On Sunday, the county transit system for the Seattle metropolitan area began hurtling down a road that few cities have traveled before: pricing tickets based on passengers' income..  The project, which is being closely watched around the nation, gives discounts on public transportation to people whose household income is no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level - for instance, $47,700 or less for a family of four under the 2014 guidelines.  

Metrolink reached a critical milestone March 2, 2015, by launching Positive Train Control (PTC) in revenue service demonstration (RSD) along the its San Bernardino Line between Los Angeles and San Bernardino, Calif.  The railroad says that with this latest accomplishment, Metrolink remains on track to become the nation's first passenger rail system to have a fully implemented, interoperable PTC system in place. 

The Philadelphia Tribune - March 1, 2015  

Gov. Tom Wolf has named state Rep. Dwight Evans to SEPTA's 12-person board of directors.  "I thank the governor for the appointment to SEPTA and I will strive to make it a 21st century transit system worthy of the citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania," said Evans, D-Philadelphia.  

Michael Drewniak, the long-time spokesman for Gov. Chris Christie, is heading to NJ Transit in a new position that will have him heading up policy and planning for the state agency.  NJ Transit Executive Director Veronique Hakim this afternoon confirmed Drewniak's appointment as chief of policy and strategic planning.  

Keolis officials yesterday announced a shakeup of the leadership team at Keolis Commuter Services unit in Boston, the contractor for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) commuter-rail network since July 2014.  Thomas Mulligan, the general manager of the Keolis unit, stepped down this week "for personal reasons" and is being replaced by Gerald Francis.  

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) board yesterday decided not to implement fare increases and make substantial cuts in rail or bus service as it prepares to adopt a fiscal-year 2016 budget.  The board considers fare increases every two years, and had been considering implementing a 10-cent increase on rail and bus fares this year.  

The three finalists for the job of Metro general manager abruptly withdrew from consideration recently out of concern that their names would become public before the selection was made, leaving the transit agency back at square one in its search for a chief executive, a process that already has cost more than $90,000, two Metro officials said. 

The Bethesda Metro station was closed this weekend, as workers continued overhauling the first of its three main escalators, which are the second longest in the Western Hemisphere.  Large gantries moved nine large sections of escalator truss, according to a Metro news release. Two motors, each as big as a small car, were to be moved into the escalator pit to replace the old six-motor configuration. Control systems and other equipment also were to be delivered.  

Previous audits of the Portland Streetcar have found its structure to be convoluted and confusing, and Tuesday KOIN 6 News took a look at where the system currently stands. Last year, two negative audits of the streetcar were released. One called the organization and government behind the system "convoluted and confusing". The other pointed out inaccuracies in reports of on-time performance and inflated ridership numbers. 

As part of its ongoing effort to improve safety at railroad grade crossings, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has begun a new, multi-faceted campaign aimed at strengthening enforcement and safety awareness at grade crossings.  

The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) has named its new training center in honor of Rosa Parks and Tommy Douglas, heroes ATU members regard as two of North America's most courageous leaders.  "The Parks/Douglas Center will open its doors to train future generations in the tradition of these courageous two leaders and heroes of the ATU," says Larry Hanley, international president of ATU, the largest labor organization representing transit workers in the United States and Canada. 

Buses that will run along Port Authority of Allegheny County's proposed bus rapid-transit line from Downtown to Oakland will be fueled by natural gas, the agency's board chairman said Friday.  

The U.S. solar workforce grew nearly 20 percent faster than the national average employment rate last year, according to the Solar Foundation's 2014 National Solar Jobs Census. But like the rest of the tech industry, this sector of the renewable energy field has a problem when it comes to diversity. Women make up only 22 percent of the solar industry, while 16 percent of the solar workforce is Latino, 7 percent is Asian and 6 percent is African American, last year's Job Census found.   

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) is using newspapers, masking tape and a competitive spirit to get more young women interested in engineering.  The agency is hosting a series of events where girls in high school and junior high can meet and work with the department's women engineers.  

In diverse, working-class neighborhoods across Los Angeles, an unprecedented $40 billion mass transit expansion is being met with mixed emotions. On the one hand, low-income residents are by far public transit's biggest users, and expanded transit routes promise greater mobility and better access to job opportunities.