RATP Dev Selected to Manage ART Service
RATP Dev announced it has been awarded the contract to manage Asheville Redefines Transit (ART), the transit services for the city of Asheville, North Carolina. The city of Asheville selected RATP Dev through a national competitive process that awarded the contract based on best value procurement. RATP Dev has appointed Bernadette Townsend to serve as ART’s new general manager.
Tolar Delivers BRT Stations and Bus Stop Shelters for VTA
Tolar Manufacturing Co. announced it has completed the delivery of 16 bus rapid transit stations and an additional 10 bus stop shelters for Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose, California. The shelters are now installed along VTA’s new 7-mile Alum Rock - Santa Clara BRT corridor and throughout the city’s downtown core.
Kiepe Electric to Supply Electric Systems for San Francisco
The city of San Francisco is expanding its fleet of zero-emission transit buses: After procuring 93 New Flyer articulated Xcelsior XT60 electric buses, San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency placed an order for 185 New Flyer XT40 buses equipped with In Motion Charging (IMC) technology from Kiepe Electric.
With In Motion Charging, trolley buses cover sections of route without overhead lines in battery-powered mode, with the batteries then being recharged when the vehicle is back under overhead lines.
Siemens Opens New Locomotive Service Hub
Siemens has opened a new Locomotive Service facility in New Castle, Delaware, that will operate as the company’s digital service, supply chain and technical field training hub in the region. The 44,000 square-foot New Castle facility will combine Siemens’ global digital analytics know-how with its extensive industry knowledge to move rail further into the digital age.
INIT Celebrates Grand Opening of New Chesapeake Headquarters
INIT Innovations in Transportation Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its new North American Headquarters building located in Chesapeake, Virginia.
The 67,000-square-foot facility was completed in June of 2017 and cost approximately $12.5 million to build. The building is constructed on eight acres of land at the Oakbrooke Business and Technology Center.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and ELERTS Corp. announced the public release of 'SEPTA Transit Watch,' a mobile app that empowers riders to discreetly report security or safety issues to SEPTA Transit Police in less than 20 seconds.
First Transit announced its third implementation of autonomous vehicle passenger shuttles in North America, launching two AV passenger shuttles for the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) in Arlington, Texas.
New Flyer has given Protran Technology a new contract to provide more than 600 safe turn alert systems with built-in blind spot awareness.
Palm Tran teamed up with Waste Management for a unique, grant-funded pilot program utilizing a large, solar-powered trash compactor known as the “Big Belly” at Palm Tran’s bus stop at Lantana Road and Military Trail.
Freedman Seating Co. announced that is has sold its portion of 4ONE LLC to its joint venture partner, United States Seating Co.
New Flyer Industries Canada ULC announced that the city of Winnipeg, acting through Winnipeg Transit, has awarded New Flyer a contract extension for 70 Xcelsior clean diesel, 40-foot heavy-duty transit buses, which will be converted from New Flyer’s option backlog to a firm order.
People in the News
Luis Manuel Ramírez
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Luis Manuel Ramírez was named the next general manager/CEO of the MBTA. Ramírez most recently has run his own strategic and turnaround business consulting firm, will succeed interim GM Steve Poftak on September 12. Ramírez, whose Cuban refugee father operated a crop-dusting plant and later a roofing business in Florida, worked his way through high school as a supermarket bag boy and restaurant worker and continued to work through university before beginning a corporate career marked by increasingly important posts at firms including Unisys Corp., Siemens AG, and General Electric Corp.
Kevin B. Quinn, Jr.
Maryland Transit Administration
Governor Larry Hogan named Kevin B. Quinn, Jr., administrator of the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration. He has been serving as the MDOT MTA acting administrator since June 6. Quinn was promoted from his position as director of planning and programming. In his previous role, he worked directly with numerous departments, from administration to operations, to ensure MDOT MTA took a proactive approach to deliver great service for all transit riders.
Susan Sherwood
Wendel
Wendel announced Susan Sherwood has been promoted to senior associate principal. Sherwood is program manager of Wendel’s public transportation group. She has 13 years of experience managing the design and construction of facilities across Wendel's client sectors. She has a unique set of skills that allow her to serve clients and project teams as a trusted advisor, assisting in whatever capacity necessary as they navigate complex transportation projects.
Ben Capelle
Laketran
The Laketran Board of Trustees unanimously voted to promote Ben Capelle as the Laketran general manager. Capelle is currently the deputy general manager and oversees the daily operations and maintenance of Laketran’s three core services, Local Routes, commuter Park-n-Ride service to Cleveland, door-to-door Dial-a-Ride and ADA service that includes Medicaid and Lake County Board of DD contracts for the Dial-a-Ride service. Capelle was promoted to Deputy General Manager in April 2016.
Scot Vanderpool
TCAT
The TCAT Board of Directors announced Scot Vanderpool as TCAT general manager. Vanderpool, who was hired in January as TCAT’s operations manager, came to TCAT with 34 years of transportation experience at both the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority in Syracuse and Syracuse University. In his new position, Vanderpool replaces the late Joe Turcotte, who served as TCAT’s general manager since 2005.
