Valley Regional Transit CEO Elaine Clegg standing outside the Boise, Idaho, Depot. (Caption and Photograph Courtesy of Valley Regional Transit)

Biden Nominates Clegg for Amtrak Board

Valley Regional Transit CEO Elaine M. Clegg has been nominated to be a member of the Amtrak Board of Directors by President Joe Biden, who also nominated career railroader Ronald L. Batory.

Ed Boyle, Vice President Engineering, Norfolk Southern (NS Photograph)

Forward Focus

2024 READERS’ MOST INFLUENTIAL LEADERS, RAILWAY AGE MAY 2024 ISSUE: Railway Age’s 2024 subscriber-selected honorees all embody an entrepreneurial spirit anchored in a commitment to service, safety and sustainability.

Batory Slated for Amtrak Board

President Joe Biden on May 2 announced his intent to nominate Ronald L. Batory to the Amtrak Board of Directors. “Ronald L. Batory is a career railroad professional with more than 45

Starting May 21, a second daily Amtrak train will be offered between St. Paul and Chicago, via Milwaukee, the state-sponsored Borealis, whose name “was determined in a collaborative process,” Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told Railway Age. “It is a reference to the north direction, in Latin.” (Amtrak Map)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, NYMTA, SMART, WMATA

A second daily Amtrak train is launching between St. Paul, Minn., and Chicago, via Milwaukee, Wis., the state-supported Borealis. Also, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) unveil the Fair Fares pilot program; Northern California’s Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) logs record commuter rail ridership; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) announce a transit planning initiative for the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

“Having a library, public restrooms, a community center, and a kitchen all under one roof—and only steps away from Skagit station—will be a major benefit for the people of Mount Vernon,” USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said May 1. “This is the first of what we hope will be many TOD loans that will make vital resources more accessible to more people, especially historically overlooked communities.” (Screen Shot of the Mount Vernon Library Commons Project from a city of Mt. Vernon, Wash., video)

USDOT Closes First Loan Supporting TOD

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on May 1 reported that its Build America Bureau has approved the first transit-oriented development (TOD) TIFIA loan, which will support a Mt. Vernon, Wash., project located a short walk from the Amtrak-served Skagit Station.

“Train Daddy” (as he was nicknamed in New York City) Andy Byford is among the most recognizable figures in global passenger rail and now Senior Vice President for High-Speed Rail at Amtrak. (Screen Shot of Amtrak Video)
Commentary

Watch: Exploring Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail and What’s Next

Amtrak in 2000 introduced Acela, the first high-speed rail service in the Western Hemisphere. Since then, we’ve served more than 65 million passengers. But what’s next for high-speed rail in America? Dive into

Central Florida’s Sunshine Corridor Moves Forward (UPDATED, 4/29)

There is plenty of action on the passenger rail scene in Florida these days. Brightline started service on its northward and westward expansion to Orlando Airport on Sept. 22, 2023, and more

Ed Boyle, Vice President Engineering, Norfolk Southern (NS Photograph)

Railway Age 2024 Readers’ Influential Leaders

Railway Age is pleased to present the fifth-annual “Readers’ Influential Leaders” program honorees.

Donald M. Payne Jr. (Photo from the Congressional Office of Donald M. Payne Jr.)

Donald M. Payne Jr., 1958-2024

U.S. Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr. of New Jersey, who served as Senior Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Rail Subcommittee, died April 24. He was 65.

NJT celebrates “Earth Week” by unveiling its first-ever sustainability plan. (NJT Image)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak Virginia, LACMTA, NJT, MWAA

Amtrak Virginia and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) experience double-digit ridership growth in March. Also, New Jersey Transit (NJT) releases its first sustainability plan; and Brookville Equipment Corporation receives a Notice to Proceed on a $16.4 million contract from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).

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