TRANSIT NEWS

It’s no secret – the future of New York State’s transportation system needs attention. With the Federal Transportation Bill expiring at the end of 2014, we need to creatively problem solve the transportation funding gaps in Buffalo Niagara and the state as a whole. Gather with industry leaders and experts to discuss the present state of transportation project funding.  This event is an opportunity to be a part of the solution, working with our leaders to help establish better means of financing, regulating and completing our infrastructure projects.  Our business economy depends upon it.

The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) announced it is a proud co-presenter of the 66th annual Albany Tulip Festival, which will be held on Saturday, May 10th & Sunday, May 11th at Washington Park. CDTA will provide complimentary shuttle runs to Washington Park from Eagle Street Garage & Elk Street Parking Lot from 12:00pm-6:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. CDTA is committed to reducing the city’s carbon footprint not only by offering this free shuttle service and bicycle options for festival attendees but promoting a “greener” way to travel in the Capital Region every day.

FEDERAL NEWS

A new report, “The Northeast Corridor and the American Economy,” produced by the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission (NEC Commission) details how the Northeast Corridor (NEC), carrying 750,000 daily Amtrak and commuter/regional rail passengers, “is a critical national asset, an economic engine for the U.S., and contributes about $50 billion a year to the national economy.”

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will travel across the country beginning April 14 to showcase the importance of transportation investment, at a time when the nation’s transportation bill is set to expire and the Highway Trust Fund is rapidly running out of funds. The “Invest in America, Commit to the Future” bus tour will visit communities that have created jobs and new opportunities by investing in transportation, as well as communities with transportation projects that are waiting on needed funding.

One of the world’s leading financial analysts, Fitch Ratings, is warning that if America doesn’t change how it invests in transit, the whole economy could suffer. After decades of steady growth, vehicle miles driven has stagnated in recent years. Americans are driving no more total miles now than in 2004. “Public transportation investment strategies will need to transform if trends toward increased multifamily housing, declines in driving, and increasing public transportation usage continue over the long run,” Fitch said.

Public transit advocates were blindsided when House Republicans introduced a five-year highway bill two years ago that proposed eliminating the Highway Trust Fund’s transit account. Ultimately, the House bill was never brought to the floor but the experience taught transit advocates not to take their federal funding for granted — and this year they are working to line up bipartisan support ahead of an effort to write a new surface transportation authorization.

STATE NEWS

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced $40 million in State funding to help local governments make necessary repairs to highways and bridges following this year’s exceptionally harsh winter.  This funding, passed as part of the 2014-15 Enacted Budget, is a special one-time allocation to compliment the $438 million in existing State support for local transportation infrastructure.  All counties, cities, towns and villages will receive capital assistance through the program.

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

The decision to add a new transit service can be energizing for transit agencies and communities alike. At the same time, however, this type of decision introduces a host of new questions your agency will need to address. The key to ensuring all these questions are answered properly lies in focusing first on users and the experience you want them to have with the new service.

Imagine a mass transit system that could figure out on a daily basis where people are and where they want to go, and then get them there — nonstop — on luxury buses for just a few dollars more than a T ride costs. That’s the concept behind a first-of-its-kind “pop-up” bus service scheduled to begin trial runs in mid-May with at least four nonstop commuter routes in Brookline, Boston, and Cambridge. Within three months, buses on 18 routes could be shuttling commuters around in Boston and nearby suburbs, said founder Matthew George, and more are planned.

CHICAGO has a classic hub-and-spoke transit system. It's a relic of another era, when all the employers were downtown, and all the workers in the region needed to flow in from surrounding communities. So what do you do if you're a city with a 100-year-old rail network that no longer takes many residents where they need to go, maybe across town instead of downtown?  The answer in Chicago and elsewhere will be crucial to the economic health of the entire region for years to come.

ARLINGTON has long been among the largest American cities without public transportation. Since 1980, the city’s voters have rejected transit proposals three times. Last year, the City Council unanimously approved a commuter bus line as a two-year pilot program, and six months in, the MAX (short for Metro ArlingtonXpress) has begun to draw riders. Supporters are optimistic the service will prove popular enough to shift local views on the value of transit and prompt the city to develop a more robust system over time.

NYPTA TRAINING AND EVENTS

Public Transit Industry FREE Webinar Series
Developing a Succession Plan 
Thursday, April 24 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Participants will focus on the process of developing a strong succession plan. You will learn how to identify key positions and leaders within your organization, and how to engage those people both inside and outside of the organization who will allow for continued growth as current leaders are phased out. Performance metrics and tracking of data will be discussed as tools for analyzing the progress of your succession plan. Registration is Free!

2014 NY Public Transit Fall Expo

We invite transit industry manufacturers, vendors and service providers to reserve your space at the 2014 New York Public Transit Fall Expo, September 16-18 at the Saratoga City Center in Saratoga Springs. It’s your chance to market your solutions to more than 150 public transportation leaders from across the State.  Expanded hours give you a greater opportunity to make important connections.  Call Mike Cocca at 518.434.9060 for your exhibitor prospectus, or email info@nytransit.org.