Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.)
Subcommittee Chair Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.) kicked off the event, which ran for nearly 4-1/2 hours. “Thanks to the bold vision of President Biden, we stand at the crossroads of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the nation’s passenger-rail network and bring it into the 21st century,” he said. “Imagine being able to hop on a train in Newark at 9 a.m. and make it to Washington in time for today’s hearing at 11 a.m. High-speed rail could be the technology that fully unlocks the potential of passenger rail in this country.” He noted American technological achievements in the past, and said “there is nothing stopping us from applying the same perseverance to high-speed rail.”
High-Speed Debate Continues in Congress
High-Speed Debate Continues in Congress Written by David Peter Alan, Contributing Editor
The long-simmering controversy over high-speed rail (HSR) continued during a May 6 hearing before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. Its theme: “When Unlimited Potential Meets Limited Resources: The Benefits and Challenges of High-Speed Rail and Emerging Rail Technologies.”
Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.)
Subcommittee Chair Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.) kicked off the event, which ran for nearly 4-1/2 hours. “Thanks to the bold vision of President Biden, we stand at the crossroads of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the nation’s passenger-rail network and bring it into the 21st century,” he said. “Imagine being able to hop on a train in Newark at 9 a.m. and make it to Washington in time for today’s hearing at 11 a.m. High-speed rail could b
‘Amtrak Joe’ Marks Amtrak’s 50th Written by David Peter Alan, Contributing Editor
April 30, 2021 was a cool, sunny and windy day in Philadelphia, as President Joe Biden joined Amtrak officials and selected guests to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the day “America’s Railroad” began operations.
It was a day that many rail passengers at the time never thought would come. Amtrak was founded to relieve the private-sector freight railroads of their obligation to run passenger trains, and most of the trains that left their points of origin on April 30, 1971 did not run the following day. At the time, few expected Amtrak to last very long, except, perhaps only on the Northeast Corridor (NEC). But Americans still wanted the few trains that were left and kept using them, so Amtrak is still with us.
Power 100: N – Z
Philip Norcross
Law firm Parker McCay and lobbying firm Optimus Partners might represent the epitome of the politically connected firms – if the news headlines and government watchdogs are to be believed. Philip, an executive at both, is the nexus of those connections. That became evident in 2019, when activists and a task force put together by the Murphy administration outlined Optimus’ and Parker McCay’s alleged influence over the creation of the 2013 tax break program, and in helping businesses win lucrative incentive awards. Philip is the brother of both George Norcross, the South Jersey political kingmaker, and Donald Norcross, a U.S. congressman representing the First Congressional District. With the creation of a new massive tax break legislation, Trenton insiders have been speculating about just what kind of role Philip could play in helping businesses win incentives.