President Biden is known for his regular Amtrak commute from Wilmington, Delaware to Washington, D.C. The main Amtrak station in the region, Union Station, is a stone’s throw from the U.S. Senate Office buildings, which is now at the center of one of the many early environmental decisions issued by the Biden Administration to address the environmental concerns generally and policies from the previous administration.
The administration’s actions came after Washingtonians appealed to newly appointed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and others to order the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to “reconsider and revise” its multibillion-dollar redevelopment plan of Union Station, the region's busiest transit hub.
A brief review of the FRA’s original plan for Union Station would not have destroyed nearby green spaces or otherwise significantly increased the physical footprint of the 107-year-old train station. However, critics argued that FRA’s plan was “too car-centric,” with too many parking spaces for greenhouse gas-emitting personal vehicles. Their plan would have about 1,000 fewer parking spaces to encourage more ride-sharing, as well as more rented bicycle and scooter use. Mr. Buttigieg seems to have sided with critics as the FRA will now revise its plans.
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