Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.

“Former NYC Transit President and beloved ‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford will join Amtrak next month as an executive vice president,” reports David Meyer in an exclusive for Streetsblog NYC, prompting renewed optimism on the part of rail supporters. The former Transport for London head will oversee Amtrak’s expansion of high-speed rail in the United States.
“The cheery Brit’s tenure in New York was marked by increased on-time subway performance, the approval of $40 billion in proposed spending to modernize city subways and buses, and his very public squabbles and eventual falling out with then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was later forced to resign in a sexual harassment scandal.”
Lisa Daglian, executive director of the MTA’s in-house Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, praised the move, saying that Byford has “lived and worked in places where high speed rail actually exists and is in a great position to help bring it here,” adding that Byford “understands the complexity of the system and its components — and mostly, how to put riders first.”
FULL STORY: Andy Byford to Join Amtrak

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

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

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions