An injection of federal funding could help make train travel a key component of the U.S. transportation network.
Rail advocates have good reason to hope that passenger rail is seeing a resurgence in the United States, writes Daniel C. Vock in Route Fifty.
According to Joseph Aiello of the Rail Passengers Association, “2023 was a perfect storm” of efforts aimed at reviving the nation’s struggling train system and building new conventional and high-speed rail lines. “Going into a reelection campaign, President Joe Biden placed big bets on a few massive rail expansion efforts—particularly in the Northeast and California—while stoking interest in dozens of other potential projects in nearly every state.”
“Amtrak notched a significant victory as it fought freight railroads to better accommodate passenger trains,” and New York officials celebrated the groundbreaking on the long-awaited Gateway Project. California’s high-speed rail project, which has had a dramatic series of ups and downs, garnered over $3 billion in federal funding, while Brightline secured key approvals and $3 billion of its own for its Southern California-to-Las Vegas HSR line.
FULL STORY: Why 2023 emerged as a banner year for passenger rail
Federal Grants for Passenger Rail Top $8 Billion
The Federal Railroad Administration announced the grants to dozens of projects for expanding or building new rail corridors.
‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford to Oversee Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Efforts
Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.
Is China’s High-Speed Rail Boom Unsustainable?
The country is building tens of thousands of miles of rail service that is expensive to maintain and, in some cases, redundant.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research