Congress Should Commit To Improving Passenger Rail

The U.S. Congress is helping the troubled airline industry. This editorial calls on the Congress to commit to helping passenger rail too.

1 minute read

September 26, 2001, 9:00 AM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"Congress has acted admirably to help the troubled airlines. But it should also make a commitment to improve passenger rail. Amtrak, which receives about 1 percent of all federal transportation spending, needs an immediate infusion of cash to beef up security throughout its system and to accelerate much-needed capital improvements along the Northeast corridor, where its fast trains are hampered by antique infrastructure.Congress must also adopt a more sensible long- term strategy. For three decades it has grudgingly subsidized Amtrak, spending enough money to keep it alive but never enough to build an attractive service."

Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan

Tuesday, September 25, 2001 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

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.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Flat modern glass office tower with "County of Santa Clara" sign.

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.

6 hours ago - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of dense urban center with lines indicating smart city concept.

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.

7 hours ago - Governing

Pale yellow Sears kit house with red tile roof in Sylva, North Carolina.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing

Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.

May 23 - The Daily Yonder