Marking the beginning of an intensive pre-election campaign, President Obama unveiled what he called “a bold new vision to renew and expand America’s investment in transportation infrastructure”…The plan would: (1) abolish modal “silos” by combining roads, transit, railways, airport development and the air traffic control system (NextGen) in a single consolidated transportation infrastructure investment plan; (2) integrate high-speed rail (HSR) into the surface transportation program thus ensuring a sustained commitment to a national HSR program over the next six years; (3) establish an Infrastructure Bank to fund investments of national and regional significance; (4) streamline the surface transportation program by consolidating the many different programs and use analytical measures of performance to identify and prioritize investments of critical importance to the nation’s economy.
View this complete post...Archive for the ‘Rail’ Category
THINKING AHEAD: High-Speed Rail in Southern California
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE
INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION STUDIES
Just as the Interstate Highway System transformed the way Americans live and where they work, high-speed rail has the same transformative potential. In the arena of transportation, it is a disruptive technology, with the power – as LaHood noted – to reshape entire regions and communities in a more sustainable manner. Southern California will be ground zero for this transformation: of the seven corridor segments identified in the California High Speed Rail Authority business plan, Los Angeles to Anaheim is currently the most advanced in the planning and environmental review process, and could see limited service commence as early as 2017.
Weaving Together Vibrant Communities through Transit-Oriented Development
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010RECONNECTING AMERICA
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a community development model focused on nurturing healthy people and places and better connecting them to one another through a robust, “multimodal” transportation network. At its core, TOD is about connecting, or reconnecting, the fabric of our communities— imagine a quilt, if you will—where neighborhoods and places of varying shapes, colors, sizes and textures are integrated into a vibrant and cohesive region. Implementing equitable TOD involves rethinking the current paradigm, where a person’s zip code can determine important outcomes such as educational attainment or employment opportunities.
Congratulations to FRA on a Sensible Decision
Thursday, August 26th, 2010Two months ago we reported on the railroad industry’s reaction to the FRA’s directive setting forth the terms of the so-called “Stakeholder Agreements.” Those are the agreements between state authorities and Class I railroads that will govern the shared-use freight-passenger rail service in rail corridors receiving federal aid under the Administration’s high-speed rail (HSR) program. The FRA directive stunned and angered railroad executives by what they regarded as unreasonable demands, and burdensome requirements…We are happy to report that reason and good sense have prevailed. In a press conference on August 20, FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo announced that the agency has withdrawn the controversial directive.
View this complete post...NY/NJ/CT/MD train problems force more infrastructure discussion on The Brian Lehrer Show
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010According to InfrastructureUSA’s Steve Anderson, “We need a new pair of shoes and we’ve got to put the money in. We’ve got to recognize what our priorities are, and we have to demand that those people who we have entrusted with the management of these assets come up with plans that we will then agree to fund.”
View this complete post...Video: High-Speed Rail in the United States
Thursday, August 19th, 2010@Brookings Podcast
The U.S. lags far behind Europe and Asia in the development of high-speed rail. This week @Brookings, expert Robert Puentes examines the Obama administration’s effort to build high-speed rail networks.
Video: Friday at Grand Central Station
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010Music from Star Wars
I think the song name is “Cocktails in the Cantina”
-surflliner453 on YouTube
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