DOT 41-10
Public Affairs: Tel. (202) 366-4570
Friday, March 5, 2010

Vice President Biden Announces Nearly 200 New Recovery Act Transit Projects in 42 States
Awards Mean FTA Has Met Aggressive Deadline to Put 100 Percent of Recovery Act Dollars to Work

WASHINGTON – Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced funding for 191 new Recovery Act transit projects in 42 states and Puerto Rico that will help transform the nation’s infrastructure and support thousands of jobs across the country.  In making the over $600 million in new awards, the Federal Transit Administration met an aggressive deadline to award 100 percent of its Recovery Act transit formula dollars by March 5.

Since President Obama signed the Recovery Act in February 2009, the FTA has awarded 881 grants totaling $7.5 billion, which means all the formula transit funds provided by the Recovery Act have now been “obligated” or committed to specific transit projects.  Once funds are obligated to a project, contracts can be bid, workers can be hired, buses and rail cars can be purchased and work can begin on transit construction projects that create jobs and drive economic growth.  Recovery Act transit projects have already generated enough work to employ thousands of people nationwide and activity is expected to ramp up even further in the months ahead as new projects break ground and equipment orders are fulfilled.

“Investing in these transit upgrades not only puts construction workers on the job at project sites, but supports American manufacturing jobs all the way down the supply chain,” said Vice President Biden.  “At a time when jobs are priority number one, that means twice the employment bang for the Recovery Act buck.”

“Because of transit projects being built with money from the Recovery Act, thousands of people can pay their mortgages or their rent, make their car payments, put food on the table for their families and maintain their quality of life,” said Secretary LaHood.

So far, Recovery Act funds have supported the purchase of nearly 12,000 buses, vans and rail vehicles, the construction or renovation of more than 850 transit facilities, and the performance of more than $620 million in preventive maintenance, which has helped to save transit service and jobs, and enhance service reliability.

In addition to the direct employment impact of the projects, domestic bus, seating and rail car manufacturers have received orders that are helping boost production and support jobs.  For example, Orion Bus in Greensboro, NC has now received 10 contracts for nearly 300 buses with Recovery Act funds – orders the company says allowed it to maintain 176 jobs.  Gillig Bus in Hayward, CA has received orders for 790 buses with Recovery Act funds – work the company says has allowed them to support 395 jobs.  And American Seating Company in Grand Rapids, MI, a bus seating manufacturer, says they received $3 million in Recovery Act contracts last year, allowing them to add 11 full-time employees with additional job growth expected in 2010 thanks to the Recovery Act.

“Investing in modern, efficient transit systems will mean safe, reliable travel and clean air in our communities” said FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. “These projects are putting thousands of Americans to work right now while improving the lives of millions of Americans for years to come”

The U.S. Department of Transportation is making $48.1 billion available through the Recovery Act for all transportation projects, including highway and bridge, rail transit, small shipyards and airport construction and repairs nationwide.  Of that, $36.8 billion already has been awarded.

The following FTA Recovery Act awards were announced today:

Alaska

Manley Village Council       $140,000       Purchase one 35ft. bus.
State Total $140,000

Alabama

Alabama Department of Transportation
State of Alabama       $7,040,547       Purchase 3 replacement vans, 3 expansion vans;, Eng. & Design for two facilities.; Renovation of a bus facility.; Construction of a new bus facility; Real Estate Acquisition.; Preventive Maintenance.; Operating  Assistance; Purchase 11 35ft.
Intercity buses
Alabama Department of Transportation
State of Alabama       $1,023,565       Acquisition/rehabilitation of parking facility; Operating assistance
State Total $8,064,112

Arizona

Arizona Department of Transportation
State of Arizona       $2,166,936       Park & ride lots; administration buildings.; vehicle storage lot
Yuma Metropolitan Planning Org./Transportation Planning       $14,991       Additional ARRA Funding to complete installation of card-readers in
every MSTII (MB) vehicle
City of Phoenix       $14,969,916       Purchase of 2 buses; Construction of four park and ride lots and Operating assistance
State Total $17,151,843

