METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Biz Briefs: Stertil-Koni Expands North American Dealer Network, CharterUP, and More

Get the latest from Stertil-Koni, CharterUP, Kimley-Horn, and Wabtec.

October 26, 2023
Biz Briefs: Stertil-Koni Expands North American Dealer Network, CharterUP, and More

Stertil-Koni, CharterUP, Kimley-Horn, and Wabtec are the latest companies to be featured in METRO's Biz Briefs.

Photo: METRO

3 min to read


Stertil-Koni, CharterUP, Kimley-Horn, and Wabtec recently announced news from their respective companies.

Stertil-Koni Selects ODP to Expand its North American Dealer Network

Stertil-Koni announced that it has welcomed Optimized Distributor Partners (ODP) to its North American distributor network.

Ad Loading...

The company is headed by Jeff Murray, president, and his brother Tim Murray, vice president – supported by an experienced team of service technicians, sales experts, and back office support.  

ODP also has a commercial sales specialist, Matt Elder, who will focus on the Stertil-Koni product line.

CharterUP Adds Luxury Sprinter Vans

CharterUP announced that luxury sprinter vans are now available on its charter services platform in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Antonio, with additional markets to follow. 

The addition of luxury sprinter vans to the CharterUP marketplace creates opportunities for more than 7,000 independent operators across the U.S. who are sitting on underutilized fleets. 

Already hosting a network of more than 4,000 motorcoaches and minibusses, the CharterUP marketplace has added hundreds of luxury sprinter vans to meet the demand for group transportation services of all sizes.

Ad Loading...

Kimley-Horn Launches Advanced TSP, Preemption Software 

Kimley-Horn announced that transportation systems management and operations engineers can now deploy joint Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Traffic Signal Priority (TSP), Freight Signal Priority (FSP), and Emergency Vehicle Preemption (EVP) applications in one software system.  

Traction Priority from Kimley-Horn is a cloud-based traffic signal software that responds to real-time GPS feeds from existing equipment on buses, trucks, emergency vehicles, and more. 

Municipalities and transit authorities can prioritize any mode of transport, including: 

  • Emergency vehicles, to improve response time and decrease crash risks

  • Transit vehicles, to improve on-time performance and reduce intersection congestion

  • School buses, to get children to school on time with lower fuel consumption and emissions 

  • Freight vehicles, to reduce emissions, travel time, and cost of operations. The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) calculates that reducing 5,000 freight stops per day can save fleets more than 1,300 kilograms of emissions, 63 hours of travel time, and $4,500 in fuel and operational costs.

  • Snowplows, to clear roads faster and reduce intersection crashes 

  • Bicycles, including cargo and delivery, to increase cyclist safety through traffic signals

Wabtec to Provide Brakes, Couplers for 640 NYC Metro System Train Cars

Wabtec Corporation announced it will provide brakes and couplers for 640 MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) train cars via its client Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc. 

Ad Loading...

The multi-million-dollar order for equipment provides interoperability with other subway fleets in the New York City Transit System (NYCTS). 

“We are delighted that Kawasaki has once again chosen to draw on our strong and longstanding relationship for this exciting project,” said Wabtec Transit President Pascal Schweitzer. “We are proud to help boost reliability and improve subway service on the New York City Transit System, one of the largest and busiest in the world.”

More Management

Community Transit's Bluebell bus celebrating the agency's 50-year milestone.
Busby StaffMay 15, 2026

Washington's Community Transit Celebrates 50-Year Milestone

The milestone highlights both the agency’s history and its evolving role in meeting the region’s growing mobility needs.

Read More →
Cover photo for METROspectives with HDR's Brian Buchanan
Managementby Alex RomanMay 15, 2026

Managing Complexity: HDR’s Brian Buchanan on Delivering Major Transit Programs

HDR’s transit program management lead discusses the challenges of overseeing large capital projects, adapting to cost and supply chain pressures, and the capabilities agencies need to build for the future.

Read More →
A PRT bus serving a PRTX BRT station
Managementby StaffMay 14, 2026

NFL Draft Delivers Big Ridership, Revenue Boost for Pittsburgh

Over the three days, PRT recorded 485,000 rides, reflecting the extraordinary number of trips taken as people traveled throughout the region for Draft events, work, and daily life.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
STV's Garo Hovnanian
Managementby Alex RomanMay 13, 2026

The Expanding Role of Advisory in Transit Delivery

Garo Hovnanian explores how agencies can better navigate competing priorities, strengthen decision-making, and prepare for a future shaped by electrification and emerging mobility.

Read More →
An NJ TRANSIT bus.
Managementby StaffMay 13, 2026

NJ TRANSIT to Expand Cleanliness, Safety, and Accessibility Under New Action Plan

The plan includes investments in cleaner vehicles and upgraded stations, NJT LiveView to provide real-time GPS tracking of train and light rail service, enhanced safety initiatives through a new Real Time Crime Center, and the debut of a redesigned NJ TRANSIT mobile app.

Read More →
Mayor Tim Keller in front of an ABQ RIDE microtransit vehicle
New Mobilityby StaffMay 12, 2026

ABQ RIDE Forward's Next Phase Sets Target Date

ABQ RIDE Forward is the first transit system overhaul in more than 25 years. This latest phase marks 15% completion of the 16-phase rollout, which will continue over the next several years.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Managementby StaffMay 12, 2026

New Orleans RTA Signals Leadership Shift, Opens National CEO Search

During the meeting, the board approved a resolution invalidating a previously amended contract and authorized Board Chair Ann Duplessis to negotiate a separation agreement with CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.

Read More →
METRO Biz Briefs cover photo

STV Launches Power Practice and More in Biz Briefs

In METRO's latest installment, we take a look at the latest news from SilverRide, Complete Coach Works, and more.

Read More →
Railcar handles signifying transit usage
Managementby StaffMay 11, 2026

FTA Announces $28.5M Investment for Transit-Oriented Development Planning

The Pilot Program for TOD Planning helps support FTA’s mission of improving America’s communities through public transportation by providing funding to local communities to integrate land use and transportation planning with a new fixed-guideway or core-capacity transit capital investment.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Two Swedish public transit buses next to a Hitachi Energy infrastructure.
Managementby Elora HaynesMay 11, 2026

When the Buses Are Ready, and the System Isn’t

Transit agencies have moved past pilot projects, but scaling electrification is exposing a harder truth: the real challenge isn’t vehicles, it’s everything around them.

Read More →