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TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH E-CIRCULAR

Number E-C033 July 2001

This Is Transit

Presented at the 8th Joint Conference on Light Rail Transit November 2000 , Texas TRANSPORTATION NUMBER E-C033, July 2001 RESEARCH ISSN 0097-8515 E-CIRCULAR

This Is Light Rail Transit

Presented at the 8th Joint Conference on Light Rail Transit November 12Ð15, 2000 Dallas, Texas

Cosponsored by American Public Transportation Association Transportation Research Board

Light Rail Conference Planning Committee

Anthony J. Schill, Chair, Conference Planning Committee Immediate Past Chair, APTA Light Rail Transit Technical Forum General Manager, Niagara Frontier Transit Metro System, Inc., Buffalo, N.Y. Thomas Larwin, Cochair, Conference Planning Committee Immediate Past Chair, TRB Light Rail Transit Committee General Manager, Metropolitan Transit Development Board Douglas Allen, Dallas Area Susan S. Bauman, Dallas Area Rapid Transit Gregory Benz, Parsons Brinckerhoff Thomas Carmichael, County Metropolitan John D. Claflin, Regional Transportation District Thomas R. Hickey, Delaware River Authority Transit Corporation John Inglish, Transit Authority Rodney W. Kelly, Parsons Transportation Group Michael Magdziak, Transit Corporation Linda J. Meadow, Linda J. Meadow and Associates Jeffrey Mora, Federal Transit Administration Paul O’Brien, Thomas Parkinson, Consulting, Ltd. S. David Phraner, Edwards and Kelcey, Inc. John W. Schumann, LTK Engineering Services Joseph S. Silien, PB Transit and Rail Systems, Inc. Gregory L. Thompson, State University John D. Wilkins, New Jersey Transit Corporation Richard P. Wolsfeld, BRW, Inc. David R. Phelps, American Public Transportation Association Peter L. Shaw, Transportation Research Board

TRB website: www.TRB.org Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20418

The Transportation Research Board is a unit of the National Research Council, a private, nonprofit institution that is the principal operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. Under a congressional charter granted to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council provides scientific and technical advice to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities.

The Transportation Research Board is distributing this Circular to make the information contained herein available for use by individual practitioners in state and local transportation agencies, researchers in academic institutions, and other members of the transportation research community. The information in this Circular was taken directly from the submissions of the authors. This document is not a report of the National Research Council or of the National Academy of Sciences. This Is Light Rail Transit was prepared by the Light Rail Transit Photo courtesy of Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority Committee of the Transportation Research Board; Jack W. Boorse acted as principal author, and E. L. Tennyson and John Inset: America’s newest Light W. Schumann provided statistical research and analysis. This Rail Transit system serves booklet was first distributed at the Eighth National Conference downtown Jersey across the on Light Rail Transit in Dallas, Texas, in November 2000 on the Hudson River from Lower . conference proceedings CD-ROM. The conference was sponsored jointly by the Transportation Research Board and the Photo courtesy of Jack W. Boorse American Public Transportation Association.

Published by the Transportation Research Board, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20418, November 2000. In Britain the term “” is applied to any rail mode that is scaled down from the common size of mainline railroads. In previous years, even some of the lines that operated short freight pulled by diminutive steam were classified as light railways. It was not until the 1970s that the term “light rail transit” came into use in the . There was s its surname no formal definition of LRT at An aerial LRT indicates, Light Rail that time, but it was generally structure in understood to mean an urban . ATransit (LRT) is a transit mode. Its middle name rail transit form that was Photo courtesy of Parsons Brinckerhoff reflects that fact that it runs on leaner and less costly than rails. Why is it called “light”? other rail modes. That depends on who and A formal definition was where you ask. adopted in 1989 and placed in