California

City of Modesto       $35,500       Preventive Maintenance
City of Turlock       $194,532       Bus transfer hub facility
Orange County Transportation Authority       $500,000       Purchase 3 35ft. AFI replacement buses for the City of Laguna Beach
City of Vallejo       $439,212       Vallejo Multimodal Station
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority       $69,776       Metro Blue Line traction power substation
Southern California Regional Rail Authority       $4,675,477       Rehab Track, Positive Train Control, Keller Yard storage, Central Maintenance Facility Guard, Insurance.
City of Vacaville       $115,330       Purchase 14 electronic fare boxes
City of Santa Clarita       $2,385,864       Construction of Two Transit Parking Facilities
City of Fresno       $1,200,000       Operating Assistance
City of Montebello       $1,925,000       Purchase 3 40ft. CNG replacement buses; Operating assistance.
City of La Mirada       $63,287       Bus security cameras and maintenance equipment
City of Fairfield       $172,340       Install 63 fare boxes
Sacramento Regional Transit District       $488,000       Purchase six replacement minivans; Operating Assistance

California

Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, San Rafael       $244,279       Replacement of Bus Wash Equipment
San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District       $16,972,052       BART- Railcar and Station Equipment Improvements
City of Manteca       $649,009       Bus Passenger Amenities
City of Vallejo       $2,009,466       Vallejo Station
Municipal Transportation Agency/City and County of San Francisco       $18,221,874       Rebuild LRVs and preventive maintenance
San Mateo County Transit District       $2,045,371       Preventive Maintenance; purchase 2 40ft. repl. buses and 2 35ft.
replacement buses.
Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco Counties)       $2,684,596       San Mateo Bridges Replacement Project
Western Contra Costa Transit Authority       $197,637       Preventive Maintenance and Generator Purchase
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority       $12,251,784       Purchase of 20 40ft. buses
City of Union City       $77,123       Purchase of 2 35ft. buses
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority       $1,054,888       Preventive maintenance; Bus Lifts; parking lot repairs
Livermore-Amador Valley Transit Authority       $799,046       Preventive Maintenance
City of Santa Rosa       $983,249       Purchase 2 Hybrid Electric Buses
City of Simi Valley       $1,024,049       Garage modernization, ADA operations, and a wheelchair scale
Napa County Transportation Planning Agency       $721,312       Bus Rehab and Shop Equipment
Sonoma County Transit       $488,161       Replace 1 40ft. CNG Bus
Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District       $6,682,626       Preventive Maintenance
Central Contra Costa Transit Authority       $1,107,398       Preventive Maintenance
City of Vacaville       $527,655       Vacaville Intermodal Station
City of Fairfield       $788,484       Purchase 6 35ft. repl. buses
State Total $83,937,377

Colorado

Colorado Department of Transportation       $2,152,195       Purchase 2 expansion buses;
1 replacement bus; 1 van.
Rebuild 2 buses; equipment; operating assistance
City of Colorado Springs       $4,238,893       Purchase 3 support maintenance vehicles., 30 paratransit vans; construction administration facilities
renovate passenger facilities.; security equip.; bus stop enhancements; operating assistance
State Total $6,391,088

Connecticut

Connecticut Department of Transportation       $237,778       Marlborough Park and Ride Lot Improvements
State Total $237,778

District of Columbia

Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority       $1,605,000       Preventive Maintenance Costs
State Total $1,605,000

Florida

Sarasota County Transportation Authority       $4,618,693       Purchase 2 35ft. hybrid buses; ITS, equipment; Transfer Facility
Lake County Board of County Commissioners       $180,067       Operating Assistance
Lakeland Area Mass Transit District       $3,928,562       Purchase 1 35ft. bus; bus shelters; operating assistance; misc. bus
equip.; construct rehab facility
Florida Department of Transportation       $3,063,695       Purchase and installation of a metal structure to provide cover to
vehicles; Intercity Bus Terminal Building; Operating assistance
Jacksonville Transportation Authority       $9,313,745       Purchase 9 low-floor 40ft. repl. buses; transit enhancement; Facility
Improvements; Bus shelter enhancements; Rehab/Renovation
Admin. & Maintenance buildings.; Cooling systems for buses; Park and ride lots; Bus shelters; Misc. Bus support equip.
Martin County Board of County Commissioners       $1,199,564       Administrative bldg./intermodal hub
Miami-Dade Transit Agency       $5,255,528       Purchase 3 30ft. shuttle buses; 2 30ft. mini-buses; 3 30ft. minibuses
for circulator bus routes; bus shelters; Operating Assistance
State Total $27,559,854

Georgia

Cobb County Community Transit       $244,880       Additional funds for Cobb Community Transits paratransit facility and
Surveillance cameras.
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Agency       $2,260,703       Operating Assistance
Henry County Board of Commissioners       $120,000       Construction of a Lube Shop; misc. shop equip.

