Transit Briefs: DC Streetcar, NJT, MDOT MTA, TransLink, MATA
DC Streetcar
Jacobs on Aug. 20 reported receiving a two-year extension to its program management consultant contract for the District Department of Transportation’s DC Streetcar. The 2.4-mile DC Streetcar, which launched its first phase in 2015 and second phase in 2016, runs free, daily trips along the H Street NE Corridor and Benning Road from Union Station to Oklahoma Avenue. Ridership is said to reach upwards of 3,500 passengers per day.
Jacobs supports the District Department of Transportation’s program implementation, which includes technical assistance; general engineering support; and stakeholder engagement with utilities, residences, and businesses. The firm’s contract extension expands its scope of work to include oversight and management of operations and maintenance activities, on-site engineering services, safety and security planning, and external communications.
“Reviving the streetcar in Washington, D.C., is not only a nod to the city’s historic roots when streetcars were a vital transport option, but also a promise to its bright future,” Jacobs Senior Vice President Chrissy Thom said. “Working as the District Department of Transportation’s Program Management Consultant for over five years, we’ve enhanced mobility and connectivity, providing more opportunities for employment and attracting new business along the corridor. Our experience on similar global programs provides the District Department of Transportation with a trusted advisor to keep the DC Streetcar moving into its next chapter.”
The DC Streetcar’s history dates back to the 1880s, when the city had a network of more than 200 miles of track and 16 route lines; service ended in 1962.
NJT
Forbes for the fourth consecutive year has included NJT on its America’s Best-in-State Employers list. NJT, which provides more than 925,000 weekday trips on 263 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines, and through Access Link paratransit service, ranks No. 23 on the 2024 list of the top 90 companies in New Jersey. For the second straight year, the agency ranked No. 1 in the Transportation and Logistics category for New Jersey; on the 2024 list, it was followed by Fedex and United Airlines, the only other companies in the category.
Forbes 6th annual America’s Best-in-State Employers list was created by partnering with market research firm Statista to anonymously survey more than 160,000 full- and part-time workers at companies across the United States with more than 500 employees.
The survey, according to Forbes, measures leading companies “to identify those best-liked by employees.”
The consideration of survey data from the past three years allowed agencies that consistently perform well to distinguish themselves from organizations that may have only had one good year, according to NJT. An employer’s final score is determined on a state-by-state basis and is built upon two types of employee evaluations: personal evaluations (employees’ willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family) and public evaluations (recommendations from friends and family members of employees, or members of the public who work in the same industry).
NJT has been ranked on the Forbes list five times in the past seven years. Additionally, the agency in 2023 earned an American Public Transportation Association award for Outstanding Public Transportation System.
“Being named a top employer in New Jersey for the fourth consecutive year is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our entire NJT team,” NJT President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett said. “We are proud to be an employer of choice in New Jersey, and remain committed to maintaining a supportive and inclusive work environment that empowers our employees to deliver the highest standard of service to our customers.”
Separately, NJT announced that it will offer a “transit fare holiday” from Aug. 26 through Sept. 2, 2024. Also, train operators and maintenance workers on the agency’s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail have ratified a new contract.
MDOT MTA
All Maryland public transportation riders using the Transit app now have free access to added “premium” features, according to MDOT MTA, which operates local and commuter buses, Light Rail, Metro Subway, MARC Train commuter rail service, and Mobility paratransit service. The Transit app is a third-party mobile phone app that uses real-time GPS tracking to let riders know the exact location of their vehicle and when it will arrive. With the addition of Transit Royale, a premium service available within the app, riders will have access to upcoming departures (even days and weeks into the future), route maps, and vehicle tracking for all transit lines, not just the ones that riders are in close proximity to; more departure times, with full schedules for any line; the Transit app’s GO feature, which guides users throughout their trips, with the ability to customize emojis and nicknames; custom themes to personalize the app icon and color scheme; and more icons to choose from to mark favorite places.
MDOT MTA’s partnership with the Transit app also allows riders to switch the app icon and theme to match the agency’s colors for a locally branded mobile app experience, free of advertisements, according to the agency.
