Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Features include locations of bus routes and rail lines close to riders’ locations, information on scheduled and real time bus and rail arrivals, and suggestions for convenient trip routes based on arrival time, transfers and/or walking distance.

Metro asked students to focus their efforts on campaign and research projects designed to strengthen the relationship between the transit system and the university, increase public awareness of light rail, and encourage student and faculty support for more than 500 businesses located along the North, East End and Southeast lines.

New contract will be for five years with two one-year options and takes effect Feb. 1, 2013.

Executive VP Thomas C. Lambert will serve as interim executive for the organization.

The order will be assembled at Nova Bus’ plant in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Nova Bus is part of the Volvo Group, which employs approximately 12,000 workers in the U.S. in seven production facilities.

Unit 201 will roll into service as the first of a new generation of Houston light railcars dubbed H2s. Nineteen of the H2s will join the current 18-member, nine-year-old MetroRail LRVs over the next year and a half. The S70 LRV is electrically powered from an catenary system and carries about 200 passengers per car.

The $188 million grant, providing funding for the new North and Southeast lines to connect the university’s main campus with the Energy Research Park pathway. UH will build a new transit center, which will house Hertz Connect cars, a Metrorail train station, a UH shuttle stop and possibly a bike sharing program.

MetroRail and contractor Houston Rapid Transit are chilling 9,000 pounds of ice each day to make sure crews stay cool enough to work during the season’s high temperatures. Crews are given regular training to prevent and recognize heat illness and instructed to be aware of and limit disturbance to the community during early hours.

The transit agency agreed to pay $1.5 million to take the steps included in the agreement, including provide an alternative access road to ease potential problems.

Will provide Enterprise Asset Management technology to manage right-of-way, including inspections, defect recording and repair of rail track, signals, switches, catenary, and electric traction.