its gradual service resumption plan in December.
