Commuter Rail

TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa Transit’s board of directors has approved a six-month feasibility study on commuter rail and/or bus rapid transit between downtown Tulsa and downtown Broken Arrow. “This has been a topic of discussion for many years in both Tulsa and Broken Arrow, but until this time, there has not been a serious feasibility study,” Tulsa Transit General Manager Bill Cartwright said. “The firm we have retained, Lockwood, Andrews & Newman has completed similar studies in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas. They have extensive knowledge in the rail/bus rapid transit field and their studies have resulted in implementation in

Plans to extend Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service in Bayonne are moving forward, as the N.J. Transit Board of Directors agreed to advertise a design/build contract to construct a one-mile extension of the track alignment and a new station at 8th Street.

CHICAGO – An $8 billion capital investment is needed in the next five years in order to allow the CTA to continue to provide safe and reliable service and meet growing transit need, CTA’s vice-president of capital programs said. The announcement came after an Aug. 9 Chicago Transit Board meeting. Including all planned rail line extensions would increase the figure to more than $10 billion. Of the projected $8 billion need, CTA staff has identified about $2.2 billion that could be available through federal funding or CTA-issued bonds, leaving a potential unfunded need at $5.8 billion. A decision on an

WASHINGTON – A suspicious package discovered around 9 a.m. Wednesday (Aug. 9) on the tracks near the New York Avenue-Florida Avenue- Gallaudet U Metrorail station disrupted Red Line service for three hours just after the morning peak period. Normal Red Line service resumed at 12:10 p.m. Throughout the police investigation, Metro suspended train service between the Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood and Judiciary Square Metrorail stations, and established free shuttle bus service. More than 40 Metrobuses stopped at Rhode Island Avenue, New York Avenue, Union Station and Judiciary Square stations. Metro Transit Police, along with other law enforcement were called to investigate

MIAMI – Federal money will help pay for a Metrorail expansion from the Broward County line south and west to the Florida Turnpike and the FIU South Campus. The money – $2 million in the Senate Appropriations bill of the Fiscal Year 2007 and $1 million in the House bill – is earmarked for the “Orange Line” Metrorail expansion. “The Orange Line is critical to alleviating traffic congestion in Miami-Dade County,” said Transit Director Roosevelt Bradley. “Thanks to the efforts of Federal legislators we are one step closer to accomplishing this major project.”   Miami-Dade County and Transit officials have

PAWTUCKET, R.I. – MBTA this week opened its Pawtucket Layover Facility in Rhode Island, which officials say will improve rail service. The facility was a joint venture between MBTA and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and boasts a six-track commuter rail yard for the purpose of overnight storage of commuter rail equipment. “This state of the art facility is capable of housing more equipment, which means more service for our customers,” MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas said. “Our mission is to preserve our customer base, while at the same time attract more customers.” Prior to opening the new