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Obama Aide Defends Transit Safety Plan as Different from Rail Rules
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) chief Peter Rogoff today mounted a defense of the White House’s transit safety plan, assuring some skeptical members of Congress that he does not want to “replicate” inter-city rail safety rules that have taken flak for impeding the development of viable U.S. train networks. As of last year, D.C.’s Metro had … Continued
April 21, 2010
A Day After Their TIGER Win, Freight Railroads Carve Out More Turf
The freight rail industry yesterday claimed
the top three awards in the Obama administration's competition for $1.5
billion in TIGER stimulus grants, with Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood singling out train shippers for an online shout-out:
February 18, 2010
The White House Transportation Budget: What’s In Line for the Axe?
In a fiscal year 2011 budget that proposes to increase spending on several core transportation
priorities, the White House also aims to eliminate a few
infrastructure programs that may prove popular with lawmakers.
February 1, 2010
White House Awards $2.3B for California High-Speed Rail
California's bid for a federal high-speed rail network with top speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour is often called the "only true" bullet train proposal on the table -- and the Obama administration agreed today, bestowing $2.34 billion on the Golden State to the delight of lawmakers and rail advocates.
January 28, 2010
Bus vs. Rail: Transit’s Quiet Culture Clash?
The question of running buses or building rail has preoccupied transit
planners in many an American town, with Maryland's Montgomery County
being the latest locality to choose between trains and bus rapid transit (BRT), which tends to be the less expensive option.
December 14, 2009
Conservative Tea Party Movement Targets Florida Rail Plan
The conservative "tea party" movement, last seen complaining
about the government-funded local transit system that they took during
an anti-government march in Washington D.C, is veering back to form in
Florida with an organized protest against the state's proposal for
broad new investments in rail transit.
December 4, 2009
Amtrak, Virginia Railway Express, and the Future of Privately Run Transit
Virginia Railway Express (VRE), the commuter network that links northwest Virginia to Washington D.C., today refused
a challenge by Amtrak to its decision to switch operating providers to
the U.S. arm of Keolis, a private French transit company.
November 4, 2009
Buffett’s Bet on Burlington: What Does it Mean for Transport and Energy?
The financial world was riveted this morning by billionaire investor Warren Buffett's move to take full ownership
of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad, a $34 billion deal
that ranks as the largest ever executed by Buffett's company, Berkshire
Hathaway.
November 3, 2009
Boxer Reminds Metrolink: Train Crew Members Shouldn’t Ride Solo
The transportation spending bill passed by the Senate this week includes $50 million in rail safety grants sought in June
by environment committee chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) -- but the
bill may not become law for months, and today Boxer told California's
Metrolink commuter rail that interim safety protections would have to
stay in place.
September 18, 2009
Department of Energy Gets Basic Math Wrong in its Rail Analysis
When it comes to the carbon consumption of cars, trains, and buses, the
U.S. Department of Energy's (DoE) Transportation Energy Data Book [PDF] is an indispensable resource. But this year's Data Book contains an eyebrow-raising error in its analysis of rail's energy use.
September 11, 2009