Be on the lookout for an email from Alex Aitken, SWTA Communications Specialist regarding the SWTA Marketing Committee.
All Communications and Marketing professionals within your organization are invited to attend. If you'd like to be added to our Marketing Committee, let Alex know at aaitken@swta.org
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $908 Million Loan for the Silver Line Regional Rail Project in Dallas
The U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Thursday that USDOT's Build America Bureau has provided a $908 million loan under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit for the Silver Line Regional Rail Project. Read More
SporTran announces first female director of maintenance
March is Women’s History Month, and as such, SporTran is announcing the hiring of its first female director of maintenance. The company says in late 2020, Mersefaine Brooks became SporTran’s first female director of maintenance in a field historically dominated by men. Read More
AARP Community Challenge
AARP Community Challenge applications will be accepted from nonprofits and municipalities across the nation through April 14, 8 pm ET. Challenge grants support quick-action community projects that spark change and improve quality of life for people of all ages in key livability areas of public spaces, transportation, civic engagement, and housing. Read More
How Elected Officials Can Improve Public Transit: It Starts with Actually Riding the Bus
One of the many things President Biden was known for during his decades-long run as a U.S. senator was his daily train rides to and from Washington, D.C. Dubbed “Amtrak Joe” by his colleagues, Biden was simply looking to balance his career in D.C. with his family life in Delaware. However, he might have been onto something with these regular public transit trips — giving him a real-world view of how this critical community infrastructure operates. Read More
Update on the American Rescue Act and earmarks; Share your mask/distancing enforcement experiences with FTA
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 passed by the U.S. Senate on March 6, 2021. The bill returns to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote today. The House previously passed the legislation at the end of February and the Senate's version includes $30.5 billion for the transit industry, as well as $1.7 billion for Amtrak. Read More
Meanwhile, news emerged this week that Congress will re-introduce earmarks this session. Thisarticle includes some contextfrom House T&I Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (Ore.).
Finally, FTA is collecting transit agency input on federal mask and social distancing enforcement through this online collection portal through March 22nd.
Our Legislative Committee will soon be updating our 2021-2022 Legislative Agenda; view our 2019-2020 prioritiesand let Executive Director Rich Sampson (rsampson@swta.org; 225.270.0855) know of any federal policy issues that are important to your agency, region or state.
As part of the Transit Tuesdays Webinar Series, SWTA & 7 state transit associations are hosting Moving Forward in 2021! Decisions in D.C. Roll Across America on Monday, March 30 at 3:00 PM Eastern (2:00 PM Central). The panel will feature Katie Kachel of Chambers, Conlon & Hartwell, who represents the SWTA Nation in D.C. For full details & registration, click here.
UPCOMING EVENTS FROM STATE & NATIONAL TRANSIT ASSOCIATIONS