Photo credit: Wikipedia

Summary of duties

This position will be responsible for supervising the annual allocation of operating and capital costs among the nine passenger railroads that operate on the Northeast Corridor rail line. This annual process was adopted by the Northeast Corridor Commission in September 2015 and is described in the NortheastCorridor Commuter and Intercity Rail Cost Allocation Policy.

The selected candidate will be responsible for overseeing a complex project that is repeated on annual basis and involves the ongoing participation of Amtrak and public transportation agencies from the northeast states. The role requires both technical competency and exceptional communication skills that are necessary to work through complex disputes among participating stakeholders. Specific activities include managing the collection and processing of financial data from nine operating railroads and multiple infrastructure owners; managing multiple consultant teams that serve as an extension of staff with responsibility for performing key project tasks; performing ongoing stakeholder outreach to collect necessary data; supporting resolution of multi-agency disputes; and identifying and implementing initiatives to improve the allocation process.

This position will also support the Commission’s response to an annual external review of the cost allocation process conducted by an independent auditing firm. The selected candidate may also support other Commission activities, including, but not limited to, the ongoing reporting of operating and capital costs and the continued refinement and development of the Commission’s policy.

Those applying for the position should have experience working with financial data and managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders. Experience working in public transportation or passenger rail is beneficial, but not essential.

This position is intended to be located in New York, NY. However, there may be flexibility to locate the position in Washington, DC.

Essential Functions

• Supervise the annual cost allocation process, with assistance and oversight from other Commission staff, including collecting data, overseeing all cost allocation procedures, performing quality assurance and control, and preparing financial reports
• Manage consultant contracts to perform key tasks related to cost allocation and other Commission activities
• Consultant management activities including the development of scopes of work, estimation of project budgets, oversight and/or participation in the consultant selection process, and day-to-day management of consultant teams to ensure that projects are delivered on-time and on-budget
• Perform frequent coordination with stakeholders, including organizing ongoing, multi-agency meetings and webinars, delivering presentations to technical staff and agency leadership, identifying, documenting, and supporting the resolution of multi-agency disputes, and performing one-on-one briefings
• Support and oversee staff participation in the external financial review of the cost allocation process, including providing data, supporting documentation of the cost allocation process, and responding to questions posed by the external review team
• Participate in the development of any modifications of the Policy desired by the Commission

Required Work Experience

• Some professional level experience with the public or private sector
• Demonstrated experience working with financial data or financial systems
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills
• Ability to solve problems independently and work collaboratively with staff at all levels
• Attention to detail
• Strong working knowledge of Access, Excel and/or other database programs

Preferred Work Experience

• Experience working with the financial data of a passenger railroad or public transportation agency
• Direct experience managing consultants in the delivery of professional service related projects
• Direct experience as the leader of a team
• Knowledge of the rail infrastructure and operations along the Northeast Corridor

Preferred Education

Masters degree in Business, Public Administration, Public Policy, or a related field

Communication and interpersonal skills

Must have excellent oral and written communication skills

How to apply

The Commission is administratively hosted by Amtrak. Please file an application at the Amtrak Jobs site, Position ID 90214009.

Glad to share this announcement – Purple Line Implementation Manager @ Montgomery County, Maryland. What an interesting project! This is a very exciting opportunity for someone with transit experience. Please note that the application deadline is Aug 18, 2016. Good luck!

Image courtesy: IEA.org

Some interesting nuggets from IEA:

• Since 1990, the domestic transport sector has accounted for the largest share of total final energy consumption, more than 30%, in the 24 OECD countries.
• Within the sector, road transport dominates energy consumption, at 90% in 2011, as shown in this chart above based on the IEA energy efficiency indicators database.
• Further disaggregated data by segment and vehicle type indicate that consumption by passenger cars is a key driver (64%) for road transport, and thus for global energy consumption trends.

Click here to learn more.

via The Daily Mail

No doubt. Eurostar is impressive all around and the infograph below captures it all succinctly.. What’s more exciting? The upcoming direct connection between London and Amsterdam starting 2o16? Imagine catching the train with your bike in London and riding around Amsterdam all day in your own bike. Drool!

Image Courtesy: the Daily Mail

Check out the Daily Mail article here.

