BART is partnering with Monterey Bay Aquarium to provide Free BART Rides for School Field Trips to Bay Area students this coming school year.
Approximately 40,000 students (up to age 18), teachers and chaperones will have the opportunity to ride BART free for educational field trips during the 2014-2015 school year.
Five BART train cars are wrapped with what looks like an octopus engulfing the train as part of the partnership to help publicize the program.
Beginning in August, Bay Area schools may apply for free BART rides for educational field trips online on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you would like to be notified when we begin accepting applications, please fill out the online form here. You will receive an email from [email protected] with information on how and when you can apply for your school’s free BART rides for field trips.
Please apply at least three weeks in advance of your trip and plan on having 1 adult per 15 students.
“We host nearly 30,000 students and teachers from the BART service area each year for free education programs in Monterey,” said Mimi Hahn, vice president of marketing and communications for the nonprofit aquarium. “Partnering on ‘Free BART Rides for School Field Trips’ is a natural extension of our commitment to a making sure children in the region have a rich educational experience.”
President Obama and Transportation Secretary Foxx see new Green Line light rail vehicles while visiting St. Paul’s Union Depot. Courtesy of USDOT
Over the weekend the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul celebrated completion of the Central Corridor light rail line, the single largest public works project in the history of Minnesota. The new route -known now as the METRO Green Line– links the cities along one of the most heavily traveled corridors in the region and will significantly improve access to jobs and other opportunities for thousands of residents.
A project like the METRO Green Line doesn’t happen without cooperation and coordination, and this one was made possible by an extraordinary partnership among state, county, city, and federal governments as well as local organizations and community members.
The Obama Administration is proud to have provided nearly $480 million that has created thousands of good jobs for construction workers in Minnesota building this long-awaited link.
And not only does the new line connect people to opportunities-like jobs and education-it will also save them time spent in traffic and money spent at the gas pump.
The Central Corridor has also been an engine of economic development; since the line was announced, it has helped attract more than a hundred economic development projects that are planned or being built and generated billions of dollars in private investment.
This is the kind of strategic investment in public transit that brings enduring jobs and improves quality of life for generations to come.
But to keep making those kinds of investments –in Minnesota and across the country– the Federal government must provide long-term, predictable funding that’s sufficient to meet the needs of a quickly growing nation. That’s why Secretary Foxx sent Congress the GROW AMERICA Act.
GROW AMERICA is a bold plan that would provide $302 billion for transportation over four years, close the looming shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund, and help rebuild and maintain aging infrastructure –all without adding to the budget deficit.
Under GROW AMERICA, public transit would see a 70 percent increase in funding, making it possible to continue investing in projects like the METRO Green Line that expand services. It would also allow us to address the $86 billion backlog in maintenance and repairs facing transit systems across country.
That’s critical, because today transit ridership is at its highest level in generations, and with an expanding population that trend will only increase. The only way to meet that demand is to balance expansion and upkeep so transit remains safe and reliable for everyone who needs it.
BART service to Oakland International Airport is expected to begin this Fall but just how much riders will pay for the 3.2 mile trip is still up in the air. At this Thursday’s 4 p.m. BART Board meeting, Directors will hear varying opinions on proposed fares from members of the public and BART staff. The Board is scheduled to vote to set the fare at its 9 a.m. meeting on June 12.
BART to Oakland International Airport will replace the existing AirBART buses, reducing travel and wait time by 67%, increase system capacity by more than three times and add seven additional vehicles per hour.
For a unique look at this project, now being tested, watch the video above.
This article is a repost, credit: BART. Video courtesy of BART.
1994, BART required a Bike Permit and these early bike racks at Fruitvale BART did not allow use of a U-Lock. Fruitvale BART now has a Bike Station, secure electronic lockers, and BART has an all hours bikes-on-board policy. Photo courtesy of BART
Bike to Work Day returns this Thursday, May 8 for the 20th year in a row and, for the first time ever, there are no blackout times for bikes on BART. Thanks to a Board decision last year, bikes are allowed on trains at any time (provided the train car isn’t crowded and it’s not the first car of the train).
