Category: Amtrak/Commuter News
Amtrak says it’ll match funds to keep Southwest Chief route
Amtrak has informed federal, state and local officials along the route of the daily Chicago-to-Los Angeles Southwest Chief that it will provide matching funds to enable a federal grant to be awarded for safety and reliability upgrades in Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico, the c [...]New Jersey Transit, claiming ‘sovereign immunity,’ asks federal judge to dismiss worker injury suits
New Jersey Transit (NJT) is claiming sovereign immunity after a victory in the case Karns v. Shanahan 18 months ago, which upheld NJT’s argument that it is a part of the state of New Jersey, not an independent agency, and as such is not responsible for employee injuries. In a [...]
SMART TD supports bill to protect bus, transit operators
SMART Transportation Division leaders support the Transit Worker and Pedestrian Protection Act (H.R.1139) introduced by U.S. Reps. Grace F. Napolitano (D – Calif.) and Congressman John Katko (R – New York) on Feb. 11 that would make the workplace safer for bus ope [...]N.J. Congressman Tom Malinowski’s bill reforms federal funding use for infrastructure
A bill called the Transportation Funding Fairness Act (TFFA), introduced by first-term U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D) of New Jersey, would give more latitude for states to use federal funds to help pay for projects, such as the Gateway Tunnel between New York and New Jersey. “T [...]Smaller transit agencies burning through funds as shutdown goes on
With the partial federal government shutdown in its 35th day on Jan. 25, many small- to mid-sized transit agencies are reporting a financial pinch, Politico.com reports. Agencies in North Carolina, Missouri, Arizona and California all say that cuts in service are on the table [...]Trump administration renominates candidates to transportation positions
A number of candidates to transportation-related oversight posts in the federal government whose nominations were returned to President Donald Trump in early January have been renominated to those posts. Thelma Drake has been renominated to be the administrator of the DOT’s F [...]
OSHA’s guide to working in cold weather
Winter weather presents hazards including slippery roads/surfaces, strong winds and environmental cold. Employers must prevent illnesses, injuries, or fatalities, by controlling these hazards in workplaces impacted by winter weather. OSHA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric [...]FTA allocates $281 million in funding for five transit projects
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced a total of $281 million in additional Fiscal Year 2018 federal funding allocations to five transit projects in Arizona, California, Minnesota and Texas. Funding will be provide [...]