Guest blog by Taylor Larsen Since its creation by Christian Lenhart and Cameron Blakely in 2020, the citizen-driven Rio Grande Plan has shared a vision: to remove railroad crossings, revitalize a neighborhood, and reuse the historic Rio Grande Depot as Salt Lake...
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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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.
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.
Caltrain’s $2.4B Commuter Rail Electrification Project Nears Completion
Rick Harnish: More Amtrak Service Across Wisconsin Bodes Well for Madison (Wisconsin State Journal)
New High-Speed Train Cuts Travel Time Between Beijing, Hong Kong in Half
Brightline Expansion to Tampa Included in Regional Call for Support
NYC’s $16 Billion Gateway Tunnel Project Wins Final Federal Signoff
Virginia and Charlotte, N.C., Notify Regulators of Intent to Acquire Norfolk Southern Routes
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