Biz Briefs: Connectpoint, HDR, Heliox, and More

Biz Briefs covers the latest in supplier-transit partnerships and more. This installment, includes Connectpoint, HDR, The Routing Company, and more.

Connectpoint to Supply Solar-Powered Bus Stops in Washington

Connectpoint was awarded an inaugural contract by Washington’s Pierce Transit for the installation of 28 new solar-powered 13-inch digital bus stop signs along its new Stream Community Line.

The new Stream Community Line is a high-capacity transit service offered in partnership with MultiCare, offering a frequent, rapid, and convenient weekday morning and afternoon service between Spanaway and Tacoma Dome Station, where riders can make connections with other local buses, Sounder commuter rail, Express Bus, the T-Line into and through Tacoma, and other transit options.

Bus stops served by Stream have a branded sign and ride guide posted on them. Stream bus stops will also feature enhanced shelters and lighting, along with a Braille sign and Connectpoint Digital Bus Stops, which display next bus information and a push-to-text feature to hear next bus information.

The Connectpoint Digital Bus Stop offers groundbreaking technology via solar-powered, real-time departure and schedule information as well as service alerts. The “smart city” digital signs are equipped with ePaper displays that provide crystal-clear readability any hour of the day or night.

HDR-Supported South Shore Double Tracking Project Complete

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of 18 miles of new track on its South Shore Line from Gary to Michigan City, Ind. The project added a second track to the line, providing a faster, more frequent, and more competitive transportation option between northwest Indiana and Chicago.

In addition to expanding from single track to double track, the $650 million project included signal, power, communications, bridge and track infrastructure, and improvements at five stations. The project also included the closing of 22 at-grade road crossings, relocation of 10 crossings to be equipped with automatic warning devices, and four new bridges eliminating previous crossings.

HDR’s environmental, engineering and program management staff have supported the project from its early stages. The work included preliminary track, bridge, and station designs that minimized potential environmental impacts. HDR also supported an environmental assessment that resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact and completed complex agency coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service, and Indiana Department of Environmental Management. After groundbreaking, HDR provided environmental monitoring, quality and safety oversight, and FTA reporting.

Heliox Launches 60 kW Buy America-Compliant EV Charger

Heliox, a Siemens Business, launched its new Heliox 60 charger.

The compact and versatile 60kW EV charger is certified (UL2202, CSA C22.2, Energy Star) and made specifically for the North American market. Building on the success of the 50 kW charger that helped Heliox gain significant market share in 2021, the Buy-American compliant Heliox 60 represents an enhanced iteration of cost-effective, low-power DC charging. The solution satisfies the majority of DC charging use cases today.

The Heliox 60 delivers 150 A output, capable of delivering full 60 kW for both traditional 400-volt and modern 800-volt vehicles. Standing out as one of the most compact and power-dense chargers available, the product features a single CCS-1 (SAE J1772) output, with plans to incorporate NACS (SAE J3400) and multi-output configurations. Additionally, the unit allows for a 30 kW version within the same cabinet design.

TRC Celebrates On-Demand Transit in California

The Routing Company (TRC) celebrated the successful launch of Plumas Transit System’s (PTS) on-demand transit evening service — powered by TRC’s Ride Pingo app — in Quincy, Calif. The service is operating under the name Quincy Evening.

Available to riders on weeknights, the new service provides a flexible transportation option during the evening, when fixed-bus services are not available. The service notably improves accessibility to anchor institutions in the area like Plumas District Hospital and accommodates varying evening class end times for Feather River College students. The Quincy Evening launch follows PTS’s announcement of an on-demand transit service with TRC in December 2023.

TRC is supporting PTS’ on-demand transit needs with its full suite of Pingo products — including the Pingo Journey and Pingo Analytics features.