As you probably know, the Center has spent over a decade developing training programs for multiple public transportation occupations including rail vehicle, signals, bus and transit elevator/escalator maintenance.
Thanks to a recent grant from the Department of Labor, the Center will now be able to work with Subject Matter Experts to develop a series of courses that will be applicable to multiple public transportation maintenance occupations. These foundation courses will cover topics that are cross-cutting like job and electric safety, electric fundamentals, hydraulic fundamentals, etc. Last Friday July 29, 2016, the Center hosted a webinar to launch an effort on "foundation skills courses."
To view a video of the launch webinar, register here.
A new interactive New York City subway planning game created by electrical engineer Jason Wright gives you a chance to try your hand at building the subway system of your dreams. Though based on a similar idea to Dinosaur Polo Club's Mini Metro, the game goes further and gives players a lot more to work with. "Brand New Subway" lets players start from scratch or use current subway maps, modify historic maps dating as far back as the 1900s or use maps from the future.
They built it. They actually built it. After years of waiting, what was once a crazy dream has apparently become reality as China's infamous "straddling bus" went on its inaugural test run in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province earlier today. China has been kicking this idea around for quite some time now, but the project generated renewed interest in May when a real, honest-to-god mini model was unveiled at the 19th China Beijing International High-Tech Expo. Then, just one month later, developers shocked the world by announcing that the Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) would be ready for a test-run in August.
Young bus riders in Virginia Beach and other Hampton Roads cities are gaining some freedom this month. Hampton Roads Transit launched a "Student Freedom Pass" today that will allow teens and kids who are 17 years old and younger to ride buses, the light rail and ferries for free. This is the first time the transit agency has offered free fares to young customers. Currently, teens and kids who are 17 and younger pay half-rate, or 75 cents one way, and $1.75 a day. The pilot program is designed to encourage young customers to use public transportation, according to a release.
It's no secret to most Denver commuters that getting around town often isn't hassle-free. And when commuting requires relying on public transit - despite significant investments in buses, light rail and commuter rail - the experience can be a tremendous chore in many places in this quickly growing city. So we read with marked interest Denver Post reporter Jon Murray's recent article about a range of ideas for filling in those gaps in transit service that city officials have before them. With thousands moving to Denver and the metro area every year, city planners will be increasingly responsible for dealing with transportation and transit challenges for years to come.
TARC has begun adding six new all-electric, zero-emission buses along the Fourth Street corridor between downtown and Iroquois Park, stopping at some of the city's most popular destinations. With the new buses, TARC will have a total of 15 all-electric buses on the road, making it one of the largest electric bus operators in the country. "We know passengers enjoy a quiet, clean ride and it doesn't get better than this," said TARC Executive Director J. Barry Barker. "We encourage everyone - visitors and residents alike - to take a ride on one of these zero-emissions, modern buses, and have fun visiting top city attractions."
Citi Bike is expanding its footprint today, introducing new docking stations north of 85th Street in Manhattan for the first time since the bike share program officially launched in May 2013. As of today, new stations have opened at East 88th Street/Park Avenue, East 88th Street/5th Avenue, West 87th Street/Amsterdam Avenue and West 87th Street/West End Avenue in Manhattan. In total, 28 new docking stations will be added in this stretch of Manhattan in the coming weeks.
An eleventh-hour deal was struck Tuesday by the top elected leaders in Metro Detroit to save a $4.6 billion transportation millage proposal to help fund regional rapid transit. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said Tuesday that a "deal to make the deal" had been reached. "It's a huge breakthrough today," he said. The agreement comes after the Regional Transit Authority's board voted 4-5 Thursday against placing the 20-year, 1.2-mill tax on the Nov. 8 ballot that would fund rapid transit.
