Category: News
SMART TD Regional, Day 3: National Legislative Director John Risch updates members
SEATTLE — SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director John Risch gave attendees a broad overview of the landscape of the transit industry on the third day of the TD regional meeting. Among the topics covered: how to grow support for transportation-relate [...]
SMART TD Regional, Day 1: Solidarity key to fighting in post-Janus world
Strength, unity and education will be the way to fight the United States Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision last week on Janus v. AFSCME 31 that overturned more than four decades of legal precedent. That was the message given at the opening session of the SMART Transportation [...]
Big Blue Bus driver touted as hero, honored with award
Big Blue Bus (BBB) operator and SMART TD member Rochelle Beamon (Local 1785) has been honored by Santa Monica, California’s city manager with the city’s “Elaine” award. Beamon has been labeled a hero after she managed to miss hitting a man on an electr [...]
Water. Rest. Shade.: Staying safe while working in the heat
OSHA’s campaign to keep workers safe in the heat OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention campaign, launched in 2011, educates employers and workers on the dangers of working in the heat. Through training sessions, outreach events, informational sessions, publications, soci [...]
Barring massive employment drop, rail retirement appears solvent until 2047
The chief actuary of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) said in his triennial report that the railroad retirement fund will remain solvent with no cash flow problems for nearly three decades, barring any unforeseen drops in rail worker employment over that time. The positive [...]
SOFA issues latest updates on switching accidents
The Switching Operations Fatality Analysis (SOFA) Working Group in June issued its latest updates on switching fatalities and severe injuries for the entirety of 2017 and for the first quarter of 2018. According to SOFA, there were three switching-related fatalities and nine [...]
FRA safety board denies AAR request on air tests
A victory for safety was achieved in June when the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Railroad Safety Board denied a request by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) to lengthen the “off-air” restriction from four to 24 hours for required brake tests and inspection [...]
White Pass & Yukon Railroad sold
In a joint venture, Alaska’s White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad (WP&Y) is being sold to Survey Point Holdings (majority owners) and Carnival/Holland America (minority owners). The deal is set to be final Aug. 1. “Both companies have experience operating in Southeast Alas [...]