Terminal

The government has started implementing an empty operation at the new commercial cargo terminal at the Beitbridge border crossing, which is being modernized at a cost of $ 300 million.

So far, the Zimborders Consortium implementing the project has spent US $ 65 million on pre-start-up works and construction of roads, weighbridges, warehouses and upgrading ICT facilities.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Engineer Theodius Chinyanga, said the cargo terminal will be officially opened on October 6.

He has already said that Zimbabwe and South Africa have opened a dialogue on the possibility of building another bridge to improve traffic flow and facilitate regional and international trade.

Eng Chinyanga yesterday led a team of government agencies in an inspection of civil works ahead of the official opening next month.

“We are here to check the progress of the civil works with all government agencies,” he said.

“This project is being implemented in three phases and we are happy to see that our partner has met the deadlines.

“The modernization initiative is being rolled out in three phases which include the commercial freight terminal (phase one), buses and light motor vehicles, and the pedestrian terminals in phases 2 and 3 respectively.”

It is expected that the new commercial cargo terminal will house immigration, customs, police and all border agencies (housed) in the building.

The counters have been set up in sequence so that customers do not have to move from one building to another.

Eng Chinyanga said, “We have already started to implement a dry circuit and the commercial trucks have been rerouted to follow the new route through the new facilities.

“Over the coming week we will see service people move from the old buildings to the new terminal. “

Eng Chinyanga said they do not anticipate any major challenges at this time as they will keep the old buildings in working order with selected services.

Zimborders chief executive François Diedrechsen said they expected to complete the pending border modernization work next year.

“We are moving to phase two which includes the construction of the bus terminal, the light vehicle terminal and the pedestrian terminals.

“Other works include upgrading the sewage and water supply systems in the town of Beitbridge and building 264 housing units for border officials,” he said.

ICT Subcommittee Chairman Shami Moyo said the automation of the modernized border post will involve the use of cameras and more paperless transactions.

Travelers and carriers will use a one-stop payment system to reduce time spent at the border.

“The idea is to go high-tech and make more use of prepayment and preclearance systems. People have to spend as little time as possible to go through this port of entry,” Moyo said.

Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Office

The government has started implementing an empty operation at the new commercial cargo terminal at the Beitbridge border crossing, which is being modernized at a cost of $ 300 million.

So far, the Zimborders Consortium implementing the project has spent US $ 65 million on pre-start-up works and construction of roads, weighbridges, warehouses and upgrading ICT facilities.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Engineer Theodius Chinyanga, said the cargo terminal will be officially opened on October 6.

He has already said that Zimbabwe and South Africa have opened a dialogue on the possibility of building another bridge to improve traffic flow and facilitate regional and international trade.

Eng Chinyanga yesterday led a team of government agencies in an inspection of civil works ahead of the official opening next month.

“We are here to check the progress of the civil works with all government agencies,” he said.

“This project is being implemented in three phases and we are happy to see that our partner has met the deadlines.

“The modernization initiative is being rolled out in three phases which include the commercial freight terminal (phase one), buses and light motor vehicles and the pedestrian terminals in phases 2 and 3 respectively.”

It is expected that the new commercial cargo terminal will house immigration, customs, police and all border agencies (housed) in the building.

The counters have been set up in sequence so that customers do not have to move from one building to another.

Eng Chinyanga said, “We have already started to implement a dry circuit and the commercial trucks have been rerouted to follow the new route through the new facilities.

“In the coming week we will see the technicians move from the old buildings to the new terminal. “

Eng Chinyanga said they do not anticipate any major challenges at this time as they will keep the old buildings in working order with selected services.

Zimborders chief executive François Diedrechsen said they expected to complete the pending border modernization work next year.

“We are moving to phase two which includes the construction of the bus terminal, the light vehicle terminal and the pedestrian terminals.

“Other work includes upgrading the sewage and water systems in the town of Beitbridge and building 264 housing units for border officials,” he said.

ICT Subcommittee Chairman Shami Moyo said the automation of the modernized border post will involve the use of cameras and more paperless transactions.

