Friday, December 24, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Bus Driver Nightmare
7-year-old struck, killed by Milwaukee County bus
UPDATE:
Police and transit officials are investigating the cause of a crash that killed a child and injured two others. Police say they've seen no evidence of negligence by the bus driver.
WISN report HERE.
UPDATE:
Police and transit officials are investigating the cause of a crash that killed a child and injured two others. Police say they've seen no evidence of negligence by the bus driver.
WISN report HERE.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Metro Transit Shuts Down Service in Storm
Snowstorm Stops Metro Transit Buses
Metro Transit suspended its bus operations at 1:41 p.m. Saturday, due to poor street conditions. Spokesman Bob Gibbons said bus operators were completing their current trips and heading to the garage until conditions improve.
Hiawatha light-rail and Northstar commuter rail service continues.
Buses will leave garages beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. Light rail and Northstar service are expected to operate as scheduled. per Metro Transit website
Metro Transit suspended its bus operations at 1:41 p.m. Saturday, due to poor street conditions. Spokesman Bob Gibbons said bus operators were completing their current trips and heading to the garage until conditions improve.
Hiawatha light-rail and Northstar commuter rail service continues.
Buses will leave garages beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. Light rail and Northstar service are expected to operate as scheduled. per Metro Transit website
I-35W at 46th Street StationGrand Opening
I-35W at 46th Street Station
A new transit station on I-35W at 46th Street in Minneapolis is the first of its kind for the Twin Cities region.
The new station is between the northbound and southbound lanes, which will allow buses to pick up and drop off customers without leaving the freeway. Customers can board express buses on the freeway level or transfer to local buses on the 46th Street bridge. Watch a simulation of buses serving the station.
Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting
I-35W & 46th Street Station
11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11
46th Street bridge will be closed during the event.
Bus service is available on routes 11 and 46.
Ride free to the event. Download a pass.
Size Two levels (53-foot x 300-foot) provide movement between express buses on the freeway level and 46th Street buses on the bridge.
Access There are two stairway and elevator towers, one on each side of 46th Street, that provide movement between the upper-level bridge and lower-level freeway platform.
Traffic controls Gates and traffic signals control traffic access to the I-35W level of the station.
Customer areas Heating and cooling is provided by a geothermal system to make waiting more comfortable. Lighting is provided by high efficiency LED fixtures.
Real-time updates NexTrip signs display real-time information so you always know when your bus will depart.
Structure Cast-in-place concrete structure supported on a concrete platform placed on a foundation of drilled helical piers. The roof is formed by curved steel beams and purlins supported by round steel columns. The enclosure is an aluminum frame window wall system.
UPDATE: CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER
A new transit station on I-35W at 46th Street in Minneapolis is the first of its kind for the Twin Cities region.
The new station is between the northbound and southbound lanes, which will allow buses to pick up and drop off customers without leaving the freeway. Customers can board express buses on the freeway level or transfer to local buses on the 46th Street bridge. Watch a simulation of buses serving the station.
Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting
I-35W & 46th Street Station
11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11
46th Street bridge will be closed during the event.
Bus service is available on routes 11 and 46.
Ride free to the event. Download a pass.
Size Two levels (53-foot x 300-foot) provide movement between express buses on the freeway level and 46th Street buses on the bridge.
Access There are two stairway and elevator towers, one on each side of 46th Street, that provide movement between the upper-level bridge and lower-level freeway platform.
Traffic controls Gates and traffic signals control traffic access to the I-35W level of the station.
Customer areas Heating and cooling is provided by a geothermal system to make waiting more comfortable. Lighting is provided by high efficiency LED fixtures.
Real-time updates NexTrip signs display real-time information so you always know when your bus will depart.
Structure Cast-in-place concrete structure supported on a concrete platform placed on a foundation of drilled helical piers. The roof is formed by curved steel beams and purlins supported by round steel columns. The enclosure is an aluminum frame window wall system.
UPDATE: CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Met Council awards last major construction contract for project
The Metropolitan Council today awarded PCL Construction Services Inc. of Burnsville, Minn., a $43.1 million contract to convert a vacant former factory in St. Paul into the operations and maintenance facility for the Central Corridor LRT Project.
The contract includes $1.2 million for PCL to install a vehicle hoist at the Hiawatha LRT's Franklin facility, a betterment requested and funded by Metro Transit. It also includes work necessary for systems testing by the summer of 2013 in order to maintain the start of revenue service in 2014 and avoid a construction delay and cost escalation impacts. PCL's bid includes $41.9 million of Central Corridor project expense (including up to $1.2 million in sales tax), compared with the operations and maintenance facility project budget of $45.8 million.
This is the last major construction contract award for the project. Of the $590 million worth of construction and LRV contract awards including the operations facility, the project has experienced a cumulative underrun of $34 million.
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise goal for this contract was 15 percent. PCL, the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, reported a DBE participation of about 6 percent but passed the DBE evaluation based on participation and documentation of good-faith efforts. None of the other bidders met the 15 percent goal either.
The Met Council also authorized the regional administrator to issue a Limited Notice to Proceed in an amount of $1.6 million. Award of the contract and issuance of the notice will proceed immediately due to receipt of the Federal Transit Administration Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) last week.
