Congress has new faith in the service as reduced fares and an improving economy bring more riders.
"More people are riding the rails in Illinois and across the country, a sign that things are looking up for the government's money-losing passenger rail service...'November traffic for the system nationwide set an all-time record since Amtrak began operating in 1971'...Rail's newfound popularity is due, in part, to congestion at the nation's airports where security-related delays make train travel attractive. Competitive fares also help...Congress last week approved a budget that includes a $1.225 billion subsidy, a 20 percent increase, to keep the rail service running this year. 'The federal government cannot ignore Amtrak any longer,' says U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a long-time rail advocate who pushed for Amtrak funding. 'An effective passenger rail system reduces congestion on our nation's highways and decreases air pollution.'"
Thanks to David Gest
Read the full story: Happy Rails
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
‘Going backwards:’ Baltimore mayor, students rally against state's transit funding plan
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Mamdani sent nearly 6,000 pied-à-terre tax warnings to homes that didn’t qualify
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‘Going backwards:’ Baltimore mayor, students rally against state's transit funding plan
Maryland's proposed six-year plan provides no funding for Baltimore’s BMORE bus program and reduces its road maintenance funding.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello