Amtrak Crash Shows Need for More U.S. Transit Money, Mayors Say
The Amtrak information board shows the Washington-bound train from New York as cancelled after an Amtrak train derailed in Philadelphia last night, on May 13, 2015 in New York City.
Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty ImagesThe Philadelphia derailment of an Amtrak train bound for New York from Washington that killed six and injured scores of others is “a wake-up call” for the U.S. to spend more on mass transit, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
De Blasio, a Democrat, and Republican Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett called on the federal government to boost funding for regional and commuter transportation and other forms of infrastructure. The city leaders are in Washington Wednesday to promote a bipartisan effort to push Congress to adopt a six-year plan that increases annual transportation funding above its current $50 billion.