|
|
|
 |
|
Center Presents on Standard-Based Training and Apprenticeship for Frontline Technicians at NTI Conference
 Seventeen people representing transit agencies and community colleges attended the Center's March 31 workshop on Standards-based Training and Apprenticeship for Frontline Technicians at the Transit Trainers Workshop sponsored by the National Transit Institute in Long Beach, California. The presentation focused on the full system of training and qualification developed for rail car technicians through the recently completed TCRP E-7 project Establishing a National Transit Industry Rail Vehicle Technician Qualification Program, but Center Deputy Director Jack Clark noted that the system is relevant for all transit maintenance occupations. Lively discussion followed the presentation, with a lot of questions and sharing of information on effective joint apprenticeship programs. Participants wanted to know more about good practice on mentoring and generally expressed eagerness to learn more about how the industry standards for training could be implemented in their locations Much of the discussion carried over the following day in a workshop on a TCRP funded project to develop a national training and certification program for transit maintenance instructors. Brian Lester of EDSI Consulting presented on behalf of the project team led by the Transportation Learning Center. Mentoring came up again as a major area of concern. One trainer summed it up well, "you have mentoring going on whether you recognize it or not." Some locations shared experience in getting strong Train the Trainer provisions in procurement language when buying buses. One participant said that this is an excellent means to continually develop training staff. Just as the previous day's discussion highlighted big demographic changes in the overall workforce, the consensus from this workshop was that a system of training and qualifying instructors is essential because the transit industry training staff is facing a "silver tsunami" of coming retirements. Related Links: PowerPoint PresentationPassing on the Legacy: The Benefits of Mentoring in Transit TrainingTraining for Transportation Technicians: Which Delivery Methods Work Best?Working Together: A Systems Approach for Transit Training |
Roll Call - April 7, 2014
Public transit advocates were blindsided when House Republicans introduced a five-year highway bill two years ago that proposed eliminating the Highway Trust Fund's transit account. The proposal would have ended the guaranteed cut of federal motor fuel tax dollars that has been set aside for urban rail and bus systems since the Reagan administration.
"We got caught flat footed," said Leanne P. Redden, the acting executive director of Chicago's Regional Transportation Authority.
|
The Hill - April 3, 2014
In 1980, an organization convened and voted to include the following in its platform: ...Many urban centers of our nation need dependable and affordable mass transit systems... The role of the federal government should be one of giving financial and technical support... a consistent and dependable source of revenue should be established. Mass transportation offers the prospect for significant energy conservation... it is vital that adequate public and private transportation facilities be provided.
|
Railway Age - April 7, 2014
A new report, "The Northeast Corridor and the American Economy," produced by the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission (NEC Commission) details how the Northeast Corridor (NEC), carrying 750,000 daily Amtrak and commuter/regional rail passengers, "is a critical national asset, an economic engine for the U.S., and contributes about $50 billion a year to the national economy." The report, accessible by clicking here, also calculates that a loss of the NEC for a single day would cost nearly $100 million in transportation-related impacts and productivity losses.
|
Forbes - March 31, 2014
In 2012, Jason Molfetas joined the Amtrak family as the Chief Information Officer (CIO). Prior to joining Amtrak, Mr. Molfetas had no direct experience in this particular industry, but he was very much familiar with the complexities of running IT in a diverse business environment.
|
Progressive Railroading - April 8, 2014
WTS International today announced its annual recognition awards for 2014, including Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Chief Executive Officer Beverly Scott as "Woman of the Year." "Dr. Scott's efforts to advance women in the transportation industry has inspired many and provided the industry with new workforce development opportunities," said Marcia Ferranto, WTS president and CEO, in a press release.
|
Vancouver Sun - March 31, 2014
Transit Police have launched a new campaign warning the public "don't touch the operator" after two Metro Vancouver bus drivers were the target of separate violent and unprovoked assaults over the past month. The campaign, which officially launches at a news conference Monday morning, is the latest move by authorities intent on better protecting the men and women who move Metro Vancouver's commuting masses.
|
Mass Transit Magazine - April 8, 2014
Too much speed and too little stopping distance were at the root of the Blue Line train crash at O'Hare International Airport last month that injured 33 people, said federal investigators, who on also Monday raised the damage estimate from $6 million to over $9 million. The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report into the cause of the early-morning accident on March 24 said the distance between a bumper post at the end of the line and a trip arm in the tracks designed to activate the train's emergency braking system was "too short to stop the train" due to its speed of roughly 26 mph.
|
Railway Track and Signal - April 1, 2014
A peek at Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) priorities for the 2014-2015 budget shows an increased focus on employee safety and keeping aging equipment well-maintained for reliability and passenger safety. More and more track maintenance is now being performed during service hours, especially during non-peak hours and on the weekends.
|
Railway Age - April 7, 2014
The Los Angeles Metro Red Line Westlake/MacArthur Park station will soon be operating a REGEN high-speed kinetic energy storage system developed by VYCON. The equipment will be used in Metro's Wayside Energy Storage Substation Project, which is funded by a grant of $4.4 million provided by the Federal Transit Administration under the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction Program, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
|
Nonprofit Quarterly - April 1, 2014
When Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin discussed workforce development at the National Governors Association, which she currently chairs, who could argue with her contention that education and training were critical components of workforce development in order to help people find paths into middle class incomes and lifestyles?
|
|
Building Transportation Infrastructure
|
Railway Age - April 7, 2014
Washington, D.C.-based radio station WTOP FM says the Silver Line could open for revenue service this July 4, according to sources contacted by the radio station. The station noted the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority continues to run tests on the tracks. The Silver Line, formally called the Dulles Corridor Metrorail project, will link Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail service with Dulles International Airport, among other new stations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
