The head of MTA bridges and tunnels will soon take the reins of the subways and buses, the transportation agency said Tuesday.  James Ferrara, 61, will take over NYC Transit from Carmen Bianco when he retires on Aug. 21. In the meantime, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will be conducting an international search for Bianco’s permanent replacement.

Centro's popular New York State Fair Park-N-Ride Express Service will be available August 27, 2015 - September 7, 2015. Express Service buses will depart regularly from Centro's 16 Park-N-Ride locations throughout Onondaga, Cayuga, and Oswego Counties, and will drop customers off at the Fair’s Main Gate. Customers may use cash or any of Centro's fare media options, including Centro's discounted 10-Ride Pass to ride the State Fair Express Service.

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is wrapping up a study of how and where to expand into Amherst, and support for expansion appears stronger than it has been at any time since Metro Rail planners inked their first sketches back in the 1970s.  A rail-based expansion would double Metro Rail use to about 50,000 commuters each day. “Based on our preliminary evaluation, the ridership values are there,” said NFTA Executive Director Kimberley A. Minkel.

Senator Chuck Schumer, seeking an end to the standoff over financing new Hudson River rail tunnels, proposed creating a nonprofit corporation to oversee the project and to assemble the billions of dollars needed to build new tunnels. In a speech at New York University, Mr. Schumer said that such a corporation would make it easier to tap a broad array of public and private funding sources and would be similar to the entity set up to build Moynihan Station. Federal transportation secretary Anthony Foxx, has called the tunnel project one of the most important transportation projects in the country.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo won’t attend a meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to discuss reviving Amtrak’s Gateway tunnel project under the Hudson River. Foxx is set to be joined by Governor Chris Christie and U.S. Senator Cory Booker, both of New Jersey, in a meeting next week to discuss the $16 billion tunnel proposed by Amtrak in February 2011. The governor told reporters in New York City Aug. 9 that he’s willing to meet but that doing so now would be of no use unless the federal government offers grants instead.

New York’s first FAA-licensed drone company launched a massive hand-made drone into the skies above Brooklyn’s Industry City. The commercial flight is historic in that the company, Aerobo, is the first to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, marking the beginning, in a lot of ways, of a whole new industry.Jon Ollwerther, vice president of marketing and operations, called commercial drones a potential $20 billion industry.

Be prepared, be patient — and if you can't be on your feet for many hours, stay home. That was the message offered by New Jersey transportation officials as they laid out plans to accommodate the expected hundreds of thousands of people who will pass through New Jersey next month for Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia. More than a third of the up to 2 million people projected in Philadelphia for the weekend of Sept. 26-27 is expected to pass through New Jersey, officials said. More than half of all attendees will be senior citizens, said Sam Schwartz, a traffic engineer and former New York City traffic commissioner.

Boston, MA -- Quick thinking and bold action were all in a day’s work for an MBTA bus driver who steered his bus into a car to slow it down and call for help when he saw that the driver was unconscious. Paul Healy, 58, noticed something strange about the 2009 Jeep Compass rolling next to his bus: The vehicle was moving forward, but the woman driving it was slumped over the wheel. Healy eased his bus against the vehicle and wedged it against the curb, slowing the Jeep to almost a complete stop. He stopped the bus and ran out to help the 56-year-old Braintree woman, while the car was still inching forward.

New York, NY -- Amazon filed a patent application for delivering packages via public transit — turning buses, trains, subways and other vehicles into roaming pickup locations. The patent is essentially an Amazon Locker on wheels, installed inside or attached to the outside of a bus, train or other form of transit, according to the report. Customers who ride a particular route regularly could opt to have a package delivered to their preferred bus, to retrieve while they’re riding. Or those in a specific area could choose to pick up their package at a bus stop, receiving a text message when their item is approaching.

Public Transit Industry Professionals: CONNECT IN ROCHESTER! 

Rochester is the TRANSIT place to be this October 27-29! Check your mailboxes for the CONNECTIONS Annual Conference & Expo registration brochure! The conference has something for everyone in your agency with a wide variety of topics and trainings, including a tour of the new state-of-the-art Rochester Transit Center!

By joining your public transit colleagues at the conference, you will keep up with critical issues and topics affecting our growing industry!

Register before October 6 and save $100!

Want to improve your agency operations?  Be sure to attend the CONNECTIONS Expo! With an impressive bus and van display, you will see first-hand all the latest innovative products and services in our industry. We have a growing list of new exhibitors and many of our returning vendors are already reserving their space. See the current list and check it out!

Click here for conference website with all your need to know info!

For Questions, contact NYPTA at 518-434-9060 or email info@nytransit.org.