Transit Unplugged Weekly News Minute with Julie Gates

Welcome to your Transit Unplugged News Minute, where we cover the biggest headlines in the transit industry.

Ferry systems across the U.S. are about to get an upgrade. The Federal Transit Administration has awarded $300 million in grants to modernize ferry systems across 14 states. Source: FTA

Vancouver's TransLink is one step closer to achieving its net zero emissions goals by converting the West Coast Express commuter rail to renewable diesel. This fuel comes from organic waste, such as cooking and vegetable oils. Source: TransLink

We're learning more about the high speed rail train that Brightline West will operate on its route between Las Vegas and the greater Los Angeles area. New renderings show the pet friendly train will also include a party car where guests can kick back and drink some champagne. Source: Brightline West

And Tech Mobility Conference MOVE America takes place this week in Austin, Texas. Transit Unplugged's Paul Comfort will be presenting on the five traits of a future transit leader. Source: MOVE America

This Transit Unplugged News Minute is being brought to you by Modaxo, passionate about moving the world's people.

Welcome to your Transit Unplugged News Minute, where we cover the biggest headlines in the transit industry.

Last week, the American Public Transportation Association held a fly-in in Washington D.C. where transit agency leaders and advocates met with over 75 members of Congress and staff, urging them to not cut the funding levels to public transit and passenger rail. Source: APTA

The University of North Texas Economic Research Group validated that transit oriented development is good for cities. The project proved that TODs in the vicinity of Dallas Area Rapid Transit stations brought in nearly $1B in direct spending and 11k jobs in a two-year period. Source: DART

There are a couple of fun things to note this week. First, watch out for seafaring shenanigans on Thursday which is Talk Like a Pirate Day. In previous years, Brisbane, Australia converted one of their buses into a pirate ship for the day. Source: Wikipedia

And this Sunday is World Car-Free Day. California's Riverside Transit is offering free rides to commemorate the occasion. Source: Riverside Transit

Welcome to your Transit Unplugged News Minute, where we cover the biggest headlines in the transit industry.

As we kick off the new school year, we are seeing a lot of transit agencies launching. Launching new vehicles, new services, and new programs.

In Houston, Texas, they rolled out their first electric buses. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County introduced its first zero emission electric buses on two routes last week. Source: Metro

The Sacramento Regional Transit District is celebrating the launch of its new fleet of low floor light rail vehicles. The low floor design removes the need for stairs to enter the vehicle. It allows easier boarding for seniors, persons with disabilities, and those with strollers or bicycles. Source: SacRT

Seattle Sound Transit has extended its light rail service to Linwood, making it possible for Snohomish County residents to ride to downtown Seattle and SeaTac Airport. Source: Sound Transit

And after receiving community feedback and requests, The Capital Metro Transportation Authority in Austin, Texas has established its new CapMetro Transit Police Department. Source: CapMetro

Welcome to September and your Transit Unplugged News Minute, where we cover the biggest headlines in the transit industry.

Most transit systems will be operating on a holiday schedule today due to Labor Day in the United States and Canada. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration expects this will be the busiest Labor Day travel period on record. Source: TSA

Congratulations to Los Angeles Metro. For the 20th straight month, they have seen year-over-year ridership growth, delivering over 25M boardings in July. Source: LA Metro

To reduce fare evasion and improve safety, Vancouver’s TransLink is increasing fare enforcement patrols on the system. They expect to recover $5M in lost revenue by getting riders to pay their fares. Source: TransLink

This week, the Toronto Transit Commission is increasing bus, subway, and streetcar service to meet increasing ridership demands. The bus network will have more service hours than were in place before the pandemic. Source: TTC

And the U.S. Federal Transit Administration is hosting a webinar on Thursday to cover the updates to the Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program. Source: FTA

This Transit Unplugged News Minute is brought to you by Modaxo. https://modaxo.com/

Ohio's Stark Area Regional Transit Authority is going all-in with hydrogen fuel. SARTA will use federal grant funds to build an electrolyzer facility that will make fuel for their 23 hydrogen vehicles and for private companies in the area. Source: SARTA

It’s back-to-school season, and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is implementing an enhanced safety plan for students who use public transportation. The plan includes an app which provides riders an easy and discreet way to report safety concerns directly to police in less than 20 seconds. Source: SEPTA

This Thursday, Sedona, Arizona will launch its first on-demand microtransit service. It will help people travel around the city and deliver hikers to trailheads in an eco-friendly way. Source: Sedona Shuttle

And the Canadian Urban Transit Association has identified one of the biggest challenges facing small and medium transit systems today. The work-from-home movement spurred many people to move to smaller communities for affordable housing. Now these transit systems are figuring out how to handle the unexpected increase in demand in these rapidly growing areas. Source: CUTA

• APTA wants Congress to honor their funding agreement. Source: APTA
• Bay Area schedules get in sync. Source: BART
• Old railcars get a second life as coral reefs. Sources: MARTA and YouTube

This week:

• CUTA presses for funding
• Miami-Dade is building a first-of-its-kind facility for electric buses
• More students are riding free
• Congrats to SWTA Spotlight Award winners (including us!)

The Olympic Games kicked off in Paris on Friday, and in advance of the 2028 California games L.A. METRO was granted $77 million dollars in federal funds to buy electric buses to ensure it’s a “transit-first games.”  Source: LA Times

After six years of hard work, the new Gordie Howe International Bridge has been connected in the middle over the Detroit River. This bridge connects Canada and the United States between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. The official border crossing will open in Fall of 2025. Source: Transport Topics

For over 100 years, traffic lights have used red, yellow, and green signals. But now researchers want to introduce a fourth color, white, for the arrival of autonomous vehicles. In a North Carolina State University position paper, the authors say that adding the forth white light will shorten pedestrian wait times as well as improve traffic flow. Source: NCSU

And, in an effort to reduce stress for transit operators, unions in New York are providing relaxation programs such as yoga, guided meditation, and chair massages. Source: AP

With the largest public transit investment in Canadian history, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the new Canada Public Transit Fund of $30 billion.

Keolis North America released a study sharing the top priorities of transit executives, with 78 percent saying decarbonization is their focus for the next five years.

Since the Chicago Transit Authority launched a new chatbot, riders have issued over 8,000 chats, which has helped CTA respond quickly to issues like malfunctioning air conditioning units.

Over the weekend, Saline County Area Transit in Nebraska commemorated National Ice Cream Day by handing out free pie and ice cream to the public.

And on the streets of Boston, you might see trains looking back at you. After a tongue in cheek community protest led by Ariel Locke and John Sanchez, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority agreed to put googly eyes on five of its trains. The goal is to bring joy to riders.

This Transit Unplugged News Minute is being brought to you by Modaxo and was written by our summer intern, Des Gates.

Welcome to your Transit Unplugged News Minute. There is so much going on right now. Let's kick it off with happy 60th birthday to the U.S. Federal Transportation Administration.

The FTA was born in 1964 and is still going strong. Last week, the FTA announced 1. 5 billion in bus grants, helping 47 states to replace old buses with zero and low emission solutions.

And speaking of anniversaries, congratulations to the North American Transit Alliance on its four year anniversary.

Amtrak broke ground on the S Line that will connect Raleigh, North Carolina to Richmond, Virginia. This route will save travelers 90 minutes per trip while more efficiently connecting the South to Washington, D.C. and the Northeast Corridor.

Windsor, Ontario received its largest federal investment of 117 million to upgrade its transit system.

And if you love music, the Chicago Transit Authority is kicking off another season of entertaining commuters with live music from local DJs at the 95th Red Line train station.

This Transit Unplugged News Minute is being brought to you by Modaxo.