Newsletter 6/14/24: Outrage Over Congestion Pricing Pause

Swelling Outrage Over Congestion Pricing “Pause”

At the Global Economic Summit in late May, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) talked about New York City’s congestion pricing program, which was set to launch on June 30. The program would have imposed a $15 toll on most cars entering Manhattan south of 60th Street.

Hochul announced on June 5 that she would “indefinitely pause” the program. The reversal deals a short-term blow to the movement for better transit and train service in the US. But it also illustrates the strength of the pro-trains and transit movement. And it shows the vital role played by organizations like the Alliance that are building grassroots support for the kind of “safe, reliable alternatives to driving” that Hochul claimed to support.

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A concept of a downtown Dallas high-speed rail station.

Dallas City Council Passes Resolution Opposing High-Speed Rail

The Dallas City Council passed a unanimous resolution which opposes an elevated railroad through the Central Business District until an economic impact study is completed.

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U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition Releases Guide for Launching HSR Projects

This week, the U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition released a report titled, “High-Speed Rail Project Initiation: A Roadmap for Advocates.”

This roadmap is intended to equip advocates with a baseline set of expectations for what lies ahead as well as overarching strategic guidance as they seek to develop their piece of America’s future national HSR network.

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Two Trailways and two Greyhound buses are parked at Chicago's Intercity bus station.

Chicago’s Plan for Intercity Buses is Unacceptable

The City of Chicago appears to support moving Greyhound to the small CTA bus station next to Union Station.

This is unacceptable.

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Railroad Liability

When: Friday June 21 at 12pm CT on Zoom

This presentation will provide an overview of railroad liability. We will discuss the sources of railroad liability law (statutory, regulatory, and common law) as well as the applicability of these laws to liability that arises from passenger injuries, third-party injuries, and railroad worker injuries, along with a brief side trip to discuss contractual liability. 

High-Speed Rail and the Construction of Space in 1960s Japan

When: Friday, June 28 at 12pm CT on Zoom

The world’s first bullet train system, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, was completed in October 1964. Emerging at the intersection of rapid economic growth, new approaches to city planning, and the steady urbanization of Japan, the new line played a significant role in reshaping the urban geographies of Tokyo, Osaka, and the spaces in between.

This talk will consider the bullet train in terms of the social construction of space—the ways in which people think about and use physical spaces—comparing government plans with public reactions to highlight the interaction between ideas and the built environment.

City Limits: A Conversation with Megan Kimble

When: Friday, August 16 at 12pm CT on Zoom

Join us for a discussion with Megan Kimble, author of the recently published “City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America’s Highways.” Kimble explains how ever-expanding urban highways accelerate inequality and fracture communities; describes the growing movements in opposition to highway expansion in three Texas cities; and calls for a more sustainable path forward.

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Newsletter 2/14/25: Bills to Expand Illinois Railway Program

Newsletter 2/14/25: Bills to Expand Illinois Railway Program

Bills to Expand Illinois Railway Program Announced Illinois has always been at the heart of America’s rail network, and it is uniquely poised to lead the country towards great trains. Because of its political heft and Chicago’s role as the nation’s rail hub, a growing...

Illinois Needs an Integrated Railway Program

Illinois Needs an Integrated Railway Program

Illinois Needs an Integrated Railway Program Great trains will change the way the world sees Illinois   Help make it happenBuilding on Success, Planning for the Future Traveling by train and bus across Illinois should be convenient, comfortable, and affordable....