According to an Economic Policy Institute Study, the federal government must start viewing intercity rail travel as a public service, not a failing business.
The fact is that no transportation mode in the United States pays foritself. All modes have always been subsidized. Highways do not pay forthemselves; they are financed by excise taxes on motor fuels, taxes notnecessarily related to use of highways. Air travel is subsidized as well.Hence the decision to reject subsidies for intercity passenger trains is arbitrary and inconsistent with public policy. The insistence on Amtrak showing a profit is an effort to impose a highly selective business model on what is really a public service.
Thanks to Michael Dudley
FULL STORY: Amtrak Privatization -- the Route to Failure

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.

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

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.
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