Rail
Kunstler: Rebuild the Passenger Rail System
In his forward to James McCommons' new book, Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service, James Howard Kunstler lays out the case for investing in a revival of passenger rail.
AlterNet
Hitting Fast-Forward on Transit
LA Mayor Villaraigosa an ambitious new plan to speed up new rail projects throughout the city, and to complete it all within 10 years instead of the previously proposed 30.
The Los Angeles Times
China's Rail Revolution
Extensive investments in rail are slashing travel times in China, and creating a vastly more connected and accessible country.
Newsweek
Rail Safety Improvements Years Away
Head-on train collisions can be avoided by simply keeping one train per track. There's a plan to make that happen, but it's years from implementation.
Miller-McCune
Intercity Rail Rides Again in Virginia
Intercity rail service has begun operations in Virginia, connecting Lynchburg and Washington D.C.
The Washington Post
A Ride on Dubai's New Metro Rail System
The new Dubai Metro rail system recently began operations in the desert city. Christopher Corbett, an American planner who's been living and working in Dubai, takes us on a visual tour.
Dubai's New Metro Opens
A new rail system has opened in Dubai, becoming the world's longest fully automated, driverless metro system. But some wonder whether the system will see much use in the oil-rich Emirate.
Der Spiegel
Dubai's Metro Rail Starts Rolling
Citywide metro rail service is set to begin operations today in Dubai. The system will start out with ten operational stations, but eventually include 47 stops along 70 kilometers of track.
Business 24/7
How the Economy Could Hurt Atlanta's Beltline
Atlanta's Beltline project is one of the most ambitious transportation plans the city has seen in decades, but the downturn in the economy could wreak havoc on its progress.
The Signal
The Planetizen News Brief - 8/27/09
4:45 minutes (4.36 MB)
States reach out for rail money, HUD tightens lending rules, and slum dwellers pin hopes for revival on summer blockbuster -- all on this week's Planetizen News Brief, airing weekly on the nationally-syndicated radio show "Smart City". Read, listen or download.
Maryland Taps Feds for $360m in Rail Projects
Seeking federal stimulus dollars for its own set of "shovel ready" projects, Maryland submitted an application to the Federal government for $360 million to improve its passenger rail system.
The Baltimore Sun
The Costs and Benefits of the Canada Line
A new rail line connecting Vancouver to its airport is highly anticipated in the region. The costs and construction disturbances, are causing some concern, however.
The Globe and Mail
Masterplanning the Architecture of the Near Future
As the population rises, underused and empty spaces are going to fill in. How well the transition works depends on shifts in demographics and infrastructure, as well as architecture. A studio of UCLA architecture students were asked to plot that transition. But before they could be architects, they had to be planners.
How Rail Spurred A Makeover In Tysons Corner
Tysons Corner is hoping to go from a 9-to-5 work farm to a 24-hour city.
Time
Nation's Largest Mass Transit Project is under Way
The second passenger rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River will link New Jersey with New York and will also double the capacity on the nation's busiest rail corridor.
CNN
Charlotte Transit Plans Face Delays, Even With Tax Increase
Votes in the Charlotte area are considering another raise to their sales tax to fund transit projects. New documents show the tax increase may not bring the improvements quickly. But without the raise, some projects may never get built.
Charlotte Observer
Dukakis (Hearts) Rail
'Dukakis is a rail man,' says Alex Marshall, after the man speak on his history with Amtrak and promoting and building rail in Boston. The cure to our transit woes, according to Dukakis, is competence.
Citiwire.net
Data Proves Rail Lines = Fewer Cars
Transport Textbook maps new data about car ownership in Melbourne, and finds clear evidence that transit makes a difference.
Transport Textbook
Boston's Transportation Choices Studied
A draft Environmental Impact Report is now underway to study the proposed routes and power sources for rail extensions south of Boston. Considerations include ridership, wetlands, smart growth benefits, and future development around train stations.
The Boston Globe
TOD Districts Approved in Honolulu
Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann has signed a law that allows for the creation of transit oriented districts around the city's recently approved regional train system.
Honolulu Star-Bulletin



















