METRO Briefs

Ron Barnes installed as new chair of APTA

Deputy director of Miami Dade Transit calls for increased focus on technology implementation and customer service.

House unveils outline for transportation authorization bill

The controversial plan includes a call for increased oil drilling to help pay for infrastructure projects, according to several sources.

DEA agent paid Amtrak employee for confidential passenger info

The agent paid an Amtrak secretary more than $850,000 over the past 19 years for the information, even though the records were available at no cost through an agreement with Amtrak police.

APTA, citizens, transit leaders call on Congress to invest in PT

On the heels of the one-year anniversary of the expiration of the previous multi-year surface transportation bill, APTA officials, along with public transportation riders from around the country, shared stories of how public transportation has benefited their lives at an event in Washington, D.C., blocks away from the Capitol building.

D.C. Metro, safety overseer reach testing agreement on new railcars

The chair of the Tri-State Oversight Committee, which monitors Metro’s operational safety, told the transit agency last month that she was not satisfied with the safety-certification process it was following as it prepared to put eight of the new railcars into passenger service early in 2015.

Sound Transit Adds GoodMaps Wayfinding Tool to 5 Rail Stations

The GoodMaps app, which uses light detection and ranging mapping technology to create highly accurate 3D maps of large public spaces’ interiors, will be added to the Northgate, University of Washington, Capitol Hill, Columbia City, and SeaTac/Airport stations.

STA Orders 7 Alexander Dennis Enviro500 Double-Deck Buses

The Alexander Dennis Enviro500 will be the first double-deck transit bus in Spokane, Washington, and its surrounding urban areas.

APTA leg. meeting to discuss safety, jobs

The 600-plus public transit leaders will spend Tuesday and Wednesday visiting their congressional representatives, lobbying their transit initiatives on Capitol Hill.