Taking a Forward Look: Industry Experts Contribute Views, Raise Questions
BY SUSAN R. PAISNER, Senior Managing Editor

As Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee said: “It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.”

A cross-section of APTA members interviewed for this issue reflected that thought, time and again. And in terms of looking ahead, nearly all of them identified authorization of a long-term multimodal surface transportation bill as the top issue for the industry in the coming year. [More]

 

Legislative Issues Facing The Next Congress
BY ROBERT HEALY, APTA Vice President-Government Affairs

Following one of the more tumultuous years in Washington, DC, in recent memory, APTA members will need to maintain their strong and effective advocacy in order to advance the industry’s legislative agenda in 2012! [More]

Introducing Two New Columns!

As part of APTA President & CEO Michael P. Melaniphy's vision to broaden the outreach of the association, Passenger Transport is pleased to announce two new recurring columns. [More]

Sacramento Opens Light Rail Station; Will Serve Future Line

The Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) opened its newest light rail station, located on 8th Street between H and I streets in downtown Sacramento, CA, on Jan. 9. [More]

MTI Studies Multimodal Operations in Atlanta

The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) has published a report that uses a study of Atlanta’s multimodal, multi-destination transit network to recommend improvements that may help increase overall ridership. Understanding Transit Ridership Demand for a Multi-Destination, Multi-Modal Transit Network in an American Metropolitan Area addresses the particular needs of those who travel primarily by rail or primarily by bus and makes recommendations to further integrate and improve both modes. [More]

Report: BRT Will Lead to Improved Air Quality

The implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will provide quantifiable public health benefits and cost savings through improved air quality for a transit corridor of the congested city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, according to a study conducted by Abt Associates, Bethesda, MD, for the Asian Development Bank. [More]

TCRP Program Names New Ambassadors

The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Dissemination Program recently selected 18 new individuals to serve as Ambassadors for the program during the 2012-2014 term. These industry professionals will travel to various areas of the country to enhance the understanding, acceptance, and use of TCRP-sponsored research products. [More]

DeCroce Dies; Major Supporter of NJ Transit

New Jersey Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, 75, died Jan. 9 in the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton immediately following the final voting session of the 214th Legislature. DeCroce represented Morris County for 23 years. [More]

2012: THE YEAR AHEAD

New Transit Capital Projects Opening in 2012
BY SUSAN BERLIN, Senior Editor

Public transportation agencies throughout North America are engaged in providing more mobility choices for riders in 2012.  Here are a few examples of rail and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service expansions coming soon—and when they plan to enter service. [More]

Looking Ahead: More APTA Members Contribute Opinions

Here are additional comments from representatives of APTA member public transit systems and business members regarding their view of the year ahead in public transportation. [More]

What CATS Is Doing To Keep Moving Forward In 2012
BY CAROLYN FLOWERS, Chief Executive Officer, Charlotte Area Transit System, Charlotte, NC

The passage by Congress of federal surface transportation authorization legislation in 2012 will be crucial for all public transportation agencies as we plan for the future. Long-term funding is essential to maintaining current service and infrastructure as well as developing commuting options. [More]

Transit Construction Cost Index Tracks Trends
BY DR. KUMUDU GUNASEKERA and BRAD SHIP, Strategic Consulting Group, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Washington, DC

Now that changing cost trends—alternation between rapid escalation and decline in unit costs—for public transportation construction projects have returned to a more normal pattern, public transit agencies likely will not be able to count on industry unit costs as a means to control their budgets. This is a change from the recent past, when agencies and other public-sector sponsors of such investments could stretch available funds further as a result of the unit cost deflation that ensued just after the global financial crisis in the autumn of 2008. [More]

APTA MEMBER PROFILE

Meet John Lewis!

This is the first in a series of columns showcasing APTA members. The subject of this profile is John H. Lewis Jr., chief executive officer of LYNX in Orlando, FL. [More]

MEET THE APTA STAFF

Meet John Neff!

This is the first in a series of stories showcasing members of the APTA staff. The subject of this profile is John Neff, senior policy researcher in the Policy Department.  [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Valley Metro Celebrates Arizona’s Centennial with Special Passes

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of Arizona achieving statehood in 2012, Valley Metro in Phoenix released its 2012 Commemorative Arizona Centennial Transit Pass this month at an event at Central Station featuring cowboys on horseback. [More]

DASH Makes City of Alexandria’s 10 Environmental Achievements of 2011

Because of its purchase of hybrid vehicles in 2011, the Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) in Alexandria, VA, has earned recognition from the city’s Department of Transportation & Environmental Services, Office of Environmental Quality, for one of the city’s top 10 environmental achievements during the year. [More]

Maryland MTA Extends Program for Customers to ‘Rate Your Ride’

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) in Baltimore began administering the “Rate Your Ride” program on Jan. 9. [More]

COTA Names Park-and-Ride Facility for 38-Year Agency Employee

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) in Columbus recently renamed its park-and-ride facility in Reynoldsburg, OH, in honor of longtime agency employee Jim Hutcherson. Reynoldsburg Mayor Brad McCloud and COTA President/Chief Executive Officer Bill Lhota participated in the program to rededicate the facility as the “James M. Hutcherson Reynoldsburg Park and Ride.” [More]

IndyGo Repurposes Bush Stadium Seats at Indianapolis Bus Stops

IndyGo in Indianapolis has joined with the People for Urban Progress (PUP)—a non-profit organization that promotes and advances public transit, environmental awareness, and urban design—to enhance some public transportation stops throughout Indianapolis with refurbished seats from Bush Stadium. [More]

COMMENTARY

The Recession Squeeze on Buses and Trains
BY ELEANOR RANDOLPH

 For the average American driver, the time wasted in traffic jams has more than doubled in 30 years. The best way of easing that gridlock—not to mention saving gas, curbing pollution and finally finishing that novel—is public transit.

Yet, as more Americans are sensibly leaving their cars at home and opting for the bus or train, mass transit is in deep financial trouble. “We are going over the cliff,” Elliot Sander, chairman of the Regional Plan Association, said recently. “We will be back where we were in the 1970s and 1980s, where the older systems across the country are literally falling apart.” [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]