Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

News Digest

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Pilot Program Aims to Help Improve Condition of America’s Transit Systems, Safety of Operations.

The Federal Transit Administration has selected six transit agencies from around the country to participate in its Transit Asset Management pilot program and share $4 million to help them take a more strategic and systematic approach to determining and anticipating when equipment needs maintenance or repairs, or when it needs to be replaced. The groundbreaking program encourages urban, suburban, and rural transit agencies to find new, cost-effective ways to manage and maintain the condition of their systems – everything from railroad tracks and train stations to bus facilities and electrical equipment, resulting in improved system safety and reliability. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (San Francisco Bay area), Regional Transportation Authority (Chicago and Northeast Illinois), Utah Transit Authority, Valley Regional Transit (Meridian, Idaho) and Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation were selected to participate in the pilot program.

$1.4 Million for Rochester, NY, Rail Station.

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) received a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration for preliminary engineering and environmental work required to replace the current Rochester rail station and for necessary short-term upgrades to the current station. This grant will supplement a previous grant received by NYSDOT in November 2010 for the station’s engineering and design work. The grant will go toward preliminary engineering and environmental work for the station’s replacement and for immediate and necessary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant improvements in the existing station. The new station, Rochester Intermodal Transportation Center, will be a modern, fully ADA-compliant transportation hub for the city. It will improve access to Amtrak’s Empire Corridor, Maple Leaf, Lake Shore Limited, and connections to other modes of transportation, such as Greyhound and Trailways bus services, the Rochester Regional Transit Service city buses, and taxis. Federal funding for these projects comes from Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act appropriations, and a contribution of $600,000 toward the preliminary work on the new station will come from NYSDOT.