Issues & Insights

Amtrak ridership grew 5% in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 and revenue surged 11% as robust Northeast Regional gains offset fewer Acela frequencies on the Northeast Corridor. The railroad carried nearly 34.5 million passengers while ticket revenue was $2.7 billion.

Kansas City has been asking the state and federal government for financial help to pay for extra buses during the World Cup. The clock is ticking, and the transit agency hasn’t gotten a dime.

Waymo is finally ready to hit the highway. Starting today, the company’s robotaxis will gradually start to include more highway trips in its routes in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Brooklyn and Staten Island politicians have for years called for a ferry connection between the two boroughs, providing a mass transit alternative to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which is only accessible by car.

The city invested $11.5 million to transform a busy thoroughfare into an inviting public space. The three lanes in the center of the five-lane road were replaced by a series of tree-lined ramblas. (Spanish for both “avenue” and “watercourse,” because dry stream beds served as streets in early cities.)

Data shared by the transportation department shows nearly 10,000 pedestrians passed through the intersection during peak afternoon and evening hours. DOT officials said the existing intersection requires pedestrians to walk long distances to cross the street while cars turn into the road.

Despite its small stature, the city of Keene, has become an example of the safety and climate benefits of swapping traffic lights for roundabouts.

The growing backlog of bridges and public buildings in need of repair or replacement poses an increasing threat to state finances, but tracking of maintenance liabilities varies wildly across the states. The analysis implores states to urgently adopt better methods to identify, quantify and fund their deferred infrastructure maintenance.

A study from the state Department of Transportation found that expanding the highway would reduce crashes, but also found that the same result could be achieved through other means, like lowering speed limits.

In denser, more residential areas, an increasing number of states from coast to coast are allowing local governments to slow drivers down to improve safety. Meanwhile, highway speed limits are climbing in less traveled areas, with at least nine states allowing drivers to legally zoom along at 80 miles per hour.