LRT surface trackage in San Jose. Photo by 2 Wm. H. Watts An underground LRT station in Portland. Photo courtesy of Tri-Met

the Transportation Research or aerial structures, and even Board’s Urban Public the beds of drained canals. It Transportation Glossary: “A is this characteristic that most metropolitan electric railway clearly distinguishes it from system characterized by its other rail modes. Because of ability to operate single this design flexibility, LRT or short trains along exclusive generally is less costly to rights-of-way at ground level, build and operate than other on aerial structures, in fixed-guideway modes. subways, or occasionally, in The purpose of this and to board and informational booklet is to discharge passengers at provide an understanding of or floor level.” this increasingly popular LRT is designed to transit mode, with particular accommodate a variety of emphasis on its application in environments, including North American metropolitan streets, freeway medians, areas, and to address the railroad rights-of-way background of LRT’s (operating or abandoned), characteristics and pedestrian malls, underground capabilities. 3 n LRT metal wheels. These rails emerged as an identified offered a much gentler ride for Itransit mode in the 1970s, passengers and significantly but long before it existed in reduced the effort required of name it existed in fact. Its roots the horses to move the cars. extend back more than a Moreover, the fixed guideway hundred years. provided by the rails made it feasible to use mechanical power—in place of the OMNIBUS MODE horses—from a remote Transit service in the larger location. of the United States and Canada began in the 19th century with the advent of the CABLE CARS omnibus. The omnibus was an Some of the larger cities started enclosed, wooden-wheeled to develop lines. The wagon pulled by horses; it cars that served these lines were traveled on streets that were propelled by a “grip” instead of unpaved or that had, at best, a being pulled by a horse. The rough surface made of stones grip was a device placed or timber. For those travelers beneath the car that protruded who could not afford their own through a slot between the rails horse and buggy, the omnibus and into a chamber below the was the only alternative to surface. The chamber walking. contained a moving cable that, when clamped by the grip, would move the car forward. It was a functional method of As the 19th century progressed, propulsion, but it was new started to cumbersome. Before these emerge. Metal rails were cable car systems became installed in the streets to provide widespread, the more advanced a smooth riding surface for of electric traction 4 that rolled on flanged emerged. ELECTRIC TRACTION The seeds of LRT had been planted. Streetcars Once the concept of Developed in the 1880s, electric electrically powered railways traction technology allowed had been discovered, it was electricity—used to power applied in a variety of ways. onboard electric motors—to be Some main line railroads conducted to the streetcars by electrified portions of their means of an overhead wire. The trackage to gain the benefits of electric streetcar proved to be so clean and powerful electric superior to its predecessors, traction. This versatile power both the and the cable source also made it feasible to car, that electric railways were extend local railway lines constructed rapidly throughout beyond urban boundaries into the continent in all the large new and future and, in cities and even many moderate- some cases, cross county to sized ones. As the electric rail other urban areas. The resulting lines grew, development of high-speed, lines cable railways faltered while offered service that was the omnibus mode moved generally cheaper and more swiftly toward extinction. frequent than the service

A scene in downtown Newark during the streetcar era. Photo by Albert L. Creamer, courtesy of National Railway Historical Society, 5 North Jersey chapter. offered by parallel railroads Trolleys with the same destinations. The major application of electric traction, however, was Elevated Systems on the urban street railways that had supplanted the omnibus In the largest cities, where mode. The horsecar was major streets became congested, redesigned with electric motors railways were installed on beneath the floor, and a device structures above the streets. on the roof that trolled the New York and started to build their elevated overhead wire and collected systems—also called “L” energy to power the motors. systems—as early as the 1870s. Early on the trolling device For the most part, these systems came to be known as the trolley, used trains of railroad-type cars a term that eventually identified pulled by small steam the cars, the wires, and the locomotives, although in a few entire mode. In all the large cases, by cable. These elevated cities, including the three that lines were ideal candidates for were developing subways, the electric traction and were electric trolley became the quickly converted. dominant transit mode and would remain so for decades. During the second quarter of Subways the 20th century, the internal This new power delivery combustion engine and the method also opened other pneumatic tire were refined, and opportunities for urban paved streets and highways transport. As the 20th century were being constructed dawned, , New York, throughout the metropolitan and began to place areas with public funds. These railway tracks and stations in improvements inspired a return enclosed subways beneath the of the omnibus and family streets—a concept that would buggy, each with much have been unthinkable with improved motive power and 6 animal or steam power. running gear. The electric trolley slowly forfeited to the subways in their core areas. automobile not only its and dominance of the roadways but constructed lengthy trolley also much of its patronage. under steep hills at the Concurrently, the not only edge of their downtown districts became practical, but being a to connect street trackage there lower capacity conveyance it with growing residential areas was more appropriate on the on the other side of the hills. In weaker lines where riding had and the dwindled considerably. lines that survived were those In the decade before World which had long stretches of War II and in the two trackage in separate surface immediately after, it became a rights-of-way. matter of survival of the fittest By the beginning of the last for the trolley mode. Ridership quarter of the 20th century only decreased as automobile use those seven cities in the United increased and many of the States and , Canada, interurban lines were rendered had surviving trolley lines. unprofitable—all but a few It was at this time that the succumbed. The majority North American public of streetcar lines in urban transportation community areas were either converted to reawakened to the potential of bus operation or simply LRT. The depletion halted and abandoned. the trend reversed. New systems The trolley lines that were were initiated at an average rate least vulnerable to the erosion of nearly one per year (Table 1). were those that had substantial Just before the close of the sections of trackage that were 20th century two new on separate rights-of-way, free systems—one focused on of the increasingly congested and the other on street traffic. During the early Jersey City—began passenger decades of the 20th century, service and brought the total Boston, Newark, and number of operating systems 7 Philadelphia built trolley to 23. TABLE 1 Dates of New LRT System Openings Since 1975

