TRANSIT NEWS

The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) has earned top honors for its outstanding security program by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).The TSA has commended six rail and mass transit agencies from across the nation for earning the administrations highest rating of “Gold Standard” on their 2013 Baseline Assessments for Security Enhancement (BASE) for their dedication to building a strong security program.“It is such an honor to be included in this prestigious list,” said CDTA Board Chairman, David M. Stackrow. “It’s a real testament to our security measures and CDTA employees who are charged with upholding CDTA security policies and procedures every day.

FEDERAL NEWS

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has scheduled a hearing on a $265 billion transportation funding bill that was approved by a separate panel earlier this month, committee officials said Monday.  The measure, which is a reauthorization of transportation funding that is scheduled to expire in September, originated in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The Commerce Committee, which shares jurisdiction over transportation issues, will hold its own hearing on the bill on June 3. The road and transit funding bill is intended to renew the 2012 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act.

In 2012, the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) began the “Connected Vehicle Safety Pilot Model Deployment,” of nearly 3,000 cars, trucks and transit vehicles equipped with wireless communication devices to improve safety. The vehicles, which are operating on public streets in Ann Arbor, Mich., transmit a basic safety message (BSM), indicating their position, speed, heading and other information, via dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), a technology similar to Wi-Fi. A subset of vehicles, including three transit buses, are also equipped with safety applications that warn drivers of imminent crashes. 

STATE NEWS

An upgraded New York City bus route hopes to provide a faster way to get to LaGuardia Airport. The M60 bus route will now be called the M60 Select Bus Service, or SBS line, with its own special red faster lane that nobody else is allowed to use. The M60 SBS corridor extends from 106th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, across 125th Street and Astoria Boulevard to LaGuardia Airport. The M60 SBS is the city’s seventh select bus route. On a typical weekday, the M60 carries more than 17,000 riders.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s New York City Transit completed a vital project allowing customers at the Utica Av A/C Subway Lines to use three new ADA-accessible elevators to reach the platforms from the street level to both northbound and southbound platforms. This project enables full ADA accessibility at the Utica Avenue station on Brooklyn’s Fulton Line. One elevator is located near the intersection of Utica Avenue and Fulton Street connecting the street to the station’s mezzanine. The other two elevators connect the mezzanine with both platforms.

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

NEW JERSEY -- The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has received an additional $167 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to continue post-Sandy work on PATH railways. The grant is part of a $1.3 billion recovery fund. The funding has helped the Port Authority remove lingering latent salt residue left by the extensive flooding inside the PATH rail tunnels and help purchase new items like flatcars, high-volume power washers and high-capacity pumps.

WASHINGTON -- Before she rose to international prominence as an author, educator and civil rights activist, the beloved Maya Angelou broke a tough barrier in the transportation industry, becoming San Francisco’s first black female streetcar conductor. She was 16 and enamored with the transit worker’s uniforms. When asked what job she wanted, she said “that’s the job I want.” World leaders celebrated her life as a “brilliant writer, a fierce friend, and a truly phenomenal woman,” while some transportation leaders remembered her perseverance and legacy in the industry.

COLUMBUS -- Researchers behind a new mobile app centered on Columbus-area buses hope to track use of the city’s public transportation systems while streamlining the process for riders. The app, called C-Ride for short, uses GPS technology to adjust schedules and help riders plan and navigate the quickest COTA and CABS routes, said Battelle project manager Thomas Timcho. Another feature, dubbed “Connection Protection,” notifies COTA if an app user is on an OSU bus that is running late. This allows bus drivers to hold buses for as long as one minute so riders don’t miss their transfer.

ALTOONA -- The Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center completed the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) “new model bus testing program” of the first 40-foot, all-electric BYD bus. The BYD Electric Bus successfully completed the Altoona structural integrity testing program in a fast 116 track days with full reports published soon. The 40-foot BYD Electric Bus is just the first of three different size options that will be offered to the U.S. for 2014/2015 deliveries.

CHICAGO -- In recognition of the Memorial Day holiday, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced it doubled the number of U.S. military veterans on staff since 2010, from 173 in 2010 to 348 in 2014. The increases are the result of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CTA President Forrest Claypool’s focused efforts to promote and expand the hiring of veterans. Over the past several years, veterans have increasingly joined the CTA in a wide variety of positions, from bus operators and flagmen to mechanics and customer service assistants. More than 20 now serve in manager or coordinator positions.

STOCKHOLM -- So ponder this: A new study from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology’s Department of Aeronautical and Vehicle Engineering recently explored the concept of water buses — finding that it could be quite an effective solution to traffic congestion, as well as helping to reduce transit times. Travel time can be reduced up to 33% for many trips, the study found. The new research — referred to as the Waterway 365 project — explored the possible ways that such water buses could be integrated into Stockholm’s mass transit system and beyond.

NYPTA TRAINING AND EVENTS

In this session, conference attendees will learn how Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are utilized to ease the complexities of coordination. Software and hardware components of ITS technologies allow coordinating agencies to respond to both fixed and on-demand trip requests, coordinate trips among different providers, and directly communicate with customers through call centers, web portals, and mobile applications. Regional agency coordination best practices will be presented so attendees can view firsthand how technologies have played a large role in sustaining costs while increasing services.  Registration is Free!

Regional Training: Procurement

This unique program will address overcoming common procurement issues, and be will be offered in three convenient locations. There are certain findings that present themselves in all of the FTA Oversight reviews. James Harper, Director of the Office of Acquisition Management at the FTA, will discuss those common findings (deficiencies) and give suggestions on how grantees can eliminate them from your reviews and move beyond them. Space is limited, so register today!

Tuesday, June 24, 10am-2pm 
CNYRTA
Jerry Dietz Training Center
200 Cortland Ave, Syracuse, NY 13205  

Wednesday, June 25, 10am-2pm                       
Westchester County Department of Public Works & Transportation/Bee-Line Bus System
Westchester County Office Building, 8th Floor Conference Room
100 East First St., Mt. Vernon, NY  10550 (Directly across the street from Metro-North New Haven Line/Mt. Vernon West Railroad Station)

Thursday, June 26, 10am-2pm                        
NICE Bus (1st Floor Conference Room)
700 Commercial Ave., Garden City, NY 11530  

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.