METRO Briefs

Mass. towns join transit authority for regional services

BOSTON — Five towns not serviced by MBTA buses have joined the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) in order to take advantage of recent legislation allowing communities to use state-mandated MBTA assessments for regional transit authority services instead. To read the full story, click here.

Hudson River rail tunnel gets DOT backing

PRINCETON, N.J. — During a joint news conference with Gov. John Corzine last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters vowed to work to make a new commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River a reality. The proposed $7.5 billion tunnel would double commuter rail capacity between New York and New Jersey. To read the full story, click here.

Balloons could protect subways from fire, flood

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a new program dubbed "Resilient Tunnel," Homeland Security officials are researching "inflatable structure technology" that could protect transit systems from underground floods and fires caused by terrorist bombs. To read the full story, click here.