The MTA is getting a facelift in the upcoming years, which hopes to keep commuters connected from the moment they hop on a bus to when they get off a train. Governor Andrew Cuomo and MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast announced that the agency would be adding 2,042 new state-of-the-art buses to its transportation fleet in the next five years. 

Transit advocates, lawmakers and the Regional Transit Service (RTS) called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to partner with the local New York State delegation to provide additional funding for public transportation in the Rochester area and the Finger Lakes region.

The Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (Centro) will host an Employment Open House on Saturday, March 26 from 10:00am – 1:00pm. Recruiters will be on hand to meet with prospective mechanics, drivers and cleaners. Attendees are encouraged to bring their resumes and be prepared to complete the application process.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced seven finalists for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Smart City Challenge. The USDOT has pledged up to $40 million to one city to help it define what it means to be a “Smart City “and become the country’s first city to fully integrate innovative technologies – self-driving cars, connected vehicles, and smart sensors – into their transportation network. 

As the public transportation industry transitions from advocating for a long-term authorization bill to implementing the new five-year Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), review the summary of the public transportation-related facts and figures.

In an effort to reduce its transportation footprint, Norway has announced plans to build a network of ten bicycle highways around its nine largest cities – at an estimated cost of $923 million. The two-lane “super cycleways” will allow cyclists to travel safely in and out of large cities – including connections to the suburbs.

This is YOUR chance to share a new initiative, program, or best practice with your peers! Submissions are due March 16 for the NYPTA 2016 Transit, Technology & Smarter Communities Fall Conference & Expo to be held on October 19-20, 2016 in Albany.
Presentations must be focused on a well-defined topic, and provide participants with timely, solution oriented information they can bring to their transit agency to support the work they do.
To submit a proposal, complete the attached Call for Proposals form and return it to the New York Public Transit Association no later than March 16^th.

Please save the dates! Tompkins County will host a training and conference in Ithaca on June 23-25, addressing sustainable community mobility offering three events:

June 23-24  Creating Innovative Solutions for Health Care-Related Transportation by Applying Design Thinking Strategies

June 23-24  Mobility Solutions Summit

June 25 Transportation Camp - Ithaca 2016 

More information will soon be available. Please contact Dwight Mengel with additional questions.