Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Other transit systems honored at the 2013 Bus Safety & Security Excellence Awards include Albany, N.Y.’s Capital District Transportation Authority; Transit Authority of River City of Louisville, Ky.; Portland, Ore.-based TriMet; Societe de Transport de Montreal; MTA’s New York City Transit; and National Express Transit.

Solution is helping the organization’s Metro Transit Police force advance its ability to monitor and secure the Twin Cities’ current and new light rail and commuter trains and passengers, as well as enhance investigation capabilities and increase response times.

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.

Construction is expected to start in May and be done by year's end. The city is negotiating final agreements with the Metropolitan Council, which operates the three-year-old commuter line.

The university and Metro Transit, which will operate the service, currently have a U-Pass program in place, with the agency also offering free rides for students on its Hiawatha Line to the airport.

In addition to breaking a 40-year passenger record last year, reaching 14.9 million rides, a 9.5% increase, the Madison-based transit system implemented innovative programs, such as a third-party smartphone application and improved fuel efficiency with the use of 19 hybrid buses.

Wayne Adermann, 64, has been a Metro Transit bus driver for the past 20 years. His current route, which runs through the University of Minnesota campus, served 2.74 million riders last year.

Cyclopath, created by the University of Minnesota's Computer Science and Engineering Department, received funding from the Minnesota DOT to expand statewide and add Metro Transit route information.

Customers using the mobile website also can get quick access to Metro Transit videos on YouTube and the agency's Twitter feed.

The clash stems from two recent incidents, which ended up in arbitration following the disciplining of drivers.