After 20 years at the NY MTA, Metro-North President Cathy Rinaldi has announced her retirement, effective March 31. Metro-North Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Justin Vonashek will be taking over as agency President.

According to a release from MTA Chairman Janno Lieber, “Cathy has been an invaluable asset to the MTA over the years, serving in many roles – including as Chief of Staff and General Counsel at MTAHQ and Long Island Rail Road – before becoming the first woman to lead Metro-North in 2018.”

And while presiding over MNR, for nearly two years she also led Long Island Rail Road as interim president while the MTA prepared to open a new 714,000 square foot terminal at Grand Central Madison and to implement a 40% increase in LIRR service.

Rinaldi leaves Metro-North with its best-ever on-time performance of 98%.

Rinaldi also served on the CRC Board of Directors during the association’s formative years.

TRUMP ISSUES NEW
REGULATORY REVIEW ORDER

Rolling back updates made by the Biden administration, President Trump last week reverted to the 2003 version of Circular A-4, which dictates how federal agencies should estimate the economic impacts of proposed regulations.

Titled “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation,” the executive order reduces from $200 million to $100 million the threshold that defines a regulation as “significant” and thus subject to additional scrutiny.

The order also requires the repeal of 10 regulations for every new one issued.

AT EAST PALESTINE,
VANCE AGAIN CALLS FOR RAIL SAFETY

According to Politico, Vice President JD Vance was in East Palestine, Ohio, this week to mark the second anniversary of the Norfolk Southern train derailment. He used the occasion to call on lawmakers to move forward on rail safety legislation.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, Vance, along with then-Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2023, S.576.

On a press call, meanwhile, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) said he is moving “full steam” ahead on legislation addressing safety issues in the industry.

CRC has weighed in on the myriad rail safety initiatives that emerged from the 118th Congress. Please reach out for more details.

For his part, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy in a statement Monday pledged that DOT “will work to advance rail safety” in partnership with the administration and Congress, ensuring that residents of East Palestine “are not forgotten.” He offered no details.

CRC members this week participated in the association’s first Town Hall.

The Commuter Rail Coalition formed six years ago to ensure that US commuter railroads have a single-minded advocate in Washington, DC, to voice their concerns, needs, and interests – and to advocate on their behalf. The Town Hall was an opportunity for new and longstanding members alike to reflect on the progress made in the last six years and to learn about plans and priorities for the year ahead.

The Town Hall also served to remind members of the benefits, both to themselves and to the larger commuter rail community, of becoming more actively engaged in CRC’s initiatives. Participants were encouraged to:

• Join CRC’s monthly Government Affairs Working Group calls.

• Add colleagues to the CRC’s distribution list.

• Join us in Washington for meetings on Capitol Hill and at US DOT, with the next opportunity being February 11 & 12.

• Leverage the CRC’s Legislative and Regulatory Updates in communications with local stakeholders.

• Attend the next gathering of CRC’s Board of Directors, March 13 & 14, in Salt Lake City.

• Submit your organization’s profile for the weekly CRC News & Events Bulletin, or suggest an innovation or partnership to be featured on a CRC podcast or webinar.

• Contribute subject expertise to the next Commuter Rail Summit.

CRC members who missed the Town Hall or would like a copy of the accompanying slide deck should reach out here.

7:45 – 7:53 AM Board buses at hotel
7:53 – 8:00 AM Transport to UTA Frontline HQ
8:00 – 9:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 – 1:00 PM CRC Board Meeting
1:00 - 2:00 PM Lunch
2:00 – 2:15 PM Split into 3 groups for Tech Tours
2:15 – 2:30 PM Travel to Tech Tour Locations
2:30 - 4:45 PM TECHNICAL TOURS
4:45 – 5:00 PM Transport back to hotel

STAY AND PLAY:

The Utah Jazz are at home against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, March 14, starting at 7:30 PM.

If looking for accommodations at the resort, note that winter stays that include a Friday or Saturday must be for a minimum of four days unless booked inside of a 30 day window.

Plan your day:

Ski, snow board, book a snowshoe or orientation tour, or any number of other activities available at the resort. Or, the Cliff Spa may be more to your liking.

BOOST PROPOSED TO COMMUTER BENEFITS

U.S. Reps. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) have reintroduced the Supporting Transit Commutes Act (STCA), which they said would boost transit ridership by “incentivizing companies to offer commuter benefits for employees.”

STCA (H.R. 9464), which was first introduced in the House last fall, allows full deductibility for transit subsidies, encouraging employers to offer subsidies instead of pre-tax benefits, and includes provisions that if an employer offers only a pre-tax option, they are eligible to deduct 50% of the amount withheld, according to Auchincloss and Lawler. (Railway Age)

Metrolink has appointed Hilary Konczal as its new Chief Safety, Security and Compliance Officer, effective immediately. In this critical role, Konczal will also serve as the organization’s compliance officer for Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)-mandated initiatives and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), while fostering a proactive safety culture that permeates all levels of the organization.

Konczal joins Metrolink from Chicago’s Metra where he spent more than three decades in progressively senior roles, ultimately ascending to the post of Chief Regulatory Compliance Officer, responsible for safeguarding passengers, employees and contractors, as well as overseeing public safety initiatives along Metra’s 487-mile system.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• US DOT says it will tie funding to birth, marriage rates (Smart Cities Dive)

• New Trump Executive Order Aims To Speed Deregulation (Forbes)

• Lawsuit blames deaths on Ohio train derailment as Vance says US needs ‘to do better on rail safety’ (Associated Press)

• Governor Hochul Announces 2024 as Metro-North Railroad’s Strongest Year Yet for Record On-Time Performance (New York State)

• New South Shore route to South Bend airport advances (Trains.com)