NARP Blog

Friday, March 16, 2007

I’ve just completed a cross-country trip on Amtrak: I took the Capitol Limited to Chicago then the Empire Builder to Portland. As I’m writing this, I’m completing my trip to Tacoma, Washington with a ride on the Cascades service.

It was a great trip--the ride, the Amtrak employees, my fellow passengers--it was truly enjoyable. Here are a couple of pictures I took along the way. Who says that long distance trains are lightly used? These are from Minot and Whitefish Wednesday on the westbound Empire Builder.

I also took this picture at Shelby. Wouldn’t you love to be driving in this weather?

I took advantage of my layover in Portland to ride the MAX light rail and streetcar network. What a great system! And its not just the trains themselves...Portland has fully bought into the concept of smart growth and dense urban planning to create some really wonderful new urban areas. He’s my favorite picture; I’m in a coffee shop at Beaverton Center station shooting out towards the MAX station (red colored train in the distance). It’s all part of a major mixed-use residential and commercial development.

I heard more people than I could count today talk about how they’ve either gotten rid of or severely curtailed the use of their cars since moving to Portland. The city is truly a model for others to follow!

--Dave Johnson

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NARP blog

Heavily Used Trains and Smart Growth

Friday, March 16, 2007

Posted by NARP

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