Amtrak Ridership Surges
In recognition of National Transportation Week, Amtrak announced that ridership across the country reached 14.3 million during the first seven months of the fiscal year, an increase of 5 percent over last year. The biggest growth was in Amtrak’s short-distance corridors outside the Northeast — routes of 500 miles or less — with more than 12.3 million passengers traveling.

National Transportation Week is dedicated to creating a greater awareness of the importance of transportation in all aspects of our everyday lives.

RailWorks Corp. is Acquired
RailWorks Corp. announced the acquisition of the company by Wind Point Partners, a private equity investment firm, in partnership with its management team.

RailWorks was acquired from MatlinPatterson Global Opportunities Partners, which has owned the company since 2002. The change in ownership will not affect the company’s management team or its operations, said Jeffrey M. Levy, who has served as RailWorks’ president and CEO since 2005.

L.A. Wins 2007 International Bus Roadeo Top Honor
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority in Los Angeles, Calif., won the Grand Champion Award at the prestigious 32nd International Bus Roadeo held in conjunction with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Bus and Paratransit Conference in Nashville, Tenn., this week. More than 90 public transportation systems in North America competed in this year’s competition.

This honor, recognizing the men and women who keep North America’s bus systems safe and efficient, is given to the bus operator and maintenance team that has the highest combined score. The winners were announced at an awards dinner on May 8th.

Second place for the Grand Champion Award was the team from San Mateo County Transit District in San Carlos, Calif. Third place went to the State of Florida team, comprised of individuals from Central Florida Regional Transit Authority in Orlando, Fla., and from Broward County Transit in Pompano Beach, Fla.