North America News

Latest news and developments from North America region

• UC San Diego Blue Line LRT to commence services in November 2021, US

  August 25, 2021
  The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) has announced plans to commence operations on the southern route of the UC San Diego Blue Line Mid-Coast Extension from November 21, 2021.

• IndyGo Purple Line BRT receives USD81 million in grants from FTA, US

  August 24, 2021
  The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded a USD81 million grant to the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) for the development of Purple Line bus rapid transit (BRT) project in Central Indiana.

• CHSRA approves Final Environmental Impact Report for California HSR Phase I section, US

  August 24, 2021
  The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has approved the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the Bakersfield–Palmdale section of Phase I of the high-speed rail (HSR) project.

• Port Authority shortlists teams for LaGuardia AirTrain project, US [free access]

  August 20, 2021
  The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority) has shortlisted four teams to submit bids for the LaGuardia AirTrain project.

• Transit launches subscription-based Royale option, US

  August 19, 2021
  Transit has introduced a subscription option, called Royale, in its app-based services. Transit Royale will be available in cities where the company does not have a partnership with the local transit agency.

• Gillig delivers electric buses to DTC, US

  August 18, 2021
  Gillig has supplied four battery-electric buses to the Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC).

• Metropolitan Transit Authority launches METRORapid Inner Katy project in Houston, US

  August 18, 2021
  The Metropolitan Transit Authority has announced plans to build a bus-only roadway between the Northwest Transit Center (at the junction of I-10 West and I-610) and the Convention District area in Downtown Houston, in Texas.

• Port Authority of Allegheny County launches Phase I of mobile ticketing, US

  August 17, 2021
  The Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) in the state of Pennsylvania has partnered with Masabi and Transit to launch Phase I of its mobile ticketing system (Ready2Ride mobile ticketing).

• Design works completed for Foothill Gold Line project, US

  August 16, 2021
  The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority (Construction Authority) has announced that the design works for the segment of the Foothill Gold Line light-rail project from Glendora to Pomona have been completed. The total cost of the project is estimated to be USD1.5 billion.

• Durham–Scarborough BRT project receives CAD114 million in joint funding, Canada [free access]

  August 13, 2021
  The Governments of Canada, the government of Ontario, and the Regional Municipality of Durham have reached a joint funding agreement for the construction of dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) infrastructure in the city of Pickering.

• Proterra to partner with LG Energy Solution for long-term supply of EV battery cells, US

  August 13, 2021
  Proterra has announced plans to enter into an agreement with LG Energy Solution that will provide Proterra with a long-term supply of cylindrical cells produced at an LG Energy Solution battery cell manufacturing plant in the US.

• Contactless ABT launched on San Diego transit system in California, US

  August 13, 2021
  San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) has announced plans to start using the new account-based Pronto fare payment system from September 1, 2021.

• Madison Street BRT receives USD59.9 million in Small Starts grant, US

  August 11, 2021
  The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded a USD59.9 million grant through its Capital Investment Grants programme to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) for the Madison Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project (branded as the RapidRide G Line).

• Lightning eMotors enters into USD850 million multiyear agreement with Forest River for ZEB technology, US

  August 11, 2021
  Lightning eMotors and Forest River Inc. have entered into a strategic partnership agreement (with a potential estimated value of up to USD850 million) to deploy 7,500 zero-emission buses (ZEBs).

• Cook County awards USD1.6 million to four transit projects, US

  August 6, 2021
  Cook County and the Department of Transportation and Highways (DoTH) have awarded over USD8.5 million to 34 projects under the ‘Invest in Cook’ grant programme.

• Caltrans approves USD82 million in LCTOP funding for 134 projects, US [free access]

  August 6, 2021
  Caltrans has approved around USD82 million in Low Carbon Transit Operations Programme (LCTOP) funds for 134 local public transit projects.

• TransLink launches new seat occupancy feature on the Transit app, US

  August 5, 2021
  TransLink has collaborated with the Transit app to launch a new feature that allows passengers to see the estimated number of seats remaining on board buses when planning their transit journey.

• IndyGo to phase out seven-day paper bus passes, US

  August 3, 2021
  The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) has announced plans to phase out seven-day paper bus passes, effective August 31, 2021.

• U.S. Senate introduces Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, US [free access]

  August 2, 2021
  The U.S. Senate has introduced its USD1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

• Contactless payment options launched for public transit systems in Santa Barbara County, US

  July 29, 2021
  The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have announced that Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) buses and Clear Air Express buses are being outfitted with contactless payment options.