Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Amtrak

From Denver: Dems Discuss Funding Woes; Biden Says “Amtrak”

By Brad Aaron | Aug 28, 2008 | 7 Comments

Last night saw what might one day qualify as an historic moment in transportation circles, as vice presidential candidate Joe Biden used the "A"-word during his speech to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. From a transcript of Biden’s address, via CNN: You know, John McCain is my friend. And I know you hear that […]

Obama Builds Rail Cred With Biden Pick

By Brad Aaron | Aug 26, 2008 | 10 Comments

Barack Obama’s standing as an advocate for investment in US commuter rail looks to have gotten a boost with his selection of Joe Biden as his running mate. Whereas John McCain is the Senate’s sworn enemy of Amtrak, his colleague from Delaware is known as a "Champion of the Rails." Notes Daily Kos diarist MissLaura […]

McCain Impressed by US Trains, So Long as They Don’t Stay in US

By Brad Aaron | Aug 13, 2008 | 14 Comments

Our friend Sean Roche sent us a link to this brain-bending video of John McCain stumping in Pennsylvania. Just before the 1:00 mark, after McCain gives an ambiguous plug for electric cars, he unloads this doozy: "I was with Governor [Tom] Ridge yesterday, and we visited a General Electric plant in Erie that makes — […]

Urge Congress to Support Amtrak and Passenger Rail

By Ben Fried | May 23, 2008 | 22 Comments

Here’s a great way to support transit before we head in to another traffic-snarled Memorial Day weekend. H.R. 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, is currently in need of co-sponsors in the House (a version has already passed the Senate). The bill "authorizes Amtrak for the five years Fiscal 2008-2012, provides for capital […]

Obama’s National Transportation Plan Includes Bicycling & Walking

By Damien Newton | Feb 27, 2008 | 12 Comments

Democratic front runner Barack Obama just released a campaign "Fact Sheet" entitled, "Strengthening America’s Transportation Infrastructure" (download it). While Hillary Clinton has put forward some outstanding and heavily transit-oriented plans of her own, Obama appears to be the first major party presidential candidate to outline a national transportation platform that explicitly seeks to "create policies […]

Is America Finally Getting Interested in Passenger Rail?

By Aaron Naparstek | Dec 10, 2007 | 18 Comments

Despite fierce and prevalent Amtrak hating, and although I have yet to hear any presidential candidate discuss it, nationally syndicated columnist Neal Peirce suggests that "the stars are finally coming into alignment" for improvements of America’s passenger rail system. He writes: America’s train advocates are mildly optimistic. And for some good reasons. Amtrak is […]

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