Transit Briefs: LACMTA, MBTA, TriMet, CCJPA/Amtrak, City of Edmonton

LACMTA

LACMTA’s $9.0 billion budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) is now posted on its budget portal for public review and comment. This “balanced budget” was developed with input from riders and approved by the Board of Directors this past May; it emphasizes LACMTA’s “commitment to improving public safety and the customer experience,” according to the transit agency, which operates Metro Rail, Metro Bus, Metro Busways and Metro Micro services; manages bikeways; funds the development of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes with Caltrans; and runs the Freeway Service Patrol program (see rail and bus system map below).

The FY2025 budget is 3.6% lower than the FY2024 budget. LACMTA said this is mainly due to the conclusion of two major capital projects: the initial operating segment of the K Line in south Los Angeles and the Regional Connector in downtown Los Angeles.

“While these projects allowed us to reduce capital allocated to construction, the operation of these new parts of our rail system necessitated an increase in funding to operations, to ensure their successful performance,” LACMTA CEO Stephanie N. Wiggins wrote in the Budget Book’s introduction. “In FY25, we will complete another major project, the Airport Metro Connector, which is expected to open in the fall of 2024. The Airport Metro Connector project enables a new operating plan for the C and K Lines that will allow us to boost frequency to eight minutes in the peak periods and 10 minutes off-peak, matching service frequencies on the A & E Lines that have been in effect since December 2023.

“In addition to the Airport Metro Connector, other major Metro projects will move closer to completion. The FY25 Adopted budget allocates resources for testing and pre-revenue service on the D Line Subway Extension Phase 1 and the Foothill A Line Extension to Pomona. We will also open Segment A of the Rail-to-Rail Active Transportation Project in FY25, providing better active transportation connections between the K Line, the J Line, and the A Line in South LA. These projects will enhance the experience of customers, both while on the system and while getting to our system.”

Following are highlights from the FY2025 Adopted Budget (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025):

• Public Safety: LACMTA said it is focusing on “balancing enforcement and care-based strategies” to improve the safety of its employees and transit system riders. The FY25 budget funds an additional 53 Transit Security Officers, as well as partnerships with multi-disciplinary teams and the Department of Health Services to address larger societal issues such as mental health.  
• Cleanliness: The FY25 budget covers a 14.4% increase in cleaning activities, amounting to $32.2 million. “This substantial investment includes 165 additional custodians to clean and maintain bus and rail vehicles, stations, stops, and facilities,” LACMTA said. “The budget also includes a comprehensive plan for cleaning over 100 stations and six rail lines on a daily basis along with pressure washing station hotspots two to three times weekly. End-of-Line cleaning has surged from five to seven days a week.”
• Construction Projects: The agency this year will complete the LAX/Metro Transit Center project on the C and K Lines, which aims to facilitate transfers to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and will offer a direct connection to the future LAX Automated People Mover system. The FY25 budget includes $143.5 million to fund the project’s construction and system integration activities. Other projects funded in this budget include the A Line Extension to Pomona and Section 1 of the D (Purple) Line Extension.  
• Station Experience: The Station Experience program is an initiative to improve public safety, cleanliness, service, and the customer experience, according to LACMTA, which said it covers new lighting, ventilation, fare gates, cameras, elevators, escalators, Intelligent Cleaning Equipment, and safe and clean restrooms. The FY25 budget includes $9.9 million to expand the program to additional stations: Pershing Square, Compton, Firestone, Harbor Freeway, Norwalk, Pico, and Lake.

Since LACMTA is the transportation planning and funding agency for all Los Angeles County, the budget also covers various resources and expenditures, including funds it distributes to both the county and individual cities for their local projects, such as sidewalk upgrades and municipal buses. LACMTA also funds Metrolink’s regional rail program and various multimodal and congestion management projects taking place on area highways, such as Metro ExpressLanes and Freeway Service Patrol.   

“Just like last year, all these investments focus on one thing: putting people first,” summed up Stephanie Wiggins in her Budget Book introduction. “The FY25 Budget listens to our customers and makes investments in the areas they want us to address the most. As we look forward to hosting the FIFA World Cup and the NBA All-Star Game in 2026, the Super Bowl in 2027, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028, each of these investments will help us deliver a world-class transit system for the residents of and visitors to LA County that will help us be ready for those events as well as making legacy improvements that will benefit Angelenos long after all those activities are over.”

Separately, Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners (STCP) is advancing its rail proposal to ease congestion on the I-405 (Sepulveda) corridor between Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley and Westside with the recent selection of Stadler and Siemens Mobility to provide railcars and signaling technology, respectively. STCP in February 2023 selected RATP Dev to develop the operations and maintenance component of its proposal. LACMTA is working with private-sector design teams STCP (including Bechtel Development Company, Meridiam Sepulveda and American Triple I/ATI, Bechtel Infrastructure, Mott Macdonald, T.Y. Lin, and Systra) and LA SkyRail Express (including John Laing, BYD, Skanska, ACI, HDR, Gensler and Innova) under a “first-of-its-kind” pre-development agreement (PDA) to plan alternatives for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project.

