N.Y. transit proposes fare increase

NEW YORK — New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority proposed its first fare increase in more than two years as part of its preliminary 2008 budget. Executive Director Elliot Sander said the agency needs a 6.5% increase in fare and toll revenue to counteract a projected $965 million budget shortfall. To read the full story, click here.

New Orleans transit prepares for bus purchase

NEW ORLEANS, La. — The city’s Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has taken steps to buy 18 new coaches at a cost of $6.5 million. Officials say the RTA's shaky finances have stabilized to a point where the agency can afford to begin replacing public transit infrastructure destroyed by Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters in August 2005. To read the full story, click here.

Pa. governor signs transportation bill

PITTSBURGH — Gov. Ed Rendell signed legislation that aims to dedicate an average of $946 million a year over the next decade to mass transit agencies and road and bridge projects. Transit systems in the state's two largest cities had threatened massive service cuts without the funds. To read the full story, click here.

TTC could face government takeover

TORONTO — Ontario's Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, already managing GO Transit and the creation of a single-fare system across eight regional transit agencies, is rumored as an option for incorporating the Toronto Transit Commission, which has been ordered by the city to cut $30 million in spending this year and $100 million in 2008. To read the full story, click here.

Correction: Sound Transit cost calculation clarified

SEATTLE — Last week, METRO Briefs included a story on Seattle’s Sound Transit system and an error in its budget estimate for a light rail extension project. A recent editorial appearing in the Tacoma News Tribune offers a more accurate account of the incident. To read the full story, click here.