Regional Rail

The Perilous Future of Bay Area Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit, a hugely successful system pre-pandemic, is now struggling to close a massive projected budget gap, with no certain solutions on the table.

Report: San Diego Trolley Extension Cost Double the Average for U.S. Light Rail
Experts attribute the high cost of the project to local opposition and call on state and federal leaders to give transportation agencies more authority over local jurisdictions.

The High Cost of Adapting Commuter Rail for the Post-COVID Future
U.S. commuter rail systems, primarily designed to bring workers to and from central business districts, must adapt to serve a broader population as the traditional workday changes.

Opinion: 'Commuter Rail' Must Adapt to the New Commute
The sharp historic division between commuter rail and other forms of transit has limited the ability of regional rail systems to serve more users.

New 'Capital Regional Rail Vision' Revealed
An idea to expand regional rail service around D.C. has new substance after the Greater Washington Partnership revealed the first details of a plan to convert the MARC and VRE commuter train systems into high-frequency, all-day regional service.

A Regional Vision for Virginia, Maryland, D.C. Rail
Expanding rail service to more communities in Maryland and D.C. could enhance the benefits of Virginia's recent investments in intercity rail.

Reviving an Old Regional Rail Route to Spur Tourism in Western Massachusetts
The Berkshire Mountains have long been a popular destination for sightseers, tourists, and weekend warriors. A pilot Amtrak route is designed to attract new waves of New Yorkers to the region.

Federal Railroad Administration Clears the Way for the Modern Era of Train Technology
New rules adopted by the Federal Railroad Administration will make it easier for commuter rail and inter-city rail systems to operate cheaper and more efficient trains.

A Proposal to Extend Rail Service to a Town in Pennsylvania Is Ambitious. Proponents Are Undeterred
A plan to get a SEPTA Regional Rail link to Phoenixville in record time has its skeptics, but advocates are convinced they can make it happen.

Orlando SunRail Opens Southern Expansion
SunRail's new expansion includes four new stations, stretching down to Poinciana in Osceola County.

New Locomotives Hit the SEPTA Tracks
Philadelphia regional commuters will get some fancy new trains to ride.

SEPTA Trains Running on Schedule for the First Time in Two Months
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority returned to a normal commute schedule today, after making sufficient repairs to new trains that didn't start on the right track.

SEPTA Expects to Be Operating at Normal Fleet Size in *November
After 120 of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's new but faulty Silverliner V cars were grounded in early July, regional rail service was drastically reduced. Repaired cars will begin returning to service this month.

Denver's Commuter Rail Cars: Same as SEPTA's But Without the Defects
Denver's transit agency is running very similar Hyundai Rotem EMUs on their new A Line to the airport. The car shells are imported from South Korea and assembled in the same Philadelphia plant as SEPTA's problem-plagued Silverliner V cars.

SEPTA Forced to Take 120 Regional Trains Out of Service for Repairs
SEPTA commuters traveling to and from Delaware will spend the summer in transit gridlock, as 120 trains undergo necessary repairs to a serious structural flaw.
Lack of Productivity Afflicts U.S. Commuter Rail
What the U.S. does with twenty-five workers, Spain does with nine; 'work rules' are part of the problem when it comes to the lack of productivity and high costs of America's regional rail systems.
Metra Announces Price Hikes
Metra, Chicago's regional rail provider, has announced that it will increase fares starting in February 2012. For over 300,000 weekday riders, the price increase will mean hundreds of dollars more in fares per year.
BART Looking at Vendors to Boost Revenues
The San Francisco Bay Area's BART regional transit system is considering a plan to expand the amount of retailers and vendors it allows within its stations as a way to boost revenue.
Metrolink: Understaffed and Underfunded
The Sept. 12 crash of a Metrolink commuter train with a U.P. freight train resulting in 25 deaths has brought attention to Southern California's regional rail system, revealing that it is a weak 'stepchild' to the larger, better funded LA MTA.
Locals Apprehensively Excited About Sydney's Big Transit Plans
A recently announced $12.5 billion metropolitan rail system plan for Sydney has many in the region excited about finally getting a good mass transit system. But they are also wary, as many other proposals promising similar services were never kept.
Princeton Planning
City of College Park
Houston-Galveston Area Council
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.