Georgia

Georgia Department of Transportation – Office of Intermodal Programs       $3,233,800       Purchase 1 40ft. replacement bus, 3  replacement buses and 2 expansion buses; bus refurbishing, fare collection equip., ITS equip., surveillance and sec. equip.
Georgia Regional Transportation Authority       $636,298       Operating Assistance
Georgia Department of Transportation – Office of Intermodal Programs       $4,887,532       Purchase 21 Vans, 13 Shuttle Buses, and 2 Intercity Buses. Bus
shelters; Computers systems, Automatic Vehicle Locator/Mobile
Data, Security cameras, Communications System; misc. shop equip; Bus terminals; multimodal facility
Chatham Area Transportation Authority       $449,039       Operating assistance
Cherokee County Commission       $4,761       Additional support to purchase Miscellaneous Communications
Equipment
Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners       $217,880       Operating assistance
State Total $12,054,893

Iowa

Keyline Bus System, East Dubuque       $44,139       Purchase 4 Mobile Data Terminals
Des Moines Regional Transit Authority       $1,300,000       Purchase 5 replacement buses; Admin./Maintenance Facility.; Misc. shop equipment; Operating Assistance
State Total $1,344,137

Idaho

Kootenai County       $720,202       Acquisition of 7 40ft. replacement buses; 6 30ft. replacement buses; 1 expansion bus.
State Total $720,202

Illinois

City of DeKalb       $5,063       Purchase a new Radio system
Commuter Rail Division of Regional Transportation Authority       $122,165       Bridge rehabilitation and/or reconstruction on the Union Pacific North
Line
Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District       $1,250,493       Renovation of admin/maintenance  facility
State of Illinois Dept. of Transportation       $9,725,615       Rural Transit Facility Improvements
State Total $11,103,336

Indiana

City of Columbus/Columbus Transit       $888,815       Construction of Transfer Facility
Gary Public Transit Corporation       $725,000       Operating Assistance
Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission       $216,000       Centralized scheduling and dispatching center
City of Anderson       $1,550,513       Replace one 30ft. diesel bus; two replacement gas vans; three support
vehicles; operating assistance
City of Kokomo       $1,089,206       Transit Operations Control Center; 2 buses; operating
assistance
Indiana Department of Transportation       $7,644,142       Construction and renovation of administration/maintenance facilities
Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission       $1,669,770       Purchase 3 repl. vans, 1 expansion van; renovate bus station; miscellaneous bus support equip.; transit enhancements.
State Total $13,783,446

Kansas

Kansas Department of Transportation       $4,552,177       Vehicles, Riley Co. Facility, Bus Shelters, Bus Stop Signs, Misc.
Equip
State Total $4,552,177

Kentucky

Transit Authority of River City (Louisville)       $247,300       Purchase 2 replacement buses; 2  expansion buses and miscellaneous
support equip.
State Total $247,300

Louisiana

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development       $6,049,867       Miscellaneous Equipment; 4 50 passenger Inter City Buses; Bus Storage Facilities.
St. Tammany Parish Government       $1,000,000       Construction of Hwy 434 Park & Ride.
State Total $7,049,867

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority       $13,900,000       Improvements to Ashmont Station.
Massachusetts Department of Transportation       $1,565,804       Rural Operating Assistance, procurement of 2 45ft. intercity
coaches, 1 25ft. hybrid bus, AVL equipment, operating assistance.

Massachusetts

Greater Attleboro-Taunton Regional Transit Authority       $199,947       Repair and Replacement of Ornamental Fencing at the Attleboro
Commuter Rail Station
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority       $54,110,000       Operating Assistance and State of Good Repair Improvements to the
MBTA’s Rapid Transit Network
Southeastern Regional Transit Authority       $2,607,985       Operating Assistance and Procurement of 8 30ft. repl. buses
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority       $90,000       Enhanced Security Camera System
State Total $72,473,736

Maryland

Maryland Transit Administration (Baltimore)       $2,874,205       Additional funds for MARC Public Address System
Maryland Transit Administration (Rural areas)       $1,987,757       Purchase 3 replacement buses; 4 expansion buses
and 2 45ft. intercity buses
Maryland Transit Administration (Statewide)       $4,354,111       Facility renovations.; preventive maintenance; shop equipment, parking lot construction
Maryland Transit Administration (Baltimore)       $17,100,000       Bus Loop Pavement Reconstruction at MTA’s Mondawmin Transit
Center; Heating and Ventilation upgrades; Light rail yard switches
upgrade; Replacement/Overhaul of 24 Light Rail Substation circuit
breakers
State Total $26,316,073

