May - 2018

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APTA to Trump: Use rescinded funds for rail, bus repairs

President Donald Trump has proposed rescinding $279 million of prior-year surface transportation funding, including $100 million of public transit and intercity passenger-rail grants, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced yesterday. In a "legislative alert," APTA said that the president's administration has proposed rescinding: • $47 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) formula grants that had been provided in federal fiscal-year 2005 a

US contractor Tutor Perini ordered to replace 5km of “substandard” rail on San Francisco subway

San Francisco city council has ordered a US contractor to rip up more than 5km of track on a light rail project and lay it again. The council claimed the track rails were made from “standard strength” steel, rather than the “high strength” material required in the contract’s specifications. The letter was sent by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini and subcontractor Con-Quest. The rail had to be “high-strength, control c

American cities now world’s most expensive places to build thanks to low productivity

Low productivity pushing up the cost of labor has been blamed for US cities being the most expensive places to build this year, while Singapore is leading the way on offsite manufacturing, keeping costs comparatively low. The US dominates this year’s league table, compiled by Dutch consulting engineer Arcadis, a striking change from last year when only one North American city made the top 10. San Francisco and New York placed first and second this year, and are joined in the

Tools for a Smoother Ride: Managing Rail Assets and Leveraging Competition

Public transit maintenance is not often headline news. Yet with high profile closures and disruptions to rail systems in major metropolitan areas like New York, Baltimore, and Washington, the condition of this infrastructure is very much in the public eye. These systems all need major track maintenance overhauls, but the real overhaul needs to be in how agencies conduct their asset management and maintenance programs. Together, major rail systems in U.S. cities move millions

Study calls for roadway changes to reduce pedestrian deaths

A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that pedestrian deaths have jumped 46% since reaching their lowest point in 2009, as pedestrian crashes have become both deadlier and more frequent. According to the IIHS study, a total of 5,987 pedestrians were killed in crashes in 2016, accounting for 16% of all crash fatalities. The number of pedestrians killed each year has declined 20% since 1975, but the 2016 toll was the highest since 1990. The IIH

SpaceX to build Mars rocket at the Port of Los Angeles

SpaceX plans to open up shop at the Port of Los Angeles where it'll work on research, design and development of its Mars rocket. Los Angeles officials said Monday that a tentative lease agreement would allow SpaceX to take over a dormant building at the port in a move that could bring as any as 700 jobs to the area. The deal is expected to be approved by board of harbor commissioners on Thursday. SpaceX won't have to pay rent for the facility for more than two decades. It wil

Exports from California Ports Surged in April on Trade Unease

Outbound container volumes at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reached a 13-month high, a sign shippers want to move goods “before the gates close” Exports from the Port of Long Beach soared 22% in April, part of a surge in shipping volume that has come amid growing tension in trans-Pacific trade. Photo: Tim Rue/Bloomberg News LOS ANGELES—Shipments from the biggest U.S. West Coast ports to Asia are picking up steam in a sign that companies are stepping up orders ahead

DART Begins Fare System Overhaul Monday With New GoPass App

Dallas Area Rapid Transit's first major fare structure overhaul since 2012 will get started this week with the rollout of a major update to the transit agency's mobile payment app. The update, effective Monday, clears the way for systemwide fare and collection changes this summer. Those who struggle to cover their daily transportation costs as things are will struggle more, but DART's most faithful riders will get a bit of a reprieve with the system's new fare-capping policy.

AAR, NS want clear, supportive regulatory approach to automation

The Association of American Railroads and Norfolk Southern filed comments with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on May 7 asking for a level regulatory playing field regarding automation. Specifically, AAR's comment asks the U.S. Department of Transportation "to take the same supportive regulatory approach with railroads that it has with automation of trucks and cars." "Railroads share the Department's

Charleston port needs feds to make good on harbor deepening money

There is no question that deepening federal navigation channels in Charleston Harbor to 52 feet is a sound public investment that will generate broad state and national benefits. But there is a question as to how reliable the federal government is as a partner in this $570 million investment for which it is responsible for covering about $270 million. Consider that the Panama Canal’s deeper and wider locks are open; bigger ships are here — and dominating global supply chain l

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