A new report released by the Federal Railroad Administration outlines more than a dozen alternatives for upgrading passenger rail service throughout the Northeast Corridor, including what high-speed rail between D.C. and Boston could look like.
Kate Hinds looks as some of the 15 alternatives for investment in the 457-mile Northeast Corridor included in a new report, titled "NEC FUTURE," that was released this week by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Alternatives run the gamut from simply bringing the route up to a state of good repair to the ambitious plan for building a separate dedicated high-speed rail line throughout the corridor.
According to Hinds, "The report aims to jump-start public debate about how rail capacity should be shaped in the region."
“It is intended to be the foundation for future investments in the Northeast Corridor, a 150 year-old alignment that has guided the growth of what is now one of the most densely populated transportation corridors in the world,” said Rebecca Reyes-Alicea, NEC FUTURE program manager for the Federal Railroad Administration. “(It) will further the dialogue about the rail network in the Northeast and how it can best serve us over for the years ahead.”
"Over the next year, these 15 options will be winnowed down," adds Hinds. "The federal government wants to have a single alternative in place by 2015."
Read the full story: Feds Posit Ambitious Plan for Northeast High Speed Rail
The Passenger Rail Revival Is Here
For the first time in decades, multiple rail projects are moving forward that could have a transformative impact on train travel in the United States.
Texas Central High-Speed Rail Gets Green Light From Feds
The Federal Railroad Administration has granted two key permissions for Texas Central to operate a high-speed trail between Houston and Dallas.
High-Speed Rail Connecting Atlanta to Charlotte Studied
The Georgia Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration recently released a draft study of a plan to link Atlanta and Charlotte via high-speed rail.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
This road in NYC is infamously dangerous — and Mamdani can't fix it
New York City's Ocean Parkway is known for reckless driving, but the power to implement safety measures lies with the state rather than the city.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority