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.

Terminated Steve Bland's contract as CEO effective immediately. The board named Chief Financial Officer Ellen McLean as the Interim CEO while it conducts a search for qualified candidates.

Will provide pre-paid transit access for approximately 40,000 students, faculty and staff for the next five years.

Stephen Bland, CEO of Pittsburgh's Port Authority of Allegheny County; Carolyn Flowers, CEO of the Charlotte (N.C.) Area Transit System; and Mikel Oglesby, GM of Calif.'s SunLine Transit Agency are the three finalists.

Down from $370.2 million total expenses in Fiscal Year 2012. Includes a fare increase set for July 1 and a 35% service reduction scheduled for Sept. 2.

The smartphone app Tiramisu has been in use in Pittsburgh since the summer of 2011 and is available for iPhone and Android phones. Thus far, users have recorded more than 30,000 trips on Port Authority of Allegheny County buses and trains.

Stops selected for elimination were identified due to their low boarding counts and proximity to other stops. The longest distance any rider affected by the change would have to travel to reach another light rail stop is about 650 yards.

Recently, a shortage of T light-rail drivers led to widespread delays and overcrowded trains when Pittsburgh hosted several major events.

Prompted by a $64 million deficit projected for the Fiscal Year 2013 operating budget. The fare increase would go into effect on July 1 and the service reduction would go into effect September 2. About 46 routes would be eliminated with service scaled back on all remaining routes. The ACCESS paratransit program would see deep cuts.

The policy follows a five-year court battle over whether the authority could refuse to post ads on buses informing felons of their right to vote, which the federal appeals court ruled it could not.