Amtrak
Transportation Under a Romney/Ryan Administration
If Romney/Ryan win in November, we may know what to expect in terms of national transportation spending if they were to follow the Republican platform adopted on Aug. 28. In terms of increasing transportation revenue, it may not differ from Obama's.
Preparations for Sacramento's New Intermodal Facility Prove Fatal
Sacramento's downtown train station recently relocated its tracks to accommodate new transit oriented development - but the long, winding walk from depot to platform has presented problems for passengers, including a fatal heart attack on day one.
High-Speed Rail May Bring New Station to Philly
Amtrak is considering where to build stations in Philadelphia for high-speed rail. One of the options is a new station in Market East, an underdeveloped part of downtown. Leadership sees the project as a potential catalyst for new building.
Amtrak Service Dominates D.C. to Boston Travel Market
Long lines at airport security and weather delays have contributed to Amtrak's commanding travel mode share between D.C. and NYC, and majority share between NYC and Boston, but the lead is threatened by the competition and aging infrastructure.
Amtrak Shoots for the Moon, Hopes to Stay in Operation
With a flurry of ambitious, and big ticket, proposals unveiled over the past three weeks, chronically under-budgeted Amtrak is shifting its strategy in the hopes of proving its potential worth.
$7 Billion Transformation of D.C.'s Union Station Proposed
You read that right...$7 billion. In a plan to be unveiled today, Amtrak is proposing to transform the second-busiest Amtrak station in the country into a hub for high-speed rail and redevelopment, report Jonathan O'Connell and Ashley Halsey III.
Amtrak's $151 Billion High Speed Rail Plan
With the CA state Senate's appropriation of $8 billion toward their $68 billion high speed rail plan, the spotlight turns to the other coast - the Northeast Corridor, with Amtrak's unveiling its updated, $151 billion plan. Both run 220 mph trains.
Slow Progress on America's High-Speed Rail Efforts
Milton Lindsay examines America's efforts to build a national system of high-speed trains and finds mixed results in the nation's eleven intended corridors.
Haggling Over High-Speed Rail Funds
Burgess Everett and Adam Snider look at the growing debate over where to allocate limited high-speed rail funds: on the East Coast, where rail already has a foothold, or out West, where California has the land and starter funds to make it happen.
How Public Transportation is Failing the Disabled
With more than a quarter of disabled Americans who are unable to leave their homes prevented from doing so by transportation difficulties, Sarah Laskow argues it's time for cities to move beyond ADA.
America's Newest High-Speed Rail Service Begins
This past Wednesday, Amtrak debuted the newest high-speed rail service in the country, and the first outside of the northeast corridor. Where you ask? California? Florida? Nope, it's is Kalamazoo, Michigan.
CA HSR Plan B: Amtrak
If high-speed rail fails, 130 miles of track will have to go to Amtrak. But critics say that the backup plan comes with no guarantee that Amtrak would even have to use the tracks and is, therefore, a useless backup plan.
High-Speed Rail Project Faces Opposition
In California, a recent poll, according to Charles Chieppo, brought bad news stating that 53% of the states voters approved a $9.9 billion bond three years ago, but of those polled, 64% support a re-vote, and 59% would vote no if they had the chance.
The Traumatizing Effect Of Train Suicides
Caltrain, the 77-mile, Gilroy/San Jose - SF commuter railroad, is suffering an unwelcome resurgence of ‘suicide by train’--16 deaths this year, of which 11 are confirmed suicides. Bay Citizen investigates the psychological effect on train engineers.
Senate Sub-Committee Eliminates High Speed Rail Funding
A key Senate subcommittee has appeared to have eliminated funding for high speed rail while preserving funding for Amtrak, highway, and transit. However, the full committee may not adopt these mark-ups. And then there are the changes the House makes.
NYC Transit Extends the Life of C Trains
Due to budget constraints, the current C train (code name: R32) will continue to serve New Yorkers until 2017, making it one of the oldest subway line in the world.
Bill Proposes Privatization of Northeast Rail Corridor
House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica has proposed a bill to privatize Northeast Corridor rail operations. This post from Pedestrian Observations looks at what such a plan would mean.
California's Slow Speed Amtrak Trains See Ridership Gain
It's not just the High Speed Rail project making news these days in California. The three 79 mph, state-subsidized inter-city lines: Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin, and Pacific Surfliner (nation's second busiest), all registered riderships gains.
The Origin Story of Randal O'Toole
The noted "antiplanner" tells the story of how, while riding a train across California, he discovered that transportation policy is driven by corrupt politics—and how he got the girl in the process.
On Acela's 10-year Anniversary, Amtrak Looks Forward
Without doubt, the pride of the Amtrak fleet is the ten-year-old Acela train, the closest thing to high speed rail in existence in the United States. This piece looks at the current service and Amtrak's hope for the future for the northeast route.
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 Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
