Transit Coach Operator Technical Committee holds its 3rd meeting at Valley Transit Authority
CEO Nuria Fernandez welcomes Transit Coach Operator Technical Committee to VTA.
The Transit Coach Operator Technical Committee met April 4-6 at the Valley Transit Authority in San Jose, CA. The meeting provided VTA the opportunity to showcase their operator mentoring program, the first transit coach operator apprenticeship program in the United States. The VTA apprenticeship program is the model for transit coach operator apprenticeship development. During this meeting, participants:
*Provided updates on the progress of their transit coach operator program and their paths to apprenticeship development, implementation, and registration
*Learned about the apprenticeship registration process
*Learned about VTA's Joint Workforce Investment project, how it was started, and how it was funded
* Learned about VTA's relationship with Mission College to obtain college credit for their apprenticeship program
*Talked to mentors who are involved in the VTA apprenticeship program
*Learned about WIOA funding and registered apprenticeship
*Outlined the elements of a Train the Trainer that will be developed for Operations Trainers
*Defined the elements of a Mentor Training curriculum that will be developed for Mentors
This was a very successful meeting that encouraged agencies to move forward with their apprenticeship development and implementation plans. Recently the Center registered the transit coach operator program at the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) in Louisville, KY and will continue to work with other agencies to develop and register their programs. If you are interested in participating in the transit coach operator apprenticeship committee, or any other registered apprenticeship program, please contact Tia Brown, Program Manager.
The last few months have delivered bad news about U.S. transit: Ridership is declining in most cities; New York faces its first non-recession decline since the early 1990s; and there's an outright crisis in Washington. A new study suggests there is a bright spot in the long run - but only if American cities invest in transit now.
Out of curiosity, Eno's Paul Lewis did a back-of-the-envelope calculation of how much it would cost Arlington to lease and operate two passenger vans with similar capacity instead of funding the EasyMile pilot project.
A Washington Post analysis of travel times across the region illustrates stark differences in the commuting experience for transit users around the nation's capital. Most striking, commuters in some areas in Southwest and Southeast Washington and close-in Prince George's have longer trips to get downtown than more transit-connected locations dozens of miles away from the White House.
With the Tampa Bay region stalled on meaningful public transit investment, the city of Tampa is asking residents whether expanding an existing tourist-centric streetcar might help alleviate their transportation woes.
Cars aren't cheap, but what is the alternative in an auto-dependent city like Miami? Director of the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) for Miami-Dade County Alice Bravo said that she wanted to make Miami a "car-optional community," where people can get to "all the different regions within the county using reliable public transit that's convenient and helps people save time."
No matter what plan is ultimately approved, it will require a herculean effort to win the necessary backing. It has to bridge ideological gaps between Democrats and Republicans. It has to resolve a four-way tug-of-war among the District, Maryland, Virginia and the federal government.
With the announcement of MetroHealth System's decision to sponsor the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's (GCRTA) newest Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route, all three major health systems in the county soon will be on board with public transit.
The collapse of an interstate in the heart of Atlanta has more than 2 million metro residents sitting in even more traffic in the already congested city, and mass transit advocates hope the headaches will spur new interest in expanding rail and bus routes.
Metro Atlanta leaders have big plans for expanding MARTA and other transit options over the next two decades. But those plans could be in jeopardy under President Donald Trump's proposed 2018 budget.
A huge portion of the $2.4 billion cut to U.S. DOT comes from eliminating funding for the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Program (which includes the New Starts, Small Starts and Core Capacity programs), a critical source of funding for local and regional transit funding.
In an April 7 letter to budget leaders, the industry groups asked that they protect the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which includes the Mass Transit Account, as they craft a fiscal-year 2018 budget that will take effect Oct. 1.
This blindness to the perversity of American politics (which Florida otherwise follows closely) weighs heavily on the book. Florida calls for investment in high-speed rail but doesn't mention the California high-speed rail project, which is underway, or the Obama administration proposals scuttled by Republican governors in Florida, Ohio, and Wisconsin. He calls for transit in sprawling cities but doesn't mention the trials of Houston's light rail network or the failure of Detroit's regional transit plan.
Members of the White House, Congress and Transportation Department are all expected to have a major role in shaping President Trump's $1 trillion infrastructure package.
The state has dramatically and consistently cut its support of New Jersey Transit (NJT) over the past 13 fiscal years, with the most severe cuts inflicted by Gov. Chris Christie. The current governor also left critical infrastructure upgrades and $3 billion in federal subsidies on the table by canceling a new, critically needed commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River.
Metro is turning to technology to protect employees after a string of incidents where speeding trains imperiled track workers and inspectors. The advance warning technology is designed to add an extra layer of safety to the transit system's rules governing the operation of trains along stretches of track where blind spots and other hazards endanger personnel.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency painted the controversial bus- and taxi-only lanes along Mission Street from 14th to 30th streets in February last year. The changes were packaged with a number of turn restrictions that have frustrated drivers and store owners, who complained of a drop in business after the lane installation.
The ever-growing supply of free parking in America is one reason why investments in public transport have coaxed so few people out of cars, says David King of Arizona State University.
