RailPAC President responds to LA Times article December 27th, 2008
RailPAC President’s Message December 22nd, 2008
RAIL PASSENGER ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA 1017 L Street PMB 217, Sacramento, CA 95814 New Year message from Paul Dyson, RailPAC President: I think it’s fair to say that RailPAC has had a moderately successful year in 2008, a year that has involved a lot of swimming upstream and around all sorts of obstacles.
Rail Photos for Christmas December 19th, 2008
From Phoenix, Arizona; Santa Fe, New Mexico, Dallas-Ft. Worth Texas, and California. Comments by Russ Jackson, RailPAC Secretary-Emeritus. Photos by contibuting photographers with our thanks.
Placer County Transportation report December 10th, 2008
Reported by Chuck Robuck, CC Riders President, RailPAC Member from Auburn
FYI, I attended this meeting as a CC Rider rep and wanted to give you a brief recap.
CA Corridors November stats December 10th, 2008
Reported by Gene Skoropowski
In spite of the big Thanksgiving weekend travel surge, ridership growth for November 2008 in all of California was quite modest, likely reflecting the impacts of both the economic downturn, as well as falling gas prices.
Metrolink Weekend Schedule December 5th, 2008
RailPAC Letter from President Paul Dyson
December 4, 2008
Supervisor Mike Antonovich
Tracking the News: December 2008 December 3rd, 2008
. . . PHOTOS and Commentary by Russ Jackson
. . . December, 2008. Dare I say “what a month” again? What else can you say about a month that saw the election of a new direction for our country and presumably for passenger rail transportation, and the approval of many rail initiatives including RailPAC-supported high speed rail in California. The same month saw gasoline prices falling faster than the stock market and the economy, with corresponding implications for continued high ridership on commuter and light rail trains.
What is Next for Amtrak? November 30th, 2008
Editorial by Noel T. Braymer
Amtrak was created by politics and remains a child of politics. The recent resignation of Amtrak President Kummant doesn’t come as a major surprise. It is doubtful that he would have the support of the new administration. There are stories of friction between Mr. Kummant and the Amtrak Board. Also the credit problems hitting the world economy are also having an effect on Amtrak which may be a factor in Kummant’s calling it quits. The issue of who will be the next Amtrak President is secondary as to what is to be done about the Amtrak bureaucracy. Presidents seem to come and go but the culture of the Amtrak bureaucracy stays the same.
So what about the San Fernando Valley? November 30th, 2008
By Noel T. Braymer
Proposition R raises the sale tax another half cent in Los Angeles County. This money will be used to help build the “subway to the sea” which will extend subway service west down Wilshire Blvd. There will be money to extend Light Rail on the Gold Line east from Pasadena towards Montclair and the Expo Line west from Culver City to Santa Monica. There is planning for a downtown connector for new trackage to connect the Blue and Expo Lines to the Gold Line. There are plans for extending the Green Line to LAX. But there are no new services planned for the San Fernando Valley. What can be done is improving what the Valley has, which would be Metrolink and the Orange Line.
Tracking the News: November 2008 November 19th, 2008
Commentary and Photos by Russ Jackson
NOTE: This column first appeared in the November, 2008, issue of the Western Rail Passenger Review. Tracking the News will now also appear here monthly, with color pictures added. Your comments will be appreciated.
