MTA Metro North Railroad

NYMTA Projects Balanced Budget Through 2027

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on July 17 released its five-year financial plan showing a balanced budget through 2027, the first time in more than 20 years the Authority has projected a balanced budget for five consecutive years.

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WOMEN IN RAIL 2022

RAILWAY AGE, NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE: Railway Age’s Women in Rail awards program celebrates strong women who excel at leadership, serving the community and contributing to the industry—above and beyond their day-to-day job responsibilities.

The final Brookville LRV to support Sound Transit’s T Line Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension has arrived in Tacoma, Wash. (Photograph Courtesy of Sound Transit)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, NYMTA, SEPTA, Sound Transit, Tri-Rail

Amtrak completes station upgrades in northeastern Missouri. Also, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) holds station operations exercise at Grand Central Madison; Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) celebrates “a century of elevation”; the last of five LRV’s has arrived to support Sound Transit’s 2.4-mile extension of the Tacoma (Wash.) Link line; and south Florida’s Tri-Rail commuter railroad moves another step closer to serving MiamiCentral Station.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (far left), New York City Mayor Eric Adams (far right), and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell joined MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber at Grand Central-42 Street on Oct. 22, 2022 to announce new initiatives in NYCT subway safety and security. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)

Transit Briefs: LIRR, NYCT, REM

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) crews have entered the final stages of testing ahead of Grand Central Madison’s opening. Also, new safety initiatives are under way for MTA New York City Transit subways; and CDPQ Infra reports the opening of South Shore REM (Réseau express métropolitain) stations will be delayed.

New York MTA late last year launched a Track Trespassing Task Force to study ways to reduce track intrusions, which increased by 20% between 2019 and 2021 across its subway and commuter rail systems, resulting in 68 fatalities in 2021.

New York MTA Tackling Track Intrusion

Platform screen doors and track intrusion detection technology will be pilot tested on New York City subways as part of a multi-pronged safety initiative that was announced at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Feb. 24 Board meeting.

MTA Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi (pictured, center) helped unveil the $95 million White Plains, N.Y., station renewal project on Nov. 1. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, Metra, MTA Metro-North, Trinity Metro

Amtrak is introducing new ticket kiosks. In addition, Chicago’s Metra has broken ground on the Peterson Ridge Station; MTA Metro-North Railroad has completed a $95 million renewal of its White Plains, N.Y., station; and Texas’ Trinity Metro has appointed Paul J. Ballard interim President and CEO.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has deployed ShakeAlert, an early earthquake warning system, at all bus and rail division facilities.

Transit Briefs: LACMTA; NYMTA; SFRTA; STM; Metra

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) has installed earthquake early warning systems at 26 rail and bus division facilities. In addition, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is forming a subsidiary to oversee the new East Side Access project terminal; South Florida Regional Transportation Authority’s (SFRTA) Tri-Rail is resuming full service; Thales has delivered interlocking systems for three Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) rapid transit stations; and Wabtec will provide doors, brakes, HVAC systems and event recorders for Metra’s new multilevels.

TransLink—which runs SkyTrain automated rapid transit, West Coast Express commuter rail, bus and SeaBus ferry services—has teamed with SCRAP-IT to offer a Compass Card rebate to riders exchange for their older automobiles.

Transit Briefs: TransLink, MTA Metro-North, SEPTA

Metro-Vancouver’s TransLink is offering fare card rebates to riders who scrap their older fossil fuel-powered cars and trucks. In addition, MTA Metro-North Railroad on Oct. 4 celebrated the completion of its ADA-compliant Port Jervis Station in New York; and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Board has approved measures to add more social outreach workers.

MTA Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber was among the officials touring construction of the East Side Access Project—connecting Long Island Rail Road to a new 350,000-square-foot passenger terminal under Grand Central Terminal—on May 27. (Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)

ESA On Track for ’22 Opening

Civil construction of MTA Long Island Rail Road’s East Side Access (ESA) project has wrapped up, with third rail to be electrified and test trains to run this summer before LIRR service to Grand Central Terminal begins in December 2022.