September-October 2022 - 10

PEOPLE & PLACES
USDOT awards more than $233
million in grants to upgrade
intercity passenger rail service
▶ More than $233 million was awarded
to 11 projects in eight states by the
U.S. Department of Transportation to
improve and modernize vital intercity
passenger rail service. Funded by the
Federal-State Partnership for State of
Good Repair Program (Partnership
Program), these investments will help
replace bridges and tunnels along the
Northeast Corridor in New York, New
Jersey, Maryland and Connecticut,
each of which is more than 100-years
old. Additional funds will increase the
safety, reliability and sustainability of
rail infrastructure in California, Michigan
and Massachusetts and make
needed improvements to the busiest
train station in the Midwest: Chicago
Union Station. Administered by the
Federal Railroad Administration, the
Partnership Program is essential to
revitalizing rail assets and bringing
railroad infrastructure to a state of
good repair.
MassTransitmag.com/21278137
People in the News
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Southwest Ohio
Regional Transit
Authority (SORTA)
SORTA selected
Andrew Aiello to
join its executive
leadership team
as chief of staff,
effective Oct. 10, 2022. In this role,
Aiello will support a variety of key
cross-agency functions, projects and
initiatives in alignment with SORTA's
strategic plan. His responsibilities will
include oversight of the technology,
procurement, project management
and board liaison departments. Aiello
currently serves as general manager of
the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky
(TANK), a role he has held since
2010 overseeing the daily operations
of the transit system. His transportation
background also includes the
leadership roles of deputy general
manager and assistant director of
communications with TANK, as well
as planning roles with the Atlanta
Regional Commission and the Georgia
Department of Transportation.
MassTransitmag.com/21277236
Aiello
Central Midlands
Regional Transit
Certified to meet the
standards of ANSI/ALI
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©2022 BendPak Inc. All rights reserved.
For more information, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/21207835
10 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
2210MASS_BendPak.indd 1
8/18/22 3:22 PM
Authority (The COMET)
The COMET has
promoted Jackie
Bowers to director of
operations. Bowers
will be responsible for
overseeing the day-to-day operations
of the prime contractor to ensure
service is being delivered every day
and she will continue to direct the
customer experience department.
She will report to LeRoy DesChamps,
chief operating officer. In her previous
role at The COMET as customer
experience and contract compliance
manager, Bowers was responsible for
providing oversight to the customer
service call center along with activities
at COMET Central. She also monitored
contracted transit operations,
acting as a liaison between The COMET
and the customer facing contracts
held by the organization to identify
actions needed to improve overall
service quality.
MassTransitmag.com/21276251
Bowers

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September-October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September-October 2022