On the eve of something big...

It can be best to distract yourself from the anxiety of waiting to see what you'll wake up to. Perhaps we could use a distraction from the tension leading to tomorrow's BIG decision by the IOC about which city will host the 2016 Summer Olympics, so like a kid on Christmas Eve, I have a few things to pass the time until that decision comes down from Copenhagen.

First is a great post by the INFRASTRUCTURIST about Google's new 3D tour of old Penn Station.



Second is an interesting article by The Tribune's Blair Kamin, who says, "Chicago is not floating plans for major infrastructure improvements, like those that transformed Barcelona for the 1992 Games." I am optimistic that the reception of the bid will be a catalyst for those infrastructure improvements, not just in Chicago, but throughout the Midwest, that have long been talked about, but have lacked the necessary funding or hard deadline to get them built.

Finally, our own Rick Harnish spoke today at the Northwestern University Transportation Center about the future of HSR in the US. I had the pleasure the being there and listening not only to Rick, but to a great Q&A afterward that touched on everything from CREATE, freight, rail in Indiana, Cost Benefit Analysis of HSR and a range of other hot button issues.

All that remains to be seen now, is whether Chicago will be adding a fifth star to it's flag.

Google Transit and Amtrak are finally in love

"We are pleased to welcome Amtrak to Google Transit," said Jessica Wei, Strategic Partner Development Manager at Google. "This partnership shows Amtrak's commitment to innovating, serving their passengers, and attracting new riders. We're looking forward to continuing to work with Amtrak to add more routes to Google Maps." (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Copy/News_Release_Page&c=am2Copy&cid=1189639706207&ssid=180)

Plans call for all Amtrak routes across the country to eventually be available through Google Transit. The first five routes now available include:

• Empire Service (New York - Albany - Buffalo - Niagara Falls)
• Ethan Allen Express (New York - Albany - Rutland)
• Hiawatha Service (Chicago - Milwaukee)
• Pacific Surfliner (San Diego - Los Angeles - Santa Barbara - San Luis Obispo)
• San Joaquin (Oakland - Sacramento - Fresno - Bakersfield)

This is a great step for not only Amtrak and rail fans, but for people who appreciate public transit, but typically will not go to great lengths to utilize it. With Google Transit incorporating the most mass transit systems, most commuter rail lines and now Amtrak, it is plausible to use just one website to go from your front door to an address across the country without ever having to spend money on a flight or a taxi.

For anyone unfamiliar with this wonderful and easy to use tool, here is a video of how Google Transit works in New York: