Funding for Amtrak is currently under consideration by the Appropriations Committee (Chair, Kurt Schaeffer) to be eliminated from the budget. The decision will be revealed this coming Tuesday when the committee reconvenes. Discontinuing Amtrak service on the Kansas City and St. Louis route would mean that Missouri would be obligated to repay $50 million in federal rail infrastructure … Continued
MoDOT has completed and posted a draft of the Missouri State Rail Plan to their website! They will be seeking public comments on the draft at meetings in April. The draft plan and meeting schedule is available at www.morail.org. (When you get to this web page, click on the State Rail Plan logo on the left.) … Continued
By a 74-22 margin, the Senate passed a strong, bipartisan transportation bill. If it becomes law, it will help repair our roads and bridges, ensure local control of funds to help make walking and bicycling safer, and hold states accountable for how they spend their transportation dollars for the next two years. The House has … Continued
The Missouri General Assembly is on spring break this week, but the question is where does funding for transit stand with a month and a half to go in this legislative session. The FY12 supplemental budget has passed the House and Senate Appropriations Committee. Transit operation assistance funds remain at $560,875 for the statewide distribution. This … Continued
The Senate passed a two-year, $109 billion bipartisan transportation bill in a 74-22 vote today. According to Majority Leader Harry Reid, the Senate bill, cosponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), would help fix 70,000 failing bridges and save or create 2.8 million jobs. The bill keeps federal public transportation funding level while … Continued
Last night, the Senate came to an agreement that they would begin debating the MAP-21 Transportation Bill and start voting on amendments. A total of 30 amendments will be considered by the Senate, with no possible way for others to be offered or debated, per the agreement. More than 200 amendments were originally submitted – many … Continued
Only a few days left to submit a picture for our monthly transit picture contest! We will be picking a winner Friday afternoon, so submit on our Facebook page, via Twitter, or email to info@cmt-stl.org before noon for a chance to win a monthly Metro pass!
Transportation infrastructure and funding are taking center stage locally and nationally. The House just released its 5 year, $260 billion reauthorization bill at the federal level. Locally, discussions turn to state support of transit, a possible future station at Cortex and the need to move the next light rail extension forward in the region. Why should St. Louisans be talking … Continued
Don’t forget Transportation Day at the Capitol is this coming Wednesday, February 1, 2012. CMT will be joining organizations from across the state in Jefferson City to let legislators know that transit is a top priority for CMT, the region, and the state. Join us! We are asking CMT members and friends to join us … Continued
Missouri House Bill 1117 – Missouri and Midwest High-Speed Rail Commission Act was read for the second time this legislative session. The bill is sponsored by Representative Michael Brown (Democrat, District 50) of the Kansas City area. “This bill establishes the Missouri and Midwest High-Speed Rail Commission Act and the Missouri and Midwest High-Speed Rail … Continued
The Atlantic Cities published an article today about how Americans react to high gas prices. The article features a soon to be released study by Bradely Lane of the University of Texas at El Paso: “A time-series analysis of gasoline prices and public transportation in US metropolitan areas.” Lane studied gasoline price fluctuations in 33 … Continued
This unbelievable video illustrates the transit oriented development Thai-style. The Maeklong Market is located along commuter train tracks two hours outside of Bangkok. The market literally operates on top of the tracks except for the four times a day the train runs through it. Watch this remarkable video to see TOD in rural Thailand.
Amtrak and passenger rail are all the buzz today in St. Louis. Senator Dick Durbin will hold a press conference at 12 noon today at the St. Louis Gateway Station to discuss drastic funding cuts for passenger rail. MoDOT will be holding a public open house this evening at the Kirkwood Train Station to discuss Missourians … Continued
From the Office of Dick Durbin (D-IL) 10/26/2011 ST. LOUIS – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin will hold a news conference to discuss drastic cuts to transportation spending proposed by U.S. House Republicans in their appropriations bill for FY 2012. The House legislation slashes funding for Amtrak by 60 percent and would effectively eliminate all state-supported … Continued
Missouri Department of Transportation will be hosting an open house and discussion about the movement of goods and people by freight and passenger rail. The workshop will be held Wednesday 10/26/2011, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Kirkwood Amtrak Station (110 Argonne, Kirkwood, MO 63122). MODOT is developing a Statewide Rail Plan that will … Continued