Now that the mid-term election is over and everybody is debating the performance of candidates, it is time to take a look at how the public reacted to a slew of transportation ballot measures across the country.  Our friends at AASHTO has pulled together a nice summary of articles that explain how these transportation issues played out. One important item that caught my eye was the defeat of Nick Rahall, a top Democrat (from West Virginia) on the transportation committee, lost his seat after 38 years. These midterm election results are plain c

Photo by hjl

razy! Anyways, check out the list below:

• Wisconsin Voters Approve State Transportation Fund Amendment
  Link to article in the Journal Sentinel
• Maryland Voters Approve Transportation Lockbox
  Link to article in The Baltimore Sun
• Traffic-Tied Texans Tap Oil and Gas Taxes for Transportation
  Link to article in Governing
• Voters in Austin, Texas Defeat Urban Rail Transportation Bond
  Link to story on KXAN-TV
• Transportation Measures in San Francisco, Alameda County Win Support
  Link to article in the San Francisco Chronicle
• Seattle Voters Approve Public Transit Package, Reject Monorail Extension
  Link to article in the Puget Sound Business Journal
• Atlanta Transit Expansion Overwhelmingly Approved
  Link to article in The Hill
• Mass Transit Initiative in Tampa Bay Area Fails
  Link to article in The Tampa Tribune
• Transportation Tax Soundly Defeated in Alachua County, Florida
  Link to article in The Gainesville Sun
• Forsyth County, Georgia Voters Approve Transportation Bond Referendum
  Link to article in Forsyth County News
• Driver Cards Rejected by Wide Margin in Oregon
  Link to article in the Statesman Journal
• Cleveland, Maple Heights Voters Smack Down Red-Light Cameras
  Link to Northeast Ohio Media Group article
• Rep. Nick Rahall, Top Democrat on Transportation Committee, Loses Seat After 38 Years
  Link to article in The Hill

Related articles

• Seattle voters approve public transit package, preschool funding
• Austinites defeat urban rail transportation bond
• Highway funding gets overwhelming support from voters

The Northeast Corridor Commission

Congress created the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission (Commission) to help coordinate planning and investment across all owners of and operators on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) railroad network, including Amtrak, states, commuter railroads, and freight railroads. The Commission is comprised of representatives from each of the NEC states, Amtrak, and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), with non-voting representatives from freight railroads and states with connecting corridors. The Commission is supported by a full-time staff in Washington, DC. The Commission is accepting applications for a Transportation Analyst position located in Washington, DC.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Summary of Duties

Specific responsibilities will consist of policy research and writing, transportation planning and analysis, analysis of financial and operational data related to the allocation of operating and capital costs in the NEC, development of Commission products and materials, website content development and other tasks as assigned. The position will cover activities both technical and administrative in nature:

• Assist in the development of Commission reports and presentations through data analysis and the development of written material. Work will frequently involve making technical information accessible for non-technical audiences.
• Assist in the coordination of the Commission’s many stakeholders, including Amtrak, the U.S. DOT, the Northeast states and state DOTs, commuter rail agencies, freight railroads, and others. Work will frequently involve coordinating assistance provided by staff at various stakeholder agencies.
• Support the organization and delivery of quarterly Commission meetings and periodic committee meetings including the management of pre-meeting logistics, the development of meeting materials, and the preparation of meeting minutes.
• Assist in the analysis of financial and operational data in support of the Commission’s role in supporting cost allocation in the Northeast Corridor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Transportation, Public Policy, Urban and Regional Planning, Economics, Business, or related field.
• One to two years of work experience with some direct experience in the field of transportation. Masters degree may substitute for work experience.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills.
• Interest in transportation issues.
• Ability to multi-task effectively while remaining flexible in a fast-paced environment and work collaboratively with staff at all levels while successfully challenging conventional practices and incorporating new approaches.
• Demonstrated skill in Microsoft Office tools, including Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Contact

For information on applying, contact Donnie Maley, Director, Planning: dmaley@nec-commission.com.

There are many ways of showing dissent but here is one that should be a bit more endearing for the policemen, who are often tasked with maintaining order during such protests. The photo captures the policeman clearly in the moment, even with his visor down! Love stoned, perhaps? :) Why can’t more of this happen instead of tear gas canisters and stones!

Image Courtesy: MARCO BERTORELLO / Getty Images / AFP via TIME.com

Story behind the photo: An Agence France-Presse photographer Marco Bertorello snapped this image of a protestor during a demonstration over the construction of a high-speed rail in Susa, a tiny town in northwestern, Italy near the French-Swiss Alps. The rail line is expected to connect Milan and Paris, which critics say is too expensive and comes at great environmental cost. You can read more from the source: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/11/20/photo-the-best-protest-tactic-youve-ever-seen/#ixzz2lQEuETco

Additional information about Parsons Brinckerhoff’s strategic consulting group may be found athttp://www.pbworld.com/capabilities_projects/strategic_consulting/.

Here is a link to the job posting. Candidates can also go to PB’s website (www.pbworld.com) and search job #19267.

The idea for MTP is inspired by the annual Jagriti Yatra (www.jagritiyatra.com) on the Indian Railways, a trip that circumnavigates the continent, is sponsored by Dell and Google, and is almost universally recognized by the younger generation of Indians as an enviable opportunity. MTP has already obtained sponsorships from National Geographic Traveler magazine, NPR, the Associated Press, McKinsey & Company, Opportunity Nation, and Start-Up America.