Transit Briefs: New York/MTA, Massachusetts/MBTA, Rio Metro, DART, UTA, VTA
MTA
New York MTA on Jan. 14 reported Gov. Hochul’s “comprehensive new steps” to increase law enforcement presence, expand public resources and strengthen mental health policies that will make the transit system safer for New Yorkers. The new measures include partnering with New York City officials to increase New York Police Department patrols on subway platforms and trains; installing new subway platform-edge barriers to protect riders; upgrading fare gates and delaying egress on exit gates to help crack down on fare evasion; adding LED lighting throughout stations to increase visibility; and updating and strengthening key mental health laws “to ensure that New Yorkers with severe mental illness are connected with care instead of being left to languish on subway trains and platforms.”
“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority—and that means making sure our subways feel safe and are safe for every single rider and worker,” Gov. Hochul said. “No one should be in fear that they’ll be a victim of crime as they commute to work, go to school or enjoy a night out—that is why we’re partnering with law enforcement, improving our infrastructure and ensuring that New Yorkers struggling with mental illness get the support they need.”
Increasing Law Enforcement Presence
According to MTA, Gov. Hochul will team with New York City to boost NYPD presence on platforms and trains by temporarily surging patrol levels in addition to the 1,000 National Guardsmen who have been re-deployed at subway entrances throughout the City. Approximately 750 NYPD officers will be stationed across New York City with an additional 300 in subway cars. The increase in enforcement, MTA said, will prioritize 30 subways stations and transit hubs that account for 50% of crime in the transit system. MTA said that the Governor will work with New York City to increase police patrols on every overnight train for the next six months. NYPD officers will work from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., so there will be a uniformed officer on board every subway train in service during those hours.
New Public Safety Resources to Protect Riders, Prevent Fare Evasion
According to MTA, the Governor will also provide funding to install platform edge barriers at more than 100 additional stations by the end of this year. Station selection will prioritize feasibility, including stations with standard car-stopping positions in segments of the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, F, M and L trains. Among those train lines, the transit agency noted, stations with higher ridership levels and island platforms will be prioritized.
To address fare evasion, Gov. Hochul will invest in modern fare gates in more than 20 stations across the system in 2025, and an additional 20 stations in 2026, MTA reported. Additionally, exit gates will delay egress at 150 additional stations to reduce fare evasion. MTA will prioritize stations with higher ridership traffic, accessibility features and those with high fare evasion. Initial installation is scheduled to begin at 42 St-Port Authority, Delancey St.-Essex St., and Roosevelt Av.-Jackson Heights.
Funding will also be provided by the Governor for the installation of LED lighting in all subway stations to boost visibility.
These new investments build on the Governor’s previous deployments of public safety programs and resources throughout the subway system, MTA said, including a new proposal to ban assaulters of commuters and transit workers, improved coordination between law enforcement and district attorneys, and installing new cameras in subway trains throughout the system to help protect customers, conductors, and staff.
Expanding Mental Health Partnerships and Resources
MTA reported that Governor Hochul’s Safe Options Support (SOS) initiative has successfully transitioned nearly 850 unhoused individuals into permanent housing and continues to make progress. “SOS teams deployed across New York State often encounter individuals experiencing unmet medical and psychiatric needs,” the transit agency reported. “To address this gap, Governor Hochul will add street medicine and street psychiatry providers to SOS teams statewide. These providers will deliver timely care directly to individuals during outreach, improving access to psychiatric evaluations and medical treatment without requiring individuals to leave their belongings or seek care in hospitals. This approach will enhance trust, build rapport and encourage individuals to accept services and transition indoors, improving outcomes for New York’s most vulnerable residents.”
To further help reduce homelessness in the subway system, MTA said the Governor will work with the New York City Department of Homeless Services to expand their 24/7 “Welcome Center” model near end-of-line stations and will create spaces within stations that have a large presence of unhoused people so mobile outreach teams can better connect and coordinate services.
