Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Two additional Amtrak Northeast Regional trains will serve Springfield (Mass.) Union Station starting June 5. (Amtrak Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, GO Transit, NNEPRA, VRE, WMATA

Amtrak is expanding Northeast Regional service. Also, GO Transit adds 12 roundtrips per week between Toronto’s Union Station and Niagara Falls, Ontario; Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), which oversees Amtrak Downeaster service, selects an advertising agency of record; Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will offer fare-free Fridays this summer; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is seeking rider feedback on the look, layout and features of its new 8000 series rapid transit cars, to be built by Hitachi Rail.

A daily roundtrip will be added to the Piedmont starting July 10, according to Amtrak, which operates the intercity passenger train for NCDOT. (NCDOT Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, CTA, TransLink/TTC, WMATA

Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) are boosting Piedmont service between Charlotte and Raleigh. Also, Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Transit-Supportive Development Plan for the Red Line Extension project has been adopted; Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and Vancouver’s TransLink wrap up a pilot testing the effectiveness of antimicrobial copper coatings on high-touch vehicle services; TTC opens a community office ahead of construction at the Bloor-Yonge Station; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) celebrates the grand opening of its 98th station.

Transit Briefs: SFMTA, WMATA, TTC, Caltrain

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.

WMATA is readying for service its newest station: Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Va. (WMATA Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Austin’s Project Connect, Metra, Metrolinx, Tri-Rail, Sound Transit, STM, WMATA

The Austin (Tex.) Transit Partnership awards light rail planning and design contracts for Project Connect. Also, Metra’s Chicagoland commuter rail stations will offer train-tracking and schedule updates on new video monitors; Metrolinx provides an official “first look” at GO Trains on the Davenport Diamond Guideway in Toronto; South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) reveals a new Tri-Rail train wrap; Seattle’s Sound Transit receives a loan to finance its South Sounder Access Improvement Project; residents of the agglomeration of Montréal aged 65 and over will soon ride free on Société de transport de Montréal (STM) transit services; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announces the launch date of its 98th rapid transit station.

Metro Board of Directors Approves WMATA’s $4.8B FY24 Budget

The Metro Board of Directors on April 14 approved the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) $4.8 billion capital and operating budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024, which supports the agency’s “increased rail and bus services, simplifies fares for customers, creates a new low-income fare program, caps MetroAccess fares at $4, and enhances safety measures.”

Image Courtesy of WMATA

Transit Briefs: WMATA, Amtrak

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Transit Police leaders graduate from DC Police Leadership Academy (DCPLA). Also, Oklahoma officials want to expand Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer into Kansas.

A March 31-April 1 inspection of the CATS Operations Control Center by the North Carolina Department of Transportation found that “required staffing levels were not met—and the transit agency was ordered to ‘cease revenue service’ if not addressed the following day,” according to the Charlotte Business Journal. (CATS Photograph)

Transit Briefs: CATS, FRA Corridor ID, GCRTA, MBTA, WMATA

Charlotte Area (N.C.) Transit System (CATS) addresses its lack of required Operations Control Center staff. Also, Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority, and an Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga partnership submit proposals for intercity passenger rail service through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development (ID) Program; Greater Cleveland (Ohio) Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) selects Siemens Mobility as the likely supplier of its new light rail vehicle fleet; Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) publishes a three-year safety improvement plan; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) readies for the spring reopening of its Yellow Line.

Sound Transit’s proposed 7.1-mile extension from downtown Seattle to Ballard includes nine new stations between the Chinatown-International District and Market Street and a new rail-only tunnel through downtown Seattle.

Transit Briefs: Sound Transit, WMATA

Seattle’s Sound Transit identifies the preferred alternative for the Ballard Link light rail extension and will conduct Rainier Valley safety improvements in partnership with the city’s transportation department using a $2 million Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Also, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) police department launches a Body-Worn Camera Program.

Cordel Group PLC and D/Gauge Ltd. (part of the TÜV Rheinland Group) have landed a multi-year contract to provide Amtrak with a Rail Clearance Management system.

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, BART, CapMetro, CTDOT, PATH, TTC, WMATA

Amtrak awards Rail Clearance Management system contract. Also, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) lowers its ridership estimate for San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District’s (BART) extension through San José; CapMetro’s Project Connect in Austin, Tex., has five new light rail options; Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is developing a unified, statewide public transit information system for mobile devices; PATH introduces nine-car train service on the Newark (N.J.)-World Trade Center (N.Y.) line; the city of Toronto, Ontario, and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bolster transit system outreach efforts; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) tests new fare gates.

LOAD MORE