Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of the multi-system operability of E-ZPass. Initially handling tens of thousands of tolls per day for only MTA, Bridges & Tunnels, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New Jersey Turnpike, New Jersey Highway Authority, New York State Thruway, Pennsylvania Turnpike and the South Jersey Transportation Authority, the system now handles an average of just over 6.5 million tolls per day. Read more at TollRoadsNews.com.
The FY2014 Transportation Appropriations Bills failed to pass this week in the House and Senate before the beginning of the August Congressional recess. The bills remain pending business for the House and Senate but will likely not see any further consideration until September when Congress returns. Read more here.
The National Cooperative Highway Research Program has a new Pre-Event Recovery Planning Guide for Transportation. The guide is designed to help transportation owners prepare for events that impact transportation systems and includes checklists, decision support tools, and resources to help support pre-event recovery planning. Be prepared! Click here to view.
The White House says it believes the motorcoach industry has “an important role to play in educating members of the traveling public about the business and health benefits available under the Affordable Care Act-- so much so that they invited key coach industry companies to meet with administration officials last week to discuss the implementation of the federal act. Read more about the meeting at metro-magazine.com
Building America’s Future has a new “I’m Stuck” app for riders to complain to Congress when their busses are running late. The app sends messages entitled “I’m Stuck” to members of Congress and stresses the need for action for a long-term transportation and infrastructure plan. Read more about “I’m Stuck” at metro-magazine.com.
State NewsMotorcoach tours in upstate New York could soon have four new destinations. Last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Upstate NY Gaming Economic Development Act, a comprehensive new law that, pending approval of a referendum this fall, will establish four destination gaming resorts in Upstate New York and boost tourism and economic development in communities across the region. Find the press release here.
Member News
Tech-savvy CDTA’s Board of Directors approved the implementation of a cutting edge payment system. In 2015 Customers will be able to buy fares on their mobile devices and display their payment on screen for validation via a contactless media reader on the bus. Read about all the benefits this system will provide CDTA passengers at cdta.org.
NYC subway stations could soon sport new names under a policy approved last month by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Much like sporting venues across the country, New York City subway stations can now be named after corporate sponsors. The agency will only consider requests from sponsors with specific geographical ties to a facility that riders would recognize. Read more at ibtimes.com.
In News ElsewhereTickets and tokens are out; smart phones are in. A new report shows the smartphone is poised to replace the ticket as the preferred method of paying for public transit. Similar to how airlines rapidly adopted the 2-D barcode for boarding passes, light rail and bus systems will do the same. Read more at wired.com
Social Media
The most popular discussion on the LinkedIn NYPTA Discussion Group continues to be one about the use of camera-based systems to reduce transit bus side collisions. If you’re a LinkedIn user, be sure to join the group and be part of the conversation.
Conference News
Join us for the New York Public Transit Partners in Progress Conference & Expo September 11-12.
This year's conference will include a session from nationally known executive leadership consultant Doug Eadie. This two-part session will describe a powerful, thoroughly tested approach your organization's Strategic Change Team can use to fashion and implement practical and affordable out-of-the-box change initiatives: the Change Investment Portfolio Process. Eadie is a widely published author and speaker on not-for-profit leadership, whose latest book is Leading Out of the Box Change.
Click here to find a Doug Eadie podcast featuring our very own NYPTA President Carm Basile. Doug is a long time partner of our association and has also worked with past NYPTA presidents Joe Calabrese and Steve Bland, as well.
About NYPTA
The New York Public Transit Association, Inc. (NYPTA) is a not-for-profit association of public transportation service providers, private sector manufacturers and consultants, and state government agencies. The Association was formed in 1983 by representatives of the transit industry committed to the advancement of public transportation in New York State. After over 20 years of operation, NYPTA remains devoted to public transportation development and representing the mass transportation needs of the riding public.