Pivotal Point in Washington Union Station Development Represents “Once in a Lifetime Opportunity”

June 19, 2015

By Berry Mobley, NARP Intern A “once in a lifetime opportunity.” This phrase was repeated multiple times by council members and witnesses during the Washington, D.C., City Council's Committee of the Whole hearing June 18 regarding the expansion of Washington Union Station. When the expansion is completed, it is estimated that Union Station will accommodate 70 million people per day (it currently accommodates around 30-40 million per day). Along with this increase in those using the expan

Senate Passenger Rail Bill: A Huge Leap Forward

June 18, 2015

The National Association of Railroad Passengers applauds the pro-expansion ideas contained within theRailroad Reform, Enhancement, and Efficiency Act of 2015 (RREEA 2015), released today by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. This bill -- a response to the House’s Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015 (PRRIA 2015) -- covers a series of preventable train accidents by creating prioritizing grants to implement Positive Train Control technology and identifyi

Making the Case for Intermodal Transportation in the Gulf Coast Region

June 17, 2015

The challenge of seeing that passenger rail is restored to the Gulf Coast has been taken up by the Southern Rail Commission, a group whose members were appoint­ed by the governors of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. The commission has developed an alliance of local elected officials, business leaders, and civic leaders across the Gulf states that are working together for this expressed purpose. Tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Ohr O'Keefe museum in Biloxi, Mississippi, the commission is holdin

No Gas Tax Hike to Pay for Transportation Projects, Says House Ways and Means Chairman

June 17, 2015

June 17, 2015 By Jared Hoffman, NARP Intern House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said that the U.S. should not raise gas taxes, but rather look elsewhere for solutions to the continued failure of national highways to pay for themselves during June 17 hearing. Ranking committee member Sander Levin (D-Mich.) stated that long-term solutions for the continued and long-term funding of the Highway Trust Fund were necessary, but the short term should not be forgotten eithe

House to Stage Another Round of Votes on Anti-Train Amendments Today

June 9, 2015

June 9, 2015 The U.S. House of Representatives is reconvening today at 12:00 PM Eastern to take up legislative business, including voting on several key amendments that target Amtrak’s long-distance services and an innovative high-speed rail project in Florida. As part of the House’s effort to finish up the Fiscal Year 2016 Transportation, Housing & Urban Development bill, members will vote on amendments offered by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) and Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) that target t

Call to Action: Protect High-Speed Rail in Florida

Call to Action: Protect High-Speed Rail in Florida

June 8, 2015

NARP needs Florida members to take action TODAY to ensure that All Aboard Florida—a proposed privately funded high-speed rail project that will connect Miami to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando—can move forward. All Aboard Florida represents the best chance Floridians have at having a convenient and reliable alternative to the massively congested Interstate 95. Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) is offering up two amendments in the Transportation, Housing & Urban Development appropria

House Appropriators to Vote on Anti-Amtrak Amendments TODAY

House Appropriators to Vote on Anti-Amtrak Amendments TODAY

June 4, 2015

The House of Representatives is scheduled to hold a final series of roll call votes on the Transportation, Housing & Urban Development appropriations bill today. Votes may come as early as 11:00 AM Eastern. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation voted to approve a budget last month that attacks funding for trains and transit. While House appropriators protected road subsidies -- and even increased spending on the Federal Aviation Administration -- but Amtrak funding was cut

Passenger Train Hype Machine Gears Up, Yet Again

May 20, 2015

Photographer: Jason Berg for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection If you’ve been paying attention, you knew it was coming. Anytime Amtrak is in the national news, a political spectacle is sure to follow. Once the political-media apparatus geared up in response to the recent Amtrak derailment north of Philadelphia, there was nothing that was going to stop this particular circus from coming to town; not the tragic nature of the accident, nor the unambiguous statements by the Nationa

CALL TO ACTION: Protect High Speed Rail Projects in Texas

May 18, 2015

NARP and Texas Rail Advocates (TRA) are urging members to take action TODAY to ensure that a proposed high-speed rail by Texas Central Railway (TCR) between Dallas and Houston remains an option to address transportation needs across the state. How can you help? First, contact Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state Sen. Jane Nelson today and tell them to remove Rider 48 from Article 7 in the Senate Appropriations Bill 48. Rider 48 is bad public policy that places government in the role of picking busin

Hearing Tomorrow: Tell Your Representatives to Say "NO" to Cuts to Amtrak and Mass Transit!

May 12, 2015

The House Appropriations Committee is holding a full committee markup of the Fiscal Year 2016 transportation budget tomorrow at 10:15 AM Eastern. The full committee will consider a bill drafted by the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) subcommittee that slashes investment in mass transit and Amtrak—while protecting subsidies for roads and airports. Amtrak funding was cut by $262 million, transit funding was cut by $161 million, and funding for the intermodal TIGER grant p