Previously, the Governor announced a $20 million investment to expand the Subway Co-Response Outreach Teams (SCOUT) throughout the system to ten by the end of this year. SCOUT teams are trained to address the most severe cases of mental health crisis within the subway system and assist New Yorkers in gaining access to mental health treatment and supportive housing.
Meanwhile, MTA on Jan. 14 released data on traffic volumes, travel times and transit ridership from the congestion relief program’s first week. The program took effect Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. “Preliminary data shows that traffic was down 7.51% last week, compared to the same time last year and approximately 219,000 fewer vehicles entered the Central Business District in the first week the program launched,” the transit agency said. “Drivers saw faster and more reliable trip times, and many express bus riders benefitted from shorter commutes.”
Data provided by TRANSCOM for morning commutes on Wednesday, Jan. 8, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. showed improved travel times into the Congestion Relief Zone on all Hudson River and East River Crossings, with nearly all crossings seeing a 39% reduction in travel time compared with the same day last year, according to MTA.
East-West streets in the Congestion Relief Zone also saw travel time improvements, especially in the afternoon peak period between the hours of 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. with reductions in travel time ranging from 6% to 36%. Westbound travel time on Canal St on Wednesday, Jan. 8, was 34% faster than the average p.m. peak January speed for 2024, shaving off four minutes, MTA said.
Overall, in the first week, buses are moving faster, especially in the morning peak period, keeping to schedule more closely and improving Customer Journey Time performance, according to MTA. Routes that cross the East or Hudson River into New York City, many of which are express bus routes, saw the highest reduction in travel time, it noted. The SIM24 saved a total of seven minutes across the Lincoln Tunnel compared with last year. The B39 spends the majority of its route on the Williamsburg Bridge, and during last week’s morning commute, B39 inbound trips saved 3.9 minutes relative to their run times in January 2024, a 28% reduction in travel time, according to MTA.
“When a car is able to travel faster over a bridge or through a tunnel, that motorist saves a few minutes, but when a bus is able to do the same, 50 people benefit from those time savings,” NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said. “We hope to see a continuing trend of better bus speeds, which will only make the transit network stronger, and complement the best subway on-time performance in over decade and increased service frequencies across 12 subway lines.”
“The early data backs up what New Yorkers have been telling us all week—traffic is down, the streets feel safer, and buses are moving faster,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber commented. “Positive change wasn’t guaranteed, and it’s exciting to hear commuters—including drivers—talking about how much time they are saving since the program kicked off a week ago.”
Although the Congestion Relief Zone program is likely incentivizing some drivers to switch to transit, MTA said, the trend is difficult to detect because the MTA system is so large and already carries the vast major of those who travel to Manhattan. But the transit agency’s officials are taking a closer look at express bus ridership from neighborhoods that have had disproportionate numbers of drivers. Express bus routes with the highest increase in ridership included the BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, SIM9, SIM24, QM16, and QM17. The express bus fleet continues to have capacity with only 3.4% of buses reaching Service Capacity Guidelines (90% full), MTA said.
“Bus ridership has seen the strongest comeback since the pandemic and now we’re seeing slight ridership increases on express bus routes which goes to show how integral buses are to New York’s transit system,” NYC Transit Senior Vice President of Buses Frank Annicaro noted. “Less cars on the road improves bus service reliability for the hundreds of thousands of riders that rely on bus service every day.”
“There’s never been a better time to take the Long Island Rail Road than now,” MTA LIRR President Rob Free said. “The railroad achieved a record on-time performance of 95.65%—all while providing more travel options than ever before. LIRR customers are noticing the improved customer experience, as reflected in our most recent survey that reported an increase of 6 percentage points in customer satisfaction.”
“Hundreds of thousands of riders already take advantage of Metro-North’s reliable service with its record setting 98%-plus on-time performance and we welcome new customers that make the switch,” MTA Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi added. “Choosing mass transit is not only cost efficient but also more convenient and contributes to a more sustainable future.”
MTA said it will continue to provide updates as more information is collected and analysis is completed. A fuller set of insights and publication of January data is expected in mid-February.