In addition to the upgrades Transit Royale offers, MDOT MTA is improving station navigation for Metro Subway users with the newly launched in-app wayfinding system, which includes step-by-step directions to elevators, escalators, and platforms. The agency is also installing a second antenna on each bus to increase GPS redundancy and provide more frequent reporting intervals, and piloting QR code decal signs at select downtown Baltimore Local Bus stops, which allows riders to scan and access live online bus arrival times without accessing an app.
“We’re always looking for new ways to enhance the rider experience and make using our system even easier,” Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold said. “By providing free access to Transit Royale, we are ensuring our riders have access to the best tools and features available. This is just one example of our commitment to innovation and excellence in public transit.”
Separately, MDOT MTA and Virginia Railway Express recently celebrated a new collaborative agreement: riders with a weekly, monthly, or 10-trip ticket purchased on the MARC or VRE system to Union Station can use that ticket to transfer to the other system (MARC to VRE or VRE to MARC) to continue their trip at no additional cost. Also, Amtrak on July 18 unveiled new renderings for the future West Baltimore MARC Station that will be built as part of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program.
TransLink
TransLink on Aug. 20 reported boosting fare enforcement patrols throughout the transit system to reduce fare evasion, educate riders about fare payments, and improve safety.
Riders will see an increased police and security presence, with more patrols at transit hubs, including on board vehicles, as well as officers asking for and scanning proof of payment for verification. They will also learn how to pay, which fare products to use, and how to access free or discounted passes for those who qualify.
Heightened patrolling has already begun, according to the metro Vancouver-based agency that provides SkyTrain automated rapid transit, West Coast Express commuter rail, SeaBus ferry, and bus services. For example, Transit Security conducted record-level fare enforcement checks in July following the addition of eight new officers, and more than 100,000 riders were checked by Transit Security last month, up 60% compared with last year.
The patrols will continue to ramp up in the coming months, TransLink reported. They will be spread throughout metro Vancouver, with enforcement locations changing regularly.
“The high-profile blitz is designed to deter people from using the transit system without paying or paying the appropriate fare amount,” the agency said. “Those who still choose to evade or use improper fare products may be issued an infraction ticket of [C]$173.”
These efforts, it said, aim to reduce fare evasion by C$5 million per year, and are part of the C$90 million in cost-efficiency measures announced in June to reduce TransLink’s funding gap.
“Transit fares are an integral part of how we pay for transit services in metro Vancouver, and the vast majority of people using our system pay their fair share,” TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn said. “It’s unfair that some customers who are able to pay, are choosing not to and this undermines our finances and our ability to operate the transit system.”
Separately, TransLink’s first real estate development was recently greenlighted and Alstom in May reported landing an approximately C$123 million contract for an additional six five-car Mark V trainsets for SkyTrain.
MATA
MATA on Aug. 18 reported that its leaders have decided to halt all trolley service until further notice due to “costly” trolley braking system updates recommended by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Downtown riders can instead use Groove on Demand, which the Downtown Memphis Commission operates.
Previously, the three-line trolley system (see map below) offered service on the Main Street line from 6:45 a.m.-12:00 a.m. Monday-Friday, from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. Saturday, and from 10 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Sunday (operating every 12 minutes); the Riverfront Line from 10:20 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Sunday (operating every 40 minutes); and the Madison Line from 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 8:15 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday (operating every 30 minutes). The cost to ride was $1 each way.
In addition to pausing trolley services, MATA said it is also streamlining its staffing and vendor costs. Leaders “have reviewed every line item and expenditure as they prepare to submit the final budget for approval,” according to the agency. “Every affected employee will be notified in the coming weeks and receive support securing alternate employment. In addition, vendor contracts have been discontinued and/or dramatically scaled back.”
“We are not alone,” MATA interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin said during the announcement. “Transit agencies nationwide are facing difficult times that call for difficult decisions. We must act accordingly to ensure MATA’s financial stability as we seek future solutions to rebuild our city’s transit system.”
