CATS
Charlotte, N.C., leadership on Oct. 3 announced new security measures designed to enhance safety throughout CATS, focusing on increased accessibility for the agency’s contracted security officers by using new security tools.
Through expanded staff safety training, Professional Security Services (PSS) officers will utilize bike and utility terrain vehicle (UTV) patrols along the Blue Line.
“Safety is the foundation of everything we do as a city,” Mayor Vi Lyles said. “By working together across departments and with our community, we are committed to implementing these new measures to ensure Charlotte remains a safe and thriving place for all.”
This, the agency says, “is a significant step to bolster security as CATS continues to increase security in high-traffic areas and on transit vehicles. PSS officers will continue to coordinate with CMPD and other city departments to ensure the safety of all passengers and employees.”
“The addition of bike and UTV patrols is a critical step in our mission to increase safety and reliability in our transit system,” said CATS Interim CEO Brent Cagle. “We believe these patrols will not only increase visibility but also foster a greater sense of security for our riders.”
The use of UTVs and bike patrols, CATS says, “expands coverage, enhances fare evasion checks, improves response times in emergencies and increases visible security presence systemwide.” Over the last month, PSS officers completed specialized training in preparation for the rollout.
Transit customers can continue to support safety efforts through the “See Something, Say Something” initiative. Security officers are available at any time. Riders can also use the blue light emergency call buttons along the Blue Line.
The CATS-Pass app provides a direct connection to the safety and security team. To do so, tap the “Report a Problem to CATS” button on the main screen.
More information is available here.
Skyline
Skyline stations may start lending library books via vending machines “in an attempt to both boost the appeal of the Honolulu rail system and make library books more accessible as limiting staffing shortens branch hours,” according to a Honolulu Civil Beat report.
The idea, according to the report, “stems from the Hawaiʻi State Library System, which started thinking during the Covid-19 pandemic about how to cater to book-hungry patrons during branch closures and staffing shortages that still persist.”
Meanwhile, Honolulu Civil Beat reports, “the city’s transportation department sees it as another opportunity to beef up the rail system by making stations more like community hubs with lively activities.”
Plans for an 18-month pilot project to test the idea received a “thumbs-up” last week from the City Council but are “still in the early stages,” according to the report. For starters, the library needs to sign an agreement with the city’s Department of Transportation Services for use of space.
Mallory Fujitani, Special Assistant to the State Librarian, said other next steps “include beginning the procurement process to purchase the machines, each of which she said costs about $50,000, and figuring which books to stock and how they’ll be distributed,” according to the report.
The resolution passed by the City Council during its monthly meeting last week, which was introduced by council members Augie Tulba and Radiant Cordero, “calls for an 18-month pilot program to install library vending machines at two Skyline stations,” according to the report.
NJ Transit
On Sunday, Oct.12, the public is invited to Historic Hoboken Terminal to join NJ Transit in celebrating New Jersey’s rich railroad history with some of the agency’s iconic heritage locomotives and railroad equipment—all while learning about career opportunities available on the railroad. “Meet Our Rail Fleet” will be held on Sunday, Oct.12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. near Track 17 in Hoboken Terminal. Admission is free.
Presented in conjunction with the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey, the Tri-State Railway Historical Society, and the Morristown & Erie Railway, this event, NJ Transit says, “will be a must-see for history buffs, train enthusiasts, and families alike.” Attendees will have the opportunity to view and photograph a selection of NJ Transit rail equipment, some of which is decked out in liveries paying tribute to its historical predecessor railroads. Exclusive merchandise including shirts, posters and calendars will be on sale at the event. A recruiting table will also be available to those interested in joining NJ Transit.
NJ Transit will also publicly unveil its newest heritage locomotive, GP40PH-2B No. 4202, which sports a livery honoring the former Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL). This latest addition to the agency’s Heritage Fleet was built by the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors for the New York Central Railroad (NYC) in 1965 and now wears an adapted version of the 1960’s-era PRSL Dark Green Locomotive Enamel (DGLE) scheme designed and applied by Rail Operations employees.