Bike to Work Day is the largest event in California encouraging bike commuting. Of course, cyclists don’t need to take their bikes on BART in order to bike to work. Parking bikes at a BART station is safer and easier than ever.
After recently installing 320 BikeLink lockers, BART now has 1,150 BikeLink lockers at 36 stations. BikeLink lockers provide a secure space to leave bikes while using BART, whether it’s overnight or for just a few hours.
The addition of more than a thousand shared lockers and the lifting of the bike blackout times are a reminder of just how far the relationship between bikes and BART has come.
“We can all celebrate the first Oakland Bike to Work Day twenty years ago in 1994,” reminisced BART Director Robert Raburn. “Despite the rain that fogged Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris’s glasses as he rode to City Hall, he and the public were enthusiastic. The public wanted elected officials and policy makers to focus attention on bicycle safety and access improvements. In 1994 we set an example that promised to reduce pollution and the following year Bike to Work Day became a statewide event.”
An avid bike commuter, Director Raburn will greet cyclists at one of the hundreds of Energizer stations that will provide bike commuters with information and a goodie bags throughout the Bay Area Thursday morning. BART is hosting two events: Fruitvale Bike Station will offer snacks, drinks and more. The Downtown Berkeley Bike Station really lays out the red carpet: fresh pancakes, juice and steaming hot coffee.
While there’s something old and something new in store for the 2014 Bike to Work Day, it promises to be even better next year thanks to a new facility in the works. Later this year an attended bike station will open at 19th Street/Oakland Station. Like our other Bike Stations, it will offer free attended or valet bike parking, sell bike accessories and even offer skilled mechanics for quick repairs or maintenance. The Bike Station will be able to handle 120 bikes and will be located on the street level at the corner of 19th St. and Broadway.
Finally, Bike to Work Day is a good day to remember that having your bike stolen is a huge bummer, especially since theft is largely preventable. Use two U-locks; cable locks just don’t get the job done any more. For more tips on bike theft prevention, bike commuting and more, see www.bart.gov/bikes
Today, Senator Schatz announced the release of $236,277,358 in federal funds for the Honolulu Rail Transit project. This U.S. Department of Transportation funding will be used to continue building Hawai‘i’s first light rail system.
“Federal funding for the rail project continues to flow and we continue to receive assurance from the DOT and the FTA that it is full speed ahead,” said Senator Brian Schatz. “After 40 years in the making, the rail project is now quickly progressing, and I will continue to work towards making a rail system in Hawai‘i a reality.”
Senator Schatz serves on the Surface Transportation Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Earlier this year, Senator Schatz met with Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Federal Transit Administrator Pete Rogoff to receive their commitment to defend Honolulu rail transit’s funding.
First trams for stage one of the Gold Coast light rail transit system (GCLRT)
The world’s first trams to be designed and built to include surf board racks
Bombardier FLEXITY 2 tram for Gold Coast Photo courtesy of Bombardier
Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation today presented the first BOMBARDIERFLEXITY 2 tram for the Gold Coast Light Rail system. At a ceremony to mark the launch of the new branding for operator franchisee, GoldLinQ, Dan Osborne, Managing Director of Bombardier Transportation Australia, introduced the new light rail vehicle to an audience of Gold Coast local officials, dignitaries and community representatives as well as project stakeholders.
The GCLRT project is part of an 18-year public private partnership contract between the Queensland State Government and GoldLinQ. As operator franchisee of stage one of the GCLRT, GoldLinQ, a consortium that includes Bombardier Transportation, is responsible for the design, construction, operations and maintenance. The first phase of the project will connect Gold Coast University Hospital to Broadbeach. The line will be serviced by a fleet of 14 seven-module FLEXITY 2 trams, to be delivered by Bombardier over the next four months.
FLEXITY 2 is the latest tram technology from Bombardier, the market leader in the light rail segment.
