The Senate voted July 24 to confirm the nominations of Victor Mendez to be deputy secretary of transportation and Peter Rogoff to be under secretary of transportation for policy, both by voice vote. [More]

Voices Join in Support of Public Transit

What do USA Today, the New York Times, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Economist, the U.S. Travel Association, and the National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association, among others, have in common? Like APTA, they have all issued recent calls to Congress urging a long-term fix for the Highway Trust Fund. [More]

NEWS HEADLINES

Senate Leaders Reach Agreement To Consider HTF Extension

As Passenger Transport was going to press, the Senate reached a unanimous consent agreement to begin addressing the short-term insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund. [More]

Foxx: Transportation Needs a 'Reset'

Even if Congress passes a bill to fund the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) through May 2015 (which was uncertain), DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx called the legislation a “short-term patch” that isn’t necessarily a cause for celebration.
He made these remarks July 21 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. [More]

Members Testify: Public Transportation Transforms Communities

As the Senate considers options to replenish the nearly insolvent Highway Trust Fund before Congress adjourns for its summer recess in August, two APTA members provided first-hand accounts of public transit’s power to transform communities in testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on ­Housing, Transportation, and Community Development July 22. [More]

Denver Union Station Set for Grand Reopening

The wait is almost over. Denver Union Station will celebrate its gala reopening on July 26. [More]

WMATA's Silver Line Prepares for July 26 Opening

The Washington Metro­politan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is preparing for the July 26 opening of the first phase of the Silver Line. [More]

Construction Begins for Metro's Transit Center

Metro in St. Louis broke ground July 22 for a new transit center in Ferguson, a town in north St. Louis County. According to the agency, this region accounts for 19 percent of its bus and light rail ridership and is among its fastest-growing markets for public transit. [More]

Detroit Streetcar Project to Break Ground

Representatives of the M-1 Rail modern streetcar project in Detroit prepared to break ground July 28 for the first section of the 3.3-mile line. When complete in 2016, the north-south route will serve 20 stations, 16 curbside and four in the median of Woodward Avenue. [More]

AECOM to Acquire URS Corporation

AECOM Technology Corporation and URS Corporation have entered into an agreement under which AECOM will acquire all outstanding shares of URS for a combination of cash and stock valued at approximately $4 billion. Including the assumption of URS debt, the total enterprise value of the transaction is approximately $6 billion. [More]

CEO, Interim GMs Named

The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority and Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee has announced that Stephen G. Bland will serve as CEO of both agencies. Cincinnati Metro, the Westmoreland County Transit Authority, and Sarasota County Area Transit have named interim leaders. [More]

Tennyson Dies; Rail Leader

Edson L. Tennyson, 92, a longtime rail advocate and former PennDOT deputy secretary, died July 14. [More]

Roe Dies; Architect of ISTEA

Former Rep. Robert Roe (D-NJ), 90, a driving force behind the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) and chairman of the then-House Public Works and Transportation Committee from 1991-93, died July 15. [More]

APTA MEMBER PROFILE

Meet Thomas Lambert!

This is the latest in an ongoing series of columns showcasing APTA members. The subject of this profile is Thomas Lambert, president and chief executive officer, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, a member of the APTA Board of Directors; Committee on Public Safety, and Bus and Paratransit CEOs, Rail Transit, and Legislative committees. [More]

COUNTDOWN TO 2014 ANNUAL MEETING & EXPO

Annual Meeting & EXPO: A Major Destination

Seven Learning Zones, educational sessions, presentations about public transportation projects around the world, best practices, product and service updates, exhibits by 750-plus companies . . . it’s all at APTA’s 2014 Annual Meeting & EXPO, Oct. 12-15, at the ­Hilton ­Americas and the George R. Brown ­Convention Center in Houston. [More]

Sessions Cover Broad Topics and Trends: Financing, Procurement, Technology, Workforce Development

APTA’s Annual Meeting features a host of concurrent sessions on a broad range of topics—all presented by the industry’s top professionals and experts. Register your team so your agency can attend all of these best practice-focused sessions. [More]

In the Zone: Learn What's New on the EXPO Floor; Free Sessions: Best Practices, Case Studies, How-To Workshops

One of the most exciting features of this year’s jam-packed, three-day EXPO are the free education sessions in the new seven Learning Zones located throughout the George R. Brown Convention Center. [More]

Visit the 'TECHbar' at EXPO

You have tech questions? APTA has a new way to provide answers. [More]

Workforce Development Zone Builds Careers

The Houston Chapter of Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT) has planned a series of programs in the Workforce Development Learning Zone on the EXPO floor. [More]

Houston METRO to Host Four Technical Tours

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), host system for the 2014 APTA Annual Meeting & EXPO, has scheduled the following technical tours on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, Oct. 14 and 15. Attendees can sign up at the host desk in the registration area during the meeting. Registration numbers are limited. [More]

Six Good Reasons to Attend EXPO

The EXPO website provides resources that will help public transportation professionals explain the importance of attending this international event to their employers. [More]

Exhibitor Directory Available Online

The complete list of EXPO exhibitors, as well as floor maps and interactive features, can be found at the EXPO website. [More]

Hello, Houston! What's Cooking?

The boast that everything is bigger in Texas is true when it comes to APTA’s Annual Meeting & EXPO—the single largest gathering of public transportation agency leaders, business executives, and program and policy experts, all ready to share knowledge and insights about the industry’s latest news, trends, technologies, and advances. [More]

Get Ready to Tee Off!

