Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

The contracts provide a new approach for determining when a paratransit vehicle is “late," as the contractor managing the scheduling and dispatching functions will share performance incentives and disincentives with the contractors delivering the service to customers.

The plan, called Momentum, prioritizes items such as developing a next-generation communications infrastructure; acquiring additional railcars, power capacity and yard storage to operate all eight car trains during peak periods; and completing the Metrobus priority corridor network to serve more riders faster.

The National Safety Council recognized Richard R. Sarles as one of its 2013 CEOs Who “Get It,” its annual recognition of business leaders who demonstrate world-class safety.

In the four months following a large fare hike and a change in offerings, the agency sold 353,798 passes — down from 628,648 in same period in 2011.

New data shows that 37.5% of D.C. residents use public transit to get to work, compared to 33.2% in 1999.

The Voice of the Customer report surveyed rail and bus riders about customer satisfaction, reliability, safety, cleanliness and customer service. 87% of bus and 86% of rail riders rated high satisfaction with security. 79% of bus and rail riders reported a high likelihood to recommend Metro to a friend.

In response to criticism from city officials, the agency will not cut service after 8 p.m. to some neighborhoods in the Southeastern region of Washington, D.C., despite routine attacks that injure riders and drivers and damage the buses.

The transit authority unveils the mock-up of the 7000-series at an event in Maryland. The new cars represent the largest investment ever made in the fleet in the system's history.

The programmatic change at Metro helped the agency save more than $25 million in Fiscal Year 2011, as well as receive the 2012 Innovation Award from APTA.

Hopes to gather additional feedback on the draft maps from bus customers over the next few weeks. Customer feedback and suggestions will be incorporated into the final map design.