Amtrak
Amtrak on Dec. 4 announced that renovations at the G.K. Butterfield Station in Wilson, N.C., are now complete.
Amtrak completed the $4 million project in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and in cooperation with the City of Wilson, North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), and CSX to improve the station. The project is part of the ongoing and companywide commitment at Amtrak to “ensure a safe, efficient, and comfortable travel experience for customers,” according to the company.
The Amtrak Carolinian and Palmetto provide daily service to the station at 401 East Nash St. The Carolinian operates between Charlotte and New York and is sponsored by NCDOT and operated by Amtrak and paid for through state funding and passenger fares. The Palmetto travels between New York and Savannah, Ga. The Wilson station also offers Thruway Bus connection for travel to eastern North Carolina.
“Providing an accessible travel experience is a top priority and we’re actively advancing construction, renovation, repair, and upgrade projects at stations across our national network,” said Amtrak Vice President of Accessibility Dr. David Handera. “We are pleased we delivered these improvements to the station and for our customers and community.”
The Wilson station gives customers access to a 435-foot-long concrete platform featuring additional lighting, guardrails and signage. The platform provides a sturdy, uniform surface for customers to board on and off the train and includes a detectable warning system along the edge of the platform. The system is a hazard warning to alert customers who are blind or have low vision if they are close to the platform edge.
Customers will find accessible paths of travel to and from the station, parking spaces, the Thruway bus section, and the intersection of Nash and Lodge streets.
“We’re proud to work in partnership with the City of Wilson, Amtrak, CSX and the FRA to make these significant improvements to the G.K. Butterfield Station,” said NCDOT Rail Division Director Jason Orthner. “Ensuring all riders have access to safe and convenient train travel guarantees future growth and success of passenger rail in North Carolina and beyond.”
Amtrak has invested more than $900 million since 2011 in accessibility upgrades and improvement projects at 127 stations across the national network. With 10 stations brought into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in Fiscal Year 2024, another 41 stations are targeted for completion in Fiscal Year 2025 at a forecasted investment of $235 million, according to the company.
The ADA Stations Program is advancing 144 station designs and 63 station construction projects as part of Amtrak’s “ongoing commitment to providing accessibility by working toward 100% completion by 2029.”
TTC
Beginning Dec. 4, some teams of Fare Inspectors will patrol TTC’s system and issue tickets in plain clothes as part of the agency’s ongoing work to curb fare evasion.
This approach was previously tested in 2018 and re-introduced three weeks ago with plain-clothes inspectors educating those found to be riding illegally. Having inspectors patrol in plain clothes is another step in the TTC’s enhanced efforts to protect some of the $140 million lost to fare evasion yearly, according to the agency.
Tickets for fare evasion range from $235 to $425 depending on the nature of the evasion. That money goes to the courts, not directly to the TTC.
All plain clothes inspectors will carry ID and be equipped with body-worn cameras to record customer interactions. Inspectors will continue to use discretion, whether in uniform or plain clothes, to ensure tickets are predominantly issued in cases of willful evasion, TTC noted.
This is the second new fare evasion initiative implemented this fall. In September, the TTC began eliminating the “no-tap” fare gates at subway stations to capture lost fares. Collectors were redeployed to assist those customers who require help with gates.
“While the TTC receives considerable operating funds from the City, we rely heavily on the fare box to support our operations. When people don’t pay, that impacts our ability to increase service and keep fare prices low,” said TTC CEO Greg Percy. “We prefer all customers pay for their rides rather than issue tickets. At the same time, we have to let people know we’re serious.”
TriMet
TriMet announced Dec. 4 that riders have a new to connect with the agency’s customer staff to help get where they need to go.
Customers can visit the agency’s website at trimet.org/chat and click the “Chat with Customer Service” button or click the blue button in the lower right corner of support.trimet.org to open a chat window. Customers can also select “Customer Service” from the menu on trimet.org for chat and more options.
Riders can chat with TriMet’s customer service team members between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. every day of the week. Representatives will answer questions, provide assistance and work to make the TriMet experience as smooth as possible, the agency noted.
