Sam Schwartz

"Weekend ridership is off the charts." There's an important lesson here for commuter rail systems (like SunRail!) and all transit agencies. Ridership growth exists outside the old M-F/9-5 commuter base. Transit must evolve to meet post-pandemic transportation demand, which includes mid-day, late night, and weekend trips. https://lnkd.in/eeJ5AJxu

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Reason #7: Short Line Eligibility CRISI is the only major infrastructure grant program where short line railroads are eligible applicants. Seven Reasons to Love CRISI Grants via Railway Age https://lnkd.in/emj-Mxby

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On the Move: Strengthening Transit and Transportation  As #InfrastructureWeek unfolds, Group PMX proudly joins the chorus in raising awareness about the critical role of infrastructure in how we all live, work, and play. We begin by spotlighting efforts to fortify the NY region’s rail and transit systems. A robust transit system isn’t just about moving from point A to B. It’s the backbone of economic vitality and community unity. Let’s advocate for smart, well-planned projects that cut emissions, alleviate congestion, spur economic growth, and enhance safety and quality of life. Our commitment extends beyond mere advocacy—we actively collaborate to address our nation’s toughest challenges, working with esteemed clients, such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, NJ TRANSIT, Amtrak, and The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and premier partners, including WSP in the U.S., HDR, Urban Engineers, AECOM Tishman, VHB, Arcadis, Bechtel Corporation, Jacobs, TYLin, and HNTB. From orchestrating renovations at Penn Station to managing key transit projects across the region, Group PMX’s expertise in project management, commercial management, scheduling, and cost control ensures efficient progress. Let’s work together to drive our region forward—one critical transit project at a time. Join the movement! 

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Grove’s Civil Engineering Senior Design Class partnered with NYS Department of Transportation to address critical upgrades along the Van Wyck Expressway (VWE) from Federal Circle to Hoover Avenue in Queens. As a critical conduit for commercial and passenger travel to and from JFK Airport— a key international hub offering access to over 100 international destinations that is projected to handle over 75 million passengers by 2030—the VWE requires upgrades vital for reducing congestion and improving access. They aimed to enhance vehicular capacity for passenger and freight movements essential to the region's economic vitality and to rectify operational, geometric, and structural issues. Sameh Abdellal, E.I.T, Zane Amray, E.I.T., Andy Calle, David Castano, Justin Chen, Marica Criollo, Rebecca Gindoff, EIT, Ukesh Gothe, Fatmah Hassanin, E.I.T., Muhammad Idrees, Abdelrahman Lamada, Justin Lin, Christopher Mekhtiyev, Yehuda Simcha Pollack, Meri Stojanova, E.I.T, Derrick Williams, E.I.T., and Linda Yuen, E.I.T formed three teams to tackle this project: ▶      Transportation Team: Traffic analysis, alignment and roadway design. ▶       Structural Team: Deck, girder and pier design. ▶      Environmental Team: Air, noise and soil pollution studies. Together, they developed a design that offered a strategic solution to reduce travel time and enhance access to JFK Airport through: ▶       Increased Capacity: Adding lanes in each direction ▶       Bridge Improvements: Designing three new bridges over North Conduit Avenue, the Belt Parkway, and South Conduit Avenue ▶       Traffic & Structural Analysis: Conducting traffic modeling, crash analysis, and designing new bridge components These proposed enhancements will significantly improve travel efficiency and support JFK Airport’s growing demand. 🛣️🚧 🌉 #GSOEIndustryDay2024 #Civil Engineering #TransportationEngineering #Infrastructure #JFKAirport #UrbanPlanning #TrafficManagement #EngineeringExcellence #Innovation #Solutions #TeamProjects

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The New Jersey State Planning Commission has recently released a draft of their new State Development and Redevelopment Plan, the first in nearly 23 years. The new document would guide state policy on infrastructure and land use statewide, while recognizing the needs to adapt to climate change and to ensure equitable treatment for underserved communities. Before the plan is finalized, all its proposed policies will be subject to a legally required impact analysis on their costs and benefits, to be conducted by Rowan and Rutgers universities. #SouthJersey #EconomicDevelopment # #StatePlanning #CommunityGrowth https://lnkd.in/eejg9dVM

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The recent footage, shared by NYS Department of Transportation and Good Morning America, is a powerful reminder of the daily dangers faced by our highway workers. These individuals aren't just on the job—they're our neighbors, friends, and family. They work tirelessly for us, often putting themselves in risky situations to keep our roads safe and accessible. We owe it to them to prioritize their safety with the same commitment they show us. Slowing down in work zones isn't optional; it's ESSIENTAL! Would you have been able to react as quickly as he did? What would you have done if you were in his shoes? https://lnkd.in/d_X44aQZ #HighwaySafety #WorkerProtection #RoadSafety #WorkZoneAwareness #SlowDown #ProtectOurWorkers #RoadWorkSafety #WorkZoneSafety

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A new federal program for transit is a big shot in the arm for commuters and construction workers. Learn more in the Bottom Line with Jerry Keenan.

