Transportation News

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Local 1704 mourns loss of two members

SMART TD Bus Vice President Calvin Studivant reports that Roshonda McIntosh, 41, died March 16, and Ira Fitzgerald, 53, died March 17. Both members had been ill. McIntosh and Fitzgerald were both members of Local 1704 in Kansas City, Mo., and had been long-time bus operators [...]

SMART TD, BLET submit comments to TSA on rail security

SMART TD and BLET submitted joint comments to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Thursday, March 16, on their proposal to require security training for employees of higher-risk freight railroad carriers, transportation agencies, passenger railroad carriers and [...]

Colo. Senate kills Right-to-Work (FOR LESS) bill

DENVER, Colo. – On Wednesday, March 16, the Colorado State Senate shot down SB 55 that called for Colorado to become a Right-to-Work (for less) state. The packed chambers included union members from all crafts. Click here to read the entire article from the Denver Busin [...]

Right to Work is WRONG – meetings in Toledo and Cincy, Ohio

Right to Work (RTW) legislative measures, designed to weaken unions, are supported by Trump and his administration, so it is imperative that we make our opposition known and heard. SMART Transportation Division will be hosting a free event for all union members of all crafts, [...]

Amtrak train in ND stuck in snow for 12 hours

RUGBY, N.D. – A 25-foot wall of snow stopped an eastbound Amtrak train in its tracks for twelve hours. Fortunately, no one was injured. Passenger services aboard the train remained operational, making the long wait more bearable. Read more from Bismarcktribune.com here. [...]

Charter bus stuck on tracks hit by CSX train, four fatalities reported

BILOXI, Miss. – An eastbound CSX train hit a packed charter bus that was stuck on the tracks at approx. 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 7. Four fatalities have been reported and several people were airlifted from the scene. Nearly all of the 50 people aboard the bus were injured [...]

Sign petition to Trump/FTA to save Caltrain project

Dear SMART TD member: Please click on the link below to sign (and please share) this online petition to the White House asking the FTA to approve funding that has long been earmarked for San Francisco’s Caltrain’s Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP) a high-speed [...]

Chicago Metra doors open at 34 mph

The doors of a packed Metra BNSF train opened while going 34 mph, reported the Chicago Sun-Times. No one was hurt and the doors quickly closed after an estimated three seconds. SMART TD Illinois State Legislative Director Bob Guy told the Sun-Times that when engineers are pul [...]