WMATA
WMATA on May 23 brought Automatic Train Operation (ATO) to the Green and Yellow lines, following what it called “rigorous internal training and testing and concurrence from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission.”
Train operators continue to work in the cab and are still responsible for rider safety, according to the transit authority. “With ATO taking over some tasks [including train acceleration, deceleration and speed], operators can better observe safety concerns and the environment around the train, monitor track conditions, and close the doors when passengers are safely onboard,” it noted. “ATO is not used during inclement weather, single tracking, and when workers are on the tracks.”
WMATA began ATO operations on the Red Line last December—the first time in 15 years and a move that allows the system to operate as it was originally designed. ATO has reduced travel time on end-to-end Red Line trips by eight minutes, the agency said. “Since implementation,” it noted, “there have been no safety issues or red signal violations for trains operating in ATO.”
According to WMATA, it “has worked hard since the [Red Line] collision of 2009 on educating customers and training operators for better operational safety and efficiency.”
LACMTA
LACMTA has released benefit, anticipated cost and construction schedule details for its Sepulveda Transit Corridor project, which would provide transit service between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside (see map above). Shared during the first of five community meetings held earlier this month, these details, it said, “provide important context that will be considered as the project advances and decisions regarding alternatives are made.” (Download project fact sheet below.)
The project alternatives vary by technology, alignments, termini, stations and connection to UCLA. They are:
- Alternative 1 is a monorail with aerial alignment in the Interstate 405 (I-405) corridor and electric bus connection to UCLA.
- Alternative 3 is a monorail with aerial alignment in the I-405 corridor and underground alignment between Getty Center and Wilshire Bl.
- Alternative 4 is heavy rail with underground alignment south of Ventura Bl and aerial alignment generally along Sepulveda Bl in the San Fernando Valley.
- Alternative 5 is heavy rail with underground alignment including along Sepulveda Bl in the San Fernando Valley.
- Alternative 6 is heavy rail with underground alignment including along Van Nuys Bl in the San Fernando Valley and southern terminus station at Bundy Dr.
LACMTA entered into Pre-Development Agreements (PDAs) with two private sector teams to design several of these alternatives: LA SkyRail Express (LASRE) developed Alternatives 1 and 3, while Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners (STCP) designed Alternatives 4 and 5. Alternative 6 is being prepared by LACMTA’s environmental consultant, HTA Partners.
If the project is built, travel times between the Van Nuys Metrolink Station to the LACMTA Expo Line would be between 18 to 33 minutes, depending on alternative selected, while travel times between Van Nuys Metrolink Station to Century City and Santa Monica would range from 25 to 36 minutes and 32 to 50 minutes, respectively, according to the transit agency. These commute projections, it noted, “represent significant time savings over the same trips via personal vehicle and could cut travel times by more than half during rush hour.”
According to LACMTA, ridership projections for the alternatives under consideration range from 63,000 to 124,000 daily boardings.
Each weekday, more than 400,000 people cross the Sepulveda Pass, LACMTA reported, and a typical San Fernando Valley commuter loses 59 hours per year to traffic delays just from the evening drive home on I-405 between Wilshire Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard. Currently, only 2% of people who travel through the Sepulveda Corridor do so on public transit via bus, it noted.
The cost to build the project is estimated to be between $15.4 billion and $24.4 billion, while yearly operations and maintenance of the system would cost between $130 million and $157 million, according to LACMTA. Cost projections are preliminary, it noted, as the project is only at 15% of design and will continue to be refined as it advances through the development process.
LACMTA said it is preparing for the upcoming release of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The official public comment period will begin with the release of the DEIR. A future decision on which alternative to advance will take into account findings from the DEIR, public comments received during the comment period, technical analyses, stakeholder input, and other factors such as project objectives, cost, and expected ridership.
Further Reading: STCP Selects Stadler, Siemens for Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project Proposal
Metrolink
Riders can now visit metrolinktrains.com/subscribe to sign up for “Metrolink Alerts”—customized notifications on track changes, line closures and/or other delays impacting their journey. Powered by SimplifyTransit, the alerts are delivered in real-time via text or email; they can be in English or auto-translated into Spanish, Korean, Simplified Chinese or Vietnamese, according to the regional passenger railroad that has 545.6 total service line miles and 67 stations spanning Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and San Diego counties (see map below).
For the first time, up-to-date service information will also be available through trip-planning apps, such as Google Maps.
Currently, Metrolink posts service notifications to its website, line-specific X (formerly Twitter) accounts, and Facebook, along with station electronic message boards, requiring riders to visit those platforms to check for active alerts.
“As more customers shift to using these improved, direct communication tools, Metrolink will begin to phase out the use of social media for time-sensitive alerts,” it reported May 27. “Service notifications will remain available on metrolinktrains.com, ensuring passengers continue to have easy access to the information they need to plan their trip.”
“At Metrolink, we’re always looking for ways to improve the customer experience, and this new tool is creating a much-needed avenue to push service alerts directly to affected passengers,” Metrolink Board Chair Doug Chaffee said. “Riders who opt in will no longer need to seek out updates through a variety of online channels or at stations and will instead enjoy the convenience of having information come directly to them.”
In other Metrolink news, new “smart” technology at the Juniper Avenue crossing provides long-awaited relief for the Fontana community.
Trinity Metro
Richard W. Andreski, President and CEO of Trinity Metro in Texas, has joined the Executive Committee of the APTA Board of Directors.
Andreski also serves as Vice Chair of the APTA Commuter Rail Committee and Chair of the APTA Awards Committee. In 2022, he joined Trinity Metro, the public transportation provider that includes a bus network, Trinity Metro TEXRail commuter rail, Trinity Metro On-Demand rideshare and paratransit services, Trinity Metro Bikes, and vanpools, and jointly owns and operates Trinity Railway Express with Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Previously, he held leadership roles at both New Jersey Transit and the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
“I am honored to serve on APTA’s Executive Committee, where I have the opportunity to represent Fort Worth and Tarrant County and engage with other transit leaders at a national level,” Andreski said. “This opportunity comes at a critical time when federal policymakers are evaluating priorities for the next federal transportation bill. We are doing some interesting things at Trinity Metro, but the best is yet to come as Trinity Metro innovates and expands to meet the needs of our fast-growing city. I will bring back the best ideas that support our continued economic growth and great quality of life.”