Michigan

Michigan Department of Transportation       $167,820       Modify buses with mini-hybrid components.
Michigan Department of Transportation       $524,072       Purchase 1 replacement Van; 2 expansion vans; facility improvements; bus shelters; miscellaneous support equipment.
Detroit Department of Transportation       $18,875,500       Purchase 42 40ft. low-floor diesel replacement buses and 4 40ft.
low-floor hybrid electric replacement buses; operating assistance
Michigan Department of Transportation       $12,443,615       Purchase 3  40ft., 4 35ft., 5 30ft., 28  replacement buses; Facility
renovations; Miscellaneous support equipment; Operating Assist.
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority       $2,290,056       Renovate/improve a transfer center; Expand bus storage capacity;
Improve safety and accessibility of bus stops; Operating Assistance
Battle Creek Transit System       $318,8889       Construction of a new off-street bus island facility for Battle Creek
Transit`s buses
State Total $34,619,952

Minnesota

Minnesota DOT Office of Transit       $510,000       Transit Hub/Park-n-Ride Lot
Red Wing,
Minnesota DOT Office of Transit       $600,000       Web Base Routing, Automatic Vehicle Locators, and Hardware.
Minnesota DOT Office of Transit       $1,380,588       Modify buses with mini-hybrid components.
State Total $2,491,588

Missouri

Missouri Department of Transportation       $4,904,603       Construction of two facilities and purchase of two intercity vehicles
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority       $1,820,424       Preventive Maintenance, Shelters and Operating Assistance.
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority       $1,092,881       City of Lee Summit Commuter Lot Improvements
State Total $7,817,908

Mississippi

City of Hattiesburg, Department of Urban Development       $492,447       Customer Service Kiosk; Route Match Software; GPS equipment;
Miscellaneous support equipment; operating assistance.
State Total $492,447

North Carolina

City of Fayetteville       $31,290       ADA accessible sidewalks.
City of High Point       $397,579       Operating Assistance & Misc Comm. Equipment
City of Greenville       $99,000       Surveillance equipment
Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority       $138,568       Operating Assistance
Goldsboro/Wayne Transportation Authority       $90,000       Operating Assistance
Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority       $138,568       Operating Assistance
Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation       $2,553,823       Park and Ride lots; Purchase 3 40ft. expansion buses and 2 expansion buses
North Carolina Department of Transportation       $8,081,515       Purchase 10 40ft. buses; 13 park and ride lot facilities.; construct 2 Administrative Buildings; Bus Storage lot; Renovate facility; signage
State Total $11,530,343

Nebraska

Nebraska Department of Roads       $4,629,554       Construction of Six Maintenance/Admin. Facilities
State Total $4,629,554

New Hampshire

Manchester Transit Authority       $92,282       Operating Assistance/24 Bus Bicycle Racks
Greater Derry-Salem Cooperative Alliance for Regional Transportation       $14,975       Operation Assistance
Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation       $67,282       Operating Assistance
University of New Hampshire       $38,000       Dispatch/fleet communications system; New upgraded radios;
miscellaneous support equip.
City of Nashua       $67,282       Operating Assistance
New Hampshire Department of Transportation       $502,769       Purchase 1 replacement bus; 1 expansion bus; additional
funding admin./maintenance facility miscellaneous equipment; operating
assistance
State Total $782,590

New Jersey

New Jersey Transit Corporation       $52,403,812       Purchase 114 expansion buses; track renovations; Intermodal
Terminals; signal systems misc. support equip.
State Total $52,403,812

Nevada

Nevada Department of Transportation       $2,060,188       Purchase 2 replacement buses, 1 commuter replacement
bus; Miscellaneous  support equip.
State Total $2,060,188

New York

Tompkins County       $2,175,000       Purchase 6 40ft. replacement buses; surveillance and sec. equip.
New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority       $5,748,905       Purchase 14  40ft. CNG replacement buses
Chemung County Transit System       $460,000       Purchase 1  40ft. Bus and Scheduling Software

New York

New York State DOT       $3,245,850       Purchase 20 replacement buses; 1 35ft. expansion bus; intercity replacement buses; Bus Passenger Shelters; Misc Support
Equipment; Bus Route Signs.
New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority       $4,396,596       Rail repair and rehab work at 5 stations
Orange County       $1,686,778       Operating Assistance
City of Poughkeepsie       $1,400,154       Design/Engineer work for transit hub project; Miscellaneous Communication equip.;
Misc. electric/power equip.; mobile fare collection equip.; prev.
maintenance. operating assistance.
Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority       $6,351,718       Purchase 8 40ft. low-floor/heavy-duty diesel transit buses;
Renovation of RTS Campus Facility.
Central New York Regional Transportation Authority       $168,550       Purchase and install 21 replacement bus passenger shelters
State Total $25,633,551

