Rail to DIA Opens
The University of Colorado A Line commuter rail service from downtown Denver to Denver International Airport (DIA) opened April 22. The line is part of the $2 billion Eagle Public-Private Partnership (P3) project. FTA is providing approximately $1 billion through its Capital Investment Grant Program toward the Eagle P3 set of projects. The U.S. Department of Transportation provided approximately $62 million in other funds and the remaining cost was covered by state and local sources, including the private contribution.
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KC Streetcar Opening
The grand opening of the $100 million, 2.2-mile KC Streetcar starter line was held Friday, May 6. In its first full week, it carried more than 57,000 riders. The north-south route connects the River Market to Crown Center and Union Station.
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COTA AirConnect Takes Off
The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) and the Columbus Regional Airport Authority celebrated the launch of COTA AirConnect, which provides direct bus service between downtown and Port Columbus International Airport. COTA AirConnect began operating on Monday, May 2.
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NY MTA Hosts Federal, Regional Transit Officials in Bus Safety Symposium
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) hosted researchers, representatives from major bus manufacturers and safety experts from federal transportation agencies and transit agencies around North America to discuss bus and pedestrian safety issues during a bus safety symposium on May 10.
In addition to working closely with bus manufacturers to design safer vehicles and with federal transit agencies and industry experts to share best practices and experience, NYC Transit is researching new technology to further improve pedestrian safety on New York’s crowded streets.
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Hyperloop One Conducts Propulsion Open-Air Test
Hyperloop One completed a propulsion open-air test (POAT) in North Las Vegas, Nevada. They also announced a series of critical relationships with several world leaders in transportation, engineering, operations, architecture, construction, passenger and freight economics, station design and tunneling. Hyperloop One partners announced include: Aecom, Amberg Group, Arup, Bjarke Ingels Group/Big, Deutsche Bahn Engineering and Consulting, KPMG and Systra.
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Real-Time Ridesharing
King County Metro Transit and the city of Redmond have teamed up to test a form of carpooling that uses mobile technology to match riders and drivers instantly. The program uses iCarpool, an app developed by a local technology company, to match riders and drivers instantly, making it possible for people with variable work schedules to try carpooling.
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LeeTran Adds Propane Autogas-Fueled Shuttles
With a 20 percent reduction in fuel costs, LeeTran added more propane autogas-fueled shuttles to its paratransit fleet. Each of the agency’s Passport shuttles, which travel 30,000 miles per year, is built on the Ford E-450 chassis with 6.8L V10 engine, and equipped with a Roush CleanTech propane autogas fuel system with extended range 64-usable-gallon fuel tank.
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Documentary Debut of “Off the Rails”
Darius McCollum has spent nearly half his life in jail for the crime of driving buses and trains. The problem: he was never a New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employee. He was taught the ins and outs of the subway system from childhood by transit workers who adopted him as a “mascot” and a life-devouring obsession born of undiagnosed Asperger’s syndrome took over. Adam Irving’s debut, “Off the Rails,” chronicles this fascinating, frustrating and heart-breaking story.
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Bringing Fresh Produce to Phoenix Food Deserts
Discovery Triangle partnered with Valley Metro to retrofit a 40-foot bus and First Transit to provide the operator and maintenance to transform a transit bus into a moving grocery store. The “Fresh Express” is a mobile produce marketing, offering equal opportunity access to fresh produce to people in food deserts.
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Honolulu Gets First Look at New Transit System Rail Cars
Honolulu’s Train No. 1 was unveiled at the Rail Operations & Control Center of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART). Ansaldo Honolulu Joint Venture (AHJV) – a Hawaii partnership between Hitachi Group Companies, Ansaldo STS (ASTS) and Hitachi Rail Italy (HRI) – presented the train to the city of Honolulu and HART.
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Alstom Completes Overhaul of Pendolino Trains
Alstom completed major refurbishment work on the U.K.’s Pendolino fleet, which consists of 56 Class 390 “tilting” trains used by Virgin on the West Coast Main Line. Alstom built a brand new bogie overhaul facility at its Manchester site to carry out this work, which has dramatically reduced the time it takes to overhaul each train.
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TransIT Unveiled New Electric Buses
TransIT Services of Frederick County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 5 to unveil new, fully electric refurbished buses. Attendees of the event received a ride on the new buses from Complete Coach Works.
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Houston Metro Police to Enhance Service with Body Cameras
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Metro) Board unanimously approved issuing body cameras to Metro police (MPD) officers as part of their regular uniforms. The $184,125 contract with Watch Guard includes the purchase and implementation of the 195 cameras. Each camera costs $699, and all officers as well as sergeants will wear the units.
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Thalys Selects Quintiq to Support Service Expansion
Quintiq announced its software platform has been chosen by Thalys to optimize its crew planning for improved operational efficiency and fluidity. With Quintiq, Thalys will be able to integrate crew planning across time horizons, including optimization of long-term shifts and crew rosters, crew assignment and disruption management.
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LakeTran Upgrades Commuter Fleet
Motor Coach Industries (MCI) announced Laketran received 10 new MCI Commuter Coaches three months ahead of schedule, and exercised an option for four more coaches. The MCI Commuter Coaches replace buses purchased in 1998 and are funded with federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grants and matching funds through local sales tax revenue.
MassTransitmag.com/12202068
UWM Implements Passenger Counting Solution
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is working with Passio Technologies to implement the school’s first-ever passenger counting solution. Starting in March, UWM began to implement four solutions that give system administrators insight into operations, increase system security and open up new channels of communication with riders.
MassTransitmag.com/12197551
Honolulu Selects Smart Card, Mobile Ticket System
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) and the city’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) have partnered with Init for the implementation of a smart card and mobile ticketing solution for use across TheBus and the Honolulu rail transit systems. The contract is valued at more than $30 million USD and includes 10 years of operation.
MassTransitmag.com/12199204
Richard A. White
American Public Transportation Association
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Board of Directors appointed APTA Vice President — Member Services Richard White as acting president & CEO of APTA. White previously served as APTA's chair (2004-2005) and has a distinguished career in public transportation. He has held top management roles at the federal level, NJ Transit, Bay Area Rapid Transit, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and several private firms.
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Brian F. Peters
Jacksonville Transportation Authority
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) announced Brian Peters has been appointed chief financial officer and vice president of finance and technology. Peters comes to the JTA from Williams and Rowe where he served as the chief financial officer. Drawing on his broad level of experience as a financial executive, he will lead JTA’s Finance and Technology Division, which includes budget, accounting, grant management and information technology.
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Gary Thomas
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) President/Executive Director Gary Thomas was honored by Texas Tech University’s Whitacre College of Engineering with a Distinguished Engineer Award. The award was created by former dean John R. Bradford in 1966 to honor former engineering students who have made significant contributions to society and whose accomplishments have brought great honor to the college, Texas Tech and the profession. Thomas graduated from Texas Tech in 1980.
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Bruce Moulds
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff
Bruce Moulds has been appointed Southeast regional business development director at WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff. Moulds will be responsible for developing and implementing business development strategy for transportation and infrastructure projects and managing marketing efforts for the firm’s Southeast region. Some of the firm’s recent projects in the area include the PortMiami Tunnel and the rehabilitation design of the tunnel ventilation system for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
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Germar Wacker
Bombardier
The Supervisory Board of Bombardier Transportation GmbH appointed Germar Wacker as the new chairman of the Management Board. Wacker has also taken on the role of head of Mainline and Metros for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). After studying business administration in Germany and the United States, Wacker began his career in the automotive industry. In 2000, he joined Adtranz, which is now part of Bombardier Transportation.
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