For more on congestion pricing, read Railway Age Contributing Editor David Peter Alan’s 20-part series, “Manhattan Congestion Pricing, An Idea Whose Time Has Come.”
MBTA
Gov. Healey on Jan. 14 announced a 10-year, $8 billion plan to invest in the commonwealth’s roads, bridges, and regional transportation system and to stabilize the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) finances. According to the Governor’s Office, the investments would be done without raising taxes and represent Massachusetts’ largest transportation investment in more than 20 years by maximizing Fair Share revenue and other existing resources.
The plan will be filed as legislation in the coming weeks as part of the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget proposal and an accompanying supplemental budget.
“This historic transportation proposal represents smart, forward-thinking fiscal management, and it will have an impact on people in all regions of our state,” Gov. Healey said. “We’re going to invest billions of dollars to deliver better roads, less traffic, safer bridges and a transit system that works in every region. We’ll close the MBTA’s budget gap, improving service and upgrading stations, and we’ll move forward on regional projects like West-East Rail. And we’ll do this all without raising taxes. I’m grateful for the insights of the Transportation Funding Task Force, which shaped this proposal, and for the strong leadership of [Massachusetts Department of Transportation] Secretary [Monica] Tibbits-Nutt and [Matthew] Gorzkowicz [Secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance].”
According to the Governor’s Office, the proposal maximizes existing Fair Share Funds and would:
- Immediately direct $857 million in surplus Fair Share revenue from FY24 to public transportation.
- Dedicate $765 million in Fair Share resources from FY26 to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, “building on an innovative strategy developed by the Healey-Driscoll administration to maximize Fair Share through borrowing to yield $5 billion over the next 10 years for capital investment bonds in rail, roads, bridges, regional transit authorities, and culverts.”
- More than double support for the MBTA’s operating budget to $687 million in FY26 and immediately address the agency’s budget shortfall, “putting the MBTA on a path of long-term stability.” This increase, it said, comes after the Governor’s doubled the operating budget to $314 million in FY25.
“As part of this capital expansion, Gov. Healey intends to file a multi-year Chapter 90 bill later this month that will grow the size of the funding pool directed to cities and towns to $300 million per year for five years, the highest amount in the history of funding for local roads and sidewalks,” the Office said. “This additional $100 million annual investment represents a 50% increase to support the repair of municipal roads, bridges and infrastructure.”
The Office reported that the combined impact of the Governor’s House 1 budget proposal for FY26 and the supplemental budget to spend surplus Fair Share revenue from FY24 will achieve a 50%-50% split between Fair Share resources dedicated to transportation and education since enacted of the voter-approved surtax.
Among the improvements that this funding will allow are:
- $1.4 billion in MBTA investments for new commuter rail cars, Red and Orange Line cars, station accessibility and resilience, track improvements, and power system resiliency.
- $2.5 billion for road and bridge repairs across the state through MassDOT, with money set aside for culverts, small bridge repairs and safety and congestion hot spots.
- Close the funding gap for the Allston I-90 Multimodal Project.
- Allow for projects advancing West-East Rail to continue to progress, including capacity improvements near Pittsfield, trackwork and accessibility improvements in Springfield, and station planning in Palmer.
“On behalf of the MBTA, I thank the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their visionary leadership and commitment to strengthening public transportation across Boston and the entire commonwealth,” MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said. “This solution-oriented approach is leading to a historic investment and will provide critical support to the MBTA, including our operating capacity, improving service, and ensuring a more sustainable, reliable transit system for all riders. As we move forward, I am committed to ensuring that we remain focused on the needs and expectations of the public we serve. We’re going to make the best use of the public’s dollars by building a more efficient and capable workforce, and delivering meaningful projects and services that improve the transit experience for everyone.”
According to the Governor’s Office, after covering $100 million in debt service on new borrowing, the FY26 budget will propose to invest:
- $687 million to stabilize MBTA operations, including $500 million from Fair Share to fund programs such as the MBTA Workforce Academy, low-income fares and water transportation programs.
