Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Grant for the City of Tavares, Fla., to help with upgrades along a 57-mile stretch of Florida Central Railroad track between Orlando and Umatilla, Fla.

The Rutgers Academy for NexGen is a stimulating program designed to promote and support engineering education activities and research skill development for talented under-represented minority students.

Will develop and implement lean process improvement training for more than 560 employees.

The university’s transit service has seen its ridership grow from less than 4,000 passengers in 2000 to 450,000 this year.

The 9.3 mile LYNX Blue Line light rail extension will add service along what will become an 18.6-mile corridor in Northeast Charlotte and will help to reduce congestion along Interstate 85 and US 29, where commercial and residential growth is expected to continue.

The first phase of the T-Third Street light rail line went into service in 2007. Once the extension opens, the projected ridership along the entire 6.8-mile T-Third line is estimated to be 43,700 daily boardings per weekday, the highest ridership in the system.

Under this new award, Ballard will supply FCvelocityTM-HD6 power modules for ElDorado fuel-cell hybrid buses featuring a series hybrid-electric drive from lead integrator BAE Systems. These buses are expected to be operational in 2013.

FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff signed the full-funding grant agreement during a ceremony at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. The grant clears the way for the Connecticut DOT to begin construction of the bus rapid transit system and covers about half the total cost of the $567 million project.

The money will be divided into three different projects for RTA. The largest portion, $100,000 will help improve Transit Oriented Development (TOD) along the Red Line.

New bus facility will cost an estimated $4.2 million. About $2.2 million in federal funds were awarded to MAX in 2006 and 2007 and will fund the first two phases of the project.