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URBAN TRANSIT NEWS

USA - Winners and Losers: With several cities having transit measures on the recent ballot the winners were Salt Lake City and San Jose. In Salt Lake City an increase in transit tax was approved in all three counties which will give leverage to permit further TRAX extensions and also a possible regular Sunday service on TRAX. In addition it is understood that Dallas Area Rapid Transit has agreed to loan Salt Lake City 29 of their Kinke Sharyo Light Rail Vehicles for use during the Olympics. The first two LRV's are expected to arrive before the end of this year for testing and training.
For pictures of TRAX click here

In Santa Clara County measure A was passed which will enable the extension of the San Jose system into Downtown San Jose and the East Valley. This will add a further 12.3 miles and 21 stops to the system. See the VTA site for further details.

New Jersey was also a winner in that it has received a Full Funding Grant Agreement worth USD 500m to construct the second segment of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line which extends it from Hoboken Terminal to the Tonelle Avenue Park-and-Ride in North Bergen and south from 34th street to 22nd street in Bayonne.

The loser was Austin Texas where the vote went narrowly against the light rail proposal despite no extra taxation being proposed.

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