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Electric buses now being tested on the streets of Montreal might start rolling in the Capital Region under a pilot program being eyed by the Capital District Transportation Authority.
"We want to work with other systems that are testing these buses, and learn together," said CDTA CEO Carm Basile on Thursday.
He said the authority expects to reach an agreement with Quebec officials that will see up to five of the Canadian-made buses arrive in the Capital Region sometime within the next 12 to 18 months.
 Following an intensive, multi-month search, James J. Tymon was selected to become the sixth executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials during the association’s annual board of directors meeting.
Tymon, who is AASHTO’s chief operating officer and director of policy and management, joined the association in 2013. He will assume his new role when the current executive director, Frederick “Bud” Wright, retires December 31.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the completion of the Long Island Rail Road Double Track more than a year ahead of schedule. This historic project adds a second 13-mile track between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma — a segment of the LIRR that carries 48,000 riders every weekday — and will significantly reduce delays and allow for reverse-peak service expansions. The double track project also includes a new signal system, electrical substation modifications and new third rail electrical systems that will power the new track's trains. Governor Cuomo also announced the official opening of a new and fully accessible Wyandanch Station along the new double track.
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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the availability of $6.3 million in competitive grant funds for transit coordination projects that improve access to healthcare. A Notice of Funding Opportunity is on display at the Federal Register.
FTA’s Access and Mobility Partnership Grants focus on transportation solutions to medical appointments and other non-emergency healthcare services. The grants will help improve options for people with limited transportation choices and bridge the gap between service providers in the transportation and health sectors.
"The FTA is encouraging partnerships between public transportation agencies and the healthcare industry to support those who are transit-dependent," said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams.
Transit agencies and transportation network companies (TNCs) generally play in different sandboxes, managing their operations without the complications of working together. But, in a growing number of cities, these service providers have found the allure of collaborating too powerful to resist. More than two dozen municipal governments and transit agencies have formed partnerships with TNCs to enhance mobility options.
Nearly all of the 29 past and present collaborations we explore in our new study, “Partners in Transit: A Review of Partnerships between Transportation Network Companies and Public Agencies,” are intended to allow transit operators and TNCs (predominately Lyft and Uber) to concentrate on what they do best. By using TNCs to fill gaps, offer first- and last-mile solutions, and provide certain demand-responsive services, transit providers can focus resources on modernizing top-performing routes, serving commuters, and other core strengths.
Last May, I got my first glimpses of Louisville, Kentucky, from the windows of a public bus. As we crossed railroad bridges, passed a campus, and slid between blocks of neat Victorian homes, we learned from the bus driver about how many more jobs there were in Louisville, compared to Toledo where she’d come from, and chatted about the royal wedding. Approaching the hotel on foot from the bus stop two blocks away, I was welcomed by some of downtown Louisville’s ubiquitous street art, including gigantic walk-through bourbon barrel staves, and got a quick look at the Ohio River before heading inside.
The 30-minute ride cost me $1.75, which for the penny-conscious nonprofit business traveler is a pretty good deal compared to a taxi, rideshare, or airport shuttle.
Transportation systems don’t just move people around—they can also be catalysts for moving cities forward. But too often, between state-level inertia (see: New York’s inability to cope with New York City’s subway crisis) and the lack of serious federal investment in infrastructure and public transportation efforts, U.S. cities face gridlock when it comes to transportation reform.
Hope tends to come from smaller-scale initiatives: In cities across the country, local politicians, transit advocates, and commute-weary citizens are responding to the need for more sustainable, equitable, street-level transit solutions, delivering on promises to make daily commutes more multimodal and connect more workers to jobs. In the year of dockless scooters and city-led climate summits, new tech is spreading rapidly, while electric vehicles are ever more widely adopted.
Transit agencies must provide a great ride for passengers and also ensure their safety within defined regulations. Sophisticated and smart technologies mitigate risk and promote safe behavior, while also ensuring rider satisfaction.
This is just one of our many educational sessions that will be offered at the 2018 NYPTA Conference! See our full conference schedule here and you're sure to be sold on attending. Save your spot today! Your future self will thank you.
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