Sufficient funding commitment from local sources is available to award the construction contract under the LONP. The LONP ensures the eligibility of these expenditures for federal funding reimbursement upon execution of the Full Funding Grant Agreement expected in the first quarter of 2011. The FTA and local funding partners support the operation and maintenance facility package, the contract award under the Letter of No Prejudice and issuance of the Limited Notice to Proceed.
In other Central Corridor LRT construction news, Carl Bolander & Sons substantially completed utility relocation and road construction in November on Fourth Street in downtown St. Paul. Temporary two-way traffic was restored. Work to lay the tracks, build stations and install the electrical and communication systems will occur in 2011-2012.
Walsh Construction began work after Labor Day east of the state Capitol on Robert and 12th streets north of Interstate 94. Most of the heavy construction by Walsh on University Avenue will occur in 2011 between Emerald Street and Hamline Avenue and in 2012 between Hamline and Robert.
Ames-McCrossan, a joint venture, began prep work last week to retrofit the Washington Avenue Bridge to accommodate LRT trains by strengthening the bridge piers. This work will not affect vehicular or pedestrian/bicycle traffic on the bridge during the fall 2010 semester. The bulk of the construction on the Minneapolis segment will start in spring 2011.
The contract includes $1.2 million for PCL to install a vehicle hoist at the Hiawatha LRT's Franklin facility, a betterment requested and funded by Metro Transit. It also includes work necessary for systems testing by the summer of 2013 in order to maintain the start of revenue service in 2014 and avoid a construction delay and cost escalation impacts. PCL's bid includes $41.9 million of Central Corridor project expense (including up to $1.2 million in sales tax), compared with the operations and maintenance facility project budget of $45.8 million.
This is the last major construction contract award for the project. Of the $590 million worth of construction and LRV contract awards including the operations facility, the project has experienced a cumulative underrun of $34 million.
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise goal for this contract was 15 percent. PCL, the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, reported a DBE participation of about 6 percent but passed the DBE evaluation based on participation and documentation of good-faith efforts. None of the other bidders met the 15 percent goal either.
The Met Council also authorized the regional administrator to issue a Limited Notice to Proceed in an amount of $1.6 million. Award of the contract and issuance of the notice will proceed immediately due to receipt of the Federal Transit Administration Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) last week.
Sufficient funding commitment from local sources is available to award the construction contract under the LONP. The LONP ensures the eligibility of these expenditures for federal funding reimbursement upon execution of the Full Funding Grant Agreement expected in the first quarter of 2011. The FTA and local funding partners support the operation and maintenance facility package, the contract award under the Letter of No Prejudice and issuance of the Limited Notice to Proceed.
In other Central Corridor LRT construction news, Carl Bolander & Sons substantially completed utility relocation and road construction in November on Fourth Street in downtown St. Paul. Temporary two-way traffic was restored. Work to lay the tracks, build stations and install the electrical and communication systems will occur in 2011-2012.
Walsh Construction began work after Labor Day east of the state Capitol on Robert and 12th streets north of Interstate 94. Most of the heavy construction by Walsh on University Avenue will occur in 2011 between Emerald Street and Hamline Avenue and in 2012 between Hamline and Robert.
Ames-McCrossan, a joint venture, began prep work last week to retrofit the Washington Avenue Bridge to accommodate LRT trains by strengthening the bridge piers. This work will not affect vehicular or pedestrian/bicycle traffic on the bridge during the fall 2010 semester. The bulk of the construction on the Minneapolis segment will start in spring 2011.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
New Fare Option
Starting in December 1, Metro Transit will be offering new fare option. Passengers will be able to purchase a 7-Day pass on the Go-To-Card. The cost for the pass will be $22.00. This pass will be good on Local and Non-Peak Express Buses. This is an effort to expand the use of Go-To-Card with passenger who have a fixed income and is not able to purchase the 31-Day Pass.
UPDATE: Here is information on Metro Transit website for the New 7-Day Pass.
UPDATE: Here is information on Metro Transit website for the New 7-Day Pass.
Northstar Commuter Rail Model Train
Looking for a Christmas present you can get Northstar Commuter Rail # 505 and Bombardier 3-Car Set model train. Northstar Commuter Rail model train are manufactured by Athearn Trains (HO Scale) are available at the Metro Transit On-line Store.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Minneapolis aims to upgrade transit service
Minneapolis aims to upgrade transit service
Minneapolis proposal would add waiting space, shelters and signs, but a business representative said she has concerns about the effect on property owners.
ACCESS MINNEAPOLIS:
DOWNTOWN EAST-WEST TRANSIT SPINE PLAN
Minneapolis proposal would add waiting space, shelters and signs, but a business representative said she has concerns about the effect on property owners.
ACCESS MINNEAPOLIS:
DOWNTOWN EAST-WEST TRANSIT SPINE PLAN
55th Anniversary: Rosa Park Refuses to Move
Biography: Rosa Parks:
This is actual bus that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger in 1955. The bus in now in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI.
This is actual bus that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger in 1955. The bus in now in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI.
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