The four state-managed Amtrak lines are seeing increases of as much as 65 percent in ridership.

Train ridership in Virginia has surpassed pre-pandemic numbers, reports Jakob Cordes for WRIC. Ridership on the four Amtrak lines in the state has been steadily rising, surpassing prior records. According to Cordes, “The strongest growth came from the Roanoke-bound Route 46, which saw ridership increase nearly 65% since 2019.”
A separate article by Ned Oliver in Axios notes that “Over 110,000 people boarded state-sponsored Amtrak routes in July, according to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority,” 20 percent higher than in 2019 and 30 percent higher than this June.
New routes could be contributing to the spike in demand. “In July, the state added two new daily round trips connecting D.C. to Norfolk and Roanoke.”
In a statement, DJ Stadtler, executive director of the state's passenger rail authority, said “These numbers make it very clear — Virginians want more passenger rail to be a part of their transportation network.”
FULL STORY: More people in Virginia are riding Amtrak trains now than before the pandemic

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
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Cool Walkability Planning
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Illinois Legislators Pass Controversial I-55 Road Expansion Legislation
Legislation to enable the addition of express toll lanes on Interstate 55 in the Southwest Side of Chicago, opposed by environmental justice advocates, cleared the Illinois General Assembly last month.

What Is ‘Arterial Rapid Transit?’
Atlanta is planning to build ‘BRT lite,’ a version of bus service that offers signal priority and fewer stops but keeps buses in mixed-traffic lanes.

Vermont Latest State to Preempt Single-Family Zoning
The approval of the HOME law, S.100, will allow for duplexes in all residential neighborhoods in Vermont. Large swaths of residential zones in the state must also now allow tri- and four-plexes.
Caltrans
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
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