Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Amtrak

Romney Wins Iowa, Loses the Rail-Passenger Vote

By Tanya Snyder | Jan 4, 2012 | 13 Comments

In a landslide (er, eight-vote) victory over former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum in the Iowa caucus last night, Mitt Romney solidified his lead over the rag-tag field of GOP nominees. He also took an opportunity, the day before the caucus, to make a tired old argument against public support of passenger rail service. I gotta […]

Is the House Democrats’ New “Buy America” Jobs Bill Just a Political Ploy?

By Ben Goldman | Dec 1, 2011 | 20 Comments

With no movement on a highway bill from House T&I Chairman John Mica until after Congress reconvenes in January, Ranking Member Nick Rahall held a press conference today to introduce the “Invest in American Jobs Act of 2011” [PDF]. The act would strengthen the “Buy America” requirements already in place on transit, rail, highway, bridge, […]

Mica Drops Amtrak Privatization Plan In Call for Northeast Corridor HSR

By Noah Kazis | Nov 8, 2011 | 3 Comments

House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica backed off his controversial plan to privatize passenger rail on the Northeast Corridor today, announcing at a press conference that reforming Amtrak would suffice. Mica stood with New York Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler at a conference held by the US High Speed Rail Association to announce further […]

How Will the House Answer the Senate’s Transportation Funding Bill?

By Tanya Snyder | Nov 2, 2011 | 1 Comment

The full Senate passed a major appropriations bill yesterday, including funding levels for transportation and housing. The Senate put the kibosh on Sen. Rand Paul’s attempt to strip bike/ped funding from the federal transportation program, as we reported yesterday. Here’s the lowdown on the bill as a whole. The upper chamber maintained funding for several key livability […]

Yes, Amtrak Can Be Saved, As Long As Republican Proposals Fail

By Tanya Snyder | Sep 14, 2011 | 2 Comments

“Last year we spent more than $40 billion on highways, and Lord knows we need that — but that’s more than we spent on Amtrak in its entire 40-year history,” New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg said this morning at the start of a hearing on the future of passenger rail. “And unfortunately, some say we […]

Rail Advocates: House Bill Would Kill Amtrak

By Tanya Snyder | Sep 9, 2011 | 8 Comments

The 2012 transportation budget passed by a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee yesterday cut all high-speed rail funding and slashes Amtrak’s operating grant by 60 percent. What’s more, it forbids Amtrak from using that money to fund short corridors. Ridership on those short corridors grew five percent in the last year [PDF]. Twenty-seven train […]

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