Public Transportation
Planetizen - August 24, 2014
"Equitable transit oriented development (TOD) aims to prevent rapidly increasing rents by including housing that's affordable to local residents in the development plan early on, and assuring that it remains so for decades to come," writes Hawkins-Simons.  The article details the work of the Urban Land Conservancy (ULC), working with Enterprise Community Partners, the city and county of Denver, and other investors to "establish the first affordable housing TOD acquisition fund in the country." 
Policy Link - August 20, 2014
Transportation projects should connect communities to opportunity, but too often new roads and rail lines have isolated low-income people and devastated the economic prospects of neighborhoods of color. That's why diverse communities in the Twin Cities fought tenaciously to make sure the new $1 billion Green Line creates jobs and business opportunities for residents, links low-income neighborhoods of color to employment centers, and strengthens local businesses along the route.
International Transportation News
International Railway Journal - August 21, 2014
Expressions of interest are being sought by London Underground (LU) from systems suppliers for the installation of communications-based train control(CBTC) on the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines.  LU wants to convert the four lines to automatic train operation, install a high-bandwidth communications system together with a line management system, all conforming to GoA4 functionality. LU seeks responses by September 8.
Transit System/Partners
Passenger Transport - August 22, 2014
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has joined with two Northern Virginia municipalities to provide "Metroway" service in a "transitway," or dedicated corridor, between Crystal City in Arlington County and Potomac Yard in Alexandria, beginning Aug. 24.  This project is the first in the Washington metropolitan area to operate in a right-of-way dedicated to premium bus operations, designed to encourage transit use along the heavily traveled Crystal City-Potomac Yard (CCPY) corridor while also supporting residential and job growth in the area.
Times of San Diego - August 19, 2014
The Metropolitan Transit System logged an all-time high of 95 million passenger trips, driven by a big jump in use of the San Diego Trolley in the last year, officials said.  The 95,010,550 trips were an 11.5 percent increase over 2012-13 and topped the old record of 91,641,508, set three years ago, according to the MTS.  The agency cited realigned routes, new trolley cars, an improving economy and high gas prices as reasons for the increased use of public transit. The MTS also installed automated passenger counters in its trolleys for a more accurate tally. 
Green News
Kirkland Reporter - August 21, 2014
King County Executive Dow Constantine is taking action to ensure Metro remains one of the greenest major transit agencies in the nation, authorizing Metro to test a new generation of battery-powered, zero-emission buses.  "Ten years after King Country began replacing older buses with hybrid-electric models, we now have technology that holds the promise of an even cleaner and more energy-efficient fleet," Constantine said.
Total Rail - August 19, 2014
We've counted down the top 10 energy efficient projects in rail which have been implemented in a bid to combat rising energy prices and EU targets to reduce CO2 emissions.  It's no secret that transport is one of the biggest contributors towards pollution and with railway being an essential means of transportation, it is vital that major rail operators make energy efficiency a priority.
ZME Science - August 19, 2014
China is the world's biggest polluter, and will likely stay so for years and years to come. The growth of their economy has been fueled by coal consumption, which is the dirtiest type of energy out there, and the Chinese smog (which could be seen from outer space) is already well known and documented. But we have to give credit where credit is due - not because of the size of the initiative (34 plastic recyclers are not that big of a deal), but rather because of the idea. Encouraging people to recycle plastic by offering them not money, but a service which is in itself more ecofriendly (public transportation) is a great idea. 
Workforce Development
Wall Street Journal - August 25, 2014
The Labor Department has chosen Heidi Shierholz, a well-known advocate for worker-friendly labor policies, as its next chief economist.  Ms. Shierholz is currently an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning Washington think tank, where she has conducted research on wealth inequality and long-term unemployment, among other topics.  She replaces Jennifer Hunt, who left Labor earlier this year for a post in the Treasury Department.
Railway Age - August 20, 2014
Figures released by the Surface Transportation Board show total Class I railroad employment as of mid-July 2014 rose 1.94% to 167, 138, from mid-July 2013, and also added 99 positions from mid-June 2014, a rise of 0.6%.  Transportation (train and engine), continuing a months-long trend of robust growth, rose 3.82% measured against levels of a year ago, and rose 1.18% from the prior month.  
Safety
Progressive Railroading - August 25, 2014
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will award two grants totaling $350,000 to support the development of a Short Line Rail Safety Institute, U.S. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced late last week. The FRA confirmed the grants in a press release issued on Friday.  
Building Transportation Infrastructure
Michigan Live - August 24, 2014
From the second-floor of The Rapid's headquarters in downtown Grand Rapids, Conrad Venema looks out at U.S. 131 cutting through the heart of the city.  The view offers a stark contrast of travel of old - mammoth concrete corridors designed for personal vehicles - against what transportation planners like Venema see as the future with shared rides that reduce potential gridlock and speed movement.
Railway Age - August 25, 2014
The Federal Transit Administration has given its approval for a fourth light rail transit line to move ahead, which would serve Minnesota's Twin Cities. The approval adds to a busy LRT year for the region.  FTA says the Metropolitan Council can begin design work for an extension of the Blue Line, also known as the Bottineau Transitway, north from Target Field in Minneapolis, stretching 13 miles to Brooklyn Park, Minn.
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