Feds to fund first phase of LA Metro’s Valley proj
The FTA has chosen LA Metro’s East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Phase 1 light-rail project to enter its new Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) Pilot Program. A Letter of Intent, issued to LA Metro outlines several conditions that must be met in the next two years to allow the project to be considered for full funding. The first phase of the 6.7 mi at-grade light-rail project would connect L.A. Metro’s Van Nuys/MOL station to Van Nuys/San Fernando. The project includes 11 stations, nine traction power substations, overhead contact system, 34 vehicles and a maintenance and storage facility. [masstransitmag.com]
Agencies drop mask policies after mandate ends
Transit agencies across the country are revising mask policies after a federal judge in Florida struck down the CDC’s federal mask mandate for public transportation. Agencies in many of the nation’s largest transportation hubs — including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. — have stopped enforcing a mask mandate until further notice. The TSA has also stopped enforcing security directives related to mask-wearing. Only New York City’s MTA plans to continue requiring riders to wear masks [progressiverailroading.com]
Austin light rail project cost estimate rises by 77%
Due to inflation, property value increases, and the decision to tunnel under Lady Bird Lake, the cost of Austin’s Project Connect rail expansion has grown substantially. The estimated cost for construction of the light rail’s phase has risen 77%, eclipsing $10.3 billion in total. In 2020, Austin voters approved a 20% increase in property taxes to partially fund a public transit rail plan. That plan called for a $7.1 billion investment, $5.4 billion of which would be paid for by the tax increase. But now, before the project has even broken ground, estimated costs have increased. [thetexan.news]
FRA nixes garage from DC Union Station plan
Responding to citizen and District of Columbia criticism that its plan for redevelopment of Washington Union Station was too automobile-centric, the Federal Railroad Administration has revised its blueprint by eliminating a six-story, 1,575-space parking garage. DC officials opposed FRA’s initial plan, pointing to evidence that most users of Union Station don’t arrive by personal auto. Union Station Redevelopment Corp., which manages and operates the station, also opposed the garage. The FRA plan is part of a $10 billion private-public expansion that would add a new train hall and concourses, more tracks, and enlarged retail space. [trains.com]
