The Capital District Transportation
\nAuthority (CDTA) is getting $15 million
\nin funding from the U.S. Department of
\nTransportation’s TIGER (Transportation
\nInvestment Generating Economic Recovery)
\ngrant program.<\/p>\n
It will be used to create a new state-ofthe-
\nart radio communications system to
\nsupport CDTA’s growing ridership and Bus
\nRapid Transit (BRT) network, according to
\nU.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer.<\/p>\n
CDTA serves Saratoga, Albany, Rensselaer
\nand Schenectady counties and has ridership
\nover more than 15 million annually.<\/p>\n
The funding is the first-ever TIGER
\naward for the Capital Region, he said.
\n“We want to first thank Sen. Schumer
\nfor his continued support of CDTA, and his
\ndiligence in securing funds to support area
\nbusinesses, universities and residents,”
\nsaid CDTA board Chairman David M. Stackrow.
\n“We are a stronger place because of it
\nand are thrilled to be honored as the first
\nTIGER Award in New York’s Capital Region.”<\/p>\n
CDTA will receive the funding from the
\nhighly competitive TIGER grant program,
\nwhich supports projects that achieve national
\ntransportation objectives, according
\nto Schumer. The funding will transform
\nCDTA’s system by replacing its outdated
\ndispatch and vehicle communication system
\nwith a new, state-of-the-art “nerve center” that will enable the entire system,
\nincluding Bus Rapid Transit lines, to communicate
\nin real-time.<\/p>\n
Officials said the project will dramatically
\nupgrade CDTA’s dispatching and vehicle
\ncommunications technology, improving
\ntransit service safety, reliability, and
\nefficiency.<\/p>\n
“This complete technological overhaul
\nis a key piece of CDTA’s efforts to expand
\nits Bus Rapid Transit options,” Schumer
\nsaid. “BRT lines need advanced technology
\nsystems managing and timing traffic lights,
\nso the lines can run as quickly as possible,
\nand this federal funding will enable CDTA
\nto build a system that will do just that.”<\/p>\n
The development of this new “nerve center”
\nwill enable CDTA to better integrate its
\ndispatching and communications systems
\nwith a larger effort to achieve 40 miles of
\nBRT service in the Capital Region. The first
\n17 miles of BRT was successfully launched
\nin April 2011 and has resulted in a 20 percent
\nincrease in ridership, Schumer said.<\/p>\n
The TIGER Discretionary Grant program
\nprovides opportunity for DOT to invest in
\nroad, rail, transit and port projects that
\npromise to achieve critical national objectives.<\/p>\n
In each round of TIGER, DOT receives
\napplications to build and repair critical
\npieces of freight and passenger transportation
\nnetworks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) is getting $15 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant program. It will be used to create a new state-ofthe- art radio communications system…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\n