Welcome to your Transit Unplugged News Minute. Brightline breaks ground in Vegas… Broward County Transit addresses homelessness with a compassionate approach… and Earth Day Canada is giving away year-long transit passes.

Sources:

https://www.brightlinewest.com/media/press-releases

https://www.broward.org/BCT/Pages/default.aspx

https://earthday.ca/april-22/campaign/leg-day/

An innovative trespassing system will be tested on passenger rail tracks in California… a new report says public transit is good for the environment… and a new group of graduates is ready to work on the California high speed rail project.

Welcome to your Transit Unplugged News Minute.

Southern California’s passenger rail, MetroLink, was awarded a DOT grant to develop a first-of-its kind intruder detection system on its tracks. The prototype will use (AI)-equipped cameras and sensors to identify track intrusions, and it will automatically slow or stop trains approaching that section of the rail line. https://metrolinktrains.com/news/metrolink-news/metrolink-receives-federal-funding-for-first-of-its-kind-track-intrusion-detection-system/

A new report from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission confirms public transit is good for the environment. It found public transit reduces up to 160,000 metric tons of C02 emissions in Northern Virginia each year. https://novatransit.org/uploads/studiesarchive/2024%20Climate%20Benefits%20of%20Transit%20in%20Northern%20Virginia.pdf?mc_cid=5b1c7046b5&mc_eid=8a85fd1fd3

And congratulations to the 16 new graduates of the California High-Speed Rail Authority pre-apprenticeship program. They are now trained and ready to work on the high-speed rail project. https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaHighSpeedRail/posts/pfbid0yRAUAufijaepZTsKRKQ7C21pFQz582pwoKC8uCzm3kqr6W4mDfC8kdtVEAHgPFUQl

This Transit Unplugged News Minute is being brought to you by Modaxo.

I’m Julie Gates.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority successfully completed its five year tunnel drilling project to expand the D Line subway and connect downtown and West L.A. One of the engineering challenges included The program included drilling through prehistoric tar sands near the La Brea Tar Pits. Source: LA Metro

Las Vegas is starting a pilot program to use artificial intelligence to reduce pedestrian related crashes. The program will be implemented in the busy Fremont Street corridor. It will detect real time pedestrian activity and adapt traffic signals to create safer pedestrian crossing times. Source: Office of Rep. Dina Titus

CapMetro hosted a total solar eclipse event. Picnic for the public in Austin, Texas, the agency provided meals and viewing glasses and allowed its operators to stop their vehicles during the minutes of total darkness. Source: Cap Metro