Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Investment in public transit tends to be more labor-intensive than highway projects because the work is generally more complex, involves the purchase and maintenance of vehicles, and requires much less spending on land acquisition.

Funds will be used to renovate the station's interior lobby, bathrooms, ticketing areas and offices, lighting, signage and to make the station ADA-compliant.

New Starts grant to extend existing commuter rail service an additional 20 miles from Providence to Boston starting in 2012.

The money will provide Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility upgrades, reconstruction of the ticket counter, installation of a passenger Information Display System and platform repairs.

Wisconsin DOT will complete preliminary engineering and final design work, conduct program management activities and complete environmental management plans for the Milwaukee-to-Madison high-speed rail corridor that will operate at speeds of up to 110 miles per hour.

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area and can create jobs.

The contract, awarded in September, is part of the Motor Coach Component Life Cycle Project, which allocates a total of $16 million in ARRA funding to directly improve vehicle availability, service reliability and performance by rehabilitating 35 standard (40-foot) and 27 articulated (60-foot) Muni buses.

The association’s latest report, "Impacts of the Recession on Public Transportation Agencies", shows that since Jan. 1, 2009, 84 percent of public transit systems have raised fares, cut service or are considering either of those actions. Fifty-nine percent of public transit systems reported that they have already cut service or raised fares.

The unions support a bill by U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) that would enable large public transit agencies to use some of their federal transit funding for operating costs.

Will focus on Northeast Corridor and conduct the necessary planning activities required to provide: a major reduction in trip times between Washington, D.C. and New York and New York and Boston; a significant increase in the number of train frequencies; and determining the feasibility of increasing top speeds up to 220 mph.