This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
6/12/2026
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) board last week approved a $2 billion balanced budget for fiscal year 2026-27, to begin July 1. About 13% of the budget, $260 million, is allotted for regional rail services, and about 2%, $40 million, is designated for local rail services. The FY26-27 budget encompasses all transportation services, capital projects and programs approved by the OCTA board, authority officials said in a press release.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has adopted a balanced FY27 budget, with $1.2 billion designated for operating expenses and $828 million for capital costs. The budget runs through June 30, 2027. BART’s pandemic emergency funds will run out during the fiscal year. The FY27 budget assumes a new sales tax ballot measure will be approved in the November election. Even with the additional income, BART still needed to close a $302 million gap for the FY27 budget. BART made $18.2 million in departmental cuts, eliminated 63 operating full-time positions and borrowed $88.5 million to prevent service cuts until the sales tax revenue becomes available to BART.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) last week broke ground on major construction for the $7 billion Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 project. In early 2027, a tunnel-boring machine will be lowered into the ground and begin mining new MTA New York City Transit subway tunnels from 120th Street and Second Avenue to 125th Street and Malcom X Boulevard. The MTA is incorporating lessons learned from the first phase of construction to deliver $1 billion in savings, authority officials said. Cost-saving initiatives include the reuse of a 1970s tunnel segment, earlier real estate acquisition, new contract structures and reduction in back-of-house, ancillary spaces and station sizes.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County in Texas recently opened a new Metro Police Department (MPD) substation in Houston near the George R. Brown Convention Center. The new Partnership Tower location is the third MPD substation and supports one of the city’s most active destinations for hospitality, entertainment and business, authority officials said. The substation also strengthens public safety for travelers on the authority’s nearby light rail, bus and direct airport drop-off stops.
Metrolink has debuted a pilot contactless payment system for riders traveling between Redlands and Los Angeles. Passengers can now tap credit or debit cards and mobile wallets at station validators before boarding and when exiting. The six-month pilot program eliminates the need for riders to use ticket machines or download the Metrolink mobile app — making fare payment easier for out-of-town visitors coming to the region for the FIFA World Cup 2026 events, which run through July 19.
Regional Transportation District–Denver (RTD) implemented a series of service changes on June 7 that created new connections and increased service frequencies on light-rail, commuter-rail and bus services. Many of the adjustments support riders during the agency’s downtown rail reconstruction project, which also began on June 7, RTD officials said. During the project, the D, H and L lines will be suspended. RTD has reinstated the C Line and increased service frequency and adjusted routes on six other rail lines.