Travelers and carriers will use a one-stop payment system to reduce time spent at the border.

“The idea is to go high-tech and make more use of prepayment and preclearance systems. People have to spend as little time as possible to pass through this port of entry, ”Moyo said.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is moving full steam ahead with its plan to create a new terminal in downtown Clearwater for its electric fleet.

The organization has applied for a grant to rebuild America’s infrastructure with sustainability and equity (RAISE). PSTA is requesting $ 25 million through the RAISE grant, formerly known as the BUILD and TIGER grants.

The new 75,000 square foot, $ 34 million transit hub would be located on a city-owned site at Court Street and Myrtle Avenue. It would replace PSTA’s current Clearwater facility, called the Park Street PSTA Terminal, which serves 14 bus routes but is obsolete and cannot accommodate electric buses.

PSTA has 88 hybrid buses and six fully electric buses. By the end of the calendar year, PSTA plans to have 90 hybrids and eight electric buses in its fleet.

The new facility would also have a solar panel roof and charging stations thanks to PSTA’s partnership with Duke Energy.

The site is also next to a CSX railway line, which was previously used to transport printed products for the Tampa Bay Times and aggregate for a plant.

“We [the city] bought this property because of the CSX line… The DFO [Metropolitan Planning Organization] considered purchasing the CSX line as a potential location for the light rail. It was a handy fruit, there were only two trains a week – one carried newsprint to the Tampa Bay Times and another aggregate haul for a concrete batching plant, ”David Allbritton, PSTA board member and Clearwater board member. said Monday at a working meeting of the city council. “The problem was, CSX wanted to sell the entire Tampa Bay area line, which didn’t just include Pinellas County, and there was no desire from the area to buy the entire line.”

A spokeswoman for PSTA said the new facility would likely be able to accommodate a possible future light rail if it ever materialized.

Meanwhile, the city is looking at PSTA’s current land on Park Street to build a future town hall house.

The land exchange agreement is being finalized between PSTA and Clearwater, a PSTA spokeswoman said.

PSTA is working with Boston-based engineering and construction company CDM Smith Inc. on the design. The remaining $ 9 million needed for the PSTA in addition to the $ 25 million grant would be funded by the municipalities.

The organization will hold a press conference Thursday morning at 710 Court Street in Clearwater to discuss the grant and project details.

PSTA plans to begin final design in summer 2022, begin construction in 2023, and start operations in fall 2024.

The California Coastal Commission has just given the green light for San Diego International Airport to begin construction on the $ 3 billion “expansion” plan for Terminal 1. The expanded terminal will replace the existing Terminal 1, which was built in 1967.

The provisionally approved plan calls for the demolition of the existing 336,000 square foot, 19-door Terminal 1 building, and its replacement with a structure three times the size and designed to serve 40 million passengers by 2040. The new building will be 1 , 2 million square feet housing 30 doors. The airport’s record level of 25 million passengers was just reached in 2019.

A new 5,500-space parking garage is also planned as well as the relocation of the existing taxiway and the construction of a second taxiway to allow easier movement of arriving and departing aircraft.

The Coastal Commission’s approval was provisional as it raised concerns about environmental issues, such as greenhouse gas emissions, potential flooding due to sea level rise and rising sea levels. traffic jam. The Commission imposed a number of conditions aimed at minimizing the impacts of the project. In addition, it relied on the airport to bring it together on a public transport connection.

Construction could begin in November, with the first 19 gates of the new terminal due to open in 2025. Demolition of the old terminal would follow, with the additional 11 gates ready to be inaugurated by 2027.

According to Utah reporter Lori Weisberg:

Coastal Commission staff noted their strong support for a direct transit connection to the airport, such as a people carrier, which they said would go a long way in alleviating the inevitable traffic jams. As a special condition, it requires the airport to identify the precise location it plans to reserve for a future transit station on the airport, which will generally be located on the west side of the terminal 1 parking structure.

