MoveAmerica Blog

Earlier this month I had the honor of speaking at the Convention of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, or SMART, where I focused on the power of solidarity — a message that is especially important as the nation prepares to celebrate Labor Day. The belief that working people are […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGzrz00i_jU&feature=youtu.be “I’m not sure where the source comes from that I’m hostile to Amtrak … simply because I voted no on some funding votes.” – Todd Rokita, July 24, 2019 That was the response former Congressman Todd Rokita gave to lawmakers when they questioned why he repeatedly voted to defund Amtrak, our national passenger rail […]

The belief that the carrier’s regional expansion must come at the expense of its national network isn’t just concerning – this idea goes against Amtrak’s own mission and purpose.

By classifying themselves as technology companies, ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft are able to profit off a lack of regulatory compliance and sub-standard wages, all while undermining traditional transportation options.

On Thursday, June 20, rail unions, including many TTD affiliates, will testify before Congress about the most pressing safety issues facing the industry and its workforce today. From recent decisions by the FRA to pressures from Wall Street that threaten safety, here is a preview of what will be discussed.

Our federal government recently prioritized the profits of the freight rail industry over safety by refusing to set standards for crew train size. The same agency — the federal railroad administration — also declared state laws that do set crew size null and void, paving the way for freight trains, which can be up to […]

The result of federal inaction and the misuse of funds is a sense that the days of doing big things are behind us. Our roads are crumbling. Our transit systems are struggling to drive strong demand. Our seaports are unequipped to accommodate growth in the movement of freight. Our airports are congested and flights are delayed. We look across the oceans at our greatest competitors and wonder why we cannot find the will to make the same investments they make in 21st century infrastructure.

When Vice President Mike Pence toured the damage in America’s heartland caused by historic flooding, he pledged to work with Republicans and Democrats to ensure farmers and ranchers in Iowa and Nebraska receive the federal funding they need to rebuild. He was right to do so. Asking rural families to front the full cost of […]

Some ideas are so mind-numbingly bad that they do not deserve a serious response. Moon advertising comes to mind. (That’s right. Advertisements projected across the moon. An idea so universally hated that Congress threatened to intervene in the early 90s despite the utter infeasibility of it.) Stopping hurricanes with hydrogen bombs. (No joke: an actual real life meteorologist championed this idea.) Rebooting Casablanca as a live TV musical event starring a cast of unruly kindergarten-aged children who missed naptime and who are all very upset about it. (As far as I know, nobody is pushing this one. Let’s hope it stays that way.)
Here’s one more for you: paying for America’s desperately underfunded highway infrastructure needs by eliminating all federal funding for public transportation.

April 28 is Workers Memorial Day, a day to remember and honor those who lost their lives or have been injured at work. For the men and women who keep America moving, this holiday is especially poignant. Working on the frontlines of our transportation system is never without risk. Whether working with heavy equipment and […]