Efforts to ensure that Amtrak's Southwest Chief continues its current route through three states has united more than 20 small communities in New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas.

Key to the efforts to retain the Southwest Chief route is the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program, an Obama-era transportation funding program that has funded $5 billion worth of road, rail, port and bicycle projects. Like so many beneficial programs established by his predecessor, it was targeted by President Trump for elimination in his 2018 budget, but the U.S. Senate retrained its funding.
The most recent community to join the effort is Pueblo County, Colorado, population 159,000 located in the Front Range, by pledging $12,500 toward the TIGER grant application for train track repairs, reports Jesse Paul for The Denver Post on Oct. 23.
To date, Pueblo County says, the communities have banded together to pledge matching funds totaling nearly $9.2 million, with Colfax County, N.M., leading the $25 million grant application.
While the Chicago-to-Los Angeles Southwest Chief doesn't stop in Pueblo, pop.106,595 in 2010 census, Paul reported in July 2016 that adding a stop there "could draw as many as 14,000 new riders and about $1.45 million in ticket revenue" according to a new Amtrak study.
The findings are good news for Pueblo’s community leaders who have been pushing hard for a link to the historic line. The southern Colorado city has dreams of train travel bringing a renaissance to its rail hub, similar to the rejuvenation at Denver’s Union Station, and a potential economic impact in the millions.
These current efforts by rural towns in the three states to apply for the TIGER grant come is not the first time the train has brought them together. A November 2015 post of a Paul article indicates that the towns acted jointly to successfully press their state governments to apply for grants to retain the routing.
Deadline approaches for Front Range rail service
Paul reported last May on the newly formed Southwest Chief and Front Range Passenger Rail Commission after Gov. John Hickenlooper [D-Colo.] "signed into law a bill to explore building passenger rail service along the Front Range and the expansion of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief route through the state’s southeastern corner."
Pueblo County Commissioner Sal Pace, who helped lead the push for the new commission and has been a vocal advocate for passenger rail in Colorado...said the commission has a deadline of Dec. 1, 2017, to present draft legislation to lawmakers.
In other Colorado rail news, Ana Lewett of the Boulder Daily Camera reports on Sept. 26 on the efforts of the Colorado Rail Passenger Association, the group that helped save Denver's Union Station, to explore "[w]hy there is there still no passenger train connecting Longmont, Boulder and Denver, more than a decade after it was voted upon?"
Hat tip to Annie Dawid.
FULL STORY: Amtrak’s Southwest Chief getting another boost from Pueblo County, other communities

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont