News & Commentary
NARP Welcomes New Intern Henry Zuo
June 5, 2014
Written By Henry Zuo NARP is pleased to welcome new summer intern Henry Zuo. Henry is an international student at Macalester College and a participant in the Fund for American Studies program. Hi! My name is Henry Zuo and I will intern with NARP for the summer. I am very passionate about politics, and, for a Chinese student, have a rare passion for U.S. domestic politics. I have been yearning for an opportunity to witness politics firsthand. Thus I am very excited for this learning opportun
But wait, there's less! — In the Face of Congressional Cuts, Amtrak Slashes On-Board Amenities
June 4, 2014
Written By Sean Jeans Gail "It's as if I'm watching one of those infomercials in reverse, and the spokesperson is saying, 'But wait — there's less!'" These were the words of Dave Kraminer, a regular patron of Amtrak’s Auto Train service (Lorton, VA – Sanford, FL), in a recent USA Today article. The piece examines trends negatively impacting the onboard experience of Amtrak passengers—an issue that has been lighting up phones in the NARP office for weeks. Increased prices for previou
Regional Flight Cuts Damage Mobility and Economic Development
May 29, 2014
Written By Henry Scherck Regional jets are becoming a rare sight at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. (Photo courtesy of Airchive.com) Entry edited at 2:20pm on 5/29/14 “Every hub needs to earn its value every day.” Such were the words of Jeff Smisek, president of the newly merged United and Continental Airlines. The statement reflects a growing push for “capacity discipline,” the concept that every flight must be as close to capacity as possible. This concept has driven airl
Maryland Commuter Train, MARC, Experiences Continuous Increase in Ridership
May 28, 2014
Written By Maxime Devilliers A MARC train on its way to Washington, DC from Point of Rocks, MD (Photo by Bob Kaplan) The number of passengers riding the new MARC weekend service has more than tripled since its inception five months ago. The Maryland Transit Administration, or MTA, began offering weekend MARC service on its 75-mile Penn Line between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore on December 7th of last year. In its first weekend of operations, a total of 4,085 passengers rode the 15 three-c
NARP Responds to Attacks on Amtrak on Wisconsin Public Radio
May 27, 2014
Written By Jenna Jablonski Today, NARP's Vice President Sean Jeans-Gail spoke with Wisconsin Public Radio's Joy Cardin to speak about the potential impact of Congressman Paul Ryan's budget proposal for Amtrak and the future of passenger rail in America: According to Joy Cardin’s guest, starving Amtrak of funds would deny commuter service to tens of millions of Americans and eliminate more than 20,000 jobs. He says that’s exactly what Congressman Paul Ryan’s proposed budget would do, an
Members of Congress Respond to Passenger Outcry
May 21, 2014
Written By Sean Jeans Gail Congressional House appropriators met today to markup the fiscal year 2015 transportation budget, and from the pro-train amendments offered it’s clear that key Members of Congress heard your voice! Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) offered an amendment to add $825 million to fund railroad safety technology, which would help implement the life-saving Positive Train Control technology. Congressman James Moran (D-VA) offered an amendment to increase Amtrak funding by
NARP Welcomes New Intern Maxime Devilliers
May 19, 2014
Written By Maxime Devilliers NARP is pleased to welcome University of Mary Washington graduate Maxime Devilliers onboard as an intern. Max is a lifelong passenger train advocate, and will be helping us carry out our mission to build a modern U.S. passenger train network this summer. Hello! My name is Max Devilliers and I am going to be an intern here at NARP this summer! My interest in passenger rail has been passed down to me from past generations of French train advocates, and I am really
Join America's Mayors in Asking Congress for Better Train Service!
May 16, 2014
Written By Sean Jeans Gail The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing on May 15 exploring the impacts that transportation investment has on states, local communities, and users of the transportation system. Unsurprisingly, the mayors in attendance—the elected officials directly charged with meeting the transportation needs of average Americans—were direct and unequivocal in expressing the need for stronger public investment in passenger trains. These l
President Calls for End to Infrastructure Crisis in Tappan Zee Bridge Speech
May 15, 2014
Written By Sean Jeans Gail The Tappan Zee Bridge is emblematic of so much in the U.S. transportation network. Completed in 1955, it was built on the cheap with a designed lifespan of 50 years. It was also constructed at one of the widest points of the Hudson River—adding to the cost—to place it outside the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s jurisdiction and ensure that toll revenue would go the state of New York. It currently handles 138,000 vehicles per day, significantly more
National Train Day Celebrated Across the Country
May 13, 2014
Written By Jenna Jablonski National Train Day on Saturday brought out the train-hugger in everyone: from diehard fans to those stepping on a train for the first time. Event participants enjoyed every kind of train-related activity, from boarding excursion trains and equipment displays to meeting their favorite talking train, Chuggington. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate, and especially to the volunteers, the seventh annual National Train Day was a huge success. Amtrak announced tha