Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Policy group named the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway one of the nation’s highest quality bus rapid transit systems. It awarded the system the Bronze Standard, out of basic BRT, bronze, silver or gold designations.

The announcement is based on a year-long assessment of various BRT alternatives along Ashland and Western avenues. Through the results of this analysis, CTA and CDOT will prioritize BRT for Ashland Avenue to meet the needs of bus riders in this corridor.

Albany’s CDTA BusPlus ridership represents 10% of the more than 15.5 million trips taken on the system during the 2013 fiscal year, and the total boardings represent its highest ridership in more than 20 years.

The 11-mile line will provide station-to-station service from the Apple Valley Transit Station to the Mall of America, where it will connect with Blue Line (formerly Hiawatha Line) trains for easy travel to the airport, Metrodome, downtown Minneapolis and Target Field.

City planners concluded it’s a better public transit option for the area. Since a 2007 analysis of transit alternatives selected a commuter rail line as the future transportation choice, planners have seen the Northstar Commuter Rail struggle with operating costs.

Even though the agency’s board of directors only voted to seek offers from consultants to continue developing the concept, some board members expressed concerns about moving forward on an effort that was shot down in last year's election.

Plans for the Central Loop East-West Transit Corridor include designated bus-priority lanes on two miles of streets The Loop BRT corridor will serve Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center, CTA subways and Navy Pier with more than 1,700 buses per day, making it one of the busiest bus routes in the nation. Expected to start service in 2014.

Planning to spend about $800,000 for an environmental study of a route between South Jersey and Philadelphia. The agency will pay for the study with money from a $2.6 million federal grant received last year to advance a proposed BRT system.

Will support the Chicago DOT and Chicago Transit Authority’s research, technical support, project management and community engagement.

Omaha transit officials hope to spur growth in the eastern portion of the city. The study process is expected to be completed by May.