APRIL 30, 2013


FEDERAL NEWS

USDOT Invites Applications for TIGER Grants

DOT has announced the availability of $473.847M in FY2013 funding and requests proposals for TIGER grants to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan area or a region. Final applications are due June 3.  Click here to read the notice.

Charlotte, NC Mayor Foxx to be Obama Nominee for Transportation Secretary

According to sources inside the White House, President Obama is set to nominate Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to serve as US Transportation Secretary.  Foxx, who recently announced that he would not seek re-election at the end of his four-year term, is a former Justice Department attorney and previously served as president of Davidson College. Read more in the New York Times.

Transportation Construction Contributes 100s of Billions to Economy

A publication recently released by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association reports that transportation construction contributes an amount equivalent to 2.25 percent of the nation's Gross Domestic Product. Read the full report at www.TransportationCreatesJobs.org.

 

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE STATE

Business Review Reports 5.1% Increase in Ridership for CDTA

An online article released on April 29 by Capital Region Business Review reports a 5.1% increase in ridership for the Capital District Transportation Authority.  CDTA President Carm Basile (also president of NYPTA) credits the authority’s new BusPlus, or rapid transit, and universal access programs for a portion of the increase.  Read more here.

CDTA Earth Day Bike Parade


CDTA also shared with us that they participated in a collaborative Earth Day event to highlight riding bicycles and public transportation for a environmentally friendly way to travel.  CDTA displayed a hybrid bus at the Albany bicycle parade event to demonstrate to bicyclists how to use the on bus bike rack.  See the photo at left.  


Buffalo Airport Wins Seventh Balchen/Post Award

The Buffalo Niagara International Airport received its seventh Balchen/Post Award for Outstanding Acheivement at the recent 47th International Aviation Snow Symposium.  Read the story here.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

We held a very successful Principles of Management Training program in Albany last week. Sponsored by NYPTA, NYSDOT RTAP and the Transit Training Institute, and presented by the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute and North Dakota State University, the program was sold out, attended by 33 transit managers from across the state, and one participant from Atlanta (MARTA).  Our sincerest thanks to Bill Telovsky and RTAP, and Transit Training Institute Chairman Scott Sopczyk, for supporting the program and being the driving force in bringing the training program to New York.

Carm Basile welcomed attendees on the opening day thanking them for their commitment to public transit and support of the training program.  Also, NYSDOT representatives were on hand each day to lend their expertise and knowledge.  Thank you to John Fabian, Chief Investigator of the Public Transportation Safety Board, Mike LaBello, Intermodal Transportation Specialist, Public Transportation Bureau and Marc Boucher, Intermodal Transportation Specialist 2, Public Transportation Bureau for taking the time to attend the program and interact with participants.

Just in case you missed our earlier announcement: NYPTA now has a LinkedIn corporate page at http://www.linkedin.com/company/new-york-public-transit-association. Be sure to visit and "follow" the page to stay up on association news.  Also, we'll soon be moving our NYPTA Linked In group to our new page, so if you wish to be part of that ongoing conversation, come and follow!
Just in case you missed our earlier announcement: NYPTA now has a LinkedIn corporate page at http://www.linkedin.com/company/new-york-public-transit-association. Be sure to visit and "follow" the page to stay up on association news.  Also, we'll soon be moving our NYPTA Linked In group to our new page, so if you wish to be part of that ongoing conversation, come and follow!

OTHER NEWS

A bus driver in Vancouver, British Columbia has started a movement toward civility among public transportation riders and launched a Facebook page to promote it.  Brian Revel sets aside one day each month as "Say 'Hi' on the Bus Day."  Revel and a fellow driver who helped cook up the idea keep people up to date on their progress at www.Facebook.com/Say.Hi.on.the.bus.  Check it out, and let us know what you think on the NYPTA Facebook page!

 About NYPTA

The New York Public Transit Association, Inc. (NYPTA) is a not-for-profit association of public transportation service providers, private sector manufacturers and consultants, and state government                             agencies. The Association was formed in 1983 by representatives of the transit industry                                   committed to the advancement of public transportation in New York State. After over                                     20 years of operation, NYPTA remains devoted to public transportation                                                      development and representing the mass transportation needs of the riding                                                  public.

New York Public Transit Association, Inc.
136 Everett Road
Albany, NY 12205
United States

518-434-9060 ph • info@nytransit.orgwww.nytransit.org

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