With $14.3 billion in projects, New York City Transit tops this year’s list, followed closely by the Toronto Transit Commission. Three new projects in Tucson, Ariz.; Detroit and Orlando, Fla., totaling $948 million, make their debut.
by Alex Roman, Managing Editor
May 20, 2013
Courtesy Larry Levine
2 min to read
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s New York City Transit regains the top spot in METRO’s Top Rail Projects survey with a projected $14.3 billion in projects, with last year’s No.1, the Toronto Transit Commission, right behind them with $14 billion.
As has been the recent trend, Canadian projects continue to make a huge impact in the industry with six transit agencies, totaling approximately $21.8 billion, appearing in this year’s list. Meanwhile, projects at five California transit agencies total more than $10.4 billion.
Ad Loading...
Rounding out METRO’s top five are Seattle’s Sound Transit with $9 billion; Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority with $7.1 billion; and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation with $5.1 billion. Overall, this year’s approximate $99 billion project purse is higher than the $83 billion reported in 2012.
At a Glance This year’s Top Rail Projects features three new construction projects, including the Florida Department of Transportation’s $615 million SunRail project (No. 27); the City of Tucson Department of Transportation’s $196 million Sun Link streetcar project (No. 38); and Detroit’s M-1 Rail $137 million streetcar project.
Further analysis of this year’s numbers show respondents have 3,409 new railcars on order, with a majority of those vehicles expected to be heavy railcars. This year, METRO Magazine listed 40 projects and highlighted three transit projects with more in depth coverage.
If you know an agency with plans for the future, but were omitted from this year’s survey, please let us know so that we can include it next year. METRO would also like to send a special thanks to all the agencies for taking the time to fill out our surveys and continuing to participate in this annual feature.
The agencies, San Diego MTS and NCTD - San Diego Railroad, which share a fare system (PRONTO), proposed the changes to help address their respective financial sustainability strategies.
The ATP board’s approval of the KAP team enables ATP to begin pre-construction activities, including advancing design, initiating permitting, and preparing the site for future construction.
The railroad has issued a formal request for proposals to manufacturers for more than 800 new passenger railcars that will serve 14 long-distance routes nationwide.
The delivery marks the first car in a 374‑vehicle order and begins the arrival of a new generation of higher‑capacity, more reliable, and more comfortable trains for one of the country’s busiest commuter rail systems.
BART recorded 5,403,140 exits in March, making it the highest monthly ridership since the pandemic and surpassing the previous high set in October 2025 (5,346,890 exits).
The station was rebuilt as part of SEPTA’s Station Accessibility Program, making it fully ADA accessible with new elevators, ramps, and high-level platforms.
The announcement highlights the long-standing partnership between the Class I railroad and the commuter rail system, dating back to Metra's creation in 1983.