Association of American Railroads

Mixed Reviews on New Passenger Rail Reauthorization Act

Six years ago Congress passed the first Passenger Rail Reauthorization Act, known as PRIIA. Reauthorization was introduced on September 11, in a bill (known as PRRIA) praised by some but also criticized for decreasing Amtrak funding by 40 percent.

September 28, 2014 - RT&S (Railway Track & Structures)

Oil and Rail Industries Agree to Phase Out Oldest Rail Oil Tank Cars

A deal may be near between energy and rail industries and the Department of Transportation to phase out the DOT-111 tank car—the same kind implicated in the horrific explosions of oil trains, particularly those carry Bakken crude from North Dakota.

July 23, 2014 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Lac-Mégantic One Year Later

July 6, 2014 marks the one-year anniversary of North America's most catastrophic energy calamity when a runaway oil unit train carrying Bakken crude exploded in this small Quebec town killing 47 people and incinerating ten blocks of its downtown.

July 6, 2014 - NPR

U.S. Energy Secretary on CBR: 'Switch to Pipelines'

Ernest Moniz weighs-in on the exponential, and at times, explosive (literally) growth of moving crude oil by rail (CBR). His main point: pipelines are safer than rail. Science magazine editor Marcia McNutt points to pipelines' environmental benefits.

February 24, 2014 - Capital

NTSB Makes Urgent Recommendations to Address Crude-by-Rail Explosions

The National Transportation Safety Board called on federal regulators on Jan. 23 to approve several measures in light of a rash of oil train derailments and crude oil explosions as did their Canadian counterparts, the Transportation Safety Board.

January 28, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Train Tracks Los Angeles

A (Freight) Rail Line Runs Through It - Cities Take Notice

Call it the Lac-Mégantic effect - the July 6 conflagration that leveled the downtown, killing 47 people, has implications for all jurisdictions where oil and freight trains run. Cities must recognize that rail insurance policies are woefully lacking.

January 14, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

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

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Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

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