NEWS HEADLINES

DOT Secretary Foxx Weighs In: Public Transportation in 2013

Passenger Transport recently had the opportunity to pose several questions to DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx regarding the state of public transportation. He commented on a wide range of topics, from MAP-21 to bipartisanship, high-speed rail, his priorities, and what’s ahead for public transportation. [More]

UTA Launches S-Line: First Streetcar Operation in Salt Lake City Region

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) in Salt Lake City marked the opening of its first streetcar line, the S-Line, with ceremonies Dec. 5 at the South Salt Lake City and Fairmont stations. The two-mile S-Line—the first segment of UTA’s planned Sugar House Streetcar—is the first modern streetcar in the UTA system, joining buses, TRAX light rail, and FrontRunner commuter rail. [More]

Federal Issues Marked By Uncertainty, Gridlock
BY CHRISTIAN RICHARDS, APTA Legislative Analyst

This year was—quietly—a wild one for public transportation. While there was no major surface transportation authorization bill like last year, the process of implementing the legislation—the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)—came into full swing. Additionally, the industry had to weather the federal government shutdown, develop recommendations for the next authorization bill, and work with industry partners to call attention to the solvency issues facing the Highway Trust Fund. [More]

PSTA Breaks Ground for New Transit Center

 Leaders and staff from the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), the city of Pinellas Park, FL, and state, county, and local elected officials participated in a groundbreaking on Dec. 2 for a new transit service center in Pinellas Park. [More]

MD MTA Begins Work on New Baltimore Bus Facility

The Maryland Transit Administration (MD MTA) broke ground recently on a $140 million project to replace the 66-year-old Kirk Avenue Bus Facility in northeast Baltimore. In attendance were DOT Deputy Secretary John D. Porcari, FTA Administrator Peter M. Rogoff, Maryland Transportation Secretary James T. Smith Jr., Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. [More]

APTA Report Studies Transit’s Impact on Business Clusters

 Companies located in the nation’s most productive regions need additional public transportation to reach their full employment potential, according to a recent APTA-commissioned report, The Role of Transit in Support of High Growth Business Clusters in the U.S. [More]

FRA Issues Safety Advisory

FRA issued an industry-wide safety advisory Dec. 11 to reinforce federal ­regulations regarding maximum authorized train speed limits. The advisory provides guidance on four recommended measures. [More]

CART’s Cody Ponder Dies at Age 35

Cody Ponder, assistant transportation director for Cleveland Area Rapid Transit at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, died on Nov. 26 at age 35 following a long battle with cancer. [More]

2013: THE YEAR IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Public Transit Milestones in 2013: Month by Month: Landmark Anniversaries, Ground Breakings, Assistance in Emergencies

Here’s an overview of key milestones observed in 2013 by ­public transportation agencies and businesses, as they appeared in Passenger Transport. [More]

APTA’s Committees Tackle Issues, Identify Opportunities; Members Guide APTA's Work, from Funding to Workforce Development, Safety to Procurement

What are the major issues, challenges, and opportunities facing the public transportation industry, and how is APTA addressing them on behalf of its members?

In an industry as large and diverse as public transportation with members representing organizations of all sizes, from rural public transit agencies to multinational corporations, the answer lies in the work of APTA’s committees, composed of public transit and business member leaders and experts. [More]

In Memoriam 2013: Saluting Public Transportation Professionals

During the past year, the public transit community said goodbye to industry leaders, members of the APTA Hall of Fame, the first executive director of APTA, and a senator who was a longtime friend of the industry. [More]

Public Transportation in 2013: A Look Back in Pictures

Here's a look back at major events in the world of public transportation during 2013. [More]

APTA MEMBER PROFILE

Meet Ann Warner!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing APTA members. The subject of this profile is Ann Warner, managing partner, Ann Warner LLC, member of the APTA Authorization Task Force, BMBG Government Affairs, Legislative, Policy and Planning, and Public-Private Partnerships committees. [More]

MEET THE APTA STAFF

Meet Virginia Miller!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing members of the APTA staff. The subject of this profile is Virginia Miller, director, media relations, Communications and Marketing Department. [More]

APTA NEWS

Business Leaders Gather in January; Funding and Workforce Needs on the Agenda

Authorization, workforce development, and procurement, among other issues, are the central topics at APTA’s Business Members Board of Governors upcoming meeting, Jan. 22-24 in Del Mar, CA. The meeting, the first of the year for the BMBG, is open to all business members. [More]

