Transportation Market Recap, August 2023

The August 2023 Transportation Market Recap is a recap of some of the most interesting and useful transit industry news from the previous month. It contains updates on industry drivers, notable projects, and recent mergers and acquisitions, as well as some interesting reads, and upcoming meetings and conferences.

To learn more about how we are helping transportation industry leaders find new opportunities in their market of interest, schedule a market opportunity workshop.

Industry Drivers

Our data team tracks new and updated industry drivers. Here are some recent drivers we have been following in August:

New York City Mayor Adams, TLC Announce New Rules to Require City's Rideshare Vehicles to be Zero-Emission, Wheelchair Accessible by 2030

Status: Proposed

Organization: 

Summary: On August 16, 2023, the New York City Mayor and the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Commissioner announced proposed rules for the Green Rides program, aiming to transition the city's rideshare fleet to either zero-emission vehicles or wheelchair-accessible vehicles by 2030. The proposed regulations outline a gradual transition plan with practical yearly benchmarks. Starting in 2024, 5% of high-volume for-hire trips, including those with Uber and Lyft, will be required to use zero-emission or wheelchair-accessible vehicles. This requirement will increase to 15% in 2025, 25% in 2026, and rise by 20 percentage points annually thereafter, reaching 100% in 2030. This move positions New York City as the world's first large city with a rideshare fleet entirely zero-emissions or wheelchair-accessible. The Green Rides program contributes to the city's broader climate goals, such as the PlaNYC initiative that seeks to reduce transportation emissions by 50% by 2030. The proposal aligns with other efforts to promote electric vehicles, including expanding charging infrastructure and electrifying school buses and the city's fleet. Additionally, New York State regulations mandate that all new passenger cars, pickups, and SUVs sold in the state be zero-emission by 2035. A public hearing on the proposed rules is scheduled for September 20, 2023, allowing stakeholders and the public to provide input on the transition plan.

Click Here for More Information

Notable Capital Improvement Programs

Here are some recent, notable Capital Improvement Programs (CIPs). FirmoGraphs has deconstructed the CIPs into data elements, along with available project descriptions. Please feel free to request a meeting and review the data live in our business intelligence application.

Spokane Transit Authority, Washington, Planned Capital Program Increased by 29%

In the CIP covering the 2024-2029 fiscal year, Spokane Transit Authority, Washington, detailed plans to spend $503 million on capital projects, an increase of 29% from $388 million in its 2023-2028 CIP. The current and prior CIP has 31 line items. The table below breaks down Spokane Transit’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.

Over $300 Million Planned for New Business Area

Planned spending in the High-Performance Transit Implementation had a significant decrease of 79%. The decrease goes to reclassifying the Division Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) from this category to the Connect 2305 category, worth $195 million. Despite the decrease, the total funding increased by 29% due to the addition of the new business area, Connect 2305, with $307 million planned. Connect 2305 is a strategic foundation for a new 10-year strategic plan, including $169 million for the Division line (excluding buses), $105 million for Future Initiatives, and $33 million for BRT Fleet programs. 

Bus Rapid Transit Programs Valued at More than $200 Million

Spokane Transit Authority has two programs valued at more than $100 million, both under the Connect 2035 category. The most significant program is the Division Street BRT, worth $168.9 million. The project goes to the design and construction of the Division BRT, a fixed-guideway BRT project that will travel from downtown Spokane to unincorporated Mead in north Spokane County. Another $105 million is planned for the Connect 2035 Future Initiatives. This program establishes a preliminary funding program for initiatives that may emerge from the Connect 2035 strategic planning process. 

Click Here to See Spokane Transit Authority, Washington, CIP

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, California, Planned Capital Program Increased by 12%

In the CIP covering the 2024-2028 fiscal year, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, California, detailed plans to spend approximately $1.1 billion on capital projects, an increase of 12% from $969 million in its 2023-2027 CIP. The current CIP has 88 line items, compared to 106 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down San Diego Metropolitan’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs. 

San Diego Transit Corporation Increases; MTS Admin Decreases

Planned spending in the San Diego Transit Corporation increased by 33%. The increase goes to ongoing projects such as Bus Procurement Fiscal Year 2024 and Clean Transit Advancement Campus. On the other hand, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Admin decreased by 65% due to projects nearing completion, including San Ysidro Transit Center Planning & Design, worth $33 million and IMT Transit Center Expansion, worth $15 million.

San Diego Transit Corporation Project to Receive Over $200 Million of Investment

Out of 88 line items, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System has one project valued at over $200 million and 2 projects valued at over $25 million. The largest project belongs to the San Diego Transit Corporation, the Clean Transit Advancement Campus, worth $262 million. The other two projects belong to the San Diego Trolley, Inc., the SD7 Replacement and San Ysidro Transit Center, costing $31 million and $30 million, respectively. 

Click Here to See San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, California, CIP

What We Are Reading

Here are some recent articles our team has been reading:

• FTA awards $102.3 million in funding to 17 transit agencies, cities and planning councils for natural disaster relief
• CATS receives $30 million federal grant for sustainable fleet updates
• Biden-Harris Administration Announces Second Year of SMART Grants Funding Innovations in Transportation Data and Technology Systems
• U.S. Department of Transportation Approves $501 Million Loan for I-25 Express Lane Expansion in Colorado
• Texas Central and Amtrak look for location opportunities for Dallas-Houston high-speed rail project
• CTDOT awards Alstom $315 million contract order for 60 rail cars
• NCDOT publishes study to help communities plan development along future passenger rail service line
• OP-ED: Another eight-month delay for completion of $3.1 billion MTA Metro-North Bronx East Penn Station Access Project
• FRA opens $139 million in funding for the Special Transportation Circumstances program
• CHSRA Board of Directors puts out Request for Qualifications for 220 mph electrified high-speed trainsets

Meeting Planner

In this over-digitized age, there is no replacement for face-to-face meetings with your prospects and customers! We track meetings of interest to our customers serving the U.S. transit industry so you won’t miss upcoming meetings and deadlines. Additionally, FirmoGraphs has recently implemented a free-of-charge service for tracking notable infrastructure events. 

Meetings in September and October 2023