In the short term, the committee clarified that it wanted the airport authority to honor its commitment to provide a free shuttle between the transit center of the old town and the airport. The shuttle, including a plan for its hours and frequency of operation, is expected to be implemented by December 1, the commission said. Airport Authority CEO Kim Becker told commissioners that the all-electric shuttles, which are funded by airport funds, will kick off on November 21, with two to four buses at first.

Additionally, Weisberg reported:

“Two key hurdles must be overcome before construction can begin, said Dennis Probst, vice president of airport development.”

• The Airport Authority is awaiting the awaited approval by the Federal Aviation Administration of an environmental impact assessment at the federal level.
• In October, the Airport Authority is expected to approve two major design and construction contracts for the terminal, associated roads and aerodrome improvements.

Key to the success of the $ 3 billion project and the ability to handle 40 million passengers in twenty years “are a number of planned road improvements.”

• a new three-lane airport access road from Laurel Street and North Harbor Drive that airport planners say would eliminate 45,000 vehicle trips per day from Harbor Drive.
• The airport will also reserve the right of way for a future outgoing three-lane motorway.
• The airport is also working with the San Diego Association of Governments and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System on “an ambitious plan to eventually provide a high-speed transit connection to Terminals 1 and 2”.
• The central element in bringing a passenger carrier to the airport is the development of a “Grand Central Station” which would likely be located in the Navy’s 70-acre Old Town complex, commonly referred to as NAVWAR. The Navy and SANDAG have been working together on the project for some time, but it is not a done deal.

Weisberg quoted Coast Commission vice-chairman Donne Brownsey, who “didn’t mince words when describing the current state of Terminal 1 in San Diego.”

“I think I’m probably speaking on behalf of the many travelers entering and leaving the San Diego airport to my delight that you are going to build a new terminal. Don’t take it personally, but there’s only one way to describe the San Diego Airport Terminal (1) on a Friday, which is a mosh pit – wall-to-wall people, not enough facilities. And let’s just say I’m very happy to know that in the future there will be a new terminal in San Diego.

“I really see this as a super positive development. If you’ve ever flown to and from Portland it’s great because you just hop on their version of the subway and it’s such a quick, easy, and inexpensive option and definitely a much better option in terms of greenhouse gases. And here you have the closeness, which is really positive.

In their report to the commissioners, staff noted that the airport authority had already made an error in initiating a number of projects at the redevelopment site without first obtaining the commission’s approval. Among them were a 70,762 square foot facility maintenance building, a 3 million gallon underground cistern and the conversion of a long-term public parking lot to an employee parking lot.

Becker apologized to the commission for what it called a “misstep” resulting from a misinterpretation of the state’s coast law.

“Upon learning of this, I immediately requested a full review of all authority investment plans and asked our team to disclose our mistakes to the commission’s executive director,” Becker said. “I have implemented new procedures in coordination with your staff to ensure that this does not happen again. “

Due to previous violations by Airport Authority staff resulting from misinterpretation of the state coasts law, the Commission has imposed some additional requirements:

• the airport is installing electric vehicle charging stations in 5% of new parking spaces and
• that it build in the future 5% additional parking spaces ready for electric vehicles;
• capturing an additional 36 acres of stormwater from the development site, a measure that will provide more water quality benefits than would normally be required from such development;
• a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and an annual report that calculates the emissions resulting from the approved project and all measures taken to reduce net emissions to zero.

San Diego International Airport’s long-standing plan to build a greatly expanded Terminal 1 has received the blessing of the California Coastal Commission, a crucial step that will bring the $ 3 billion project closer to an innovation later this year. year.

While the commission raised some concerns about environmental issues, such as greenhouse gas emissions, potential flooding from rising sea levels and increasing traffic congestion, it imposed a number conditions designed to minimize the impacts of the project.

Coastal Commission Vice Chairman Donne Brownsey was quick to describe the current state of Terminal 1 in San Diego.