- $110 million for regional transit authorities, including $66 million for formula-based transit improvements, $30 million for Fare Free service, and $10 million to facilitate interconnectivity between regional transit authorities.
- $55 million for MassDOT operations, including workforce investments and enhanced capital project delivery.
The surplus Fair Share supplemental budget to be filed by Gov. Healey will propose to invest $857 million of the $1.3 billion surplus available for spending in transportation, including:
- $400 million to address workforce and safety initiatives identified as necessary by the Federal Transit Authority.
- $300 million to replenish MBTA reserves.
- $25 million for a Winter Resilience Assistance Program for municipalities.
- $25 million for regional transit authority workforce recruitment and retention.
- $10 million for micro-transit.
The financing plan also calls for using $170 million available from the administration’s pool of federal matching funds to retire MBTA’s legacy debt ($89 million), freeing up operating capacity at the agency, according to the Governor’s Office, which noted that “these matching funds will also continue to support the administration’s strategy of aggressively pursuing federal funding, with matching dollars committed to the Green Line Central Tunnel project as well as local technical assistance and local project matches.”
Lastly, the administration plans to use $1.2 billion in Grant Anticipation Notes (GANs) to borrow against future federal highway grants to finance priority Highway Division projects statewide, the Governor’s Office reported.
Rio Metro
New Mexico’s Rio Metro will receive $22.4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to construct a new Rail Runner Express Operations and Maintenance Facility, according to KRQE News in Albuquerque. The funding is part of the state’s $172 million-plus award from the USDOT’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.
The new RailRunner commuter rail facility will be used to inspect and service locomotives, coach cars and cab cars. According to the federal government, the project will help to reduce train movements in the yard, thus lowering accident risks for workers and protecting them from weather-related hazards and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating locomotive idling. It will also provide stormwater management upgrades to mitigate flooding.
DART
DART on Jan. 14 reported that its new 26-mile Silver Line regional rail project in Texas is approximately 85% complete. Once operational in late 2025 or early 2026, it will connect riders from East Plano to DFW Airport’s Terminal B. The project crosses seven cities—Addison, Carrollton, Coppell, Dallas, Grapevine, Plano, and Richardson—in three counties and will add 10 new stations to the existing DART network. Eight Stadler-built DMUs (diesel multiple units) will run on the Silver Line.
With the project covering such a large area (see map below), DART and design-build contractor Archer Western Herzog separated the Silver Line into three segments during construction. Segment C, which runs between Plano and Richardson, was primarily completed in late 2024, allowing DART to begin testing vehicles there late last year.
Train, track, signals, and crossing testing is set to begin by the end of this month in Segment A, which runs from DFW Airport to Carrollton.
Testing will continue later this year and connect Carrollton and Addison to Segment B, which includes the North Dallas area. This segment required some of the most extensive construction, DART said. End-to-end testing of the entire Silver Line is scheduled to begin this summer once major construction is completed in each segment.
According to DART, these construction projects are expected this year:
- DART celebrated the groundbreaking of its new Equipment Maintenance Facility in October and work on the 40,000-square foot facility in Plano’s technology corridor is progressing. The facility is being constructed a few hundred feet from the Silver Line’s new Shiloh Road Station directly behind a 20,000 square-foot office building that DART purchased to serve as home to the Silver Line’s administrative and operations team.
- Carrollton will also see big changes in the first part of 2025, with DART constructing a new elevator tower to provide riders a seamless connection between the new Silver Line station and the Green Line’s aerial platform at the Downtown Carrollton Station.
- Denton County Transit Authority announced plans to extend its service to Downtown Carrollton in the future, improving access for Denton County riders to the city and the Silver Line. Once in place, DART said that Silver Line riders will have transit access to Downtown Denton via DCTA’s A-train in Carrollton and Downtown Fort Worth via Trinity Metro’s TEXRail at the DFW Airport North Station in Grapevine.