MBTA

MBTA wrapped up critical track work on the Red Line during a Aug. 18-25 service suspension between the JFK/UMass and Kendall/MIT stations. As a result, it has lifted six speed restrictions. (Scroll down to download Red Line map.)

While the agency had anticipated resuming service on Aug. 26, it said the suspension was extended one day “to allow crews additional time to complete the promised work following an incident involving track maintenance vehicles along the Longfellow Bridge.”

The work, part of MBTA’s Track Improvement Program, included replacing more than 9,750 feet of rail, more than 1,720 feet of restraining rail, more than 470 ties, and 190 third-rail insulators; completing 260 feet of full-depth track reconstruction, including the replacement of rail, ties, and ballast; installing more than 8,100 feet of cable hangers along the northbound and southbound Red Line tunnels between Broadway and Downtown Crossing; and removing and reinstalling 24 WEZE bonds and approximately 2,000 feet of signal cable.

The following safety-related speed restrictions are no longer in effect: 

According to MBTA, crews also made repairs to drainage grates, stairways, and columns at Broadway; inspected and made repairs to station stairways; cleaned and replaced signage and maps throughout the suspension area; cleared drainage areas at Downtown Crossing; inspected pump rooms and the installation of pump improvements between Downtown Crossing and South Station; made ceiling and tile repairs; inspected nearly 300 overhead areas on stairs, escalators, and the Red Line level of Park Street; made security camera upgrades throughout the suspension area; performed ceiling repairs and fireproofing work at Downtown Crossing; performed an assessment of locations and conditions of doors adjacent to the right of way; conducted power and signal modernization work; and performed in-station painting, cleaning, and power washing throughout the suspension area.

“The infrastructure work accomplished on the Red Line between Kendall/MIT and JFK/UMass stations is another major step towards improving the reliability of the system and travel times for our riders,” MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said. “We know service suspensions are challenging for the public, but the amount of work that needed to be done required this level of access to ensure that we safely and properly performed the necessary work in the most productive manner. This short-term closure now allows us to safely deliver more reliable, more frequent train service longer term, giving people back time in their day.”  

MBTA earlier this month completed Green Line B Branch track work. In other news, the agency on Aug. 14 exercised an option under a 2019 contract with Hyundai Rotem for an additional 41 bilevels for Commuter Rail service. Also, Railway Age has published Contributing Editor David Peter Alan’s tenth report on transit’s fiscal cliff: ‘T’ Stands for ‘Trouble.’

TriMet

TriMet on Aug. 28 officially launched the 7.8-mile, 10-station Max Red Line extension, wrapping up its three-year, $218 million A Better Red project to increase the light rail system’s reliability, to serve the growing job center of Washington County, and to provide more people with a one-seat ride to and from Portland International Airport/PDX (see video above).

Completed on time and on budget, the project’s construction was led by Stacy Witbeck, with the design completed by Parametrix. The project was funded through TriMet ($104 million); Federal Transit Administration/FTA ($99.9 million); Regional Flexible Funds administered by Oregon Metro ($8.9 million); and the Port of Portland ($2.2 million).     

TriMet’s A Better Red project doubled MAX light rail service between Beaverton Transit Center, the previous western end of the MAX Red Line, and the new Hillsboro Airport/ Fairgrounds Station, which now serves as the western end of the line (see map below).

“The project’s reliability improvements were made on the east side of the line, between Portland International Airport and Gateway Transit Center, and went into operation in March,” TriMet said. “They included installing a second set of tracks in two sections—near PDX and Gateway Transit Center. … This improved train movement and keeps trains running on time throughout the MAX Red Line, as well as on the other lines in our interconnected light rail system.”

The reliability improvements led to TriMet’s first new MAX station in nine years, Gateway North, to serve trains coming from PDX toward downtown Portland and Washington County. Crews constructed two new bridges and pathways to carry the new sections of track and improve connections for pedestrians, cyclists, and people using mobility devices. This includes two new multi-use paths: one connecting 82nd Avenue to PDX and another providing new access to Gateway Green Park. The work required three short closures of all or part of I-84 in the Gateway area.

The project supported 1,051 jobs and paid out more than $18.9 million in salaries and wages to date, according to TriMet, which noted that 62 of the 139 subcontracting firms were certified disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) and approximately 21% of the total trade labor hours were dedicated to on-the-job training for apprentices.

FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool and local partners joined TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. at the Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds MAX Station to celebrate the project.

“I take great pride and am honored to host the celebration today—marking this exciting milestone for TriMet and the entire region,” Sam Desue Jr. said. “This project would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of so many individuals and organizations. A Better Red isn’t just about extending the line—it’s about making our entire MAX system better. It’s a testament to what we can achieve when we all come together, and together, we are building a brighter, more connected future for the people of this region.”