City Date

Edmonton April 1978 May 1981 San Diego July 1981 Buffalo October 1984 Portland September 1986 Sacramento March 1987 San Jose December 1987 Los Angeles July 1990 Baltimore April 1992 St. Louis July 1993 Denver October 1994 Dallas June 1996 Salt Lake City December 1999 Jersey City April 2000

8 orth American LRT, as areas of Boston, Cleveland, we know it today, New Orleans, Newark, Nrepresents a blend of Philadelphia, San Francisco, design and operating practices and Toronto. All of the other and parallels the development systems (16 at present and of the mode in , , growing) are of the Second and Australia. Today’s systems Generation type. can be categorized into two Some LRT operating types: agencies like to give special names to their light rail lines. ❚ “First Generation” systems For example, Portland’s system have evolved from earlier is called MAX, which stands for trolley and lines that eXpress, and remained in operation Salt Lake City’s is named throughout their TRAX (TRAnsit eXpress). In transformation. San Diego the light rail line is ❚ “Second Generation” systems simply designated Trolley, but were designed afresh in San Francisco riders on (occasionally utilizing the . St. Louis portions of abandoned trolley refers to their system as Metro or railroad lines, or both). Link, and Calgary passengers In the United States and jump on the C-. Canada there are seven First Regardless of type or name, Generation systems. They all LRT systems have the operate in the metropolitan following basic elements:

The Church Street Line of San Francisco’s First Generation system. Photo by Wm. H. 9 Watts ❚ Infrastructure—composed of statutory definitions of that the trackways, stations, and term, including the one storage yards, including any contained in the Uniform associated structures, such as Vehicle Code, specifically tunnels and bridges. exclude . ❚ Rolling Stock—comprising ❚ Fixed Equipment— one or more fleet of railcars consisting of an operations that carry the passengers and maintenance center, the along the trackways. electric power supply, Generally, these cars are signals, and communications designed so that they can be facilities. assembled into short trains. They are sometimes referred Each of these elements is to as vehicles, although most discussed on following pages.

10 TRACKWAYS Surface LRT trackage may also be constructed along a RT trackways can be street right-of-way, commonly constructed in a variety in segregated but Lof configurations. As occasionally within vehicle with other electric railway lanes used by general traffic. modes, they can be placed on Sub-surface trackways are the surface of the ground, below generally positioned below the surface in an open cut or in a streets and follow the street , or above the surface on pattern, but they can also follow an embankment or aerial an independent alignment and structure. pass under structures, parks, A surface LRT trackway may bodies of water, or other be physically separated from railways. Aerial trackways may vehicle and pedestrian traffic by also follow street patterns, but are means of bridges or more likely to trace a different underpasses. It may also cross alignment, crossing above streets, roadways and walkways at rivers, and other rail lines. , in which case the In northern climates conflicting movements are provisions for and ice temporally separated by removal must be included in appropriate control devices, system designs and operating usually automatic crossing gates plans. or traffic signals.

