Transit Briefs: LACMTA, Metrolinx, Metra, Sound Transit, CTDOT
LACMTA
Zephyr Rail on Aug. 14 reported being selected by the LACMTA Board for a $50 million Construction Management Support Services contract, the largest single contract in the firm’s history. This multi-year contract, it said, marks a milestone, “significantly expanding its role in delivering critical transportation infrastructure projects for one of the nation’s largest transit agencies.”
According to Zephyr Rail, it will provide comprehensive construction management services for LACMTA’s capital projects, ensuring that projects are “completed on time, within budget, and to the highest standards of safety and quality.”
“This award is not only a testament to our technical expertise, but also to the dedication and talent of our entire team,” said Jackie Patterson, CEO of Zephyr Rail, and proposed Project Manager. “We are honored by Metro’s [LACMTA’s] trust and excited to contribute to projects that will improve mobility, safety, and sustainability for the region’s communities.”
Zephyr Rail earlier this year was awarded a contract by the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency to provide preliminary engineering and design services for the Ortega Siding project in Carpinteria, Calif.
Metrolinx
Ground has been broken for the second tunnel launch shaft near the site of the future Gerrard Station on the Ontario Line subway, the Ontario government reported Aug. 14 (see map below).
From the launch shaft, tunnel boring machines will travel north, digging 1.86 miles (3 kilometers) of twin tunnels underneath Pape Avenue. The launch shaft will eventually serve as the tunnel portal, where Ontario Line trains will move from above-ground tracks to the underground tunnels. Gerrard Station, located just south of the launch shaft and future portal, will put nearly 12,000 people within walking distance of the Ontario Line, with more than 3,000 riders expected to use the station during rush hour each day.
“After breaking ground on the Ontario Line’s first tunnel launch shaft at Exhibition Station late last year, we’re here at Gerrard and Carlaw creating another starting point for the project’s second set of tunnels,” Metrolinx President and CEO Michael Lindsay said. “These tunnels will run underneath Pape Avenue and create a direct connection to the TTC’s Pape Station, which will help reduce crowding on the busiest section of Line 2 by 21% during rush hour. To put it another way, there will be 6,000 fewer people at Bloor-Yonge Station during the busiest travel hour of the day thanks to the Ontario Line.”
When complete, the Ontario Line will be a 9.7-mile (15.6-kilometer) stand-alone subway with 15 new stations. It will run from Exhibition Place, through the downtown core, and connect to the Line 5 Eglinton at Don Mills Road. It will offer connections to more than 40 other travel options along the way, such as the TTC’s Line 1 and Line 2, three GO Transit rail lines, and the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
The Ontario Line is being delivered through several procurement contracts:
- Rolling Stock, Systems, Operations and Maintenance (RSSOM)
- Southern Civil, Stations and Tunnel
- Pape Tunnel and Underground Stations
- Elevated Guideway and Stations
Separately, Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx earlier this month awarded a C$1.4 billion contract for the Yonge North Subway Extension project in Toronto.
Metra
Metra, along with local officials, celebrated completing a $39.5 million project to replace a railroad bridge (circa 1899) over Milwaukee Avenue on the North Side of Chicago and to reconstruct the adjacent Grayland Station.
Replacing the aging bridge “was critical,” Metra said, because it provides a link in the regional and national rail network, serving Metra and Amtrak intercity passenger trains and Canadian Pacific Kanas City and Wisconsin Southern freight trains, and it had become a source of operational delays due to its “deteriorating condition.” The replacement project included new abutments, columns, and precast retaining walls, eliminating slow zones and reducing maintenance-related service disruptions.
In addition, the Grayland Station, just south of the bridge, was upgraded. It now features longer platforms, ADA-compliant ramps and stairs, new warming shelters with on-demand heating on each side, a modern public address system with visual information signs, and improved lighting and platform furnishings.