Ohio

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority       $9,346,772       Operating Assistance and Track Rehab
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority       $1,022,509       Station Rehab & Track Upgrades
Central Ohio Transit Authority       $926,678       Paratransit/Small Bus Facility Construction
City of Middletown       $280,988       Operating Assistance, ADA Service, & Shelters
Portage Area Regional Transit Authority       $316,820       Renovation of Transit Maintenance and Storage Facility
Lorain County Transit Board       $11,532       Operating Assistance
Greene County Transit Board       $704,997       Purchase 10 replacement buses; bus shelter and operating assistance.
Licking County Transit Board       $216,355       Purchase of 3 expansion buses, communication & security
equipment; bicycle racks for buses; resurfacing bus storage
area/parking lot
City of Newark       $394,392       Purchase 4 expansion buses; computer equipment & software;
operating assistance
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority       $2,150,816       Purchase 3 replacement. buses; Operating Expenses; Tire Changer;
Preventive Maintenance; Rockefeller Bridge Demolition
Ohio Department of Transportion       $9,197,000       Transit Facilities
State Total $24,568,859

Oklahoma

Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority       $3,950,000       Purchase 9 35ft. and 3 40ft. repl. buses; Rehab Admin./Maintenance.;
ADA Paratransit Svc.
City of Lawton       $17,501       Purchase One Van and Cost Under Runs
State Total $3,967,501.00

Oregon

Tri-County Metropolitan Transit Distirct of Oregon (Portland)       $4,250,000       Construct the Willow Creek pocket track light rail line; Replace
underground storage tanks; Install wayside horns on commuter rail
line; Install replacement bicycle locker units
Lane Transit District (Eugene)       $64,678       500 bus stop signs and poles along bus routes
Salem Area Mass Transit District       $1,314,353       Operating Expenses and Transit Centers
Oregon Department of Transportation       $38,400,000       Purchase two high-speed passenger rail train sets for use in
commuter rail service
State Total $44,029,031

Pennsylvania

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Malvern)       $12,475,988       Renovations to SEPTA`s Malvern Station
Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority       $1,686,820       Preventive Maintenance & Security Equipment
Cumberland-Dauphin-Harrisburg Transit Authority       $2,035,039       Purchase four 40 ft. Buses and Bus Shelters
York County Transportation Authority       $2,430,794       Administrative/Maintenance Facility Property Acquisition
State Total $18,628,641

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority       $400,000       Construct Bus Shelters
Municipality of Gurabo       $650,000       ADA equip., communication equipment, security equip., prev. maintenance, operating
assistance
Municipality of Vega Alta       $325,000       Purchase of 4 cutaway small transit buses for Vega Alta Transit Expansion
Municipality of Humaco       $150,000       Roof replacement
Municipality of Juncos       $943,750       Purchase 3 expansion buses, (1) expansion van; Maintenance Facility
rehabilitation

Puerto Rico

Municipality of Camuy       $474,949       Purchase 2 20ft. repl. vans and 2 40ft. 25 passenger exp. trolleybuses;
preventative maintenance
Municipality of Guaynabo       $2,000,000       Purchase 8 35ft. expansion buses and 6 expansion buses; transit
stop signs; radio comm. equip.
Municipality of Hatillo       $400,000       Funds for the construction of Transit Terminal
Municipality of Villalba       $680,000       Purchase 8 vans and 2 small trolleys
Municipality of Arecibo       $675,000       2 Trolleys; 2 paratransit vehicles; 32 Shelters
Municipality of  Dorado       $710,000       Purchase 3  24 passenger explanation buses; 2 paratransit 10 passenger cutaway small buses; installation of 8 passenger shelters and administration costs
Puerto Rico Ports Authority Development Department       $345,972       Completion of Ferry Terminal rehab/renovation; surveillance equipment; ticketing booth equipment
State Total $7,754,671

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Department of Transportation       $253,273       Construction of Parking Garage and Station Platform for the Wickford
Junction Station Project
Rhode Island Public Transit Authority       $8,756,686       Kennedy Plaza Bus Lane Renovation., Bus Shelter. Install./Rapid Bus
Program, Maintenance Facility Improvements; Operating Assistance
Rhode Island Department of Transportation       $4,100,000       Construction of Parking Garage and Station Platform for the Wickford
Junction Station Project
Rhode Island Public Transit Authority       $238,972       Partial purchase of a low-floor hybrid electric propulsion bus
State Total $13,348,931

