In this short video, Former Meridian, Mississippi Mayor and current T4 America co-chair John Robert Smith talks about the project to build a new multimodal train station in downtown Meridian when he was mayor, proposed cuts to Amtrak that happened shortly afterward, and how a few key Senators championed funding for Amtrak after seeing how ordinary people outside of D.C. depended on that service.

How could a new transportation bill revitalize rural and small-town America? That was the focus of a Senate Democratic Steering Committee briefing on “Issues and Innovations for Small Towns and Rural Communities” in the Capitol Visitors Center last Friday. Transportation for America co-chair and former Meridian, Mississippi Mayor John Robert Smith shared his perspective as [...]

When the stimulus passed in February, $8 billion for high-speed rail was added at the 25th hour, at the behest of the Obama administration. In the days since, states have scrambled to prepare their proposals to receive a share of the money, which will be distributed via a process of competitive grants. With states competing for their share of the $8 billion to start developing and building high-speed corridors, competition was sure to be tough. But did anyone expect this many applications for the funds?

The Fox Business Channel had Petra Todorovich of the Regional Plan Association and America 2050 — both T4 America partners — in the studio a couple of weeks ago to talk about the prospects for high speed rail in America. Does it make sense? Would it work? She makes the solid case for high speed rail in the 11 American megaregions where high speed rail “could really work,” pointing primarily to the need to invest in a diverse transportation network in those regions to help America stay economically competitive with the rest of the world.

The White House agrees to sign a bill intended to improve rail safety — a response to the tragic September 12 crash in California — which also includes more than $12 billion in funding for Amtrak. (Los Angeles Times — Steve Hymon)

A commitment from Congress to spend $13 billion over the next five years to fund Amtrak is sparking an interest in linking the Midwest’s big cities with efficient, clean, high-speed rail. (Chicago Tribune — Jon Hilkevitch)

The White House plans on approving a bill to provide Amtrak with $13 billion over the next five years, helping the company accommodate the country’s soaring demand for rail travel. (Wall Street Journal — Christopher Conkey)

The feds throw down $30 million to improve performance and capacity for 15 passenger rail projects across the U.S. (Associated Press — Larry O’Dell)

New numbers from the U.S DOT show a continued drop in vehicle miles traveled — Americans drove 3.6 percent less in July 2008 than they did in July 2007, and public transportation ridership has increased by 11 percent.

Budget cuts are hitting transit hard in Vermont, despite the increasing popularity of Amtrak and other public transportation agencies.