An FRA study shows how new Amtrak lines could connect tens of millions more Americans to rail travel.

In a piece for Fast Company, Kristin Toussaint describes how 15 proposed new Amtrak routes could unlock rail travel for 39 million more Americans and serve over 60 new metro areas, as indicated in a map from the Federal Railroad Administration.
“With those rail lines, previously stranded regions of the country are suddenly connected with bright lines representing passenger rail. They would make the country’s rail network considerably fuller and would bring rail service to all of the lower 48 states,” Toussaint adds. “Less than 10% of riders on Amtrak’s current long-distance routes ride from end-to-end, the study notes, but what these routes do is connect people to all the urban and rural places in between.”
The study was the result of a directive that was part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was delivered to Congress this week. Public comments submitted as part of the study indicate strong public support for more intercity rail service. As Toussaint notes, “Amtrak itself saw record ridership in 2024, with new routes quickly surpassing expectations.”
Implementing all these new routes would take significant federal investment and planning. According to the study, “there is no sustained financial support or program to construct or operate the selected preferred route options.”
FULL STORY: If the government funded these Amtrak routes, 39 million more people would have rail access

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

San Antonio Remains Affordable as City Grows
The city’s active efforts to keep housing costs down through housing reforms and coordinated efforts among city agencies and developers have kept it one of the most affordable in the nation despite its rapid population growth.

What Forest Service Cuts Mean for Cities
U.S. Forest Service employees work on projects that have impacts far beyond remote, rural wilderness areas.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland