News & Commentary
Summer By Rail 2019: Southern Roundup
Catching up with Chef Madi's cross-country adventure
August 9, 2019
Summer by Rail 2019 is past the halfway point, with Chef Madi now in the Southwest after finishing her tour of the South and Midwest. We've hightlighted a number of the stops below with blog posts and media coverage, but be sure you go to the website to see everything that Summer By Rail has to offer. Be sure to follow along with Chef Madi's journey through all our social media channels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And of course, you can find everything over at SummerByRail.com.
Mr. Aiello Goes to Boston
RPA Field Coordinator Joe Aiello testified before members of the Boston City Council in support of the North-South Rail Link
August 7, 2019
(My testimony begins at the 52:00 min mark) Last Monday night, before I headed to Chicago to join Chef Madi for Summer By Rail, I was asked by Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George to join a distinguished panel for a discussion on the North-South Rail Link. If you wanted to know more about the project and the advocacy behind it - I do encourage you to watch the entire video above. Lucas Santos, formerly of Congressman Moulton's office, gave an overview presentation and Governor Michael
Calling All Phoenix Passengers: Stop the Attacks on Rail!
Vote “NO” on Proposition 105 before August 27th!
August 6, 2019
The Phoenix light rail system connects workers to their jobs, students to their schools, and families to our communities. It is an essential part of the city’s plan to support its rapidly growing population. Out-of-state anti-rail advocates have funded Proposition 105, included in this year's special election. This wouldn’t just kill plans for light rail—it would prevent Phoenix from investing in ANY sort of passenger rail. Here are the FACTS about Prop. 105: Stops all light rail const
John Heffner: An Appreciation
Long Time Advocate Lost To Cancer
July 30, 2019
The advocacy community lost an important voice this weekend in attorney John D. Heffner.
Senate Has Hard Questions for Amtrak Board Nominee
Mr. Rokita says the right things in testimony; Sen. Blumenthal demands a National Network advocate
July 25, 2019
Former Congressman Todd Rokita of Indiana testified at a hearing held by the Senate Commerce Committee yesterday, who examined his nomination be a member on the Amtrak Board of Directors. Mr. Rokita worked hard to assuage the members of the Committee that he was a true-believer in the importance of Amtrak as an essential national service, overcoming the negative impression created by his anti-Amtrak voting record during his time in Congress. But many Senators expressed doubt over his vision -- o
Transit For All
Hearing stories from others remind us why we do what we do.
July 24, 2019
by Joe Aiello | Northeast Field Coordinator “People keep askin’ if I’m back, and I haven’t really had an answer, but now, yeah, I’m thinkin’ I’m back” - John Wick Hope everyone is having a great summer. I have been a little lax on writing for this blog but not without a good reason. Summer By Rail has been in full swing and has been taking up a good portion of my time these days (I posted a great ICYMI last week to catch everyone up on the Northeast leg of the trip - including
Summer By Rail 2019: Northeast Roundup
Catching up with Chef Madi's cross-country adventure
July 18, 2019
Summer by Rail 2019 is well under way, with Chef Madi having completed her tour of the Northeast and Mid Atlantic and continuings south along Amtrak's Crescent. We've rounding up all the coverage below so you don't miss a thing. Be sure to follow along with Chef Madi's journey through all our social media channels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And of course, you can find everything over at SummerByRail.com. Want to help support Chef Madi's trip? Click here to donate. Kicking Of
Behind the Scenes of the Wall Street Journal's Video on Amtrak
Rail Passengers is working to ensure that the voices of ALL passengers are heard
July 18, 2019
A lot of people will probably stop at the bad headline. And that’s a shame, because if you take time to watch the video there’s a lot of positive information that we managed to get into the video through our conversations with a pair of WSJ reporters.
In Extreme Weather, Transit Keeps People Moving
When roads are swamped, trains can keep running
July 10, 2019
DMV motorists experienced a rough Monday-morning commute due to flooding. Transit can provide an important source of resiliency during extreme weather.
How NOT To Advance Corridor Planning
New York State's Empire Corridor Tier One EIS Process Enters Its 10th Year!
July 2, 2019
By Bruce Becker / Vice-President of Operations Over the past seven decades, New York State’s intercity rail passengers have seen it all! From the New York Central’s historic ‘Great Steel Fleet’ of the post-war era, to the Central’s sharp decline in the 1960’s, to the bleak Penn Central years and into the modern Amtrak era, while much has changed, many things have stayed the same. Today’s Amtrak Empire Corridor service has a rich history which dates back to the New York Central’