APTA Adopts New Member Policy on Standards of Business Practice

APTA's Executive Committee recently adopted a Standards of Business Practice policy. The policy is aimed at ensuring that APTA meetings and conferences remain forums for spirited, respectful debate. [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

NJ Transit Issues Super Pass For the Super Bowl

New Jersey Transit Corporation is issuing Super Pass, a commemorative unlimited ride pass that will help Super Bowl XLVIII fans easily travel among events throughout Super Bowl Week. The NFL and the New York-New Jersey Super Bowl Host Committee have designated NJ Transit as the lead public transportation agency for the mega-event. [More]

WMATA Presents Accessibility Awards

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) recently presented its second annual Accessibility Excellence Awards to individuals and organizations that make the public transit system in the nation’s capital accessible to everyone. The authority’s Accessibility Advisory Committee and Department of Access Services hosted the event. [More]

Cubic Acquires Serco’s Transport Solutions Business

Cubic Corporation has completed the acquisition of Serco’s Transport Solutions business for an enterprise value of £43.5 million ($70 million) subject to adjustment as set forth in the purchase agreement. [More]

L.A. Metro Gold Line Bridge Wins Industry Awards

The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, the agency responsible for constructing the extension of the Los Angeles Metro Gold Line, received five distinguished industry awards this year for its Gold Line Bridge. This 584-linear foot structure is the first completed element of the 11.5-mile light rail extension between Pasadena and Azusa, linking the current terminus at the Sierra Madre Villa Station in Pasadena and the station under construction in downtown Arcadia, CA. [More]

Agencies Give Rail Cars a Facelift

Beauty isn’t only skin-deep. Two public transit agencies are renovating their rail cars as part of extensive projects to modernize interiors, make energy improvements, and strengthen security, among other upgrades. [More]

Freeze the Keys on New Year’s Eve

Valley Metro and Coors Light have partnered to provide Phoenix-area residents and visitors with free public transit service on the agency’s light rail and bus routes when they ring in the New Year [More]

European Rail Congress Presents Awards to APTA Members

The London Underground, SNCF in Paris, and the international firm Bombardier Transportation were among the recipients of the inaugural European Rail Congress Awards recently presented in London. [More]

Riverside Driver Rescues Man from Fall onto Train Tracks

Longtime bus operator Ted ­Jenkins was on his way home from work recently when he spotted a wheelchair on the side of a busy road, a few feet away from railroad tracks that slice through the city. As he looked down the tracks and saw a man’s body, he heard the sound of an approaching train. [More]

Engineering Firm Receives Awards

Projects overseen by Sam Schwartz Engineering (SSE) recently received honors from the ­American ­Council of Engineering ­Companies (ACEC) New York and other organizations. [More]

Metrolink’s New Grant Promotes Safety Awareness on Railways

The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) recently awarded a $61,325 grant to the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink), Los Angeles, CA, for a year-long campaign to promote public safety awareness on railroads. [More]

Des Moines Station Certified LEED Platinum

DART Central Station, the primary transfer location for Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) buses in downtown Des Moines, IL, has been certified LEED Platinum, the highest certification of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Rating System of the U.S. Green Building Council. [More]

Scouts on Board with Public Transit

Two public transit agencies have partnered with their local scout troops to help young people learn about public transportation. [More]

Clever Devices Recognized Among Tech Companies

Clever Devices has ranked as one of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, and clean technology companies in North America on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™. [More]

Visions of the Season on Public Transit

Public transportation agencies throughout the U.S. have reached out to their communities with festively decorated buses and collection drives for toys and food. Here are a few examples. [More]

St. Louis Metro Dedicates Artwork

St. Louis Metro recently installed a 12-foot-high stainless steel sculpture, “Spring Forth,” at its Union Station, which “celebrates the new vitality that MetroLink brings to the urban center and the entire St. Louis area,” said sculptor Jim Gallucci. [More]

COMMENTARY

America’s Infrastructure Crisis Isn’t Overstated
BY BRIAN PALLASCH, ASCE, AND JANET KAVINOKY, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

When a doctor tells you that you are sick, you should probably stay home. When a contractor tells you that your roof is caving in, you should probably move out. When the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) tells our country that our infrastructure rates a D+, you should probably ask how we can raise the grade. [More]

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Who's Doing What in the Industry

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]