Prior to hitting the EXPO 2014 floor, join the American ­Public Transportation ­Foundation for a benefit golf tournament ­Friday, Oct. 10. [More]

APTA Awards Celebrate Public Transit Excellence; Systems and Leaders Take Top Industry Honors at Annual Meeting Event

From employee wellness programs to leadership development, environmentally friendly policies and practices to rider accessibility, record-breaking ridership to sustainability initiatives, neighborhood projects to global development, and the individuals whose achievements have transformed public transportation, APTA’s 2014 Awards recognize exemplary public transportation systems and leaders. [More]

Educational Outreach at EXPO

APTA is scheduling two different educational programs during EXPO to promote public transportation career opportunities for young people. [More]

AdWheel Honors Industry's Top Marketing, Communications

Are your special events super? Does your website keep riders in the loop? Do your marketing campaigns win new friends and your social media messages rock? Have you launched a killer app? Is your brand a mainstay of your community? [More]

Program-at-a-Glance

To see the current version of the Annual Meeting & EXPO Program-at-a-Glance, click here. [More]

APTA NEWS

Transit Board Members Seminar Focuses on Advocacy, Social Equity, Funding

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority hosted more than 100 public transit board and support staff members who discussed governance, policy, and leadership at APTA’s recent Transit Board Members & Board Support Seminar. [More]

Last Call for Leadership Nominations

APTA’s volunteer leaders oversee everything from policy setting and review to governance and fiduciary responsibilities. Do you have what it takes to join their ranks—or do you know someone who does? Put your leadership acumen to work on APTA’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. [More]

New TCRP Reports Inform Analysis, Decision Making

Three new reports from the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) provide practical, timely, and relevant information for public transportation leaders in critical areas: research that can determine which routes will have the greatest potential to attract more riders, analysis of the legal ins and outs of public-private partnerships, and a review of health insurance privacy laws on public transit and paratransit operations. [More]

Updated PTC Guidance from FCC

The Federal Communications Commission has posted on its website updated guidance on the environmental review process for Positive Train Control (PTC) wayside poles and an updated PTC environmental checklist. The documents are available here. [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Foothill Transit to Purchase Proterra's New Model Bus

Foothill Transit in West Covina, CA, has become the first U.S. public transit agency to purchase ­Proterra LLC’s new 40-foot electric buses. The two buses, at a total cost of $2.4 million, are scheduled to deliver in December. Proterra previously built only 35-foot fast-charge electric buses. [More]

APTA at COMTO's 43rd National Meeting

The Conference of Minority Transportation Officials recently held its National Meeting and Training Conference  in Atlanta. [More]

MARTA GMs Through the Years

Past leaders of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) gathered during the recent COMTO meeting to commemorate the agency’s 35th anniversary. [More]

Grand Central Performance Art Events Receive National Award

Two performance arts projects at New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, commissioned by MTA Arts for Transit & Urban Design as part of last year’s centennial celebration for the iconic transportation hub, recently earned recognition from the nonprofit Americans for the Arts foundation. [More]

Burnsville Students Produce Art Panels for MVTA Buses

Through a strategic partnership between the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA), Burnsville, MN, and area schools, students enrolled in Burnsville High School’s business elective, Interactive Design, recently produced interior panels for display in local and express buses. Themes include school spirit, public transit, and, in cooperation with the city of Burnsville, “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon,” a program to provide support to military families on short notice. [More]

CHK America Premieres Interactive 'ConnectPoint'

CHK America has launched its newest interactive touch screen transit kiosk, ConnectPoint, at the Santa ­Barbara Metropolitan Transit District’s Transit Center in downtown Santa ­Barbara, CA.. [More]

MetroCard Accepts First Spanish-Language Ad

The New York Metropolitan Transpor­tation Authority (MTA) has introduced its first Spanish-language advertising campaign on MetroCards. The immigration law firm Youman, Madeo & Fasano LLP purchased a print run of 250,000 cards in Spanish. [More]

Capital Metro Honored for Mobile App

The Center for Digital Government recently honored a mobile ticketing app created by the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) in Austin with its “2014 Best in Texas” award in the Best Mobile/W­ireless Project category. [More]

Public Transit: Going the Extra Mile

Public transportation agencies and their employees sometimes go the extra mile to serve their ­passengers. Here are a few examples. [More]

BART Receives Website Award for Content Management

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District recently received the 2014 Blue Drop Award as “Best Government Site” for its official website. This award recognizes users who maximize the capabilities of Drupal, an open source content management system. [More]

Yuma System Joins Greyhound

The Yuma County Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (YCIPTA), Yuma, AZ, has partnered with Greyhound Lines Inc. to implement Greyhound Connect as part of a Yuma County Area Transit route. [More]

CTE Joins Winning Team to Develop Advanced Vehicle Center

A partnership comprising the Center for Transportation and the ­Environment (CTE) and seven other organizations recently received $1.5 million from the California Energy Commission to establish the Northern ­California Center for Alter­native ­Transportation Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Technologies ­(NorthCAT) program. [More]

Take Metro Transit to the Ballgame

Metro Transit in Minneapolis/St. Paul provided additional service on both of its light rail lines to Target Field Station for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Light rail and Northstar commuter rail also provided extra service to events throughout the week, and the agency offered commemorative farecards for purchase. [More]

COMMENTARY

More for Congress to Do, Even with New HTF Funding Bill: 12 DOT Secretaries Weigh In

WASHINGTON, DC—As Congress considers legislation to avoid a shortfall of the Highway Trust Fund, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and 11 of his predecessors offered the following open letter to Congress. In addition to Secretary Foxx, Secretaries Ray LaHood, Mary Peters, Norman Mineta, Rodney Slater, Federico Peña, Samuel Skinner, Andrew Card, James Burnley, Elizabeth Dole, William Coleman, and Alan Boyd all signed the letter. Their message: Congress’ work doesn’t end with the bill under consideration. Transportation in America still needs a much larger, longer-term investment. [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]