Amtrak
Basics
BTS Releases Confusing, Erroneous Transit Stats
I was all set to write a feel-good story about how the latest report from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics [PDF] shows that transit ridership is up and driving is down. I made up my mind to write that story before I even looked at the report, so sure was I that that was the message.
August 16, 2013
Amtrak Foe Mica Meets His Match in John Robert Smith
I just sat through a pretty boring hearing on rail financing. But I’m glad I stuck it out, because the fireworks came at the end, when Rep. John Mica picked a fight with the wrong man.
July 9, 2013
Will the Next Rail Bill Make Trains Competitive With Highways and Aviation?
It may have taken three years for Congress to get it together to pass a surface transportation reauthorization, but House Republicans say that won't happen this time.
July 2, 2013
Senate Offers a More Multi-Modal 2014 Transportation Budget Than the House
Last week, a House panel envisioned some big cuts to next year’s transportation budget. TIGER and high-speed rail would get nothing, Amtrak would get slashed, and ixnay on all that green “livability” crap. (And that's practically a quote.)
June 27, 2013
“The Twilight of the Appropriations Process”: House GOP Gets Its Knives Out
Constrained by Paul Ryan's budget and the sequester, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and HUD passed a $44 billion spending bill for 2014 – 15 percent lower than 2013 enacted levels. The bill contains $15.3 billion in discretionary appropriations for the Department of Transportation, also 15 percent below enacted 2013 levels and amounting to about two-thirds of the president’s request. It passed the subcommitee this morning on a voice vote.
June 19, 2013
Amtrak Looking to Handle Growing Demand for Bikes on Board
Amtrak can be a great option if you want to travel to another city sans car. But if you want to take your bike on board an Amtrak train, on most routes you'll have to dismantle it, at least partially, and fit it in a box that for a $10 fee can be stowed with the luggage. Then once you arrive, you'll have to put it back together -- if you know how -- before rolling away from the station.
June 18, 2013
FRA Responds: Amtrak Will Be Able to Use “Proven” Trainsets
On Monday, we featured a Systemic Failure post about FRA regulations in our morning round-up from the Streetsblog Network. Systemic Failure indicated -- and Streetsblog repeated -- that the FRA was unwilling to change its rules to allow Amtrak to use “off-the-shelf” trainsets and other equipment.
April 24, 2013
How Amtrak Can Provide World-Class Service on the Northeast Corridor
Yesterday was a tough day to try to get attention for a Senate hearing on the future of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. After all, at least one senator had gotten a poisonous letter and everyone on Capitol Hill was on high alert. What’s more, the Amtrak hearing coincided with the vote on gun control, one of the most dramatic and high-stakes votes in the body so far this session.
April 18, 2013
Congress, Administration Trade Gimmicky Ideas For Keeping Amtrak Afloat
At today’s hearing on Amtrak’s budget proposal, the nation’s rail leaders met with a different kind of Congressional leadership than in it has in recent years. The vibe of the meeting was significantly less combative -- with the primary exception being Rep. John Mica’s reprise of his famous role as Amtrak villain. Here are some highlights:
April 11, 2013
Feds Lay Out Wide-Ranging Visions for the Future of the NE Corridor
A report released this week by the Federal Railroad Administration outlines 15 possible ways forward for the Northeast Corridor, ranging from building fully separate tracks to accommodate 220 mph bullet trains to simply maintaining the existing infrastructure in a state of good repair.
April 5, 2013