“I think I’m probably speaking on behalf of the many travelers entering and leaving the San Diego airport to my joy that you are going to build a new terminal,” she said. “Don’t take it personally, but there’s only one way to describe the San Diego Airport Terminal (1) on a Friday, which is a mosh pit – people wall to wall, not enough people. ‘facilities. And let’s just say I’m very happy to know that in the future there will be a new terminal in San
Diego. “

San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Board Chairman Gil Cabrera called the committee’s vote “another big step forward” in the “long journey from the airport to becoming the best airport in the United States ”.

“It’s one of the last kinds of regulatory hurdles we have as fall approaches when we start innovating on things,” Cabrera said. “We are an airport on the coast, so we could not move forward without the approval of the Coastal Commission. ”

The project, although delayed for a year due to now resolved traffic issues raised three years ago by a number of government agencies, calls for the demolition of the existing 336,000 square foot Terminal 1 building and 19 doors, and its replacement by a 1.2 million square foot building housing 30 doors.

Airlines currently using Terminal 1, including Southwest, complain that the aging facility, built in 1967, is no longer adequate to accommodate increasing volumes of passengers. Passenger traffic fell sharply last year due to the pandemic and although flight activity has rebounded sharply, it could be a few years before annual figures return to all-time highs at the airport in 25 million passengers in 2019.

A new car park with 5,500 spaces is also planned, the relocation of the existing taxiway and the construction of a second taxiway to facilitate the movement of arriving and departing aircraft.

Two key hurdles must be overcome before construction can begin, said Dennis Probst, vice president of airport development. The Airport Authority is awaiting the awaited approval by the Federal Aviation Administration of an environmental impact assessment at the federal level. And next month, the Airport Authority is expected to approve two major design and construction contracts for the terminal, related roads and airfield improvements.

Assuming these two hurdles are lifted, construction would begin in November, with the first 19 gates of the new terminal scheduled to open in 2025. Demolition of the old terminal would follow, with the additional 11 gates set to begin by 2027, a declared Probst. . While he expects the maximum contract price to exceed $ 3 billion, he hopes that by the time the design process is complete, the cost will be closer to $ 3 billion.

The key to the success of the project and the 40 million passengers the airport is expected to serve by 2040 are a number of planned road improvements. The main one is a new three-lane airport access road from Laurel Street and North Harbor Drive which airport planners say would eliminate 45,000 vehicle trips per day from Harbor Drive. The airport will also reserve the right of way for a future outgoing three-lane motorway.

The airport is also working with the San Diego Association of Governments and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System on an ambitious plan to eventually provide a high-speed transit connection to Terminals 1 and 2. The keystone in bringing a People carrier at the airport is the development of a “Grand Central Station” which would likely be located on the Navy’s 70-acre Old Town complex, commonly known as NAVWAR. The Navy and SANDAG have been working together on the project for some time, but it is not yet a done deal.

Coastal Commission staff stressed their strong support for a direct transit connection to the airport, such as a people carrier, which they said would go a long way in alleviating the inevitable traffic jams. As a special condition, it requires the airport to identify the precise location it plans to reserve for a future transit station on the airport, which will generally be located on the west side of the terminal 1 parking structure.

In the short term, the committee clarified that it wanted the Airport Authority to respect its commitment to provide a free shuttle service between the transit center of the old town and the airport. The shuttle, including a plan for its hours and frequency of operation, is expected to be implemented by December 1, the commission said. Airport Authority CEO Kim Becker told commissioners that the all-electric shuttles, which are funded by airport funds, will launch the service on November 21, with two to four buses at first.

The long-term prospect of a rapid transit connection is good news for travelers and the environment, Commissioner Brownsey said.

“I really see this as a super positive development,” she said. “If you’ve ever flown to and from Portland it’s great because you just hop on their version of the subway and it’s such a quick, easy, and inexpensive option and definitely a much better option in terms of greenhouse gas. And here you have the closeness, which is really positive.

In their report to the commissioners, staff noted that the airport authority had already made an error in initiating a number of projects at the redevelopment site without first obtaining the commission’s approval. Among them were a 70,762 square foot facility maintenance building, a 3 million gallon underground cistern and the conversion of a long-term public parking lot to an employee parking lot.

