News We are Reading Right Now
10/28/25 What’s more regressive: Driving surcharges to help fund transit, or forced car ownership?
When people are forced into car ownership because bus and train service is infrequent, unreliable, or non-existent, they spend many thousands more each year on gas, insurance, repairs, and depreciation. Read the whole article: https://chi.streetsblog.org/2025/10/28/whats-more-regressive-modest-driving-surcharges-to-help-fund-transit-or-forced-car-ownership
10/24/25 Amtrak is much more successful than you think
Watch a great video from Streetsblog:
10/23/25 The Market for Trains
At least one-third of Americans do not have access to a car that they could take on a road trip, according to a new study by the Natural Resources Defense Council – and as we’ll discuss, the percentage is probably greater than that.
Yet for decades, civil engineers designed transportation systems in the United States assuming that everybody has a car. This thinking is changing – and some engineers are more accepting of the change than others – but we have a legacy system that supposes only the desperate aren’t driving.
10/17/25 Freight Rail for the 21st Century: Opportunities for mode shift to improve efficiency and
A new report states : " With freight volumes projected to surge by 58 percent by 2050, the nation’s economic and environmental future depends on how effectively it can accommodate this growth while maintaining supply chain reliability, reducing emissions, and mitigating the strain on public infrastructure." https://enotrans.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Eno-Freight-Rail-Report-Summary-for-Policymakers.pdf
10/9/25 America has a Golden Opportunity to end the Highway Boondoggle
According to latest Highway Boondoggles analysis by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, America is spending more than one-quarter of a trillion dollars each year on our highway system — roughly half of which comes from general tax revenues sourced from all U.S. residents, whether they drive or not.
A stunning amount of that money, meanwhile, funds highway expansion projects that the report authors argue are a total waste of public dollars, because they're based on the myth that adding or widening lanes will solve congestion and save lives in car crashes, neither of which are true.
Read the whole article: https://usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/09/america-has-a-golden-opportunity-to-end-the-highway-boondoggle-crisis
9/20/2025 CA HSR vs Texas highway expansion
From HSRA:
Houston’s project is far more expensive and delay-plagued than California high-speed rail. It will cost an estimated $13 billion for the 25 miles of work, or nearly $500 million per mile. The projected cost of the high-speed line from San Francisco to LA is $128 billion, or a little over $200 million per mile.
But costs aren’t the only or even most relevant way to compare the projects. Consider the value they’ll deliver (or not) when they’re finished.
Read the whole article at
9/2/2025 This is about petroleum versus renewable electric power
While Maine isn't ready yet for HSR - we need to start the demand. This article discusses what advantages for the East Coast Corridor to develop HSR (ultimately to Portland) but what forces are stopping it from occurring. https://sf.streetsblog.org/2025/08/28/commentary-the-real-reason-trump-opposes-high-speed-rail-isnt-about-trains-its-about-power
8/13/25 Virginia Breaks Record in Truck Diversion Via Freight Rail Programs
Bring back our freight rail lines and save Maine roads! Virginia is leading the way.
7/12/25 How will Amtrak change under the second Trump administration?
The nation’s passenger railroad is adapting to White House priorities, such as by dropping high-speed rail projects. However, overall Cuts not as bad as some feared. https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/amtrak-trump-duffy-next-four-years/752487/
7/12/25 Another Bus Lane Bites the Dust
Boston Mayor Wu’s Administration Forces Chelsea, Charlestown Transit Riders to Wait In More Traffic. The change comes just weeks before the MBTA rolls out a new bus lane enforcement system, which is expected to improve bus service considerably – at least on the dwindling number of streets where dedicated bus lanes still exist. (maybe trains are the better option?) https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/07/08/another-bus-lane-bites-the-dust-wu-administration-forces-chelsea-charlestown-transit-riders-to-wait-in-more-traffic.
6/5/25 The Economic Case for Rail Investment in the US
The Train’s Fare Box Doesn’t Pay for Itself — And That’s Okay
In his keynote address, John Robert Smith, Chairman of Transportation for America, acknowledged that most rail services are not profitable based solely on farebox revenue. Noting that this is also true for other modes of transportation, he stressed the need to dismantle the myth that passenger rail should be financially self-sustaining in this way.
https://railway-news.com/the-economic-case-for-rail-investment-in-the-us/
5/16/25 American Public Transit Assoc.(APTA)’s new fact book and policy brief document
Key highlights from the 2024 Public Transportation Fact Book and Ridership Policy Brief include:
Economic impact and investment
- Public transportation delivers a strong return on investment—$5 in economic output for every $1 invested.
- More than 77 percent of federal transit funding flows to the private sector.
- Transit riders can save more than $13,000 annually compared to driving.
Service and infrastructure
- Transit agencies provided 4.27 billion vehicle revenue miles of service in 2022, an increase from 2021.
- The number of rail systems grew to 99, a 62 percent increase from 2002.
- More than 1,600 zero-emission buses are now in service.
- Transit accessibility for people with wheelchairs and other mobility challenges has improved dramatically, with bus accessibility reaching 99.8 percent in 2024, up from 95 percent in 2004.