This is an ongoing series that will keep you informed about the goings-on in the transit industry. Hopefully, it will provide little perspective on the larger environment in which DART operates.

The news this week: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) gets its first new chief administrator in 10 years – for the first time in history, a woman of color; a city in Ohio becomes a national focus of the “smart city” movement; and agencies throughout the land embrace new service models and technologies. Here’s the latest:

Fernandez confirmed to lead FTA

On June 10, the U.S. Senate confirmed Nuria Fernandez confirmed to lead the Federal Transit Administration. She’s the first Senate-confirmed woman of color to land the position. Metro Magazine cites her extensive credentials:

“Fernandez previously served as GM and CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in San Jose, California. Prior to leading VTA, Fernandez served in leadership positions at some of the busiest transit agencies in America, including the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Chicago Transit Authority, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, consecutively.”

Columbus models smart city principles

The city of Columbus, Oh., has emerged as a national “laboratory” for smart city initiatives. The programs the city has introduced include the nation’s first self-driving shuttle in a suburban area, implementation of a multimodal, mobile transportation planning app, and a pilot “connected vehicle” environment that allows vehicles to “talk” to each other. Mass Transit magazine quotes Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther:

“These innovations served to advance prosperity in our community, help expectant mothers access health care and food, distribute meals and masks to neighbors in need, and help essential workers get to work during the pandemic. When we deploy technology in partnership with the community, we can address some of our most pressing challenges.”

Elsewhere in transit…

• Milwaukee County, Minn., breaks ground on a new bus rapid transit (BRT) line.
• Bay Metro Transit in Bay City, Mich. moves closer to restoring pre-pandemic service levels.
• Porterville, Calif., expands its zero-emission microtransit services.

This is an ongoing series that will keep you informed about the goings-on in the transit industry. Hopefully, it will provide little perspective on the larger environment in which DART operates.

The news this week: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) gets its first new chief administrator in 10 years – for the first time in history, a woman of color; a city in Ohio becomes a national focus of the “smart city” movement; and agencies throughout the land embrace new service models and technologies. Here’s the latest:

Fernandez confirmed to lead FTA

On June 10, the U.S. Senate confirmed Nuria Fernandez confirmed to lead the Federal Transit Administration. She’s the first Senate-confirmed woman of color to land the position. Metro Magazine cites her extensive credentials:

“Fernandez previously served as GM and CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in San Jose, California. Prior to leading VTA, Fernandez served in leadership positions at some of the busiest transit agencies in America, including the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Chicago Transit Authority, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, consecutively.”

Columbus models smart city principles

The city of Columbus, Oh., has emerged as a national “laboratory” for smart city initiatives. The programs the city has introduced include the nation’s first self-driving shuttle in a suburban area, implementation of a multimodal, mobile transportation planning app, and a pilot “connected vehicle” environment that allows vehicles to “talk” to each other. Mass Transit magazine quotes Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther:

“These innovations served to advance prosperity in our community, help expectant mothers access health care and food, distribute meals and masks to neighbors in need, and help essential workers get to work during the pandemic. When we deploy technology in partnership with the community, we can address some of our most pressing challenges.”

Elsewhere in transit…

• Milwaukee County, Minn., breaks ground on a new bus rapid transit (BRT) line.
• Bay Metro Transit in Bay City, Mich. moves closer to restoring pre-pandemic service levels.
• Porterville, Calif., expands its zero-emission microtransit services.

This is an ongoing series that will keep you informed about the goings-on in the transit industry. Hopefully, it will provide little perspective on the larger environment in which DART operates.

The news this week: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) gets its first new chief administrator in 10 years – for the first time in history, a woman of color; a city in Ohio becomes a national focus of the “smart city” movement; and agencies throughout the land embrace new service models and technologies. Here’s the latest:

Fernandez confirmed to lead FTA

On June 10, the U.S. Senate confirmed Nuria Fernandez confirmed to lead the Federal Transit Administration. She’s the first Senate-confirmed woman of color to land the position. Metro Magazine cites her extensive credentials:

“Fernandez previously served as GM and CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in San Jose, California. Prior to leading VTA, Fernandez served in leadership positions at some of the busiest transit agencies in America, including the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Chicago Transit Authority, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, consecutively.”

Columbus models smart city principles

The city of Columbus, Oh., has emerged as a national “laboratory” for smart city initiatives. The programs the city has introduced include the nation’s first self-driving shuttle in a suburban area, implementation of a multimodal, mobile transportation planning app, and a pilot “connected vehicle” environment that allows vehicles to “talk” to each other. Mass Transit magazine quotes Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther:

“These innovations served to advance prosperity in our community, help expectant mothers access health care and food, distribute meals and masks to neighbors in need, and help essential workers get to work during the pandemic. When we deploy technology in partnership with the community, we can address some of our most pressing challenges.”

Elsewhere in transit…

• Milwaukee County, Minn., breaks ground on a new bus rapid transit (BRT) line.
• Bay Metro Transit in Bay City, Mich. moves closer to restoring pre-pandemic service levels.
• Porterville, Calif., expands its zero-emission microtransit services.