MTA

New York MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber joined New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban at Fulton Transit Center on March 28 to announce a pilot program of weapon detectors, manufactured by Evolv, that can be deployed at subway entrances. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)

Transit Briefs: MBTA, NCDOT, NYMTA, BART

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) plans a low-income fare program and graduates another large class of heavy rail (rapid transit) engineers. Also, North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) revises the design for a new passenger railcar maintenance facility; New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will pilot firearm detection technology; and San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) reports a surge in arrests.

“Metro-North is always looking for opportunities to innovate and be more efficient in how we maintain our systems and equipment and provide service to our customers,” Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi said during the announcement of a federal grant the commuter railroad will use to test an automated railcar inspection system. (Photograph Courtesy of MTA)

Metro-North to Pilot Automated Railcar Inspection

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will use a $2 million federal grant to test an automated railcar inspection system on its commuter railroad in New York and Connecticut, which it said will provide “early detections of existing and future defects, allowing conditions to be addressed immediately, reducing repair and replacement time.”

New York MTA officials were joined by “Equity in Infrastructure Project” (EIP) founders Phillip A. Washington and John D. Porcari, and Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval R. Carter, Jr., who also serves as EIP Chair, to sign the EIP pledge on March 7. (New York MTA Photograph).

Transit Briefs: NYMTA, SacRT, Metrolink, WMATA, NJT, Houston Metro

New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) signs the “Equity in Infrastructure Project” Pledge. Also, Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) is developing mobility hubs at three light rail stations; Southern California’s Metrolink extends its fare-free pilot program for students; Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) marks improvements in ridership, customer satisfaction, public safety and fare collection while reducing expenses; New Jersey Transit (NJT) expands its partnership with Comcast Business; and Houston Metro (Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Tex.) selects Copperleaf to help improve asset management.

“The tremendous growth in ridership is a result of the substantial investments North Carolina and Virginia are making to expand and improve passenger rail,” Amtrak Vice President Ray Lang said on Feb. 28. “Customers are taking advantage of a sustainable way to travel to the many destinations our network offers.” (Amtrak Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, NYMTA, Metrolinx

Virginia and North Carolina are home Amtrak’s busiest stations in the Southeast. Also, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) provides an update on expanding Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer; New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Chief Accessibility Officer earns Presidential Volunteer Award; and Metrolinx’s maintenance and storage facility for the Finch West LRT project in Toronto receives LEED Silver Certification.

BART’s overall customer satisfaction rating in the most recent Passenger Experience Survey (PES) reached 81%, which is 7% higher than the previous quarter, according to the transit agency. (BART Photograph)

Transit Briefs: BART, Metro-North, VIA Rail, WMATA

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) reports rider satisfaction gains. Also, MTA Metro-North Railroad completes its third station-accessibility project in 2024; VIA Rail Canada calls on Ottawa to replace its long-distance fleet; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) increases police patrols on trains and buses.

The Office of Customer Experience is now open at Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration, which operates local and commuter buses, Light Rail, Metro Subway, MARC Train service and a Mobility paratransit system. (Maryland DOT Photograph)

Transit Briefs: MDOT MTA, NYMTA, STM, Skyline

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) launches the Office of Customer Experience. Also, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) capital repairs are slated to cost $43 billion over five years; Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is cutting operating budget costs in 2024 due to a shortfall; and an amended Full Funding Grant Agreement has been signed for Honolulu’s Skyline.

Transit Tech Lab Releases Results for Human Capital, Operational Efficiency Challenges

The New York MTA/Partnership for New York City Transit Tech Lab on Jan. 22 released the results of its 2023 human capital and operational efficiency challenges. The 13 winners, including Humatics, TekTracking and Wi-Tronix, each completed proof-of-concept collaborations with area transit agencies, which aim to use their LiDAR (light detection and ranging), AI (artificial intelligence), and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies “to mitigate service disruptions, automate operations, and combat workforce shortages,” Transit Tech Lab reported.

The Federal Railroad Administration has cleared Amtrak’s new Avelia Liberty trainsets to begin testing on the Northeast Corridor, according to The New York Times. (Amtrak Image)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, Caltrain, Maryland DOT, Metra, Montreal ARTM, New York State

Amtrak’s “Avelia Liberty” trainsets are cleared for testing on the Northeast Corridor. Also, Caltrain celebrates 160 years of rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, Calif.; Maryland Gov. Wes Moore restores $150 million in transportation funding; Chicago’s Metra is launching a pilot program for reduced fares systemwide; the Montreal region’s transit authority (ARTM) is considering new transit options that would link downtown Montreal with the city’s western boroughs; and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul provides highlights of the proposed FY2025 budget, which includes funding for the planned Interborough Express and the Second Avenue Subway’s westward expansion.

RTD will introduce systemwide lower fares starting Jan. 1. (Denver RTD Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Denver RTD, NJ Transit, NYMTA, LIRR

Denver Regional Transit District (RTD) on Jan. 1 will launch systemwide lower fares. Also, AECOM lands a design contract for New Jersey Transit’s New Brunswick commuter rail station; New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYMTA) is pre-qualifying vendors for new subway system fare gates; and HNTB earns an award for the MTA Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) Jamaica Capacity Improvements (JCI) program, Phase 1–Platform F.

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