Though the golden days of passenger rail service are long since behind us, the federal government continues to operate Amtrak, a sprawling federal agency with more than 19,000 employees in 46 states that provides rail service...more
“It’s a good time to be in transportation!” says William Murdock, Executive Director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). Speaking to KJK’s Samir Dahman and James Scherer, Mr. Murdock, who heads one of...more
Discovery requests in product liability litigation matters are often a costly and time-consuming black hole. They consume precious resources manufacturers and distributors could use to build up their businesses and, worse,...more
Cases in our April Insurance Update address several questions: •Are costs incurred to comply with a subpoena covered? •What must an insured show to rebut the presumption of prejudice in a late notice situation? •What...more
It’s common knowledge that a lawsuit must be timely reported to an insurer. But what exactly constitutes timely notice? The United States Court for the Middle District of Florida recently examined this question in National...more
“Now, the next part is very important…” As scrutiny of domestic preference requirements increases in the wake of the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on Ensuring the Future Is Made in All of America by All of...more
On March 31, 2021, President Joe Biden announced a $2 trillion infrastructure plan, named the “American Jobs Plan.” In addition to seeking upgrades to U.S. highways, bridges, ports, airports, transit systems, and waterways,...more
As noted in Part 1, during the presidential campaign, candidate Joe Biden called for "Sparking the second great railroad revolution." Biden pledged to "make sure that America has the cleanest, safest, and fastest rail system...more
During the presidential campaign, candidate Joe Biden called for "Sparking the second great railroad revolution." Biden pledged to "make sure that America has the cleanest, safest, and fastest rail system in the world – for...more
New figures from the Congressional Budget Office predict that U.S. government debt will, thanks to the pandemic recession, just about eclipse the size of the nation’s GDP—a level not reached since just after World War II....more
The full House will consider the FY21 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bill that the House Appropriations Committee approved with a final vote of 30-22 on July 14, 2020. ...more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged organizers of large gatherings that involve shouting, chanting, or singing to “strongly encourage” attendees to use cloth face coverings to lower the risk of...more
In Washington - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged organizers of large gatherings that involve shouting, chanting, or singing to “strongly encourage” attendees to use cloth face coverings to lower...more
On March 25, the Senate passed a stimulus bill, called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. This is an expansion of the bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last Thursday....more
...Federal, state and local governments spent $440 billion on transportation and water infrastructure in 2017, according to the Congressional Budget Office. In September 2018, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)...more
A federal agency has, for the time being at least, refused to intervene in a dispute between Amtrak and Metra over Metra’s use of Chicago Union Station. Back in April, this blog reported on a budding conflict between...more
A recent filing at the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) reveals a potential, budding conflict between Metra and Amtrak involving Metra's use of the Chicago Union Station. Amtrak owns the station and Metra is its...more
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation (“Commerce Committee”) recently held a nomination hearing to fill two vacancies on the Surface Transportation Board (“STB”), the economic regulator of...more
• The Supreme Court declines to review a lower court ruling that the Surface Transportation Board cannot assume regulatory authority that Congress unconstitutionally delegated to the Federal Railroad Administration and...more
Need for Positive Train Control is Past Due - The deadline for installing and implementing positive train control, known as PTC, is Dec. 31, 2018. It likely will come and go, with a majority of the country’s railways...more
Amtrak trains have been involved in four deaths since December 2017, including the most recent tragedy in South Carolina that killed two crew members and injured more than 100 passengers....more
Train Wreck Reports are developing that the recent and tragic crash of an AmTrak train, running on CSX rails, might have been avoided if a safety feature called a “positive train control” (PTC) had been employed at the time....more
Another tragedy on an AMTRAK train has caused the loss of lives and serious injuries in Dupont, Washington this morning. There are reports the train, the Cascades service from Seattle to Portland was travelling on tracks...more
White male discontent has been a major media talking point since the presidential election, and even long before. This talking point has made its way into the workplace, where tech firms are now being targeted for allegedly...more
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has announced final rules permitting eligible petitioners to submit proposals to replace Amtrak on up to three Amtrak routes. The rules implement provisions of the Fixing America's...more