Great Western Coffee Shop

...but they didn't only vote for which old white man was going to try to run the country for the next few years!

It's a feature of US elections that people also get to vote on a raft of other things too. Last night:

Austin, Texas voted for a USD7.5 billion property tax plan, including new light rail lines (https://www.capmetro.org/project-connect) a downtown tunnel, BRT, and park and rides.

Denver, Colorado voted for 1/4-cent 'climate change' sales tax (https://coloradosun.com/2020/10/22/denvers-unique-sales-tax-to-fight-climate-change-could-be-a-blueprint-for-future-action-nationwide/) to fund climate-focused initiatives, including potential transit investments.

Fairfax, Virginia voted for $160 m in bonds (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bond/sites/bond/files/assets/documents/pdf/2020-transportation-bond-explanation.pdf) to support local funding for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority - the DC metro.

However ...
... which strikes me as something of a mixed message ...

Meanwhile over here local authorities cannot even raise the one tax central government allow them to levy by more than a small percentage and must rely on ever decreasing grants from central government. 

What a very different world. 

Trump. 215
Byden . 254
Intercity. 125.

Biden now over the line ... and it would appear by sufficient a margin to stand up to any unorthodox challenges. With a partner who's an immigrant to the UK from the USA, but retains ties, we have been following the long and complex process that's been going on with more than a degree or two of interest; American politics has become very ugly indeed.  But we are a public transport forum, so little of that from me here.

But ... from an article that's six months old (https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a32363173/joe-biden-amtrak-joe-meaning/) ...  did you know the Joe Biden's nickname is "Amtrak Joe"


and ...


Joe Biden has had more tragedy and misfortune thrown at him than most of us could even imagine, and for sure that has been significant in shaping the man.   Elements of our press suggest that Trump rather than Biden would have been best for the UK, bearing in mind similarities in outlook between the UK and USA leaders, whereas the new team in Washington finds itself closer to the Eurpoean systems (and thus Europe) and does not consider our decision to leave Europe to have been a good one.   But having noted that ... his approach and direction seems so much better aligned with sustainable transport and climate objectives than the chap who's finishing his four years, and his henchmen.

Yes, I did. During the course of my research for a trip to the US next September (originally this September) I came across this...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens_ACS-64#/media/File:Cities_Sprinter_cab.jpg

To be fair, therefore, his green credentials are not bad at all by US standards. Amtrak will probably be well pleased at his election.

Actually those ACS-64s look pretty competent machines. That said, they need to re-equip the North East Corridor with coaching stock that will work in push-pull mode. The locomotives will, but they don?t have stock with Driving Van Trailers.