Transit Briefs: LA Metro, Amtrak, TTC, VRE

(LA Metro)

LA Metro launches TAP to exit pilot at its North Hollywood B Line station. Also, Amtrak’s Borealis service makes its inaugural trip between St. Paul, Miss., and Chicago, Ill.; the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) provides an update on its ongoing labor negotiations with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATC) Local 113; and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) cuts the ribbon on improvements to Fredericksburg Station.

LA Metro

LA Metro announced May 21 that, beginning Tuesday, May 28, it is launching a new pilot program at North Hollywood B Line station fare gates to see if requiring people to also tap OUT would help confirm that valid fare was paid.

“Everyone is required to TAP to get INTO the rail system, and we are working on ramping up compliance to that,” the agency stated in a release.

According to LA Metro, tapping to exit is not new—it’s a common feature in other major transit systems across the nation, including Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) and Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority (MARTA).

How it works:

• “If you tapped your card and fare was deducted when you started your trip, tapping out will confirm fare was paid and open the fare gates.
• “If you have not tapped your card when you started your trip, you are in violation of the Code of Conduct, and you could be warned, cited, or removed from the system. If you have a valid TAP card, your fare will be deducted when you tap out at the turnstiles, yet this still constitutes a violation. Be sure to buy or reload your TAP card before boarding.
• “Metrolink riders may present their valid fare to our Transit Security Officers or use the paid area gate intercoms next to the fare gates to exit.”

Amtrak

Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner joined Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, FRA Administrator Amit Bose, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation to celebrate the start of Borealis service on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

Sponsored by the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, the Borealis service, whose name “was determined in a collaborative process,” was first announced earlier this month.

The new state-sponsored trains will originate from St. Paul, Minn., at midday and from Chicago, Ill., in the late morning via Milwaukee, Wisc. Amtrak Borealis trains will offer Coach and Business Class in addition to a café car featuring regional items.

According to Amtrak, customers will enjoy wide reclining seats with ample legroom, no middle seats, free Wi-Fi, and views of the Mississippi River between St. Paul, Minn., and La Crosse, Wisc., in daylight in both directions across Wisconsin.

“Amtrak welcomes Minnesota to the Amtrak state partner family, as we introduce residents and visitors to the convenience of more train travel options between the Twin Cities and Chicago, via Milwaukee onboard the new Borealis service,” said Gardner, who rode the first Borealis train yesterday. “This is a success story, and thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law we are diligently working to offer new and expanded intercity passenger rail service like Borealis with our partners across the country.”

More information is available here.

TTC

TTC CEO Rick Leary provided the following statement regarding the Commission’s ongoing labor negotiations with ATU Local 113.

“Since February, bargaining teams from the TTC and ATU Local 113 have been working hard to reach a fair, negotiated collective agreement. ATU Local 113 is our largest union partner, representing approximately 11,500 operators, collectors, maintenance workers, station staff, and other frontline employees.

“Today, the provincially appointed conciliator [which was appointed last month after contract talks stalled] issued a no-board report. A no-board report starts a 17-day countdown to a potential labor disruption such as a strike. In this case, it means that as of June 7 at 12:00 a.m., members of ATU Local 113 will be in a position to move forward with some form of labor disruption.

“It’s important to note that this does not mean there will automatically be a labor disruption; it only indicates the earliest date such a disruption could begin.

“Currently, bargaining teams from ATU and the TTC remain at the table, where we continue to negotiate a new collective agreement to replace the one that expired on March 31, 2024.

“Since January, the TTC has successfully renewed agreements with three of our six bargaining units – CUPE Local 5089 (Special Constables and Fare Inspectors), IAMAW Lodge 235 (millwrights, machinists, and other skilled shop employees) and CUPE Local 2 (electrical skilled trades).

“However, we need to be honest with all our employees and customers. Past experience tells us that if there is a labor disruption with ATU Local 113, there will be service impacts. What exactly those impacts could be will depend on the extent and nature of the disruption and are not yet known.

“The TTC values the important work that all our employees do every day to deliver safe and reliable service—the employees in ATU Local 113 are an integral part of our operations.

“We remain committed to keeping everyone updated on negotiations as they progress. We encourage both our employees and customers to check our website at www.ttc.ca/bargaining for the most current updates.”

VRE

Representatives of VRE and a host of dignitaries gathered at the Fredericksburg rail station on May 21 to celebrate recent improvements that “enhance the passenger experience, increase safety for VRE riders and pedestrians, and restore the iconic image of the station and surrounding infrastructure.”

The $14.4 million project included rehabilitating the existing platforms, stairs and all four rail bridges; constructing new stairs to provide direct access from the platform to a parking lot; improving ADA access to the west side elevator; adding signage, sidewalks and lighting; and refreshing the platform canopies and other areas with paint.

The improvements, VRE says, have succeeded in restoring the Fredericksburg rail station and surrounding structures to a state that closely mirrors their appearance nearly a century earlier. They also will help maintain the structural integrity of the station and bridges in the decades to come.

“At VRE, we take great pride in our stations—particularly those, like the one in Fredericksburg, that hearken back to another place in time,” said VRE CEO Rich Dalton. “The recent outpouring of unsolicited comments from riders, local businesses and residents, and other stakeholders reinforces that this project has exceeded expectations.”

“The benefits of these improvements go beyond the station itself,” said Matthew Kelly, former member of the VRE Operations Board and current member of Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. “They help relieve traffic congestion and provide economic development and tourism opportunities while preserving the historic character of the city, which is critical to its future.”

The Fredericksburg Station Improvements Project is part of the commonwealth’s $4 billion Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative and among the first to be completed since the program was announced in 2019.

“The upgrades at the Fredericksburg station, in particular the extended platforms, will significantly enhance the passenger experience at the station,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA). “This kind of infrastructure improvement complements the work VPRA is doing to improve passenger rail service along the corridor between Fredericksburg and Washington, D.C. We look forward to partnering with VRE on future projects as we expand service through Fredericksburg and the commonwealth.”

“Transforming Rail in Virginia is a multifaceted project—we can add new stations, lay more track, and put more trains on those tracks to connect those stations,” said Jennifer DeBruhl, Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). “However, we need to make sure that in creating additional options and alternatives, we implement them with all Virginians in mind. VRE, here at the Fredericksburg station, has taken a massive leap forward toward doing just that.”