77 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

northjersey.com   5/2/20:

 

  Newark Penn Station to close overnight for daily coronavirus cleaning 

 

 

 

Newark Penn Station will close overnight starting Sunday to allow for daily deep cleaning of the station and all the trains. 

 

Read

[KevinKorell]

NBC Washington, 4/3/20 (old post):

 

   Union Station to Close Nightly in Response to Pandemic  

 

 

The Federal Railroad Administration announced Friday that Union Station will close nightly from 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the request of Amtrak, according to a statement from the Department of Transportation. 

 

Story

[KevinKorell]

Stars & Stripes, 5/8/20:

 

  Subways, trains and buses are sitting empty around the world, and it's not clear whether riders will return  

 

 

 

All around the world, the coronavirus has stopped people from moving — leaving buses, subways and trains all but empty and passengers apprehensive about any swift return.

 

Read

[CNJRoss]

Railway Age 5/8/20

 

Transit Heads to Congress: “We Will Not Be Able to Support Our Regions Without Replenishing Losses”

 

 

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye and the leaders of 14 public transportation agencies serving communities who generate 35% of the nation’s GDP in the United States requested additional emergency federal aid for transit systems in a joint letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. House of Representatives Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.

 

The MTA’s own estimate shows that transit agencies nationwide will need an additional $32 billion to address the crisis for the rest of 2020 and through 2021.

 

SNIP

 

Read the full text of the letter below or download a PDF here:

National-Transit-Letter-5-6-2020

 

More here.

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading 5/11/20

 

APTA to Congress: Transit needs another $24 billion

 

 

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is urging Congress and the Trump administration to provide $23.8 billion in additional emergency funding to help U.S. public transit agencies continue to provide essential services as they and the local communities they serve seek to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Although the $25 billion that agencies received under the federal stimulus legislation known as the CARES Act helped address immediate needs under the crisis, the public transportation industry continues to experience increased costs and dramatic revenue losses as the pandemic and related stay-at-home orders continue, APTA officials said in a press release.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

RT&S 5/13/20
 

Transit asking for big money in next federal stimulus bill … but when will it happen?

 

 

On the same day House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the Democrats’ next federal stimulus bill, called the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or HEROES Act, leaders in the transit industry were calling for more help.

 

Five transit officials are asking federal lawmakers to make sure to include at least $33 billion for public transportation in the next federal stimulus bill. New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) CEO Pat Foye, NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) General Manager Bob Powers, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority General Manager Leslie Richards and Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) CEO Jeffrey Parker made the financial plea during a conference call on May 12.

 

Foye said the federal government must recognize the ongoing emergency and the vital role of transit infrastructures as economic drivers, but also as agencies that transport first responders and essential workers during the pandemic. The MTA CEO added that the COVID-19 pandemic is a national disaster, one that requires a continued national response.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading 5/20/20

 

FTA grants CARES funding to five rail agencies

 

 

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) yesterday announced grant awards to five transit-rail agencies as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to address the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

The agencies and their grant allocations are:

• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, $876.8 million for operating, capital and preventive maintenance expenses;
• Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco, $251.6 million to maintain operations and replace lost fare revenue; 
• San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, $197.2 million to continue operations and replace lost fare revenue; 
• Tri-County Metropolitan District of Oregon, $185 million to support rail, bus and paratransit transportation services, including covering the cost of administrative leave for some employees and purchasing personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies.
• Sound Transit in Seattle, $166.3 million for operating, maintenance and vehicle disinfection expenses.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Metro Magazine 5/7/20
 

5 Long-term Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Transit

 

 

Public Transportation has taken a hit from the coronavirus pandemic. Ridership was finally on an increase at the end of 2019 with transit agencies rebooting their bus route networks, adding frequency to key routes, and reducing the friction that slowed service down in central business districts by adding bus only lanes, transit signal priority, and easier faring options like tap and go credit cards and e-faring.

 

New trends, including agencies adding Mobility as a Service (MaaS) apps by aggregating all the mobility options in their region on one smartphone app for trip planning and payment, were taking hold and attracting choice riders. Many cities were piloting autonomous vehicles for specialized routes that were attracting attention both from the public and the media.

 

Then, March 2020 brought North America a global pandemic — causing governments around the world to restrict movement and require their citizens to work from home. Ridership has plummeted across the globe from 60% to 90% with commuter services taking the heaviest toll. Agencies are reeling from the impact on their farebox revenue, sales tax subsidy reductions, and the increased cost of dealing with virus spread prevention such as cleaning products, PPE, and sanitizing vehicles and stations.

 

SNIP

 

What could the long-term implications be for public transit of this coronavirus pandemic?

 

Continue here for:

 

1. Death of the Farebox

2. All-door Boarding

3. Reduced Ridership on commuter  bus and trains

4. Cleaner Vehicles or Fewer Passengers

5. Increased Federal Funding for Transit

[CNJRoss]

Metro Magazine 5/12/20
 

4 questions transit agencies need to ask themselves in the wake of COVID-19

 

 

Ask most transit experts and they’ll tell you COVID-19 has put us in uncharted territory when it comes to urban transportation planning. The last global pandemic on record came immediately following the First World War, when few cities had a legitimate mass transit system.

 

Government orders to stay at home, social distancing recommendations, and an unfortunate rise in unemployment have meant that transit ridership has plummeted across the globe. On April 13, GO Transit, which operates commuter lines in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, has said their ridership is down by 90% since the start of the pandemic.

 

While the coronavirus pandemic itself is projected to fade over time, this crisis we’re in will likely have long-lasting effects on transit planning. Predicting the future might require a crystal ball, but here are four questions transit agencies should be asking themselves right now to start thinking about and preparing for the future.

 

Do we need to adjust our funding and revenue models?

  SNIP

With people getting used to working from home, how will ridership trends evolve?

  SNIP

Can we maintain transit service to ensure equity in our communities?

  SNIP

Will the transit agency of today become the mobility agency of tomorrow?

 

More here.

[CNJRoss]

Metro Magazine 'Transit Dispatches' blog 5/20/20
 

How transit payments will evolve post-Covid-19

 

 

Long after the initial threat of the pandemic has faded, COVID-19 will continue to be a catalyst for change. The way we live and work has been turned upside down; through this experience, many of us have learned what we value and how we might like society to move forward.

 

SNIP

 

The major gain offered by contactless payments is that customers can instantly complete transactions with the tap of a card or digital wallet on a smartphone without the need to physically touch a payment terminal.

TfL

 

 

In the payments world, cash usage has plummeted, driven by public concern about handling banknotes combined with the closures of cafes, pubs, restaurants, and shops, resulting in far less opportunities to spend. ATM withdrawals in the UK in April 2020 were down 60% compared to the previous year, with over half (54%) of people saying they are avoiding using cash and three quarters (76%) saying that the coronavirus will affect their use of cash over the next six months.

 

Increasingly, in public-facing businesses, there has been a migration towards "clean" contactless payments. More than 40 markets have raised their contactless payment thresholds to allow higher value purchases, helping consumers to avoid contact with frequently touched PIN-pads.

 

More here.