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Random traffic law: When approaching a railroad crossing motorists are required to be in the right lane https://lnkd.in/e5TEanGv #VTL #TrafficLaw

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U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition unveils roadmap with guidance on how to launch high-speed rail project June 17, 2024 The first-of-its-kind action plan is intended to equip advocates with practical tips, realistic expectations and strategic support as they work to launch new high-speed train projects in their regions. The U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition unveiled a roadmap with guidance on how to launch a high-speed rail project. The first-of-its-kind action plan is intended to equip advocates with practical tips, realistic expectations and strategic support as they work to launch new high-speed train projects in their regions.  “High-speed rail lines are complex megaprojects with unique challenges,” said Bernard Cohen, senior advisor for planning and operations at Alternate Concepts Inc., as well as former Massachusetts Department of Transportation secretary and the principal author of the roadmap. “We’ve created a practical guide that demystifies what’s involved in launching a new high-speed rail project.”  The report, “High-Speed Rail Projection Initiation: A Roadmap for Advocates”, focuses on five key building blocks of success:   Organization   Technical planning   Strategic engagement   Project funding   Compelling communications  The report argues that long-term, strategic advocacy campaigns are required to launch new high-speed projects. When designing campaigns, advocates must be fully aware of potential pitfalls, as well as likely sources of support and opposition.    The roadmap notes that a recent survey by Public Policy Polling for the Coalition found that 72 percent of U.S. registered voters support the creation of a nationwide high-speed rail network in the U.S. According to Ezra Silk, political director of the U.S. High-Speed Rail Coalition, a major goal of the report is to help build a grassroots movement for a national high-speed rail network.  “Launching high-speed rail involves technical experts but you don’t need to be a transportation planner to take the lead in bringing high-speed rail to your community,” Silk said. “Millions of Americans want high-speed rail and this report will help give them the tools they need to turn their bullet train dreams into reality.”  The roadmap was designed by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. In May, the 600,000-member union announced a voluntary recognition agreement with Siemens Mobility to represent workers who will build the trainsets for the Brightline West high-speed rail project that will connect Las Vegas, Nev., to southern California by 2028. 

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📌 Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT Addressing Service Delays ⏳ #Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT are proactively investigating the root causes of service #delays in New Jersey and New York Penn Station.This examination focuses on parts of the Northeast Corridor (NEC), with the goal of improving reliability and on-time service. 📋 Details - Extensive inspections of #catenary systems, signals, and switches, alongside NJ TRANSIT equipment, particularly the pantographs. - Installation of high-resolution #cameras at key stations for detailed inspection of pantographs. - Expansion of #helicopter inspection programs to capture high-resolution images for meticulous review. - Ongoing #consultations with industry experts to identify and address chronic delay issues. - Testing enhancements for transformers, and expanding overnight work windows for accelerated repairs. - Regular reports detailing progress and identified issues. Source: Rtands #Infrastructure #PublicTransport #NJTRANSIT _ _ _ 👍 Like if you find value, re-post ♻️, and follow for more interesting tech, and innovation insights.

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US TRAFFIC MODELLING: A BLACK BOX GONE BAD? The recent edition of Dissent Magazine has an interesting discussion about the state of US traffic modelling. The problem the authors - Joseph Cortright and Benjamin Ross - raise is above my pay grade but one one of the questions they infer is, perhaps transportation planners / traffic engineers / community leadership are trying too hard to forecast the future? We can all agree that the last 20 years there have been at least 2 major world wide events that have derailed our future forecasts: both professional and personal. The one point they raised that we can all agree with is "Indeed, the best possible forecast may be one that forgoes elaborate computations altogether: in crowded urban areas, traffic congestion will remain the same, whether highways get wider or narrower. This prediction is far from perfect; no one doubts, for instance, that widening a highway at a bottleneck point can move the traffic jam elsewhere. But in our experience, it is substantially more accurate on average than current traffic modeling." Students of traffic engineering and planning go talk among yourselves and with your professors about this topic. https://lnkd.in/gkFn4dcB

