Foothill Transit First to Launch Long-Range Proterra Electric Bus into Revenue Service
On November 3, 2017, Foothill Transit rolled out bus #2600 into revenue service, marking the nation’s first launch of Proterra’s new long-range electric bus. The bus launched on Line 280, a 22-mile round trip.
The Proterra Catalyst E2 will charge in-route at a special docking station at the Azusa Intermodal Transit Center, allowing for continuous service all day long.
Nearly 90% of Transit Ballot Initiatives Pass in 2017
Nearly 90 percent of public transportation initiatives were approved by voters from coast to coast across the United States this year. In the November 7th election, seven of eight initiatives passed with one result still to be determined. Throughout the country this year, voters in 17 states and communities of all sizes voted for increased investment in public transportation, bringing the success rate to 87.5 percent.
Wins from November elections include: Denver, Colorado, Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, Lawrence, Kansas, Maine, statewide, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mahoning County, Ohio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
HART Moves Forward with Autonomous Project
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority recently selected Stantec to provide Autonomous Mobility Services for the Marion Street Transitway.
This project is the first continuously operated shared autonomous project in the United States that will function in an open environment on public roads with mixed traffic. Under the Autonomous Mobility Service project, HART will demonstrate its leadership in the push to deploy low-speed automated vehicles by embarking on a one-year pilot program (with an option for four additional years).
ZF Presents New Electric Central Drive for City Buses
With its new, purely electric plug-and-drive solution, ZF is driving the development of locally emission-free public transport. The latest evidence comes in the form of ZF's city bus test vehicle is propelled by the new CeTrax electric central drive, which is suitable for both low-floor and high-floor applications. Other ZF solutions for electric buses include the AVE 130 electric portal axle and TraXon Hybrid. The portfolio was on display at Busworld 2017.
PTSI Transportation Completes All-Digital Route Learning System for NJ Transit
PTSI Transportation has completed work on the application of its all-digital Route Learning System to NJ Transit’s Newark Light Rail system. This new generation operations training program is a digital learning system used to teach the physical characteristics of any railway to operating employees, railway or transit police and security officers, and external first responders.
The Route Learning System consists of a series of digital maps/charts, as well as a video of the railroad taken from the engineer’s/operator’s perspective.
The Regional Transportation District’s new Mobile Tickets app for day passes is now live.
The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority and the city of Richmond broke ground on the Richmond Ferry Terminal, located at the southern point of the Ford Peninsula in Richmond, adjacent to the Ford Assembly Plant building.
Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District was named Transit Agency of the Year at California Transit Association’s 52nd Annual Fall Conference and Expo in Riverside, California.
Milwaukee County Transit System launched the Ride MCTS app, the first smartphone app in Wisconsin that lets people plan their trip, buy their ticket and get on the bus from a smartphone.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board exercised the option to have Talgo overhaul the remaining 36 of the 74 Heavy Rail Vehicles (HRV's) for an amount of $18.3 million.
Passport developed and launched a system-wide mobile ticketing solution for M-1 RAIL’s streetcar system, QLINE in Detroit, Michigan.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority added a new state-of-the-art mobile command vehicle, providing the MARTA Police and Emergency Management Department to have enhanced communications and command-and-control response capabilities.
The Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority released Lynx PawPass, a mobile payment app allowing customers to pay their bus fare directly from a smartphone.
Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District was named Transit Agency of the Year at California Transit Association’s 52nd Annual Fall Conference and Expo in Riverside, California.
Katharine Eagan Kelleman, AICP
Port Authority of Allegheny County
The Port Authority of Allegheny County announced Katharine Eagan Kelleman will be its new chief executive officer. Previously she was chief executive officer of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority. Prior to CEO, Kelleman was HART’s chief operating officer from 2010 to 2015. Prior to HART, she worked at the Maryland Transit Administration, Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the city of San Angelo. She will assume the position in January 2018.
Jodie Misiak
WSP USA
Jodie Misiak has been named service area manager, strategic initiatives for alternative delivery advisory services at WSP USA. In her new position, Misiak will develop opportunities for new advisory business in infrastructure asset assessment, development, valuation and acquisition. She will provide leadership in the utilization of various innovative project delivery and value capture strategies to facilitate infrastructure development in a variety of sectors, and will structure and lead complex, multidisciplinary teams for infrastructure asset project evaluation, delivery and management.
Rick Bellew
RailPros
Rick Bellew has been appointed assistant vice president of safety and training at RailPros. In this newly created position, Bellew will direct the development and implementation of system-wide safety, health and environmental initiatives in accordance with RailPros Field Services safety commitment, customer requirements and governmental regulations. Bellew is an experienced railroad professional with more than 18 years in freight and transit railroad, structures, equipment, safety, training and compliance. Before joining RailPros, Bellew held leadership positions at several large railroad services companies, as well as the Federal Railroad Administration and BNSF.
Lance Donnelly, P.E.
HNTB Corp.
Lance Donnellyoined HNTB Corp. as a senior project engineer for traction power systems. Based in the firm’s Philadelphia office, Donnelly leads teams of engineers who design electrical traction systems used to power passenger trains. Donnelly’s 16-plus years of experience includes six years at Amtrak as a project manager. While at Amtrak, he was involved in projects throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., including emergency flood damage repairs caused by Hurricane Sandy.