Unloading of tram at Port of Brisbane Photo courtesy of Bombardier
After a two-and-a-half-month sea journey, the first two FLEXITY 2 trams for the Gold Coast arrived in the Port of Brisbane on September 10, 2013 and were transported to the depot in complete units, using a specially designed 20 axle steerable trailer. The first tram will undergo testing and commissioning on the first section of the corridor, running from the depot along Queen and Nerang streets to Southport.
A further six trams, built in Germany, are on their way to Australia, with the remaining trams scheduled to be delivered by early 2014. Passenger services on stage one are expected to commence from mid-2014.
Based on Bombardier’s highly successful FLEXITY family of light rail vehicles that combines proven technology with continuous improvement and innovation, the Gold Coast tram has been specifically styled by Bombardier’s Industrial Design team in Brisbane to include a wave motif on the cab front. The tram is 43.4 m long and 2.65 m wide with seven modules for higher capacity and better passenger flow. It features the signature blue and gold colours of the Gold Coast and is the first tram in the world designed and built to carry surf boards on specially designed racks. These trams also feature the most powerful air-conditioning system for this class of tram, suitable for Australia’s hot summers.
As well as having 100% low floor technology for optimal ride comfort, the FLEXITY 2 trams reflect Bombardier’s commitment to sustainability in public transport. The twin benefits of saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions, for example through the integration of the energy efficient BOMBARDIERMITRAC propulsion system, also help reduce operating costs. More than 4,000 Bombardier trams and light rail vehicles are in revenue service or on order in more than 75 cities across Europe, Australia and North America.
About Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation, a global leader in rail technology, offers the broadest portfolio in the rail industry and delivers innovative products and services that set new standards in sustainable mobility. In Australia, Bombardier employs over 800 people to manufacture and maintain a wide range of rolling stock products for urban and suburban operations. Bombardier Transportation is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and has a very diverse customer base with products or services in more than 60 countries. It has an installed base of over 100,000 vehicles worldwide.
About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.
Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, we posted revenues of $16.8 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.
Sound Transit Light Rail Photo courtesy of Sound Transit
Murray announces major funding for construction of HOV lanes and ramps that will make way for light rail across the I-90 bridge
Funding comes from TIGER grant program that Senator Murray created in 2009 to fund projects that are of regional economic importance and that help create and save jobs
U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, announced (8-30-13) that Sound Transit, in cooperation with WSDOT, will receive $14 million as part of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. The funding will be used on the I-90 Bridge Project where WSDOT and Sound Transit are adding HOV lanes in both directions as well as other roadway improvements in preparation for the East Link light rail extension that will run between Seattle and Redmond.
U.S. Senator Patty Murray Photo courtesy of Senator Patty Murray
“I’m thrilled that this funding is going to a project that is supporting local jobs today and that in the long-run is going to help ease the commutes of families and workers on the Eastside,” said Senator Murray. “I created the TIGER grant program to help fund projects like this, projects that clear the way for multiple modes of transportation to work together to make travel more efficient and safer. I know this is an area where the rush hour commute can steal vital time out of the day and that’s why we have to work to build a corridor that accommodates car traffic, buses, carpool lanes and eventually light rail.”
The TIGER Grant Program was created by Senator Murray to provide competitively awarded grants through the U.S Department of Transportation to transportation projects throughout the country that support economic growth and employ local workers. Senator Murray expressed support for the I-90 project, and others throughout Washington state, recently in a call to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
The I-90 project will construct eight miles of HOV lanes and ramps (four miles in each direction), preserve pavement, and build innovative fire/life/safety and seismic improvements on the bridge and tunnels that connect Seattle and Bellevue. The project significantly improves transit and HOV reliability and reduces congestion. The project also prepares the center roadway of I-90 for Sound Transit’s East Link light rail expansion to Redmond.
TACOMA TRESTLE REPLACEMENT
$10 million in funding was also announced today for work to replace the Tacoma Trestle Bridge, a timber bridge built in Tacoma in the early 20th century. The replacement project would improve reliability by allowing for two main tracks in an area of Tacoma where intercity passenger trains currently share a track with commuter and freight trains.
