FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez and APTA President/CEO Paul Skoutelas discuss the current state of public transportation at the 2023 APTA TRANSform & Expo.
Photo: Louis Prejean
2 min to read
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) hosted a session at the 2023 APTA TRANSform & Expo for a deeper discussion of the administration’s public transit priorities.
The Federal Partners Update’s panel featured: FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez, Associate Administrator for Communications and Congressional Affairs Paul Kincaid, Executive Director Matthew Welbes, Acting Associate Administrator for Program Management Bruce Ronison, Chief Business Advisor James Harper, and Regional Administrator Yvette Taylor.
In December 2022, the FTA announced 15 grants in nine states to help make it easier for people with disabilities and mobility needs to access the U.S.’s oldest rail transit systems through upgrades. Approximately $686 million in grants represented the first round of funding from the new All Stations Accessibility Program, according to FTA's news release.
On Aug. 7, the FTA announced the availability of approximately $13.4 million in competitive grants for the Fiscal Year 2023 Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning Program.
Fernandez also addresses topics such as safety. She shared that the FTA has had a meeting with the National Campaign for Transit Justice and they are creating “open houses” to better engage with the community.
The FTA has also co-hosted listening sessions with Asian American communities about their safety on public transportation.
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FTA Announces Award Winner
Later in the session, the FTA announced the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as the winner of the 2023 Outstanding Achievement Award for Excellence in Environmental Document Preparation.
The award recognizes environmental documents that showcase best practices for a well-managed environmental documentation process, comply with prevailing requirements and expectations, and achieve the objective of paperwork reduction, according to the FTA.
The Federal Partners Update session was moderated by Associate Administrator for Communications and Congressional Affairs Paul Kincaid.
Photo: Louis Prejean
FTA Discusses State of Bus Manufacturing
The issues in bus manufacturing have been a hot topic at the APTA TRANSform & Expo.
Recent data showed that in 2022 vs. 2021 overall transit bus production declined by 652 units, or 14%, from 4,703 units in 2021 to 4,051 units in 2022.
Robinson and Harper did not shy away from the topic during the FTA session, as he stated that the bus manufacturing process is “now taking up to three years due to supply chain issues.”
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Harper also discussed rising bus costs and delivery timelines.
Harper suggests agencies eliminate customization and move to use-of-performance specifications. He also said agencies can use state schedules for acquisitions.
In this conversation, TBC’s Executive Director Ed Redfern, President Corey Aldridge, and Washington Representative Joel Rubin outline the coalition’s key policy priorities, the challenges facing transit agencies, and how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen the voice of bus transit at the federal level.
Amanda Wanke, who has worked at DART for 10 years, including the past 2½ years as CEO, will join Metro Transit as deputy chief operating officer, operations administration.
In his first State of CDTA address as CEO, Frank Annicaro highlighted the organization’s continued focus on delivering reliable service, investing in innovation, and strengthening connections across the region.
The special episode features an exclusive interview with Mark Miller, president of Constellation Software Inc. and executive chairman of the Volaris Group, who reflects on the podcast's early vision and the importance of creating a platform where transit leaders can share ideas and learn from one another.
The CAD facility enables NFI to complete full domestic production of heavy-duty transit vehicles, including zero-emission buses, in Winnipeg for the first time in 15 years.
The findings provide clear evidence that sustained Federal investment in public transit and passenger rail delivers significant returns for workers, communities, taxpayers, and the U.S. economy, APTA officials said.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
