TRANSIT NEWS

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) proudly announced that Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor James Jones Jr. is the recipient of the NFTA's Black Achievers Award for 2013. James earned his first supervisory position in 1993 as the Garage Night Shift Supervisor at the Cold Spring Garage. From there he moved on to Assistant Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor at the Frontier Garage before being promoted to Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor at Cold Spring in 2006. The Black Achievers Awards are sponsored by 1490 Enterprises Inc.

Maria College and the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) announced a transportation partnership that will provide Maria College students with unlimited rides on CDTA buses during the 2013-14 academic year. The partnership provides students unlimited rides on CDTA’s regular route, Northway Xpress and STAR paratransit services for improved access to school, work and recreational activities.

STATE NEWS

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the opening of the final five miles of expressway on Route 15 between Corning, Steuben County, and the Pennsylvania border. The new road is opening following completion of $235 million in projects to construct the highway and bridges, and was built to interstate standards to allow future designation as federal interstate 99. These projects were delivered on time and $3 million under the total budget of $238 million.

Last week Governor Cuomo announced the start of construction on the new Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway, a 3.6 mile shared-use path between Jones Beach State Park and Tobay Beach in Nassau County. The $3.8 million project will enhance safety and ease of transportation for cyclists and pedestrians by providing vital links between beach communities in Nassau County.

BUSINESS PARTNER NEWS

Streetcars for a Midwestern city are slated to be built in Chemung County. CAF USA Inc. has been selected to make streetcars for Kansas City, Mo., for a streetcar line set to open in 2015. CAF will build the electric trains at its plant in Elmira Heights, according to a statement from Kansas City Mayor Sly James. Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli said the fact that workers at the plant build the entire car is a selling point for transit buyers in America.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. will commercially distribute "Redeem", a renewable natural gas vehicle fuel made from waste streams such as landfills, large dairies and sewage plants directly to fleets around the country and at the 35 public Clean Energy stations throughout California. Thousands of cars, taxis, shuttles and industrial fleets in California are now using Clean Energy’s Redeem, which is up to 90% cleaner than diesel and 100% renewable, according to the company.

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Public transit is getting on the bus with smartphone ticketing. Municipal transportation authorities around the country are adding pay-by-phone options for riders, with the Dallas/Fort Worth area the latest region to offer customers the ability to buy commuter rail and bus tickets via their smartphones.

New Jersey Transit is resuming regular rail service for the first time since Superstorm Sandy caused $450 million in damage to rail cars, tracks and stations.  The new schedule that took affect Sunday reflects rail operations system wide of 99.6 percent, with 697 out of 700 trains that were running before Sandy running again. The agency says it will offset the three remaining trains with increased service on lines based on ridership.