A crossing controlled by automatic gates on Philadelphia’s LRT system. Photo courtesy of 11 Jack W. Boorse A surface station in San Jose. Photo by Wm. H. Watts

STATIONS STORAGE YARDS Stations range from simple The storage yards do not need platforms at ground level where to be elaborate. Unlike , passengers can safely board and electric LRT cars have no alight from trains, to elaborate engines that are temperature structures above or below sensitive. They will start ground, which may be accessed reliably in any ambient via stairways, , and temperature experienced by . North American cities. There is Underground stations, even no necessity to house them in where they are far below the enclosed , although in surface, can be served safely extreme climates simple roofing because electric railcars emit no over the storage tracks is harmful fumes into the air. sometimes installed. Also, the cars require no fueling stations, thereby eliminating the possibility of fuel spills.

12 he versatility of LRT as cars operating on those systems a mode is in no small negotiate these gradients Tmeasure attributable to without difficulty. LRT cars the capabilities of the railcars could be designed to climb a that have been developed to of 12 percent and indeed serve the lines. Sometimes some predecessor streetcar referred to as light rail vehicles lines had such gradients. (LRVs), trolleys, or trains, LRT However, 10 percent is now cars can be tailored to the needs considered the limit from the of specific operating perspective of passenger environments. comfort. Exotic technologies Where the tracks are with rubber tires or linear constructed along, above, or induction propulsion are not below a public street network, needed to conquer precipitous the presence of adjacent track profiles. buildings or other structures The use of external electric may necessitate track power not only provides the alignments that include sharp cars with the muscle needed to turns and steep grades. A curve climb steep trackage, it also radius of 25 meters (82 feet) is gives them the ability to serve the customary minimum for enclosed passenger stations new LRT lines, and longer radii that may be located inside are preferable where conditions buildings or, more commonly, permit. However, it is possible underground where an onboard to design cars to negotiate combustion engine could cause curves with a radius as short as a health risk. The electric power 11 meters (36 feet). also provides the ability to While a maximum gradient maintain or of 5 percent is considered a heat in the car during desirable design criterion, there without wasting fuel. has been a need on some new Today’s LRT cars come in a systems to include track variety of shapes and sizes. Of segments with gradients as those currently operating in the 13 steep as 7 and 8 percent. The United States, body widths vary A Buffalo LRT car with a one-piece body more than 20 meters in length. Photo courtesy of Parsons Brinckerhoff

from 2.6 to 2.9 meters (8.5 to Fort Worth, New Orleans, and 9.5 feet). The lengths of the one- Philadelphia. piece cars range from 15 meters Individual cars of either type (50 feet) to 20.4 meters (67 feet). can be assembled into a short When the length of the body train that is controlled from the exceeds that range it is split front car. A three-car train of into two or three sections. articulated cars operated by a Those sections are hinged to single driver can safely trans- each other so that the car is able port more than 400 passengers. to negotiate short-radius curves. Where conditions dictate, These are called articulated cars individual cars or multi-car and their lengths vary from 21 to trains can be and are operated 29 meters (70 to 95 feet). in mixed traffic. Most North American LRT Although, to date, it has only systems use articulated cars. been implemented on a test Boston, San Francisco, and track, completely automatic Toronto operate mixed fleets operation without an onboard that include some shorter cars operator would be feasible on with traditional one-piece track segments that are fully bodies. One-piece bodies only separated from the roadway 14 comprise the fleets in Buffalo, network. An articulated car negotiates a sharp turn in San Francisco. Photo by Wm. H. Watts

State-of-the-art electric LRT at the appropriate speed for the cars are neighborhood friendly. zone in which they operate. Not only are they nearly silent, This same equipment gives but modern electronic them the ability to move rapidly propulsion and braking control where it is safe to do so. The enables them to stop very usual maximum speed of LRT quickly when necessary. This cars is about 90 kilometers technology allows them to run (56 miles) per hour, but some

LRT cars are part of the neighborhood in suburban Philadelphia. Photo courtesy of Jack 15 W. Boorse recently produced cars travel as tired vehicles. In many fast as 105 kilometers (65 miles) applications they can have a per hour. A few of their generous body width so that interurban predecessors ran broader and more comfortable at speeds as high as 145 kilo- seats and aisles can be meters (90 miles) per hour, and provided. there is no technological reason Their interiors are why they could not be designed temperature controlled for all to operate at 160 kilometers seasons—in climates as diverse (100 miles) per hour. as those of Dallas in the Contemporary LRT cars are summer and in the also passenger friendly. winter. Externally supplied Because they roll on steel rails, electric power allows them to they furnish an especially maintain the necessary heating smooth ride. They are not only and cooling continuously immune from vertical jolting without any loss of caused by paving flaws that are performance, even while unavoidable in a metropolitan simultaneously climbing long setting, but also from the lateral and steep gradients. Another and longitudinal lurching that is passenger-pleasing attribute that common with steerable, rubber- is inherent to electric traction is

