Transit Briefs: Bay Area Transit Agencies, MDOT, Tri-Rail/SFRTA, HART
Bay Area Transit Agencies
Bay Area transit’s latest “Big Sync” is improving transfers and saving riders up to 20 minutes per trip, according to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).
Bay Area transit agencies have been syncing schedules in a whole new way to make riding transit even faster. Transit agencies from across the region are updating their schedules at the same time in mid-August to significantly improve transfer reliability and timing. With these changes, transit riders who use more than one system will see a variety of improvements across the Bay Area this month, saving some riders as much as 20 minutes on their trips.
This is the third iteration of a coordinated Big Sync in the Bay Area. Agencies meet several months in advance of each schedule change to share planned changes and to look for opportunities to improve transfers.
After a thorough analysis of potential high-impact improvements benefiting the greatest number of riders, four specific locations where riders transfer from one system to another were prioritized for changes to maximize efficiency:
- Dublin/Pleasanton BART
- Daly City BART
- Palo Alto Caltrain
- Concord BART
These transfer hubs involved the coordination of BART, Muni, SamTrans, Caltrain, VTA, Dumbarton Express, Stanford Marguerite, Tri Delta Transit, County Connection, StanRTA, and LAVTA’s Wheels.
“The Big Sync was born from the idea that while we are separate agencies by name, we all work as one to serve the region,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers, who leads a Monday morning call with all operators with a focus on coordination and transformational improvements. “Bay Area transit agencies are maximizing our limited resources by working collaboratively to speed up travel times across the region and make it easier to ride the bus, train, or ferry.”
More information is available here.
MDOT
MDOT on Aug. 8 announced a major step forward in advancing TOD at the Bowie State MARC station in Prince George’s County by issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to deliver a community-centered transit project that “expands affordable housing, unlocks long-term economic development, improves connectivity, and enhances access to transit.”
Located immediately west of the Bowie State MARC station train tracks, the 4.6-acre state-owned site represents an opportunity to create a vibrant, mixed-use community centered on public transit, as well as the growing Bowie State University campus, the agency noted. Redevelopment of both state-owned and private land at Bowie State MARC station has the potential to support up to 670 construction jobs, yield more than 400 housing units, and generate $108 million in state and local tax revenue.
The selected development team will deliver an initial project focused on affordable housing on state-owned land and lead a comprehensive master planning process for the broader state-owned station area. The master planning process—supported by $1.5 million from the Transportation Trust Fund—will include evaluating and delivering long-term development opportunities; identifying funding and implementation strategies; and advancing key transit infrastructure improvements. Key infrastructure elements will include an extended MARC platform, a new pedestrian bridge connecting the site to the Bowie State University campus and improved bike and pedestrian circulation throughout the area.
The Bowie State MARC Station is located on the MARC Penn Line, one of the busiest commuter rail lines in the region and is adjacent to the Bowie State University campus—Maryland’s oldest Historically Black College and University. The site’s location and institutional partnerships “position it as a key opportunity to advance equitable transit-oriented development in Prince George’s County and the region,” according to MDOT.
The Bowie State MARC Station Joint Development project marks the next step in the 2024 MARC Penn Line TOD Strategy and is a priority initiative under MDOT’s Transit-Oriented Development Program, adding up to 42,000 annual MARC trips at full build-out.
“Transforming the Bowie State University MARC station into a bustling hub where people can live, work and learn starts with the search for the right development partner,” said MDOT Acting Secretary Samantha J. Biddle. “The development partner will work hand-in-hand with the Department and our partners to support realization of the transit-oriented development vision shared by the community, Prince George’s County, and Bowie State University.”
Proposals in response to the RFP (download below) are due Oct. 14.
SFRTA/Tri-Rail
SFRTA, in partnership with Broward County Transit (BCT), Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW), and Palm Tran, launched SoFloGO—a mobile app that streamlines transit planning and fare payment across South Florida’s major transportation systems. Powered by Moovit’s mobility solutions and Genfare’s fare payment technology, the app will simplify travel for residents and visitors alike, according to the agency.