“Congratulations to the people of Portland and the TriMet team for completing the ambitious A Better Red project, which will improve service and result in smoother, faster travel, allowing people throughout the Portland region to leave their cars behind,” Veronica Vanterpool said. “We appreciate that this project—like all transit projects—has supported so many jobs in the area and will continue to do so. In fact, 44% of the subcontracting firms are certified disadvantaged business enterprises in Oregon, demonstrating our shared commitment to equity and ensuring everyone has a chance to benefit from federal transit investment.”

“TriMet’s partnership in the Portland region helps us deliver on our mission to provide a safe and reliable multimodal transportation system for Oregon,” said Suzanne Carlson, Oregon Department of Transportation’s Public Transportation Division Administrator. “We are excited to see A Better Red expand transportation options for the community.”

CCJPA  / Amtrak

CCJPA, California Operation Lifesaver, Union Pacific (UP), Amtrak, and other rail partners, including law enforcement, kicked off September Rail Safety Month with a safety train event in Oakland on Aug. 28. The aim is to raise awareness and promote rail safety in and around railroad tracks and crossings. 

The California State Legislature in 2009 proclaimed and presented the September Rail Safety Month proclamation to California Operation Lifesaver and its rail partners.

Throughout next month, the partners will continue to engage in a range of activities to promote safety, including public awareness campaigns, educational workshops, and safety demonstrations. Warnings and citations will also continue to be issued to motorists and pedestrians who fail to adhere to traffic signs and signals at railroad crossings. 

“The safety of our passengers is our number one priority,” said CCJPA Managing Director Rob Padgette. “Capitol Corridor is working closely with cities and counties along our entire route to prevent incidents at railroad crossings, especially those between Oakland and Hayward.”  

“No one can do it alone,” said Nancy Sheehan-McCulloch, Executive Director of California Operation Lifesaver. “You can help save lives and stop track tragedies. Share rail safety tips with your loved ones. It takes all of us working together to impact change. Every month is Rail Safety Month.” 

“Union Pacific cares about the communities we serve,” said Peggy Ygbuhay, Senior Director, Public Affairs at UP. “Rail Safety Month is a great time to reset habits—never try to beat a train and use designated crossings when walking over the tracks. We want everyone to go home safely and won’t be satisfied until we reach our ultimate goal of zero incidents or injuries.”

“We have come together across the industry to raise awareness and educate the public on how to keep themselves, friends, and families safe near railroad tracks and crossings,” Amtrak Police Department Inspector Doug Calcagno said. “Rail Safety is a team effort. As we continue to grow, the best resource to address track incidents is to come together as one.”

Separately, Operation Lifesaver’s (OLI) Rail Safety Week in the U.S. has been renamed and rebranded as: See Tracks? Think Train!® Week or ST3Week for short. It will be observed this year on Sept 23-29. First held in the U.S. in 2017, this collaborative effort among OLI, state OLI programs, and rail safety education partners across the U.S., Canada and Mexico has been rebranded “to better represent what the weeklong observance is all about”: educating the public and preventing railroad crossing and trespass incidents across North America; and concentrating public attention on the need for rail safety education, according to OLI.

City of Edmonton

The City of Edmonton, in collaboration with Edmonton Police Service (EPS) and the EPS Transit Community Safety (TRACS) Teams, has introduced the “Here to Help” campaign. Part of the City’s Enhanced Transit Safety Plan, it is aimed at “ensuring a safe, welcoming, and supportive transit experience for riders, including the anticipated 22,000 students returning to transit.”

Over the first few weeks of the school year, additional Transit Peace Officers will be stationed at key light rail stations and transit centers across the city. During peak hours (7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.), these officers will be patrolling and assisting students and other transit riders, as needed.

The campaign will also see the continued deployment of the Community Outreach Transit Team (COTT), a partnership between Transit Peace Officers and outreach workers from Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, who provide additional support to individuals in need. This includes assistance with housing, mental health, substance use support, and financial concerns. This fall and winter, EPS will have more security personnel and safety measures across the public transit network than in previous years, according to the City, since ridership has exceeded 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels. 

“It’s important to ensure new and returning students have the knowledge and tools they need to navigate transit with confidence and ease,” said Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, Branch Manager for Edmonton Transit Service. “We are pleased to support youth riders through enhanced outreach activities in helping them establish transit as a lifelong preferred travel mode.”

According to the City, additional security measures for riders include nearly 4,000 security cameras across the system and blue emergency phones on all LRT platforms and at transit centers, as well as red alarm buttons, red pull handles, and yellow alarm strips on all LRT trains. These tools connect riders directly with the LRT operator who can assist and connect with additional resources, as needed. 

“As students head back to school, we are committed to working with our partners at the City of Edmonton to ensure students and transit users have a safe commute,” said Jared Hrycun, an inspector in EPS’s Crime Suppression Branch. “As always, TRACS teams will be stationed and patrolling at key transit hubs throughout the city with Transit Peace Officers to provide riders with resources, assistance and support.” 

Separately, the City in April reported selecting the Capital Line Design-Builders team of Ledcor and AECOM as its preferred bidder to design and build Phase 1 of the Capital Line South LRT Extension, and in November 2023 opened its long-awaited 8.1-mile Valley Line Southeast LRT.