Congress has new faith in the service as reduced fares and an improving economy bring more riders.
"More people are riding the rails in Illinois and across the country, a sign that things are looking up for the government's money-losing passenger rail service...'November traffic for the system nationwide set an all-time record since Amtrak began operating in 1971'...Rail's newfound popularity is due, in part, to congestion at the nation's airports where security-related delays make train travel attractive. Competitive fares also help...Congress last week approved a budget that includes a $1.225 billion subsidy, a 20 percent increase, to keep the rail service running this year. 'The federal government cannot ignore Amtrak any longer,' says U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a long-time rail advocate who pushed for Amtrak funding. 'An effective passenger rail system reduces congestion on our nation's highways and decreases air pollution.'"
Thanks to David Gest
FULL STORY: Happy Rails
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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.
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