Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

South Florida Regional Transportation Authority will receive an additional $11.5 million annually of dedicated funding for assuming dispatch and maintenance of the South Florida Rail Corridor.

Loaded on an EASY Card, the Regional Monthly Pass will allow for a seamless transfer between Tri-Rail and Miami-Dade Transit's Metrorail and Metrobus systems.

The certificate is awarded to government units and public employee retirement systems whose CAFRs achieve the highest standards in government accounting and financial reporting.

Tri-Rail, the commuter rail service connecting Palm Beach and Broward Counties with Miami-Dade County, will be the first transit agency to join in the creation of a South Florida regional system, giving Floridians the ability to use one fare card — a smart card — to travel on both systems. Palm Tran and Broward County Transit are expected to join later.

Trio of senators to tour Tri-Rail and discuss funding challenges.

As of Oct. 5, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority will either operate for 18 additional months, based on the funding provided by legislation, or operate for nine to 12 months with a reduced schedule.

Officers from approximately 20 different law enforcement agencies in South Florida will join staff members and volunteers from organizations, including Tri-Rail, Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration, in distributing information about train safety.

The grassroots effort is being organized to inform the public of the impact the impending revenue shortfalls will have on service and to encourage them to contact their elected representatives with the message that Tri-Rail service is critical and must be saved.

Conductor George Green will serve as a community ambassador, educating families about the benefits of riding Tri-Rail and promoting public transportation as the single most important choice an individual can make to “go green.”

Preliminary figures show that Tri-Rail carried approximately 4.3 million passengers in 2008, representing a 22.9 percent increase compared to 2007’s approximate 3.5 million.