A stationary lift at a station in San Jose. Photo by 16 Wm. H. Watts its freedom from engine noise, with platforms about one meter vibration, and odor. above the rails because that was LRT cars can be especially the traditional car floor height. friendly to passengers with These high platforms exist in disabilities. Some cars carry two forms. The more common lifts like those in new buses to is a full-length version that assist the and alighting provides level boarding at every of mobility-impaired door. The less common form is passengers. Others have the mini-high platform stationary lifts at the stations. (sometimes called a high However, an increasing block), which serves only the number of LRT systems are front door. being designed to provide easy Today many of the new access through level boarding. systems (and a few of the more This type of boarding assures established ones) are acquiring that the floor of the car at all or low-floor cars. These cars are most of the doors matches the designed with floors that are only height of the station platform. about 35 centimeters (14 inches) Until recently, in order to high. This gives them the ability achieve level boarding it was to provide level boarding at a necessary to design stations low-platform station.

A high-platform station in Edmonton. Photo courtesy of 17 Jack W. Boorse A mini-high platform in Denver. Photo courtesy of T. R. Hickey

In addition to aiding thereby expediting the boarding mobility-impaired passengers, and alighting process and level boarding also eliminates minimizing the station stop the need for ambulatory time. The result is shorter trip passengers to climb steps, times for everyone.

A low-floor LRT car at a station in Portland. 18 Photo courtesy of Tri-Met OPERATIONS AND converted power from the MAINTENANCE substations via overhead wires CENTER to the individual LRT cars as they travel along the line. he operations and maintenance center is Tthe focal point of an SIGNALS LRT system. It includes a The movement of the cars or from where trains is guided by signals. On operations are coordinated, some systems all of the signals accommodations for train crews are located alongside the preparing for duty, and a trackway. These trackside maintenance facility where the signals may include, or be cars are inspected, cleaned, and coordinated with, traffic signals repaired. The center can also along the line. On other systems include administrative and only certain signals are installed management offices. trackside, while others are displayed on a console in front ELECTRIC POWER of the train operator. SUPPLY COMMUNICATIONS Two basic elements comprise FACILITIES the electric power supply: a network of traction power Communications facilities link substations and a distribution the operations and maintenance system. The power substations center with the train operators receive high-voltage and other personnel. These commercial electrical power facilities range from and convert it to medium- conventional telephone lines to voltage . The the very newest wireless distribution system delivers that technologies.

19 ince the North American 8 million passengers, while resurgence of LRT a bus ridership grew to nearly Squarter of a century ago, 20 million. There were similar operating experience generally results in San Diego, Portland, has been favorable, particularly and St. Louis. in some metropolitan areas that Used appropriately, LRT previously had been without rail enhances transit efficiency. By transit service. 1998 LRT trunk lines, each Adding an LRT component 23 or more kilometers in length, to a transit system does not had opened and were providing drain passengers from the bus primary rail services in San lines as some observers have Diego, Portland, Sacramento, claimed. Rather, it encourages San Jose, St. Louis, and Dallas. more people to use both bus and Previously, only buses served rail transit. Adding LRT trunk these six cities. In 1998, these lines and coordinating them systems operated more than with a region’s buses to create a 3,000 buses in route service multimodal, multidestination plus more than 500 small transit system results in growth vehicles in demand-responsive for both modes—even in the service; there were fewer than low-density, auto-oriented cities 300 light rail cars. By providing of the American West. high-capacity service on major Sacramento provides a good routes, the LRT lines became example. An examination of the highly productive, Federal Transit Administration accommodating 22 percent of (FTA) National Transit database total system boardings and showed that in 1987—its last carrying 30 percent of year of all-bus operation— systemwide passenger miles but regional transit vehicles consuming only 17 percent of carried fewer than 14 million the operating and maintenance passengers. Eleven years later costs. the system accommodated One-person operation of more than 28 million riders. The trains (of up to four cars) makes 20 LRT trunk line attracted over it possible for an LRT line to do the work of many buses. Using generate passenger volumes LRT results in greater that require fully grade- efficiency, even after taking into separated heavy rapid transit account the cost of added staff systems. Commuter railroads to maintain the tracks, stations, are best suited to longer radial electrification, signals, and corridors linking cities with other fixed facilities. However, their more distant suburbs. LRT achieving these economies of is a medium to high-capacity scale requires a high level of mode that fits into many ridership. That is why it makes metropolitan areas with good sense to provide LRT service on productivity. a transit system’s high-demand One way of measuring the primary corridors and to operate productivity of a transit mode is buses (or even smaller vehicles by calculating the number of in local shuttle and circulator passenger kilometers produced service) where they are the per transit employee both better choice on secondary onboard and for support. A radial lines and crosstown and productivity comparison of the feeder routes. measurements for five urban Only the largest, most transit modes is shown in densely developed cities Table 2.

