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As a recent professor of constitutional law, presidential candidate Barack Obama doubtless knows that the founding rule book of these United States provides that “The Congress should have power To . . . establish Post Offices and post roads.”
Maybe that's why Obama, in contrast to John McCain, is advocating the feds play a larger role in improving our national transportation network.
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Speculation is mounting that Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) will be named Barack Obama's running mate in the 2008 presidential election, CNN.com reported yesterday.
Now, I don't claim to know much about politics, nor do I know much about Biden himself, but what I do know is this: He's a strong Amtrak supporter, and commutes by train between Washington, D.C., and his Delaware home every day. In 2007, he co-sponsored the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007, which called for authorizing $11.6 billion for Amtrak over a six-year period. His son Hunter is vice chairman of Amtrak's board.
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TRAINS MAGAZINE
September 2008
Amtrak's USA Rail Pass returns
In early May, Amtrak began offering its USA Rail Pass to U.S. Citizens. Although the 15-day and 30-day passes have always been available to foreign visitors in National, West, East, and Northeast peak - and off-peak versions, the only unlimited-ride product Americans could buy was the North American Rail Pass. That 30-day ducat, promoted in conjunction with VIA Rail Canada, is still available, but it requires at least one journey in each country.
“We believe we can expand incremental revenues by using the USA Rail Pass to fill in gaps for leisure travelers,” explains Craig White, Amtrak’s senior director of travel industry sales. The pass can be purchased from travel professionals, Amtrak ticket agents, or online, and is good for unlimited stopovers on all trains except Acela Express and Auto Train. Reservations must be made and tickets issued before boarding each segment. As with the North American pass, sleeping car and Business class upgrades are extra. There is no senior discount, but children (ages 2 – 15) pay half-fare.
The USA Rail Pass boundary setup differs from Amtrak Guest Rewards’ redemption zones. In fact, the East and West rail pass boundaries overlap: Chicago and New Orleans begin the Western zone, while the East limits reach as far west as Wolf Point, Mont., Denver, Albuquerque, N.M., and El Paso, Texas.
As burgeoning ridership drives fares to the moon on many routes, the pass becomes a better alternative on short-notice trips. For instance, a Chicago-Los Angeles round trip (via Sacramento one direction) priced on June 12 cost $344 for an Aug. 15 departure, $466 leaving on July 15, and $568 a week in advance on June 20 (using the Texas Eagle because Southwest Chief was sold out). In comparison, a 15-day adult peak West pass costs $369. Off-peak fares are in effect Sept. 2, 2008, through May 21, 2009, with a peak interval between Dec. 12 and Jan. 4.
White says the pass was introduced without fanfare as a test in advance of a simplified product debuting this fall that he believes will be easier for customers to understand. Watch for details on www.Amtrak.com
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These days, gasoline prices and airline fuel surcharges get you coming and going, so make the Man in Seat Sixty-One, www.seat61.com, your buddy if you'd prefer to ride the rails and seas.
What's hot, what's not: The Britain-based Web site is the work of Mark Smith, a former BritRail employee, who turned a hobby into one of the more comprehensive sites on worldwide train travel I've encountered.
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The Tampa Bay region has no greater problem than its congested and outdated transportation system. For two decades, political leaders throughout Tampa Bay have acknowledged that commuter rail must play a role if the growing region is to maintain its quality of life and diversify and grow its economy. Yet all the talk and costly studies have failed to drive a single spike into the ground; even a rudimentary rail system is at least another decade away.
That's why Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio's plan to jump-start rail is encouraging. The time has come to give commuters more transit options and for the region to make better use of its land and transportation dollars. But adding rail is an expensive and long-term undertaking. Moving ahead should reflect a larger consensus that the region is ready to address transportation and growth well beyond the lens of parochial politics.
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Three years ago, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) held its first Sustainability Workshop. The objective? To educate transit officials on sustainability initiatives and convince them that implementing such initiatives doesn’t have to be as daunting — or as expensive — as they might think.
Late last month, APTA held its fourth annual workshop in Chicago, and while there’s still a fair amount of educating going on, there’s far less convincing.
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TAMPA — All aboard, it’s time to pick a route for light rail in Tampa Bay.
As the deadline nears for the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority to complete its master plan, ideas for the first leg of the light rail system are surfacing — as are some differences of opinion.
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Commuters were greeted with free coffee and doughnuts at Union Station in Dallas this morning as Dallas Area Rapid Transit celebrated its 25th anniversary of when voters created the agency.
DART Chairman Randall Chrisman offered doughnuts as streams of DART riders rushed through the station. He pointed out that while other agencies around the country were facing cuts as operation costs increased, DART was adding services.
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Sound Transit will begin testing a light-rail train in Rainier Valley on Thursday, adding a new kind of traffic to busy Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
The tracks pass through 18 intersections and 10 pedestrian signals, plus three stations in the median. Trains will run as often as every six minutes in each direction, at a top speed of 35 mph. Although engineers have designed state-of-the-art signals and walkways, the sheer volume of activity makes this a hazardous five miles.
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LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Florida transportation officials have the federal go-ahead to start final design of the proposed Central Florida commuter rail project, rail supporters announced Monday.
The nod opens the door for $30 million in federal money, Florida Department of Transportation officials said.
Read the Full Story Here.
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For Additional Articles and Information, Please Visit the News Archives
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· Rail safety bill passes muster in the Senate (Aug 15, 2008)
· FRA to evaluate 25 proposals for intercity passenger-rail grants (Aug 14, 2008)
· Hillsborough light rail gets a push forward (Aug 13, 2008)
· Metro areas embrace transit (Aug 12, 2008)
· Five things I would do to help Florida if I were Gov. Crist (Aug 11, 2008)
· Amtrak to Big Easy via D.C. (Aug 09, 2008)
· Skip the interstate by taking auto train (Aug 08, 2008)
· High Speed’s Perfect Alignment (Aug 07, 2008)
· Iorio Wants Tampa's Train Plans To Move Forward (Aug 06, 2008)
· DOT should review other options to build commuter rail in Orlando (Aug 05, 2008)
More in News Archives
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