Becker apologized profusely to the commission for what it called a “misstep” resulting from a misinterpretation of the law on the state’s coasts.

“Upon learning of this, I immediately requested a full review of all authority investment plans and asked our team to disclose our mistakes to the commission’s executive director,” Becker said. “I have implemented new procedures in coordination with your staff to ensure that this does not happen again. “

Due to the violations, the commission imposed additional requirements, including a provision for the airport to install electric vehicle (EV) charging ports in 5% of new parking spaces and to build an additional 5% of spaces. parking lot as being ready for electric vehicles in the future.

The airport has also agreed to capture an additional 36 acres of stormwater from the development site, a measure that will provide more water quality benefits than would normally be required from such a development.

As part of the commission’s overall approval, it also requires a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and an annual report that calculates the emissions resulting from the approved project and any measures taken to reduce net emissions to zero.

PATNA: The district administration has decided to run CNG and electric buses to Patliputra Bus Station (PBT) from all locations in the city to help passengers get there without difficulty. District Magistrate (DM) Dr Chandrashekhar Singh issued an order in this regard after holding a meeting with representatives of the transport union on Friday.
It was also decided that “chungi” would only be collected once a day for a month. “At the Mithapur bus stop, the chengi was collected twice a day. At the new Bairiya bus station, it will be collected once to help the carriers. The PBT executive committee is keeping the account intended for the development of the bus station, ”the DM told this newspaper.
Singh also called on relevant officials to improve basic amenities like dormitories and toilets for drivers and bus station staff. “Around 500 buses are parked at the PBT, although the total number of buses leaving and ending at the terminal is around 3,000. A parking space for 100 more buses will be created within a month,” the DM said.
However, he cautioned carriers against unauthorized parking of buses on the roads outside the bus station. “The owners of these buses will be fined and the permit for the movement of stray vehicles will be canceled,” he added.
Since many buses are parked on the Patna-Gaya road instead of the PBT, this causes traffic jams in the locality.
“Apart from the police outpost, 150 private security guards have been assigned there. Additional magistrates with adequate police forces have also been tasked with controlling the illegal parking of buses, ”added the Minister.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the delay in some construction work at PBT, the DM said all of this work should be completed within 10 days so more buses can be parked there.

For the most part, GO Transit is just a way to get around the Greater Toronto Area, but an Ontario teenager has taken his love of the Metrolinx regional transit system to the next level, building a tribute touching her grandfather, a bus driver who died entirely from LEGO.

Ethan Thompson, a 19-year-old from the Niagara region, built an elaborate LEGO bus station in memory of his grandfather Garnett ‘Garney’ Thompson’s illustrious career on the road, driving buses for the TTC, Gray Coach, GO Transit and Metrolinx for 41 years before passing away in 2016.

The model does not represent a specific station. Instead, Thompson took a hybrid approach, blending features from Aldershot, Burlington and Oshawa GO stations to create a custom station with all of the familiar network features.

View of the tiny LEGO GO bus station. Photo by cleopatrascanvasphotography.

It’s the amount of detail that really takes this LEGO model to the next level, with Thompson carefully studying the photos for weeks to make sure everything was perfect down to the most minor elements.

LEGO minifigures checking an arrival time next to the PRESTO machines. Photo by cleopatrascanvasphotography.

This level of detail ranges from the most important features of stations like bus shelters, textured yellow safety strips, and PRESTO machines to detail, with touches like destinations on electronic bus signs and bus timetables adding details. details.

A figure stands out from the pack of dozens of little LEGO people who crowd around this adorable terminal. A gray-haired person waiting for passengers next to a GO bus is a portrayal of Garnett Thompson, a personal Easter egg memorial added by the younger Thompson.

Garnett Thompson LEGO minifigure. Photo by cleopatrascanvasphotography.

Some work was contracted out, with Thompson enlisting his father to help him design the graphics and signage on a computer, print and glue them to the LEGO parts, and bring the GO brand to life.