SoFloGO brings together four major transit systems—Tri-Rail, BCT, Palm Tran, and DTPW’s Metrorail, Metrobus, and Metromover services—into one intuitive platform. The app offers multimodal trip planning, real-time arrival updates, live directions, mobile ticketing, and service alerts, creating a unified travel experience across county lines.
Features of the SoFloGO app include:
- Multimodal Trip Planning: Suggests optimized routes across buses and trains.
- Real-Time Information: Provides live tracking of buses and trains to minimize wait times.
- Mobile Ticketing: Enables seamless fare payment from each transit agency directly within the app.
- Live Directions and Alerts: Offers step-by-step guidance, including service alerts to avoid disruptions.
- Accessibility Features: Ensures inclusivity with screen readers, step-free route options, and ergonomic menus.
The development of SoFloGO was made possible through funding from the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, whose support, SFRTA says, “reflects the region’s vision of fare interoperability and enhanced connectivity.”
HART
Crews on Aug. 11 officially broke ground on the most complex phase yet of HART’s Skyline Rail project, according to a Hoodline report.
According to the report, the ceremony at the future Civic Center Station site in Kakaako “launched construction of what could be the final stretch to bring rail service into the heart of urban Honolulu—a goal that has faced years of delays, budget overruns, and skeptical residents watching costs balloon to nearly $10 billion.”
According to KHON2, Phase 3 of the $1.4 billion project will add six new stations and about three miles of elevated guideway from Middle Street to Civic Center. The “ambitious phase,” according to the report, will connect neighborhoods from Kalihi through Downtown, with HART officials confirming six stations at Kalihi, Honolulu Community College-Kapālama, Iwilei, Chinatown, Downtown, and Civic Center.
Construction Dive reported that Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini ultimately won the $1.66 billion contract from HART, which had “shelved the project four years ago amid budget shortfalls and initial bids that came in too high during the COVID-19 pandemic but ultimately secured the massive contract after resubmitting their proposal.”
HART officials, Hoodline reports, “are betting that lessons learned from earlier segments will prevent the costly delays that plagued previous phases.” As detailed by Construction Dive, HART decided in 2021 to shift a portion of the alignment to the “mauka,” or mountain, side of the corridor, referred to as the “Makua Shift” “to significantly reduce utility relocations while shortening the construction timeline.”
This strategic pivot, Hoodline reports, “comes after expensive utility relocation issues on Segment 2, where a Shimmick/Traylor/Granite joint venture sued HART for $99 million and eventually reached a $60 million settlement with the agency. Construction work is already under way in some areas, with HART noting that guideway construction is anticipated to begin in summer 2025, starting with shaft construction in Iwilei.”
According to the report, “the timeline calls for substantial completion in 2030, with transfer to the Department of Transportation Services by 2031. Meanwhile, Phase 2 continues to progress toward its anticipated opening, as HART confirmed trial operations began on July 26, for the segment connecting Pearl Harbor, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Lagoon Drive, and Middle Street, with an anticipated opening date of Oct. 15, 2025.”
The groundbreaking, Hoodline reports, “comes at a time when the existing Skyline system faces scrutiny over ridership numbers.” According to data from Wikipedia, in 2024 the line had an annual ridership of 1,151,000, or about 3,300 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2025, significantly below initial projections.
The project, Hoodline reportds, received a significant boost earlier this year when HART received $125 million in federal funding from the FTA—the first federal funding received since 2017, “providing crucial support for the downtown phase after years of financial uncertainty.” As noted by Wikipedia, its construction constitutes the largest public works project in Hawaii’s history.
However, two planned stations remain in limbo, according to the Hoodline report. Kūkuluaeʻo (Kakaako) and Kālia (Ala Moana Center) stations were included in the original plan for Skyline but had to be eliminated from the initial phases of construction “due to a severe funding shortfall.” Despite the indefinite deferral, HART says it “remains committed to completing these stations in the future.”
