Amtrak
Basics
Glaeser Goes Out With a Whimper
For those just tuning in, economist Ed Glaeser has been writing a four-part series on the potential costs and benefits of high-speed rail at the New York Times' Economix blog. He began three weeks ago with an introduction. The following week he addressed direct costs and benefits from a hypothetical line, and last week he attempted to gauge the environmental benefits of high-speed rail construction.
August 19, 2009
The Times’ Thickheaded Train Tag Team
The New York Times has now turned loose writers at two of its economics blogs to make weak arguments against the construction of high-speed rail lines.
August 14, 2009
Senior House Members Urge Removal of Amtrak’s New In-House Watchdog
The chairman and senior Republican on the House oversight committee took a step further today in their investigation of internal conflicts at Amtrak, calling for the removal of the staffer who was installed as the rail company's inspector general (IG) after the sudden resignation of the previous in-house watchdog.
July 29, 2009
Missing the Point on High-Speed Rail
Ed Glaeser is a fantastic economist. He has done magnificent work analyzing the economics of urban growth and written indispensable papers on the connection between housing regulations and migration.
July 6, 2009
Lawmakers Investigating the Resignation of Amtrak’s In-House Watchdog
The House oversight committee has launched an official inquiry into the resignation of Amtrak's veteran inspector general (IG) earlier this month -- on the same day that an outside law firm reported on alleged interference with his work by management at the rail corporation.
June 30, 2009
Meridian, Mississippi: What Trains Can Do for a City
When President Obama announced his plan for a national high-speed rail network earlier this year, one of the people invited to attend was the Republican mayor of a city you've most likely never heard of -- Meridian, Mississippi. And one of the rail routes, running from Atlanta to New Orleans, went right through Meridian.
June 3, 2009
Amtrak Bill Clears the Way for Bike-Friendly Trains
The five-year Amtrak authorization that Congress passed last week includes a nice inter-modal touch. It states in no uncertain terms that funding can be spent on making trains accessible for bikes:
October 7, 2008
Rail Advocate: Biden Ascension Wouldn’t Necessarily Help Amtrak
The Washington Post today has a piece summing up Joe Biden's ties to Amtrak. There's not a lot of new material in the story (Biden takes the train between Delaware and DC, he has a pro-rail record in the Senate, his son serves on the Amtrak board, etc.), but what caught our attention was a quote from David Johnson of the National Association of Railroad Passengers.
September 2, 2008
How Do We Make Clean Transportation Part of the National Discussion?
Like Joe Biden, Barack Obama also mentioned Amtrak in his acceptance speech to the Democratic National Convention, but only in reference to his running mate's preferred mode of transportation.
August 29, 2008
From Denver: Dems Discuss Funding Woes; Biden Says “Amtrak”
Last night saw what might one day qualify as an historic moment in transportation circles, as vice presidential candidate Joe Biden used the "A"-word during his speech to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. From a transcript of Biden's address, via CNN:
August 28, 2008