Passengers boarding a GO bus, led by a LEGO minifigure representing Garnett Thompson. Photo by cleopatrascanvasphotography.

Thompson put hundreds of hours of work into creating his custom GO Station, requiring tens of thousands of LEGO parts and likely encountering more than a few frustrating mistakes along the way.

Current GO bus driver and friend of “Garney” Thompson, Bob Lanigan, has been a big supporter of Ethan Thompson, acting as a design consultant throughout the process.

Lanigan also urged Thompson to launch his LEGO model at the Hamilton GO Bus garage this summer, where it received an overwhelmingly positive reception. In a blog post covering the LEGO creation, Thompson told Metrolinx how “people have been blown away by the realism of the buses.”

Passengers boarding a GO bus with a front bicycle rack. Photo by cleopatrascanvasphotography.

Thompson has even bigger visions on the horizon, already building a LEGO version of the recently opened Union Station bus station, which is expected to take a few weeks between design and construction.

Bus station could be ready by December 2021

BENGALURU: Even almost two decades after the proposal, the wait for commuters for a congested modern bus terminal in Kalasipalya is growing.
In 2016, BMTC started work on the Rs 63 crore terminal spread over 4 acres and it was due for completion in December 2019. After missing several deadlines, the company has now completed around 95% of the work.
But all activities stopped after BMTC failed to release the money for the entrepreneur. “We have paid Rs 42 crore so far and the remaining amount has not yet been released due to the cash shortage. Only adjustments and works on the access roads are pending, ”said a BMTC official.
He said BMTC approached the government to provide financial assistance to complete the project. “This terminal is being built with internal funds from the transport company. But there has been no income for two years, mainly because of the Covid. The government has sanctioned the amount and is expected to release it by the end of the month. We have set a deadline of December 2021, ”he said.
Rajesh S, a passenger, said: “There is no rush on BMTC’s part to complete the project. There are no toilets for women ”
When completed, the terminal could accommodate 18 BMTCs, 10 KSRTCs and 8 interstate government buses at a time. While an automatic rickshaw stand will be installed at the terminal, it has not yet been decided whether or not to allow private intercity buses inside the facility. The terminal will have commercial establishments, a food court and terrace parking, etc.
Every day, hundreds of buses run from Kalasipalya to neighboring cities and neighboring states. The lack of clean toilets, waiting areas, parking lots and bus platforms or platforms for boarding the buses inconvenienced passengers.

Bombay: Due to the mock exercise at Mumbai Airport this morning, there was chaos to be seen. Indeed, from terminal 2 of the airport, the passenger was asked to evacuate immediately and during this time people were afraid to see the huge crowd. At the same time, after all this, the police informed that it was a mock exercise. As much to say to you that simulations of exercises are organized from time to time in crowded places of the country. Yes and its purpose is to take stock of security by creating a situation like an attack.

We are now on a bus heading to what I imagine to be some sort of refuge area. Well done to the teams who are taking care of it. Very fast evacuation process through door 45.

– Cyrus Dhabhar (@CyrusDhabhar)

We are now on a bus heading to what I imagine to be some sort of refuge area. Well done to the teams who are taking care of it. Very fast evacuation process through door 45.

– Cyrus Dhabhar (@CyrusDhabhar)

Usually, in such exercises, security personnel run away as if there had been a very big scandal. People are currently sharing photos of the exercise simulation on social media. You can see in these photos that people are suddenly thrown out of the terminal while sitting on the bus. Meanwhile, many people are also complaining that the corona protocol was skipped during this time. However, the best part is that the timing of the flight was not changed despite the exercise simulation. Police said mock drills were currently underway at Mumbai International Airport.

Complete evacuation in progress

– Cyrus Dhabhar (@CyrusDhabhar)

People don’t have to panic. However, many people are now sharing photos of the exercise simulation on Twitter. Sharing the footage, one user wrote that he was stuck on the bus and the air conditioning was not working either. Another wrote that about 15 buses were parked and people were stranded altogether.