Railroad Safety

President Obama Signs 3-Week Highway Bill and Railroad Safety Extension

A three-week extension of federal transportation spending and three-year extension for railroads to install positive train control was signed on Oct. 29, the date the current highway extension expired.

October 30, 2015 - Transport Topics

Railroads Given Three More Years to Install Positive Train Control

Agreement has been reached by Congress to extend the vital but costly safety system said to prevent many train crashes. Had it not been reached, freight railroads warned they would shut down, as would passenger rail lines running on their tracks.

October 24, 2015 - The Hill

Three Es of Grade Crossing Safety: Focus on Enforcement

Education, Engineering, and Enforcement. MTA police are taking the last one very seriously at grade crossings they monitor on the Metro-North and LIRR lines since the February crash in Westchester County that killed five passengers and a motorist.

April 13, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

California Takes Legislative Steps to Address Growing Crude-by-Rail Shipments

While regulated on the federal level, there is still much that can be done on a state level, including adding per-barrel fees to pay for cleanup plans. Plus, a new regulation took effect requiring railroads to notify states about Bakken crude trains.

June 10, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Why is Little Being Done to Prevent Railroad Deaths?

An investigative series by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch exposes the obstacles to preventing pedestrian railroad accidents - now the leading cause of death on the rails. Authorities are unable to tackle the problem and railroads are unwilling.

December 24, 2012 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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.

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.