South Carolina

City of Rock Hill       $410,000       Purchase 6 buses; Operating Assistance
South Carolina DOT       $604,111       IT communication equipment
City of Anderson       $109,622       Operating assistance and preventive maintenance
Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority       $1,155,912       Operating assistance; AVL; support equip.; preventive maintenance
South Carolina DOT       $4,345,000       Purchase 1 replacement bus and 4 cutaway replacement buses;
Renovation of maintenance facility;
State Total $6,624,645

Tennessee

Tennessee DOT       $3,175,314       Purchase 23 intercity buses; ADA enhancements for vehicles, a ramp and bathroom; preventive maintenance, 3 intercity support vehicles; bus station support items; security/surveillance equip. computers and ITS equip.
Regional Transportation Authority (Nashville)       $1,900,000       Construct the Martha Station; Operating assistance
Metropolitan Transit Authority (Nashville)       $2,590,151       Facility Rehab
State Total $7,665,465

Texas

City of Port Arthur       $1,159,928       Construct Bus Support Facility
Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority       $7,496,704       Purchase 7 buses; Operating Assistance; Pedestrian
Access/Walkways
City of Tyler       $776,031       Purchase 1 bus; Shelters, Renovate Bus Parking, Tyler Transit Depot
Improvements.
Via Metropolitan Transit Authority       $1,000,000       Purchase One 40Ft. replacement bus; Acquire P&R Lot
State Total $10,432,663

Utah

Utah DOT       $1,088,016       Intercity Bus Service
State Total $1,088,106

Virginia

City of Harrisonburg       $142,563       Operating Assistance, Security and Shop Equipment
Williamsburg Area Transit Authority       $350,000       Automatic Vehicle Locator
Transit District Hampton Roads       $1,000,000       Preventive Maintenance
City of Fredericksburg       $118,532       Operating Assistance
City of Danville       $699,042       Operating Assistance; Facility Rehab and Misc Equip for Danville
City of Charlottesville       $3,661,563       Purchase 4 Hybrid Vehicles; Operating Asst.; Shelters;
Amenities; Miscellaneous Equipment
City of Winchester       $150,000       Purchase new bus stop signs for fixed-route system and an
automatic stop announcement system for fixed-route fleet
Town of Blacksburg       $171,748       Operating Assistance for Blacksburg Transit
Greater Lynchburg Transit Company       $349,901       Operating Assistance, Benches, Computer Hardware & Software, Signs, Bus Washing Equip
Greater Roanoke Transit Company       $1,008,822       Operating Assistance & Misc Capital Projects
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation       $4,940,400       Purchase 43 vans, 10 buses and 1 trolley bus and Miscellaneous Equipment for Rural Areas
City of Bristol       $106,260       Purchase 1 bus; 1 support vehicle; radios; computers; operating assistance
State Total $12,698,831

Washington

Washington State DOT       $3,242,541       Vessel Preservation activities
State Total $3,242,541

Wisconsin

Oshkosh Transit System       $29,877       Additional funds for the hybrid bus purchase program
Wisconsin DOT/Bureau of Transit       $8,830,634       Purchase 4 diesel buses;1 diesel bus;
16 gas buses; 1 diesel replacement bus; 15 replacement vans; 13 replacement sedan/station wagons; passenger bus shelters; bus
terminal; engineering/design of admin./maintenance facility;
Miscellaneous support equipment
State Total $8,860,511

West Virginia

West Virginia DOT       $4,430,758       Purchase 4 replacement 40ft. buses; 7 vans; 9 support vehicles; shop equip.; facility improvements and operating assistance.
State Total $4,430,758

Grand Total $604,535,246

###

LIVESTRONG joins Austin Smart Car pilot program

Austin Business Journal

LIVESTRONG this week became the second U.S. employer to join a nationwide Smart Car pilot program called car2go.

Last November, the City of Austin signed up to be the first to test the carbon emissions reduction program, acquiring 200 electric Smart Cars that its 13,000 employees can use in or outside of work. Now staff with cyclist Lance Armstrong’s foundation can also borrow the mini vehicles.

Read more…

[via Austin Business Journal]

City of Austin

Mayor considering urban rail bond package

by STEVE ALBERTS / KVUE News

Posted on February 10, 2010 at 5:15 PM

Updated Wednesday, Feb 10 at 6:25 PM

******

The City of Austin is proposing an urban rail line in downtown.

“We have to do something,” said Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “What we have to do is everything. We need better roads, bike and trail facilities and better mass transit; and I personally think rail is the best option for mass transit.”

The bond package that the mayor’s office is considering proposing to the city council and the community would be in the range of $400 million. Roughly half of the bond package would be devoted to urban rail, and the other half would be devoted to roads and other transportation infrastructure. The cost of this bond proposal to the average Austin household would be just over $3 per month, or about $40 per year.

