METRO Briefs
L.A. man who allegedly spilled mercury found, questioned San Francisco Bay Area smart card test hits snag UTA: New bill could hamper rail funding
L.A. man who allegedly spilled mercury found, questioned
LOS ANGELES — Federal and local authorities arrested a 27-year-old man that they believe was responsible for spilling mercury on a Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority subway platform last December. Described by authorities as a transient, the man said that he found the mercury in a commercial dumpster and was showing it off at the platform hoping that another customer would purchase it from him. For the full story, click here.
San Francisco Bay Area smart card test hits snag
SAN FRANCISCO — The pre-test launch of a universal smart card system in the Bay Area hit a snag when card readers on some AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit buses only worked intermittently. The delay is expected to last three to four weeks. For the full story, click here.
UTA: New bill could hamper rail funding
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is crying foul over a local bill, passed by a 7-6 margin, that they feel would take commuter rail funds, which the agency has or will bond against, away from them. The bill allows any Utah city to take money that their residents give to a local-option sales tax for transportation and use it to build their own, city operated transit system, as well as allow a city that is not part of a transit district to impose a sales tax increase for bus, rail or highway improvements. For the full story, click here.
More Management
WMATA Debuts 'Fares Pay for Service' Awareness Campaign
The campaign was highlighted during a media event at the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center in Silver Spring, where WMATA’s GM/CEO Randy Clarke joined Metro Transit Police officers, WMATA management team, board members, and staff to expand fare enforcement and customer education efforts on Metro Bus routes throughout the region.
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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.
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Seattle’s Sound Transit Adopts Updated ST3 System Plan
The updated system plan incorporates cost savings across the agency, including new revenue sources and financial policies, to set the agency on a sustainable path for the future.
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Audit Finds Regional Coordination Across California's East Bay Transit Agencies
The State Auditor further concluded that while collaboration among transit agencies is functioning, the Bay Area’s public transportation systems face mounting structural fiscal pressures that threaten future service levels if sustainable funding solutions are not secured.
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Biz Briefs: Foothill Gold Line Award, Matawan Contract, and More
From strategic partnerships to acquisitions and service expansions, the industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Find out all the latest here.
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Inside Look: EMBARK Expands Fare-Free Transit Program Through New Public-Private Partnership
The OKC transit agency says sponsorship helps subsidize the Third Friday Free initiative while reducing barriers for first-time riders and boosting ridership across buses, streetcars, and river cruises.
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Oregon's TriMet Adopts Major Budget Cuts to Address Financial Shortfall
The board adopted the agency’s fiscal year 2027 budget, approving approximately $64.5 million in spending reductions, including about $53 million in administrative cuts and roughly $11 million in service reductions.
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OCTA Sees Growing Adoption of Wave Fare Payment System
Since launching in October 2025, the Wave system has steadily replaced previous fare media with faster, more flexible payment options designed to streamline boarding, improve reliability, and help riders more easily access fare discounts and cost-saving benefits, said OCTA
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North Carolina's Metropolitan Transit Commission Concludes Decades of Leadership
To commemorate the occasion, current members of the MTC were presented with a custom painting of the Charlotte Transportation Center in Uptown.
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Montana's Mountain Line Named Nation’s Best Transit System by CTAA
The award was presented to Mountain Line representatives at the CTAA Expo in mid-May, with bus operator Bryan Ursery, who has worked at Mountain Line for more than two decades, accepting the award on the agency's behalf.
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