Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Amtrak

Missing the Point on High-Speed Rail

By Ryan Avent | Jul 6, 2009 | 15 Comments

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. But when the man picks up his pen to write a piece for public consumption, he tends to take complete leave of his senses. I realize […]

Lawmakers Investigating the Resignation of Amtrak’s In-House Watchdog

By Elana Schor | Jun 30, 2009 | No Comments

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. Amtrak IG Fred Weiderhold left earlier this month after 35 years […]

Meridian, Mississippi: What Trains Can Do for a City

By Sarah Goodyear | Jun 3, 2009 | 4 Comments

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. The […]

Amtrak Bill Clears the Way for Bike-Friendly Trains

By Ben Fried | Oct 7, 2008 | 13 Comments

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: NONMOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION ACCESS AND STORAGE. — Grants under this chapter may be used to provide access to rolling stock for nonmotorized transportation, including bicycles, […]

Rail Advocate: Biden Ascension Wouldn’t Necessarily Help Amtrak

By Brad Aaron | Sep 2, 2008 | 6 Comments

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 […]

How Do We Make Clean Transportation Part of the National Discussion?

By Brad Aaron | Aug 29, 2008 | 22 Comments

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. There were many, many things to be excited about yesterday, but any livable streets advocate anticipating a call to rebuild and expand our nation’s transit infrastructure, […]

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