Read more…

[via KVUE]

CapMetro hires former TX deputy comptroller

Austin Business Journal

The Capitol Metropolitan Transportation Authority today brought on financial consultant Billy Hamilton, who lead efforts to improve finances during the next six months.

The former state deputy comptroller of public accounts will lead CapMetro financial planning, performance tracking, budgeting and communication with stakeholder groups. He has more than 20 years of executive-level financial experience and he graduated from the University of Texas and LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Read more…

[via Austin Business Journal]

AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin today launched a new online survey
asking citizens about their transportation priorities to help guide how
future transportation dollars will be spent. The survey mirrors the
workshop exercises conducted at the six Austin Mobility Forums across
the city this week. 

The new survey can be found at
http://www.austinstrategicmobility.com/get-involved/survey/. Results
from the survey will be shared with the City Council as it considers
future mobility projects.

“We were fortunate to have hundreds of citizens participate in the
mobility forums. We would like to expand the opportunity for citizens to
comment with this new online survey,” said Rob Spillar, director of the
Austin Transportation Department. 

The Austin Strategic Mobility Plan will guide Austin’s near- and
long-term transportation investments for roads, bicycle and pedestrian
needs, transit and potential urban rail. The survey is designed to
capture citizens’ values to help shape that plan and identify the
transportation tools that should be part of Austin’s future mobility
system.

Austin’s traffic congestion challenges will only get worse with the
region’s rapid growth, said Spillar. More than 1,200 needed
transportation projects have been identified by citizens, technical
experts, city staff and other government agencies since last fall. The
City’s Strategic Mobility Plan is working to address traffic congestion
in the short-term and meet mobility needs over the long-term.

# # #

Karla Taylor Villalon

Public Information Manager

Austin Transportation Department

512.974.7246

CapMetro getting $24M for ‘bus that looks like a train’

Austin Business Journal

The U.S. Department of Transportation is giving Austin $24 million next year to construct a “bus that looks like a train” and turns traffic lights green.

The dollars announced today with the department’s 2011 budget highlights is the second federal installment funding the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s “MetroRapid” bus line. The local agency was approved for $13 million this fiscal year.

Read more…

[via Austin Business Journal]

Austin hosting transportation public forums

Austin Business Journal

The city of Austin is asking for public input on future transportation planning during four meetings early next month.

Officials have collected 1,200 citizen-suggested transportation projects and need help identifying priorities for improving mobility in the city either by bus, bike, rail, on foot, car of otherwise.

Read more…

[via Austin Business Journal]

Feds ban texts by truckers, bus drivers

Austin Business Journal - by Mike Sunnucks

The U.S. Department of Transportation Tuesday banned commercial truck and bus drivers from texting while driving.

DOT Secretary Ray LaHood said violators could face fines of up to $2,750. He said the ban will help reduce accidents, citing studies that show drivers who are texting while driving 55 miles per hour have their eyes off the road for the length of a football field. Texting drivers are 20 times more likely to get in an accident than those not distracted while driving, according to DOT.

Read more…

[via Austin Business Journal]

CapMetro hits the rail in March, searches for permanent CEO

Austin Business Journal - by Jacob Dirr Staff Writer

After much delay, drama and uncertainty, it appears Austin’s rail is back on track.

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Interim CEO Doug Allen on Monday got to tell his board and a roomful of attendees the delayed MetroRail line will open in March, just like he promised when replacing his under-performing boss last year.

Despite the good news, the board approved executive search firm Gilbert Tweed International to decide if Allen should be replaced with a different permanent CEO.

Read more…

[via Austin Business Journal]

New TxDOT rail director looks into future of state’s transportation

By Jacob Cottingham

Bill Glavin, the Texas Department of Transportation’s recently appointed Rail Division Director, has a lot to be excited about. As the first head of the new department, his decades of freight industry experience will be instrumental in shaping the future of the state’s passenger rail network. Glavin spoke with In Fact Daily about his vision for the state and the long road ahead for high-speed trains.

Before TxDOT, Glavin spent 30 years working for Burlington Northern-Santa Fe, North American RailNet and RVBA and Associates. He said there are many advantages to his freight experience, where among other duties he was chief engineer at BNSF.

He stressed that it’s important for the department to bring in technology and ideas that had been working in other countries. “We do not have the patent on knowledge,” he said, “Other people do and we’re anxious to be able to take that and see what applications we have to benefit Texas.”

