Recent Streetsblog LA posts about Amtrak

Dump the Surfliner Express? Report Says Ridership on New Route Is Dismal

By Dana Gabbard | Feb 13, 2013 | 6 Comments

With much ballyhoo two years ago Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner converted one of its morning trips between San Diego to Los Angeles into an express, removing stops to reduce running time. I was startled at the headline for the Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada (RailPAC) latest e-newsletter blast: “Caltrans says dump the Surfliner Express”. […]

What Would Meaningful Amtrak Reform Look Like?

By Tanya Snyder | Nov 30, 2012 | No Comments

For the past two years, Amtrak has been under constant attack from House Transportation Committee Chair John Mica (R-FL), who has used his gavel to bully the rail company. He likes to call it a “Soviet-style” monopoly and he goads it for losing money on everything from long-distance routes to food service. His vitriolic diatribes […]

More Local Agencies Dealing with TAP, But Metrolink Remains Elusive and a Surfliner Update

By Dana Gabbard | Nov 20, 2012 | 10 Comments

Here are updates on two issues I have been paying close attention to: TAP and the LOSSAN takeover of the Surfliner. With no fanfare several of the Los Angeles County municipal bus operators (including Foothill and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus) as of November 1st are providing paper TAP cards when patrons purchase transfers to […]

Updates on Surfliner, FlyAway and Metrolink/TAP

By Dana Gabbard | Oct 29, 2012 | 18 Comments

Temporary Solutions for Metrolink’s TAP Issue Shelved The ongoing saga of Metrolink & TAP is apparently not going to end anytime soon. At the Oct. 12th meeting of the Metrolink Board of Directors, the Board decided to not adopt the proposed solution to the connectivity issues between Metrolink and Metro trains caused by the “locking” of […]

Orange County Transpo Authority Vies to Be Regional Rail Manager

By Dana Gabbard | Oct 5, 2012 | 6 Comments

Now that the Governor has signed the bills to allow local stakeholders to take over management of the Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin Amtrak intercity rail routes the next steps are the formation of the joint power authority boards and in the case of the Surfliner the selection of a managing agency from among the members […]

Metro to Apply to Become “Managing Agency” for Surfliner

By Dana Gabbard | Sep 28, 2012 | 12 Comments

In my recent piece on the proposed local takeover of the Pacific Surfliner inter-city rail route the pivotal question I poised multiple times was which agency would take on the responsibility of managing the service. The title of agenda item #46 among the consent items on the Metro Board agenda yesterday gives us the name […]

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