- The CityLine development in Richardson will also see changes once the Silver Line is complete. The bridge, which crosses over US-75 and spans almost one mile in length, leading the Silver Line into the development’s new station, will be getting aesthetic arches to give it a “unique and vibrant” look, DART said. The arches are expected to be added in 2026.
UTA
UTA data shows that 2024 ridership “is recovering to pre-pandemic levels faster than the national average,” FOX13 of Salt Lake City reported Jan. 14. “According to the authority, ridership increased 15.5% over 2023. More than 40 million boardings took place across UTA’s bus, [commuter] rail, light rail, streetcar, vanpool, paratransit, and microtransit. That is 91.5% of UTA’s pre-pandemic ridership. Nationally, the ridership recovery average is 79%.”
According to the media outlet, in 2024, the 20,163,298 bus boardings were up 10.1% from 2023; the 4,128,459 FrontRunner commuter rail boardings were up 10.5% from 2023; the 13,509,954 TRAX light rail boardings were up 26.5% from 2023; the 454,887 S-Line Streetcar boardings were up 24.1% from 2023; the 366,096 Paratransit boarding were up 6.6% over 2023; the 1,127,566 Vanpool boardings were up 9.1% over 2023; and the 567,908 On Demand boardings were up 36.8% over 2023.
UTA told FOX13 that in 2025 it will be “expanding UTA On Demand microtransit service to west Provo, including the Provo Airport in April” and a “new TRAX station in South Jordan will be opening in time for the Salt Lake Bees opening day.” Additionally, the agency will launch in February “15-minute service or faster” Go Route buses in Salt Lake City; add this fall a new Utah Valley Express to BYU’s campus; and install new “ticket and tap machines” and upgrade fare payment technology systemwide.
Further Reading: Stadler Lands UTA LRV Contract
VTA
VTA on Jan. 13 hosted 18 leaders, including those from more than a dozen major Bay Area transit agencies and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, to sign the Equity In Infrastructure Project (EIP) Pledge. They joined a national coalition committed to increasing contracting opportunities for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs).
EIP was founded by Denver International Airport CEO Phillip A. Washington (former head of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority), former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation John D. Porcari and others “in anticipation of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act [which was signed in November 2021] and to answer President Biden’s call to leverage infrastructure spending to build wealth in underserved communities.”
“EIP is an economic development program,” said Phillip Washington. “When we are intentional about prime, joint venture, and equity participation opportunities for historically underutilized businesses, we put people to work, and we grow businesses and community wealth. These are tough economic times across our nation. What we are rallying people around is leveraging infrastructure investments into investments in people’s financial security.”
The Jan. 13 signing included leaders representing VTA; BART; City of Milpitas; San Francisco International Airport; SFMTA; MTC; COMTO Nor Cal; AC Transit; Caltrain; SamTrans; San Francisco Bay Ferry; Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District; Transbay Joint Powers Authority; Denver Water; Valley Water; The Allen Group; BUILDIT; and San Francisco County Transportation Authority.
With their pledge, the EIP’s voluntary coalition now includes 92 transit authorities; airports; ports; water districts; and engineering, financial and construction firms from across the country.
The EIP pledge calls on signers to:
- Increase the number, size and proportion of contracting opportunities going to HUBs.
- Increase the number, size and proportion of contracting opportunities going to HUBs as prime contractors.
- Streamline the administration of contracting with HUBs to centralize certification, improve payment time and standardize transparent data collection.
- Increase the amount and type of financing available to HUBs aiming to meet infrastructure contracts by working with private and public partners.
- Expand the number of signatories to this pledge.
“The timing is right for this important pledge,” said Bob Powers, General Manager of BART. “There are now more rebuilding projects happening across BART than at any point in our history. With 50 stations, BART can make a real impact to 50 communities and their HUBs—make them part of the BART family.”
“At Caltrain, equity and inclusion are core values,” added Michelle Bouchard, Caltrain Executive Director. “In signing the EIP Pledge, we are doubling down on our commitment to people. Caltrain is committed to creating opportunities for HUBs that reflect the communities we serve. This pledge marks a great step forward for our agency and lays a path for success in the decades to come.”