Before any high speed network could be established there are several initial hurdles that must be overcome. The lack of funding for rail in Texas looms largest – though that was a topic Glavin didn’t yet feel comfortable discussing at length so early on the job. Another issue is defining what, exactly, constitutes high speed rail. Currently different industry and government entities are calling anything from 90 – 200 mph “high speed,” and it remains to be seen what Texas’ ultimate goal will be.

The average speed at which a train could operate depends on the tracks it travels on. Glavin said a major question for Texans is whether to overlay passenger rail service on top of existing freight lines, or begin building a dedicated independent network. “People are concerned that if we make an investment in improving the freight network for higher speed trains it will preclude a real bullet train,” Glavin said, “But the capacity we build there isn’t going to be wasted because the freight network is going to be growing.”

He said the issue then becomes whether or not the people of Texas want to invest in cheap capacity or more expensive capacity. If passenger rail needs end up requiring that rail bridges be widened, that can be an expensive proposition – especially if freight lines would not have needed that additional capacity for several decades.

Glavin noted that railroads that are under capacity tend to be in city pairs that are not primed for high speed rail. “Where a market for passengers exists, there’s such a demand for freight that there’s not a heck of a lot of additional capacity to overlay passenger on there,” he said. Another funding issue is how much of the initial capital costs the state is willing want to take on. Although public-private funding schemes are popular, often the public aspect relies on taxes generated from freight lines, effectively hitting those companies twice when they are also expected to pick up the “private” portion of investment.

One thing seems certain: interconnected networks will be important to any future system. Glavin cautioned against viewing rail as an end-all solution to traffic and mobility problems, pointing out, “You can’t just dump a trainload of people in a field of crickets without having an interconnected network to distribute the people throughout the area.” To this end, Texas will need to ensure that regional rail systems link up with metro or urban links, and fit in with existing highways and airports.

Freight has a similar strategy, Glavin said, as they deal with different requirements for intermodal, general merchandise strategies, and coal – all of which operate at different speeds, frequencies and plans of operation. Glavin sees this as essential to a transportation network. “My view is that when you’re working with highway solutions you have a number of solutions, be it toll roads, express lanes, carpool lanes, interstates, connectors, bike path…  You have to look at the same thing in rail.”

In regard to an Austin-San Antonio rail corridor, Glavin said, “The longer we wait, the more difficult and expensive it gets.” Glavin speculated that such a line could require Union Pacific to “move off its current lines and go around the city. Each year we delay it, the further out that bypass has to be because growth is continuing to push out the inexpensive green fields.” Additionally, adding mileage to go around the city in ever widening loops adds cost on for the Class I rail carriers which would utilize a new freight line.

Glavin said other issues are problematic to expanded rail on top of freight lines. If a passenger train runs at higher speeds, anywhere from 79-110 mph, the class of the track changes and the maintenance standards required for that also change – and become more expensive. Although Class I’s benefit from the improved maintenance, they don’t get any additional speed. Furthermore, new national standards requiring Positive Train Control, which automatically slows and stops trains headed for a collision, further increase the costs.

Glavin also pointed out that although people object to subsidizing rail and specifically cite Amtrak as a failure, he said “there’s no commuter system in the nation that’s not subsidized,” including highways, airports and every other mode of transportation.

Another area of concern for the new rail division is safety – especially if higher speed trains were to use tracks currently slated for freight. “If you take a crossing that usually has 60 or 40 mph freight trains and people get up to the gate, and don’t hear or see anything, they’ll go around even though the fast moving passenger train may be heading toward them,” Glavin said. The new division will “need to come up to a way to secure the corridors,” in order to prevent such accidents.

Although Texas recently applied for $1.8 billion in federal stimulus funds, those are not expected to pave the way for a high speed network. Only a fraction of the federal funds allocated to rail projects could be used for planning and design – the areas that Texas needs the most work. The rest were intended for “shovel ready” projects and grants that required state matching funds, an acute problem for a state in which the Legislature has not yet appropriated funds for rail. The money that Texas did apply for are short-term improvements to signal time, freight speed, and grade improvements.

Glavin stressed the affect rail has on local and state economies, saying that land values near passenger rail tend to increase and businesses flourish when potential customers are let out at stops near them. Given these advantages and the potential for additional federal matching funds, Glavin said it is important to get a plan in order and start buying right of way. “Even if we’re 10 years, 50, or 150 years out from the ultimate solution, we really need to start preserving ROW right away today.”

As he juggles meetings with foreign rail companies from across the globe, all of whom see America as an untapped market, Glavin will begin rolling out “visioning workshops” with the public, while staff sorts through any existing data on connection points for a future system.

[reprinted with permission from InFact Daily]