An agreement has been reached that will allow Rochester City School District (RCSD) students to ride RTS buses to school over the summer. RGRTA CEO Bill Carpenter and RCSD Superintendent Bolgen Vargas sat down at a news conference Thursday afternoon to discuss the plans moving forward. "These are good citizens, we want them on our buses, but the system we've designed needs to work for the entire community," Carpenter said.

Vanpooling is taking off in communities around the U.S. to help provide solutions for suburban commuters who are not easily served by public transit. RTS recently authorized consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. to determine whether a Vanpool program might be a practical way to link commuters from outlying areas to destinations in the eight-county region RTS serves.

Broome County has inked an $80,000 contract with a Florida-based consulting firm to overhaul BC Transit’s routes and fare structure. The goal of the route study is to identify efficiencies that are being missed in the current setup, according to Public Transportation Commissioner Greg Kilmer, who took the job 17 months ago. BC Transit’s problem, Kilmer said, is not lack of demand.

Key House and Senate lawmakers have been unable to agree on a temporary package of taxes that would provide the $10 billion needed to keep the trust fund afloat through the end of the year. The problem is particularly vexing for Republicans because many have pledged to never vote for a tax increase. Yet many Republican House members have significant infrastructure needs in their districts. Republicans, including New York Reps. Tom Reed, Chris Gibson and Elise Stefanik, represent 45 of the 50 congressional districts with more than 300 structurally deficient bridges each.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and more than two dozen mayors from across the country called for increased federal transportation funding, calling it a "painful coincidence" that they were gathering hours after a deadly Amtrak crash in Philadelphia killed at least seven people. "This is a wake-up call," de Blasio said. The effort from the U.S. Conference of Mayors included meetings with members of Congress to advocate for the renewal of and increased funding for the Federal Highway Trust Fund, which expires at the end of May.

Republicans in the U.S. Congress, unable to reach agreement on a long-term transportation funding bill in time for a May 31 deadline, introduced legislation for a two-month extension to buy more negotiating time. The House of Representatives bill would extend federal spending authority on major road, bridge and rail transit construction projects through the end of July, about the time that the Highway Trust Fund is expected to be depleted.

Washington, DC — Innovative design and construction techniques, cutting-edge technologies, new materials, safety products and state-of-the-art heavy equipment are being deployed by the public and private sectors to deliver critical, and cost-effective, transportation improvement projects to communities across the U.S., a new publication from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) shows. “Economy Driven: Innovations Driving the ROI in U.S. Transportation Infrastructure” features 25 short case studies of projects that are benefitting U.S. taxpayers.

Seattle, WA — Sonja Woodard was staring down at her phone, walking on Third Avenue across Columbia Street, when a bus spoke at her. “Caution, bus is turning; cuidado, autobús está virando,” an automated female voice said, while the driver made a right turn toward Seattle’s waterfront. Woodard suddenly looked up, and slowed to avoid the bus, as did a few other people walking nearby. So goes an experiment by King County Metro Transit, which has installed strobes and speakers on the exterior of 10 buses.

Folsom, CA — There is a significant disconnect between those who support mass transit and those who actually use it. But changing circumstances may play a role in helping reshape the way people in the U.S. view the viability of public transit for their daily commutes. A shift in population centers and the use of technology are the two major forces behind the changing viewpoint.

Webinar: Let's Talk Performance Series
June 9, 2015, 2:00-3:30 PM EST

The Let's Talk Performance Webinar Series is a recurring webinar series that aims to:

• Broach new topics in transportation performance management
• Present unique perspectives from a variety of agencies
• Provide a forum for collaboration with fellow practitioners

A working group comprised of national stakeholders and USDOT staff vets topics selected for the Let's Talk Performance Webinar Series. The performance management concepts explored during each webinar will appeal to all transportation professionals.

Fundamentals of Transportation Data Part 2
Share examples of how agencies overcome internal IT, leadership, and resource issues that inhibit their ability to create data management and performance data programs. Register Now!