Amtrak
Planning for Housing on Complicated Queens Rail Yard Continues
The 200-acre operational rail yard is the largest of six affordable housing sites that Mayor Bill de Blasio targeted for development. He hopes to build more than 11,000 units of affordable housing there, but Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is not on board.
Nor'easter a Dud for New York City, But Not New England
What was hyped as one of the worst Nor'easters to hit New York City left Central Park with less than six inches of snow. However, New England and Long Island were not spared. NYC subway, buses, and rail shut down, and driving bans took effect.
How Parking Apps Could Shift the Parking Landscape
New apps have the potential to influence a fundamental shift in the political and physical realities of parking according to a recent Next City article.
$188 Million ARTIC Transit Hub Opens in Anaheim
The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center opened earlier in December. Although planners expect 10,000 daily boardings at the hub, the big payoff will come if a high speed rail and a streetcar find their way to the station.

Amtrak's Achilles Heel, Infrastructurally Speaking
Aging, obsolete, and deteriorating bridges affect both road and rail. The 104-year-old Portal Bridge, a swing bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey that frequently fails to close properly, tops Amtrak's list for replacement.
Amtrak's Operating Loss Decreases as Ridership Increases
Buoyed by increased revenue on its busiest lines on the Northeast Corridor plus new state contributions for some short-distance routes required by PRIIA, Amtrak's operating loss dropped 37 percent from last year while revenue grew by 8 percent.

60 Minutes Examines America's Failing Infrastructure
Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes reviews road, rail, bridges, and ports to see how much investment is needed to improve the country's infrastructure, beginning in Pittsburgh and ending at a key Amtrak rail bridge in New Jersey.

Commute Nightmare Awaits Amtrak and New Jersey Transit Passengers
At best, it will take seven years to build the Amtrak Gateway tunnels, the replacement of Access to the Region's Core. If one of the existing two aging tunnels has to be shut to make repairs before the project is completed, commute nightmare ensues.
Campaign 2014: Rhode Island Transit Measure
For the first time, Rhode Island voters will be tested on their support for public transit by whether they approve authorizing $35 million for Mass Transit Hub Infrastructure Bonds on Nov. 4. In addition to hubs, statewide bus service is targeted.
Mixed Reviews on New Passenger Rail Reauthorization Act
Six years ago Congress passed the first Passenger Rail Reauthorization Act, known as PRIIA. Reauthorization was introduced on September 11, in a bill (known as PRRIA) praised by some but also criticized for decreasing Amtrak funding by 40 percent.
On the Importance of Maintaining Trans-Hudson Rail Capacity
Amtrak's Gateway project is not only key to maintaining and increasing commuter and intercity rail capacity between the Empire and Garden States, but also to ensuring that the $1 billion investment in the new Moynihan Station makes sense.
Relief for Amtrak Travelers to New York's Penn Station Closer at Hand
CityLab's Eric Jaffe provides an update on the two phases of construction of Moynihan Station, an annex to America's busiest train station. Phase One could be completed next year and Phase Two is in need of a "mere" $200 million. But is that enough?
Grand Ambitions for $7 Billion Investment in Washington D.C.'s Union Station
The Washington Post provides all the details, renderings, history, commentary, and more that one could want about Amtrak's proposed $7 billion investment in Daniel Burnham's historic Union Station.
110-mph Talgo Trains Headed to Michigan [Corrected]
If the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) approves the order, two Wisconsin-manufactured Talgo train sets will reduce travel times from Detroit to Chicago by as much as two hours while significantly increasing on-time performance.
Uncertainty Ahead for Department of Transportation Funding
While projects funded from the Highway Trust Fund are safe through May, discretionary programs run by DOT from annual appropriations must wait for Congress to approve a budget, which just got more complicated due to Obama's anti-ISIS funding request.
$102 Million Brings Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail a Step Closer
A $102 million investment by Illinois along with federal funds from the Recovery Act will pay for double-tracking and a new rail bridge to enable 109 mph service on a key section of Amtrak's Chicago to St. Louis high speed rail corridor.
No Little Plans for Private Passenger Rail Service Between Miami and Orlando
The last private passenger rail in the United States closed in 1983, but a private company is working on a 240-mile service between Orlando and Florida. CityLab recently detailed how a relic of the past could transform the Florida of the future.

California High Speed Rail Update
The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Center offers good news about California's slow-to-start high speed rail.
Beyond Oil: Trains Turn to LNG Fuel and Hybrid Locomotives
According to a new EIA report, the cost advantages of liquefied natural gas make it an attractive alternative to diesel fuel for major U.S. freight railroad companies. Hybrid diesel-electric locomotives on order for 5 states will power HSR routes.
Business and Labor Agree: Boost the Gas Tax
At a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meeting on Feb. 12, leaders from big labor, big business, AASHTO, and AMTRAK testified to the importance of keeping the Highway Trust Fund solvent. The first two specified increasing the gas tax.
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