Heavily Used Trains and Smart Growth

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 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.

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!