Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Amtrak

Reminder: Amtrak Subsidies Pale in Comparison to Highway Subsidies

By Tanya Snyder | Sep 21, 2012 | No Comments

Mica went after subsidies in this one, and he clearly thinks this is a winning issue. After all, Amtrak has gotten nearly $1 billion a year in federal funds over its 41-year existence. The per-ticket subsidy over the past five years has averaged nearly $51. Mica compared that to other forms of transportation: Using 2008 […]

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Romney Wins Iowa, Loses the Rail Passenger Vote

By Tanya Snyder | Jan 4, 2012 | No Comments

In a landslide (er, eight-vote) victory over former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum in the Iowa caucus last night, Mitt Romney solidified his lead over the rag-tag field of GOP nominees. He also took an opportunity, the day before the caucus, to make a tired old argument against public support of passenger rail service. I gotta […]

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How Will the House Answer the Senate’s Transportation Funding Bill?

By Tanya Snyder | Nov 2, 2011 | No Comments

The full Senate passed a major appropriations bill yesterday, including funding levels for transportation and housing. The Senate put the kibosh on Sen. Rand Paul’s attempt to strip bike/ped funding from the federal transportation program, as we reported yesterday. Here’s the lowdown on the bill as a whole. The upper chamber maintained funding for several […]

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Amtrak’s Loco Locomotive Purchase for the Northeast Corridor

By Stephen Smith | Jul 22, 2011 | No Comments

We’re pleased to welcome Stephen Smith as a new contributor to Streetsblog Capitol Hill. We’ll be running Stephen’s work on a regular basis, and you can catch more of his writing at his home blog, Market Urbanism. Amtrak’s annual ridership may inch over 30 million for the first time this year, but the assault on […]

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Republicans Propose Spending Cuts Targeting Amtrak, Transit Funding

By Tanya Snyder | Jan 21, 2011 | No Comments

A new Republican proposal would eliminate federal subsidies to Amtrak; kill New Starts, the primary federal transit funding program; and make painful cuts to dozens of other federal programs. It’s a plan by the Republican Study Committee, which is trying to keep alive House Speaker John Boehner’s campaign pledge to reduce the budget by $100 […]

Bloomberg and Dems Blast Congressional Plan to Let Guns on Amtrak

By Elana Schor | Sep 21, 2009 | 14 Comments

Mayor Bloomberg teamed up with two Democratic members of Congress yesterday to blast the Senate for its vote in favor of forcing Amtrak to allow guns and ammunition in passengers’ checked baggage. Mayor Bloomberg, far left, with members of Congress at yesterday’s press conference. Photo: Epoch Times Bloomberg, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Rep. Carolyn […]

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