The project was funded with $16.5 million from the Federal Transit Administration, $17.8 million from the Federal Railroad Administration, $2.3 million from Canadian Pacific (which merged with Kansas City Southern in 2023), and $2.9 million in other Metra funding. IHC Construction Companies of Elgin handled the construction.
“We know this work was disruptive for our riders, local drivers, and residents of the nearby community, and we would like to thank them for their patience and understanding while we replaced this critical infrastructure,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski, who will be a speaker at the 2025 Railway Age/RT&S Women in Rail Conference. “We now have a bridge, and a comfortable and functional new station, that will serve them for many years into the future.”
Further Reading:
- Metra’s MACs: From Freight Haulers to Commuter Service
- Metra Awarded $104MM for Station Upgrades, Switchers
- Alstom Opens Plant 4 Manufacturing Facility in Hornell, N.Y.
Sound Transit
Sound Transit has launched the next phase of Sound RideGuide beta testing. This new trip planning tool is slated to make regional travel easier, more personalized, and more accessible—no matter which agency operates the service. The web-app, Sound Transit said, will allow riders to plan a journey using a mix of transit, biking, micromobility (bike and scooter share), and drive to transit (Park & Ride). They can mix and match modes to find the most convenient route for their needs. The web-app also will offer personalized alerts. Riders can create an account to save their favorite trips, receive real-time alerts about delays or cancellations, and choose how to receive alerts (email, SMS, or push notifications via the mobile app).
According to Sound Transit, Sound RideGuide will integrate fare information, so riders can see their total fare upfront (includes cash, ORCA, and reduced fare options, and calculates transfers for multi-leg trips). Additionally, it is available in eight languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Russian, and Tagalog.
Riders can turn on Accessible Routing to get:
- Routes optimized for those who use mobility devices.
- Accessibility information for sidewalks, stops, and vehicles.
- Color-coded results: wheelchair accessible (Green); accessibility unknown (Blue); and not wheelchair accessible (Red).
They can also:
- Quickly compare trip options with filters for duration, arrival/departure time, walk time, and cost, and choose the trip that works best for their schedule and preferences.
- View current schedules for all transit routes across the region and get real-time trip results based on the latest real-time data.
- View shared stops. According to Sound Transit, transit stops used by multiple agencies are now easier to determine with combined stop locations on the map and agency logos shown for each stop.
Separately, Sound Transit Board on July 24 approved plans that will support an earlier than expected opening of the Federal Way Link Extension, now projected to begin operating as soon as winter 2025.
CTDOT
CTDOT on Aug. 14 released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking redevelopment proposals for the Stewart B. McKinney Stamford Transportation Center (STC), which it said marked “a major step in its initiative to reimagine the STC as a modern, multi-modal transportation hub integrated with vibrant transit-oriented development.”
Interested development teams are invited to submit their proposals for the Stamford Transportation Center redevelopment by the Dec. 5, 2025, deadline. CTDOT said it plans to select up to two teams and execute pre-development agreements by Feb. 27, 2026.
The 11-acre STC site, currently serving more than 5.5 million annual MTA Metro-North commuter rail, Amtrak intercity passenger rail, and bus riders, “is in need of comprehensive upgrades and reconfiguration to meet the demands of a growing population and future transit expansions, including anticipated service increases from Metro-North and Amtrak,” CTDOT said.
“Redeveloping the Stewart B. McKinney Stamford Transportation Center is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a vibrant transit hub that meets Stamford’s growth and the evolving needs of travelers,” CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto noted. “By reimagining this property, we can deliver new housing, enhanced transit amenities, and commercial and retail spaces that will serve residents and visitors for decades to come.”
Developers interested in responding to the RFP may review full details and submission requirements on the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) CTSource Bid Board (Project Solicitation Number STCTOD8.14.25) and contact CTDOT at DOT.TOD@ct.gov for further information.
Separately, CTDOT recently released its second-annual Customer Experience Action Plan Progress Report.
