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Capital Metro, Austin’s regional public transportation provider, is looking for an RAIL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGER. This position is responsible for the management of the Rail Systems engineering design and construction activities under the supervision of the VP of Rail Operations. Join us in our vision to be a driving force for quality life in the Austin and surrounding communities.

MORE INFORMATION AND TO APPLY: http://ow.ly/hwnSK

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A quick Storify to celebrate a milestone for one of the storied civil engineering marvels in continental United States..

http://storify.com/transportgooru/still-standing-tall-new-york-s-iconic-grand-centra

Just a couple of hours ago, the premier transit agency in the nation’s capitol (WMATA) suffered a serious service outage on one of the heavily traveled train lines (Green Line). The abrupt disruptions have left many commuters stranded without a way out of the Navy Yard (and Anacostia) area, a major hub for riders employed at many of the facilities, including the US Department of Transportation, situated in the vicinity.   Though it was an unexpected situation, #WMATA was a bit slow to respond and got customers ticked (to put it lightly). And the customers have already taken to using social media sharing pics. and tweets from the scene.  To WMATA’s credit, the communications team at the agency was trying its best to deal with the situation, which is a bit more heartening than how they did in similar situations in the past.  Here is a sample of what’s happening on Twitter as we speak :

A sample of  what’s happening at Twitter hashtag #WMATA

Looks like it is going to be a long night for all involved, esp. for the communications team at WMATA.  Hope they learn sooner than later to deal with/cool down their customers before they all start flocking to their personal automobiles to get around the town.

via NY Times

After seeing the devastating impacts of torrents of water on New York City subways and highway tunnels during Hurricane sandy, one would be curious to know – how do you stop rushing waters from entering your highway and transit/subway tunnels? Researchers from my alma mater, West Virginia University, have been at it for a while and they have come up with this brilliant solution – an inflatable plug.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FawTqHpjs_g&hd=1 ‘]

Learn more about it here.

[clip id=”LQUk_-FyD8j6MO7P-cKHiVuWISA9evGSoU5e” width=”1002″ height=”1389″ scale=”disabled”]

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via NPR 

Heard this nice review of the “fastest train in whole of Africa” on NPR.

Via CNN

Thanks to CNN for this awesome infograph.. Who knew – Japan, with a population of~127 Million people, clocked an amazing 8 Billion trips annually, which put it at the top among nations with most number of trips by train. Interestingly,  next to Japan is India (with a population of 1.2 Billion), who despite its massive population only raked up 7.2 billion trips on its extensive rail network..

Image Courtesy: CNN

(Source: via Business Insider)

So, this is how the kids of 1% (a.k.a the rich people) like to ride transit in New York.. A group of 20 somethings on their way from Hamptons  decided to have fun on the train and did so with a frat-style, beer drenched, slip and slide party on the floor of a Long Island Railroad train.. No wonder these days kids do not want to have driving licenses!  Hey, be glad they did not party this hard behind the wheels of a car.. Hope this gives them an opportunity to realize how much fun it is to ride transit..

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UdDwaNNuUU’]

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• To the Hamptons, and Step on It!(nytimes.com)

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Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning (Foursquare ITP) is looking for a qualified Transportation Planner or Senior Transportation Planner / Project Manager to contribute to, assist, lead, and/or manage teams on a diverse array of transportation projects for state and local governments, primarily in the Washington DC Metropolitan Region. Resumes are due this Friday, June 29.

Position Description

In addition to work with state and local governments, this position will also be committed half-time to a transportation planning contract with the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) division of the Department of Defense, providing subject matter expertise in planning and implementing transit and transportation demand management programs at the Pentagon and Mark Center. In addition to the WHS contract this position will potentially contribute to on-going efforts that include heavy rail station environmental analysis, TDM plan development, performance measurement, TIGER grant management, long-range transit analysis and planning, transit development plans, and transit capital and operations planning.

Depending on the level of experience of the selected candidate, the position will be designated as a Transportation Planner or Senior Transportation Planner / Project Manager (STP/PM).

The selected candidate will work as part of a team and will be responsible for research, analysis, report development, field work and meeting participation on a wide variety of transportation projects. The selected candidate will be involved in transit development plans, transportation needs assessments, station area plans, transit route planning, financial planning, and transit performance monitoring. The position will require research and data analysis utilizing a variety of sources, including transit ridership data, survey data, and existing plan information. It will require excellent communication skills, both written and oral.

If the selected candidate is a STP/PM, he or she will serve in two capacities depending on the project. As a project manager, the STP/PM will lead project teams of transportation planners to deliver high quality solutions to Foursquare ITP’s clients in a timely manner, within the scope and budget of the assignment. In addition to leading project teams, the STP/PM will conduct some of the work involved in the assignments as well as overseeing the quality of the work of the rest of the project team. The STP/PM will be responsible for the client relationship as well as the coordination with any prime consultants or sub-consultants with whom the project is being executed

In some cases, the PM/STP will serve in a senior transportation planner role, where he/she will accomplish project assignments under the direction of another PM. In this position the candidate will also be expected to contribute to business development including proposal writing and presentations.

Experience

5-15 years of relevant experience with a Masters in transportation planning, urban planning, or similar substitutable for some of those years. Topical area expertise in transit planning; transit program implementation; corridor-level multimodal planning; regional transportation planning; transit development plans; short and long-range transportation plans; transportation demand management (TDM); Environmental Impact Statements/Environmental Assessments; Land Use and Economic Development; and Strategic Planning. A strong working knowledge of the Washington Metropolitan area is required.

About Foursquare ITP

Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning is a transportation planning, design and policy analysis firm based in Rockville, Maryland. As a small firm, we are able to give our clients the personalized attention that they seek and deserve. Foursquare ITP focuses on projects that relate to sustainable transportation, primarily in the area of public transit. We offer our clients expertise in regional transportation planning and coordination, public transit planning, strategic planning, and transportation demand management. More information is available at www.foursquareitp.com

Foursquare ITP is a small, growing business and the successful applicant must be a motivated self-starter who is passionate about transportation planning, transit, and transportation demand management. He or she must also be flexible to meet client demands and a dynamic workflow. All qualified applicants must live in or be willing to move to the Washington DC metropolitan area, and must be available for work starting no later than August 6. Due to a rapid ramp up on the work for WHS, resumes will only be accepted through this Friday June 29.

Please send resumes or questions about the position to Lora Byala at lbyala@foursquareitp.com.

(Source: Credit Donkey)

Key messages in this infograph:

• When you take public transportation, you are more likely to run other errands on your route, saving you time and money from additional trips with the car.
•     Public transportation creates less congestion, saving money and the environment with shorter, less expensive trips for everyone.
•     When used regularly, public transportation can reduce the need for some to have a second car (or a car at all). Imagine less debt, fewer car payments, less emissions, and less money spend on repairs and gas.
•     Many transit agencies are now replacing old buses with hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell buses. This making public transit even greener, especially when connected to renewable sources such as solar.

Image Courtesy: Credit Donkey