TABLE 2 Productivity Comparison of Annual Passenger Kilometers

Annual Passenger Mode Kilometers Per Employee

Commuter (Regional) Railroads 608,200 Rail Rapid Transit (Metros) 413,500 Light Rail Transit (LRT) 301,618 Urban Bus Transit 201,125 21 Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) 64,360 Another measurement of the transit modes, LRT is productivity is the average among the safest. Data number of passengers carried by submitted to FTA document one vehicle. In this category that LRT’s safety record even LRT exceeds even that of the surpasses that of urban bus nation’s rapid transit systems. service by moving people with The productivity per unit (one 47 percent fewer casualties per or bus) for the three passenger kilometer. This is to major urban transit modes is be expected since LRT cars are compared in Table 3. reliably guided by rails and All transit modes are often are located in reserved basically safe. However, LRT lanes or exclusive right- excels in safety and has a of-ways, as compared with record clearly superior to that operator-steered vehicles of automobile travel. Of all of maneuvering in street traffic.

TABLE 3 Productivity Comparison of Average Number of Weekday Passengers

Average Weekday Passengers Mode Per Unit

Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1,134 Rail Rapid Transit (Metros) 982 Urban Bus Transit 362

22 New residential, retail, and office development around the Hazard Center LRT station in San Diego. Photo courtesy of San Diego Metropolitan Transportation Development Board

Yet another attribute of estate values. The presence of a LRT, which it shares with major transit infrastructure is other rail modes, is its ability to broadly viewed as a promise of stimulate growth, leading to permanence. Once a rail line is healthy economic development built, it is likely to remain for a in the form of private sector long time. investment and higher real

23 hat lies ahead for Whether you are a LRT? The transportation professional, an Wbeginning of the elected official, a civic leader, 21st century will see continuing or a citizen of a metropolitan expansion of the LRT mode in area who is interested in the North America. Fifteen of the betterment of your community, 23 systems now in operation are we invite you to learn as actively extending or upgrading much as you can about this their lines. There are currently increasingly popular transit eight future new systems in mode. various stages of planning or design.

24 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD www.TRB.org

LRT News www.trb.org/trb/publications/LRTNews/ (July 2001) LRTv16n1.pdf www.nationalacademies.org/trb/publications/ (June 2000) LRTNews/LRTv15n1.pdf

TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program www4.nas.edu/trb/crp.nsf/

FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION www.fta.dot.gov/

AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION www.apta.com/

25 Transportation Research Board

The Transportation Research Board is a unit of the National Resarch Council, which serves the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board’s mission is to promote innovation and progress in transportation by stimulating and conducting research, facilitating the dissemination of information, and encouraging the implementation of research results. The Board’s varied activities annually engage more than 4,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.trb.org

American Public Transportation Association

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit association of more than 1,300 member organizations including transit systems, product and service providers, planning, design, construction and financing firms, academic institutions, and state transit associations and departments of transportation. APTA’s mission is to serve and represent its members in making public transportation an effective to economic opportunity, personal mobility, and improving the qualtiy of life through partnerships, communication, technology, and advocacy. APTA has a vision for the future—to be the leading force in advancing public transportation. www.apta.com