PRSL was one of NJ Transit’s corporate predecessors operating in southern New Jersey and was formed in 1933 as a joint subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad and Reading Company to manage their southern New Jersey lines. PRSL operated both passenger and freight service to numerous points including Camden, Atlantic City, Cape May, Vineland, and Millville, with a special emphasis on serving vacation travelers to the South Jersey oceanside towns.
With improvements to other modes of travel creating more choices for vacationers, PRSL’s passenger revenue fell precipitously. The opening of the Atlantic City Expressway further ate into the railroad’s passenger market, and service was gradually reduced. Both of PRSL’s parent railroads had declared bankruptcy by 1971, resulting in the railroad’s incorporation into Conrail in 1976. After passenger service was discontinued in 1983, NJ Transit and Amtrak restored service to Atlantic City in 1989, thereby reviving the PRSL’s proud legacy of passenger rail in southern New Jersey.
Attendees of “Meet Our Rail Fleet” are encouraged to use NJ Transit commuter rail services when traveling to Hoboken and can arrive directly via trains operating on the Bergen County, Main, and Pascack Valley lines. The public can also take other NJ Transit rail lines to Secaucus Junction and transfer to Hoboken Terminal.
LA Metro
LA Metro on Oct. 6 announced the release of the Special Event Transportation – Guidance and Opportunities (SetGo) Playbook, a comprehensive resource of best practices for transit agencies to deliver transportation for major sports, entertainment, and cultural events.
The Playbook (download below) was developed through Metro’s SetGo Program, a national workshop series conducted with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). It draws on lessons from international and domestic events, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Atlanta 1996, Salt Lake 2002, London 2012), the Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix, major concert tours, conventions and more.
Beyond its primary emphasis on major sporting events, the Playbook also draws on lessons from a wider spectrum of special events, recognizing that many of the same principles of planning, delivery and after-action evaluation apply across these event types and sizes.
“These major events give us an opportunity to showcase what our agencies can do when tested to our limits,” said LA Metro CEO and APTA Mega Events Task Force Co-Chair Stephanie Wiggins. “The SetGo Playbook isn’t just about the 2028 Games or the 2026 World Cup, it’s about ensuring every event we serve, whether global, regional or local, strengthens our ability to deliver universal mobility and excellent service for attendees and everyday riders by advancing the latest approaches in wayfinding, safety and security, crowd management, and even ‘surprise and delight.’”
The Playbook identifies transit service strategies for upcoming international-scale events in the U.S., including the FIFA World Cup 2026™, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Utah 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Designed as a living document, LA Metro says it will evolve as agencies continue to test and refine approaches through future events. “It also will serve as a guide for elected officials and host committees to help them understand the critical transportation practices that will need to be deployed to make their event world class,” the agency noted.
The Playbook organizes best practices across five subject areas:
- Purpose & Need – mission alignment, advocacy and coordination inside and outside the agency.
- Service Plan – demand forecasting, supplemental service, first/last mile strategies, and speed and reliability.
- Safety & Emergency Management – crowd management, security and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) planning.
- Customer Experience – accessibility, signage and wayfinding, integrated ticketing, ambassadors and “surprise and delight” activations.
- Agency-Wide Success Strategies – budgeting, workforce readiness, training, technology, contingency planning and after-action processes.
For each of these focus areas, the Playbook provides guiding questions that agencies can use to “evaluate readiness during planning, adjust strategies in real time during delivery and capture lessons learned in after-action reviews.”
This approach, LA Metro says, “not only helps agencies implement best practices and align service with mission and long-term goals, but also promotes consistency across the country, ensuring riders experience the same reliable, high-quality service no matter where they travel.”
Development of the Playbook was supported by WSP, whose major event expertise, LA Metro says, “helped capture lessons from global case studies and ensure the Playbook reflects both international best practices and the unique needs of U.S. transit agencies.”
