The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) hopes to hear this month about whether it will get state funding toward a proposed $3.5 million transit hub in downtown Troy.  CDTA has applied for $647,500 for the project through Empire State Development's Consolidated Funding Application and hopes to hear whether funding is forthcoming. The project was named a priority by the Capital District Economic Development Council.

The mayor and business leaders from Longueuil, Quebec traveled to Plattsburgh for the day to discuss how they can enhance the transportation clusters that have grown in both cities. The Plattsburgh North Country Chamber of Commerce and the City of Plattsburgh hosted Rendezvous Longueuil-Plattsburgh.  At a midday luncheon,  Plattsburgh Mayor James Calnon and Longueuil Mayor Caroline St-Hilaire signed a Declaration of Cooperation.  The pact promises exchanges between the cities and identification of two Centers of Excellence for transportation technology.

Oneonta Public Transit (OPT) offered free rides on all routes, all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday, officials said. The three days of free rides were a "thank you" to customers, Oneonta transit director Paul Patterson said. OPT is having a good year, Patterson said, with record ridership projected at more than 737,000 this year.

A quarter century ago, the late New York Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan won what many considered the signal victory of his long legislative career when he managed to get Congress to pass the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, which completely overhauled the way Washington distributed federal transportation aid. Well, 25 years after that victory, Mr. Moynihan might well be turning over in his grave.

Lawmakers are preparing for an end-of-the-year dash as they return to Washington with little time to tackle a handful of policy fights. The first deadline lawmakers face is passing a long-term infrastructure bill after approving another short-term funding patch before leaving for Thanksgiving. Lawmakers only have a matter of days to get a long-term deal and avoid a shutdown of federal highway funding, with the current patch set to expire this Friday, December 4.

A new national survey reveals that more than 7 in 10 Americans support increased federal funding for the nation’s public transportation systems, including those that serve small cities, towns, and large urban areas.  The survey was conducted by ORC International for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and it shows support for increased funding for public transit is consistent across communities of all sizes.

Lansing, MI — A new bill to allow local transit agencies to construct Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes on state highways would make mass transit more efficient, advocates say. The bill would qualify any highway marked as a M-, U.S.- or I- route for BRT lanes. Rep. Sam Singh, an East Lansing Democrat who introduced the bill, said the BRT concept is relatively new to the state and the proposal would help designate the personal bus lane required for rapid transit and allow the state to work with local agencies in creating such lanes.

Berlin, CT — After eight months of Bus Rapid Transit operations throughout central Connecticut communities -- including Hartford, West Hartford, Newington, New Britain, Bristol, Manchester, East Hartford, Southington and Cheshire -- CTfastrak has emerged successfully as a strong transportation option for residents living and business professionals working in the region. “CTfastrak has turned out to be a great ‘people moving’ transportation system. said James Verano, owner of Black Eyed Sally’s Restaurant in Hartford, CT.

TRANSIT AWARENESS DAY 2016

Plan now to be at the Capital in Albany February 2 for NYPTA’s 2016 Transit Awareness Day. Join us in bringing lawmakers a unified message on the importance of investing in transit infrastructure.

The Governor and Legislature need to take the lead on securing resources to fund critical infrastructure investments necessary for safety and meeting increased public demand.

We need a unified voice, we need to be heard and we need you make it happen!
Our industry partners can play a key role, too. Become a Transit Awareness Day sponsor and secure a prominent position on Transit Awareness Day 2016!

Mark your calendars. Be in Albany on February 2nd. More details to come.

FTA Bus Safety Program and Safety Management Systems (SMS) Webinar

TODAY:  December 1, 2015, 2:30– 3:30 p.m. ET

Target Audience: State DOTs, Small and Rural Bus Transit Agencies, and other industry stakeholders

Register here.

The Federal Transit Administration and the National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) will jointly host a webinar for small and rural bus agencies about the FTA Bus Safety Program and Safety Management Systems (SMS). The Webinar will be moderated by Joseph Powell, FTA’s Bus Safety Program Manager. Erik Larson, contractor lead in support of FTA’s Bus Safety Program, will discuss the initiatives of the FTA Bus Safety Program and how they support the small bus transit agency safety mission.

Space is limited. If you are unable to attend, a recording will be available on FTA’s safety program page and the National RTAP site here.