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Part 1 Credit to Nolan Hicks Oct. 15, 2024 The Unbuilt Bridge That’s Strangling Penn Station https://lnkd.in/gmMTnZ6Z A transportation system is a link to a link to a link to a link. In the case of the Northeast Corridor rail line, it’s a choke point to a choke point to a choke point. The best-known one of those bottlenecks — the ancient, fragile tunnel under the Hudson that brings trains into Penn Station — is the focus of the Gateway Project, whereby the federal government, New York, and New Jersey are spending $16 billion to double the number of trains that can fit and improve their reliability. It is inarguably necessary, and it should have been built long ago. In fact, it nearly was. But the number of trains that can reach those tunnels will be the same as it is currently, 24 per hour in each direction, unless we deal with a second choke point: a bridge, way out past Secaucus, that carries trains to the tubes. Right now, they go over the Portal Bridge, built in 1910, spottily maintained through its long life, and currently being replaced at a cost of $2.4 billion. Those dollars are well spent. The old bridge needs to swing open every time a ship passes and regularly gets stuck, jamming up the whole Northeast Corridor. The new Portal North Bridge will be higher, so it won’t have to open and close, and it also won’t be a century and a quarter old. But it has only two tracks, same as the old one, and thus will add no capacity. What’s needed is a parallel span with two more tracks. It’s on the drawing board, known as the Portal South Bridge, and it is paired with a line extension, the Harrison Fourth Track. The bridge is completely unfunded — it would cost $2.5 billion, about as much as its northern partner — and the Harrison work is millions short. The $63 billion that “Amtrak Joe” Biden got into the infrastructure bill for passenger rail has all been allocated or spent, most of it on 50 years’ catchup work. Finding more money will require another act of Congress — and the forthcoming Congress will likely have at least one chamber controlled by Republicans, who have long been hostile to transit funding in general and Amtrak in particular. Getting this second span built then is going to require, in addition to electoral luck, a compelling case that’s been scrubbed and bulletproofed against the inevitable pushback.

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Ridership is returning to pre-pandemic levels and it’s important to remember safety first. As developers build and expand, it’s cost effective to consider the implications of working near rail lines and having to coordinate with the railroads. There are 7 major railroads in the U.S. and more than 500 short lines, which means over 150,000 miles of track with approximately 210,000 at-grade crossings. UNICUS Consulting can save you time and money when planning your next project or if problems have developed during current operations. We coordinate between the government, railroads, and developers to streamline the complicated and often confusing process of permitting, diagnostics, and project management. We are eager to make your lives easier!

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New York Sees Improvement in Condition of Local Bridges Billions More Needed for Maintenance and Repair, report from Office of the NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli July 25, 2024 One in 10 locally owned bridges in New York state is rated in poor condition, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The estimated cost for work needed on local bridges in the state in 2023 was approximately $29 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) data. “Ensuring safe and reliable public infrastructure is an ongoing concern for local governments across the country,” DiNapoli said. “Despite increased funding from the federal and state governments, there is a great deal more work that needs to be done in New York. Local governments need this funding to continue so sorely needed repairs and maintenance are completed.” As of 2023, New York had 17,573 highway bridges. Local governments, mostly counties, own 50.6% or 8,891 of the state’s bridges. New York Compared to the Nation Nationwide, 6.8% of bridges were rated in poor condition. Arizona had the smallest percentage of bridges in poor condition (1.1%), while West Virginia had the largest (19.7%), according to 2023 Federal Highway Administration data. Overall, 11 states had a higher percentage of bridges in poor condition than New York. When the state Department of Transportation inspects a bridge, it assigns a rating or score – ranging from 0 (worst) to 9 (best) – to major bridge components based on their capacity to carry vehicular loads. If any major component receives a score of 4 or below, the bridge is rated “poor.” In New York, 9% of all bridges were rated in poor condition in 2023, 2.2 percentage points higher than the national figure, but down slightly from 2017, according to FHWA data. A total of 81 bridges were closed in 2023, down from 95 in 2017, a 14.7% decrease. The majority were owned by either local governments (56.8%) or the state (37%). https://lnkd.in/gbbAzdPP https://lnkd.in/gU2KgzD3 NYS Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation

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This #SCDOT video explains why #utility issues often cause significant delays to #transportation #infrastructure #construction projects. #road #highway #roadway #multimodal #rightofway #stateDOT https://lnkd.in/exfJn5mp

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