August 2, 2023, marks the 150th anniversary of the world’s first successful cable railway, born right here in San Francisco. To celebrate the occasion, we bring you the story of Andrew Hallidie and the very first cable car company, the Clay Street Hill Railroad.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will tackle critical track and power maintenance as part of its 2023 Trolley Tunnel Blitz. Also, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) riders will soon receive improved wireless connectivity; copper theft causes delays on LA Metro’s rail lines; and the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority’s (RTA) Rampart streetcar line reopening is pushed back to 2024 amid infrastructure delays.
San Francisco’s iconic cable cars are turning 150 this year, and we’re throwing a party to celebrate!
California’s state budget will include a $1.1 billion bailout for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), and Bay Area transit agencies. Also, service improvements on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Red Line begins with more service and fare improvements coming this month; the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) announces Rider’s License for young passengers; and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) delivers Segment 1 of the Honolulu Rail Project to the City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services (DTS).
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announces that rider satisfaction is the highest it has been in 10 years. Also, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Yellow Line train service resumes; the Toronto Transit Commission’s 504A King streetcar resumes service; and Caltrain awards construction contract for Mountain View Transit Center Grade Separation and Access Project.
RAILWAY AGE, MARCH 2023 ISSUE: Rail transit in Northern California is on the rise.
Forty-five years ago on January 31, 1978, San Francisco Muni and city officials along with members of the press took an inaugural ride in the brand new Market Street Subway from Castro Station to Embarcadero.
Brightline reveals first look inside its Orlando Station. Also, Wisconsin mayors submit letter of interest to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to take part in a study that will look at building an Amtrak rail line connecting Green Bay and Milwaukee; construction of a new Coatsville, Pa., station, serving Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is now under way; and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority’s (SFMTA) Central Subway is now open seven days a week.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has asked Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to resubmit 12 corrective action plans addressing required safety improvements. Also, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ) has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to replace AirTrain Newark with a new 2.5-mile elevated guideway train system; San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will offer Central Subway system riders wireless connectivity; Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) form a strategic alliance; Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) and Amtrak celebrated 10 years of service between Norfolk and Washington, D.C.; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) long-awaited Potomac Yard Station is slated to open in May 2023.
Voters in two Massachusetts cities, New Bedford and Fall River, have voted to join the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in allowing the agency to move forward with its South Coast Rail project. Also, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) opens new Muni metro station in the heart of Union Square and announces that it will switch over to a new, upgraded software system.
