To Help Save the Planet, Take the ‘Week Without Driving’ Challenge https://usa.streetsblog.org/2023/09/29/to-help-save-the-planet-take-the-week-without-driving-challenge #weekwithoutdriving

“When it comes to climate, the goal of good transportation policy must be to make it easier to complete projects that reduce emissions and more difficult to complete projects that increase emissions. That means inverting how much we fund different modes of transportation, so that transit, active transportation, and passenger rail projects get the majority of funds, instead of highways.” https://t4america.org/2023/09/27/inverting-the-iijas-double-standard/ #Transportation #ClimateChange

https://www.governing.com/transportation/new-colorado-rail-service-could-come-down-to-politics-and-timing

“An eminent domain case moving through U.S. District Court has put a spotlight on the ownership and management of Union Station…Amtrak is seeking possession of the station’s leasing rights — now controlled by a private company — to advance long-planned improvements. The case highlights the complexities of a station governance structure in place since the 1980s, which includes federal, nonprofit and private entities. “ https://wapo.st/3sY4EWv #Amtrak #PassengerRail #DC #UnionStation

“Two years after the infrastructure law began pumping $66 billion into the nation’s aging rail network, domestic passenger railroads are showing their greatest signs of strength in generations. Amtrak’s singular grip on transporting U.S. rail passengers is slipping as private companies, states and the federal government look to fast trains as environmentally friendly alternatives to traffic-clogged highways.” #PassengerRail #Brightline https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/08/30/amtrak-brightline-high-speed-rail/

“Equal accessibility to onboard amenities for passengers with disabilities is the goal of potential new long-distance railcar designs Amtrak unveiled Wednesday at an in-person and online hearing. Comments are being accepted through Sept. 5, 2023.” https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/amtrak-reveals-new-long-distance-trainset-concepts-at-accessibility-hearing/ #PassengerRail #accessibility

‘Alain Kornhauser, an engineering professor at Princeton, told me that the car has been so successful because it is a “DIY, Home Depot solution” to transportation—you pay upfront, and then you can drive yourself anywhere. But what about those who can’t afford a car? Or are too young to drive? Or have a disability? “What about those folks? Don’t they deserve mobility too?” he said.’ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/08/driverless-taxis-waymo-cruise/675161/ #driverless #SanFrancisco #disabilities

California’s State Transportation Officials Say We ‘Need to Drive Less’ https://cal.streetsblog.org/2023/08/08/caltrans-carbon-reduction-strategy-we-must-drive-less #Rail #Transit #CarbonReduction #California #Driving