in the U.S., delivered to the MUNI in 1952. It served for many years and was then re- placed in service by newer cars in the 1980s, but it was put aside for future restoration. In March 2012 car 1040 was placed back in service after having been restored by the Brookville Equipment Company of Pennsyl- vania. No. 1040 can be found in F Line serv- ice in San Francisco. It is one of many refur- bished PCC cars painted in the livery of the cities that operated the well-designed cars. Thanks to David Harris, Fred Cole, and Bill Holman for the news. Ever since the U.S. was founded the public has often found CONGRESS wanting , and that institution has frequently been reviled by persons of all political persuasions. As one example of incompetence, the U.S. Con- gress has failed to enact transportation leg- islation (usually called the Highway Bill) in more than three years. Matters are kept go- ing by dint of continuing resolutions. The Highway Trust Fund is supported by fuel taxes and a portion of that money has been placed in the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund. The Mass Transit Ac- count supports a very large part of the feder- al mass transit aid program. The Congress is not operated by Laurel and Hardy, despite the quality of its work. For the time being it appears the transit program is safe, but per- haps not for long. From Alfred Ehm I learned that SAN ANTONIO, Texas, has $238 million to con- struct streetcar lines to serve the downtown area. None of the money is from the Federal Transit Administration. The funds are to be used to build one line running north and east and another running west and south. In
all likelihood the line to the east side of the city core would be the first to be built. Rev- enue service is expected by 2016. I have been in San Antonio several times and it is a fine city that may be improved by its investment in streetcars.
NEW ORLEANS is about to begin an ex- tension of its streetcar service. However, there is a continuing flap about the absence of lifts or ramps on the venerable St. Charles line cars. The city and the transit authority have
contended that the accessibility
changes cannot be made because the St. Charles cars are on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register claims that the ban on any changes is not true. Will changes be made to the St. Charles cars? It’s hard to say. The line oper- ates around the clock and is a great conven- ience to many riders, but it is not usable for people who must use a wheelchair. The Canal Street Line uses newer cars that are replicas of the St. Charles cars, but are equipped to handle wheelchairs. It is proba- bly only a matter of time before there is some modification of the 1923 vintage Per- ley A. Thomas cars on the St. Charles line. Thanks to Harry Ross for the information. Congratulations to NURIA WHITE FER- NANDEZ who has recently been appointed the chief operating officer of the Metropoli- tan Transportation Authority of New York, the largest such authority in the U.S. I am particularly happy to report this event be- cause she is a 1982 civil engineering gradu- ate of my old Alma Mater, Bradley Universi- ty in Peoria, Ill. Another Bradley alum is Ray LaHood, the current secretary of Trans- portation.
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