Transit Briefs: METRO, New Rochelle Transit Center, TriMet
METRO
METRO on Dec. 9 broke ground on the new 30,000-square-foot Maintenance of Way (MOW) Facility, a key project “aimed at enhancing efficiency, safety, and reliability across the METRORail system.”
Located near the Burnett Transit Center, the MOW Facility will serve as a centralized hub for maintaining and making repairs along the Red, Green, and Purple lines. According to the agency, it is designed to “improve incident response times, streamline operations, and provide the resources and materials needed to ensure a smooth experience for passengers.”
The facility will feature:
- A 3,500-square-foot maintenance shop.
- A storage warehouse and laydown yard.
- Surface parking and storm water detention infrastructure.
“As part of our METRONow plan for 2025 and beyond, we are working to increase our on-time performance and reliability,” said Board First Vice Chair Bob Fry at the event. “Our goal through METRONow is to earn our customers’ trust each day with improvements and service upgrades that will improve their experience and make them excited to choose METRO.”
In addition to the new building, the project will add sidewalks, street enhancements, and better drainage on Brooks and Keene streets.
The MOW Facility is the last project associated with the extension of the Red Line and is expected to be completed in July 2026.
New Rochelle Transit Center
The New Rochelle Transit Center could a major renovation in the future as city officials unveiled a $100 million proposal to redesign and reimagine the historic transportation hub, according to a News 12 New York report.
“New Rochelle is the busiest train station, outside of Grand Central, on the New Haven Line,” said Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert. “So, seeing it’s importance in the region, we want to revitalize it to make it more of a place that you can come and meet for coffee, or potentially music, and speakeasy in the evening.”
According to the report, Ramos-Herbert said the redesign “also focuses on adding green spaces, a multi-use plaza, solar panels to parking garage’s roof and refreshing the bus terminal.” These upgrades could cost around $100 million that the mayor hopes will be funded by grants.
“As we’re growing in the downtown…We want to make sure that the community does more than sleep here,” Ramos-Herbert said. “We want them to wake up, work, but also make friends, family and build core memories right in their downtown,” said the mayor, who added that New Rochelle would be the first city in Westchester with direct Metro-North rail access to Grand Central and Penn stations by 2027, according to the News 12 New York report.
The timeline for the proposed redesign of the transit center could take some years, the mayor said, according to the report.
More information is available here.
TriMet
TriMet has selected STV to enhance security and safety throughout its transit network by developing an operations plan for its new Security Operations Center (SOC); and separately, to help expand TriMet’s cloud-based Transit Signal Priority (TSP) system, a tool that prioritizes light rail vehicles and buses at traffic signals to improve traffic flow and transit on-time performance.
In partnership with TriMet, STV is creating a concept of operations (CONOPS), a dynamic framework for how the security center functions within the agency’s entire system. As part of the CONOPS, STV is helping TriMet integrate the new incident management software with the agency’s overall operations. The agency’s fleet of buses, light rail and commuter rail provides 1.3 million rides weekly in the greater Portland metropolitan area.
“We’re thrilled to build on our decade-long partnership with TriMet as the agency expands both its security operations and a future system-wide, next generation TSP,” said Adrian Pearmine, Western Director of Mobility Technologies at STV. “Our local team’s deep understanding of TriMet’s transit system, coupled with our expertise with security and advanced transit technology, will help create more safe, efficient and reliable transit options for riders.”
Over the past three years, TriMet has increasingly invested in safety and security initiatives, hiring more personnel, partnering with community groups, installing security cameras and improving lighting at stations, transit centers and Park & Rides. The agency recently announced an increase in its approval ratings, attributing it to the agency’s enhanced safety, security and cleanliness measures on board and at stations.
As a subconsultant to DKS Associates, STV is also supporting the transition from infrared transit signaling system used by TriMet in some locations to a centralized, cloud-based TSP, an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) solution that leverages optimized signal timing and real-time communications for the agency’s buses and transit vehicles. The system will be implemented over several years along major TriMet corridors and routes.
While TriMet is currently using its next generation TSP for their bus rapid transit line, the agency seeks to expand this technology to the agency’s light rail fleet. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently awarded TriMet a $2.4 million Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) program grant for its Cloud Connectivity for Light Rail Vehicles initiative. STV will support this expansion, aimed at addressing safety, economic vitality and air quality challenges.
In addition to the two new contracts, STV is already providing a range of professional services for TriMet’s replacement of 12 traction power substations along its Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) Blue Line.
