The subject of recent politically charged threats, the rail carrier surpassed its record for annual passengers for the ninth time in ten years. Ridership has grown a total of 49 percent since 2000.
Under attack from Republican foes in Washington, and on the campaign trail, who want to end its federal subsidization, Amtrak jest keeps chugging along on its way to record ridership, reports Alex Goldmark. By ferrying 31.2 million passengers to their destinations in the U.S. during the 2012 fiscal year, Amtrak grew its ridership by 3.5 percent over the previous year to the highest level since it began operations in 1971.
"The newly released numbers show the Northeast Corridor is still the
anchor route for Amtrak with more than a third of all riders (11.4
million) traveling between Boston and Washington, D.C.," says Goldmark. "Amtrak won't
release new state-by-state and line-by-line numbers until next week, but
the 361 miles of track along the Northeast Corridor are likely to
continue to bring in more than half of all ticket revenue for Amtrak, as
it did last year according to the 2011 annual report."
FULL STORY: Amtrak: We Broke Another Ridership Record, 49% Growth Since 2000

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service