Speaker, House Committee Chairs Announce Five-Year Surface Transportation Bill to Be Funded Through Energy Exploration

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) announced his support for a five-year surface transportation authorization bill on Nov. 17. [More]

DOT Announces More than $100 Million for Innovative and Clean-Fuel Transit Projects

On Nov. 17, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood today announced $112 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding for 46 innovative transit projects selected for their capacity to help cut the nation’s dependence on oil and create a marketplace for 21st -century “green” jobs. [More]

SunLine Transit Agency Unveils Seventh-Generation ‘American Fuel Cell Bus’

The SunLine Transit Agency in Thousand Palms, CA, unveiled the “American Fuel Cell Bus,” a seventh-generation hydrogen-fueled vehicle that the agency notes is the first such vehicle to meet Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Buy America requirements, at ceremonies Nov. 14 at its headquarters. [More]

 

Washington, Prendergast Join APTA Executive Committee

During the 2011 Executive Committee retreat in Savannah, GA, the APTA Executive Committee named Phillip A. Washington, general manager of Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD), and Thomas F. Prendergast, president of MTA New York City Transit (NYC Transit), as members-at-large of the committee. [More]

APTA Members, Staffer Honored for Achievements in Public Transportation

More than 30 APTA members were honored recently for their professional achievements. Metro Magazine profiled the “Top 10 Women in Transportation”—leaders who excel in their field—as well as 24 “Movers and Shakers,” which the magazine defined as “influential people in the public transportation industry on both the public and private sides, from small businesses to large municipal agencies,” in its recent September/October issue. [More]

MATA Celebrates Opening of Airways Transit Center

The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) celebrated the grand opening of its environmentally friendly Airways Transit Center, at the intersection of Airways Boulevard and Brooks Road in Memphis, TN, on Nov. 8. [More]

Lhota Joins New York MTA as Executive Director

Joseph J. Lhota joined New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) as its executive director on Nov. 14. [More]

Holcomb Promoted to CEO in Bridgeport, CT

Douglas Holcomb, an 11-year employee of Greater Bridgeport Transit (GBT) in Bridgeport, CT, has been promoted to chief executive officer. His previous position was planning and service development officer. [More]

MacNeil Heads South Carolina’s Pee Dee RTA

The Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA) in Florence, SC, has named Charles (Chuck) MacNeil as its executive director. He succeeds Janice Baroody, who retired following 16 years with PDRTA, five of them as executive director. [More]

Dr. Rosalyn M. Simon Memorialized with Award, Plaque

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), in conjunction with the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, Easter Seals Project ACTION, and APTA, recently presented the first annual award in memory of Dr. Rosalyn M. Simon (1946-2011). The award will recognize transportation industry professionals who have made meaningful contributions to the advancement of accessible transportation through education, training, and advocacy. [More]

Remembering Veterans in North America on 11/11/11

Public transportation agencies throughout North America recognized the contributions of their veterans on Nov. 11, the holiday known as Veterans Day in the U.S. and Remembrance Day in Canada.  [More]

Aesch: Working Together Means Moving Forward
BY SUSAN BERLIN, Senior Editor

U.S. public transportation agencies find themselves trying to do more with less—and the future prospects are uncertain. How can they make the most of what they have and succeed in difficult times? [More]

APTA NEWS

BMBG to Hold Meeting Jan. 11-13 in Indian Wells, CA

APTA’s Business Member Board of Governors (BMBG) will hold its first meeting of 2012 Jan. 11-13 at the Hyatt Grand Champions Hotel in Indian Wells, CA. [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Travel Channel Spotlights St. Louis Metro

The Travel Channel featured MetroLink, St. Louis Metro’s light rail system, in a recent episode of its series Off Limits. The show follows host Don Wildman as he takes viewers behind the scenes and inside U.S. locations and landmarks they would never be allowed to explore. [More]

GCRTA Opens Rail Station in Slavic Village Neighborhood

For the first time, the Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland has its own rail station—the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (GCRTA) East 55th Street Rapid Station. In the past, residents had to cross a busy intersection and walk directly to the tracks to board GCRTA’s rapid transit vehicles. [More]

Denver RTD Earns Regional Honor for FasTracks

The Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence (RMPEX) Program recently honored Denver’s Regional Transportation District with the Foothills Award for excellence in sound management and systems practices in its FasTracks program. RMPEX is a non-profit effort based on the national Malcolm Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. [More]

COMMENTARY

Transit Systems in Peril: Why Care?
BY NEAL PEIRCE

Why should we spring for the multibillions of hard-to-find dollars that the experts say are necessary to patch up America’s essential—but often deteriorating—public transportation systems? [More]

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Passenger Transport announces the following hirings and promotions in public transportation agencies and business members. Items appear in People on the Move in the order in which they are received. [More]