Registration is now open for SWTA's 2021 Summer University Conference in Santa Fe, this July 18 - 22, including full session topic & speakers agenda! Details below. Click here or above to register.
The SWTA Nation expresses our profound sadness in those at San Jose’s Valley Transit Authority (VTA) who lost their lives and all those impacted by this senseless violence. The transit industry stands with you in peace & comfort during this difficult time.
CityRide Service Expanding with PICK Program
Bartlesville’s CityRide transit system is set to begin offering expanded hours. The PICK project, which includes 21 Oklahoma communities is an on demand service utilizing the UBER app making scheduling and paying for rides easier for users of the program. Read More
ADDISON STUDENT ARTWORK TO APPEAR ON DART
A student from the Greenhill School in Addison, has won this year’s Best of Show winner in Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) annual Student Art Contest.
5th-grade student, Collin Chon won this year’s theme “Everyday Heroes Ride DART.” The theme gave young artists the chance to recognize heroes across their community and salute their hometown heroes that have persevered and kept the community going throughout the pandemic. The program allows participants to show their creativity.
Countdown to Santa Fe
We’re excited to head to Santa Fe for our 2021 Summer University Conference – July 18-22, 2021. As is the hallmark of this event, we’ll again feature 3 tracks of 2-day seminars: Community Mobility, Marketing and Transit Law. Registration for attendees & exhibitors is now open!
Plus a 3-Day Maintenance Train-the-Trainer Session and a 1-Day CEOs Forum. See our 1-Page Flyer for an easy-to-print overview of key conference details.
Cleaver seeks federal funds for electric buses in Kansas City, citing clean technology, free transportation
A month after new electric transit buses were introduced in Kansas City, U.S. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver is seeking federal funds to bolster the city’s electric fleet. Cleaver requested $6 million to go toward six electric buses, costing around $1 million each. The proposed earmark came at the behest of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) and would be part of an increased focus on transportation and infrastructure from Congress and the new presidential administration. Read More
Federal Mask Mandate Continues to Require Face Coverings on Transit
In alignment with the Transportation Security Agency’s (TSA) extension of the transit mask requirement, the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) will continue to require face coverings on all DCTA vehicles, at DCTA bus stops and train stations, and in the Downtown Denton Transit Center (DDTC). Exemptions to the face mask requirement for travelers under the age of 2 years old and those with certain disabilities will continue. Read More
Transit News from Across the SWTA Nation
RideKC To Increase On-Board Capacity on May 31 (RideKC.org)
Capital Metro creates community oriented police force (SpectrumNews1)
Transit systems, cabs operating; Ki Bois is free (EnidNews)
Valley Metro takes STEM mentoring program for underrepresented students to YouTube (AZCentral)
Capital Metro to open vehicle capacity as community reaches stage 2 milestone (MassTransit)
All Points Transit (CO) to offer free rides to youth this summer (Montrose Press)
VIA Metropolitan Transit (San Antonio) Replaces Aging Fleet and Charts New CNG Path Forward (ACT News)
Rock Region Metro resumes streetcar service in North Little Rock on June 1 (TB&P News)
UpRouted: Exploring Microtransit in the United States (Eno Foundation)
Public can weigh in on DCTA's on-demand plan in Thursday virtual meeting (DentonRC)
SWTA Nation Job Postings
Program Manager, Safety Management - CAP METRO
Specailist, Occupational Health - CAP METRO
Manager of Community Relations - DART
Manager, Engineering & Design - VALLEY METRO
CAPITAL METRO Transit Operator - CITY OF GALVESTON
Accountant II - VALLEY METRO
Assistant General Manager of Facilities and Maintenance - FIRST TRANSIT
Transit & Parking Program Manager – CITY OF NORMAN
Program Manager, Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) - CAPITAL METRO
Big-picture movement on both the Biden Administration's American Jobs Act proposal as well as an overall surface transportation reauthorization is slow, some aspects are emerging. First, the Senate's Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has reached a bipartisan agreement on the highway funding programs portion of reauthorization, similar to the one it passed in the last Congress.
While only a few aspects of this title apply to transit, the bill is perhaps a signal of future bipartisanship possible in the Senate when the Banking Committee takes up the transit title. Of course, how that squares with the version to come from the House Democrats on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee remains to be seen.
An overview in this article from Fast Company outlines how the Jobs Act and reauthorization may come together for a transformative period of investment for transit systems – should they be passed by Congress and signed by President Biden.
