Abstract
This analysis discusses the declining state of Amtrak and passenger rail service in the U.S. The analysis focuses on the impact of Amtrak on rail ridership and the U.S. economy in light of its flawed performance and inefficiencies.

From the Paper
"At a time when nations like China and the U.K. are developing high-speed sophisticated new railways, rail travel in the U.S. and the railway infrastructure continues to decline. America's passenger rails are managed by Amtrak, a company that was created in ... According to Semmens, during the first decade of its existence, Amtrak cost the U.S. economy over ... billion and more than ... jobs. Believing private railroads were driving away riders deliberately, Amtrak was created through taxpayer funding with the goal of revitalizing rail..."

Tags:California, taxpayers, freight trains, Passenger Rail Investment Reform Act, government, mass transit

Abstract
This paper provides a comparasion and contrast of three poems across different aspects of poetics, including diction, rhyme, cultural influence, technique, theme, symbolism and genre. The poems include Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz," Joseph Brodsky's "Love Song" and Sherman Alexie's "On the Amtrak from Boston to New York City."

From the Paper
""Love Song" by Joseph Brodsky, "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke and Sherman Alexie's "On the Amtrak" from Boston to New York City are all in the genre of literature known as poetry. Despite this similarity of genres, each of the poems is distinct across other aspects of poetics, including theme, symbolism, diction and cultural influence. This analysis will provide a comparison and contrast of these three poems across these and other elements of poetry. In "My Papa's Waltz" and "Love Song", Roethke and Brodsky respectively..."

Tags:parents, working class, Native American, Russian, prison, interior monologue, reflection, speaker

Abstract
This paper investigates how economics affects when people opt to use some modes of transportation over others and why these choices are made. The paper uses unemployment rates, median family income and crude oil prices to anticipate the change of passenger's miles of three transportation modes - air total passenger's miles, highway total passenger's miles and intercity/Amtrak total passenger's miles.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Results & Conclusion

From the Paper
"For air transport, we need to focus on median family income. We usually think increasing oil prices result in decreasing the number of passengers. However, not only the oil price increases, but also the total passenger's miles increase. In my opinion, this is because the increasing income seems to offset the increasing oil prices. Another reasons is that people with high levels of income will use flight transportation more frequently than people with low levels of income; the income levels are a determining factor when choosing flight transportation. Thus, we can explain why the unemployment rate is not significant statistically with above logic."

Tags:passenger, intercity, Amtrak

Abstract
This paper discusses why the current financial funding system for Amtrak doesn't work and what needs to be changed. The writer claims that Amtrak is doomed to failure, even with government subsidies, if it does not improve service, become more efficient and find ways to increase revenue not just rider-ship. It examines the type of government funding which have been received since the 1970's and how, in the current economic climate of America, finances of Amtrack need to change.

From the Paper
"Congress initially created Amtrak in 1970 as a for-profit organization, offering national rail service. It was signed into existence in 1971 and to date has never produced a profit. In 1997, Congress's Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act stipulated that the rail system had to achieve operational sufficiency by the end of 2002 and prohibits Amtrak from using any federal funds for operating expenses after fiscal 2002."

Tags:national, rail, service, government, funding, revenue, fiscal, transportation

Abstract
All three modes of transit in the U.S. are being scrutinized by Congress for funding. The paper explains that these three modes - highway/mass transit, rail, and air - are essential to the economy, and each has been suffering from underfunding in some way, the railroads most of all. It discusses how three pieces of legislation, TEA 21 (with the President?s version called SAFETEA), an Amtrak funding bill, and AIR 21, the aviation-funding bill, are now being considered by Congress for fiscal 2004. It discusses what is happening with each bill and examines what effect the continued and, particularly, additional funding will have on transportation in the U.S.

From the Paper
"The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) will expire in September, 2003, unless it is reauthorized. The Bush Administration has proposed a restructuring of the way funds are distributed. Currently, 80 percent of funds for mass transit improvement come from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund, and 20 percent from the General Fund. The result of this is that it has appeared all transit funds have been obligated immediately, and spent out, even though it takes years for a project to be completed and funds completely spent. Despite that, unless a change in the accounting methods occurs, says the administration, the trust-funded portion of the Mass Transit funds will go broke by 2007, according to a report of the Subcommittee on Highways, Transit & Pipelines Hearing."

Tags:mass, transit, highway, rail, road, air, congress

Abstract
This paper begins the discussion of customer loyalty enhanced retail concepts by investigating radio frequency identification (RFID) grocery store shopping carts that would enable shoppers to plug a memory stick or PEM drive loaded with their grocery lists from their home PCs into the shopping cart and have their shopping list pop up with pricing, availability, promotions and location on a flat screen monitor attached to the cart. Next the author reviews the SpeedPass, an RFID chip embedded in plastic, pre-approved based on the car renter's record, insurance ratings and credit ratings, that would speed up the process of getting a rental car. The paper strongly recommends that the trains linking the Boston, New York and Washington D.C. and along the West Coast have free WiFi.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Grocery Stores with RFID Enabled Shopping Carts
SpeedPass for Rental Cars
WiFi and Business Services on Amtrak

From the Paper
"A solution to this is to create special SpeedPass based on RFID technology. The SpeedPass would be an RFID chip embedded in plastic, preapproved based on a renter's record, insurance ratings, and credit ratings if applicable, and mailed to the cardholder for their use in high risk areas. The SpeedPass would then be scanned at the rental desk in the airport and the car would be lined up by the rental center. The customer could take the bus to the SpeedPass lane, and the RFID contained they had would flash their specific stall number and then they would get their car. Just to make sure the right customer got the right car RFID scanners would be underneath the dashboard and the car would only start for the right RFID card match. By simply typing in a short code, the support staff getting the cards lined p would be able to ensure only the right customer gets the right car. This would save hours of time in high risk insurance areas that also happen to be tourism destinations including Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, New Orleans, San Diego and Hawaii in the U.S. and throughout European nations with high insurance rates."

Tags:tags meetings, checkout total, vacationers insurance

Abstract
With air travel and the highways becoming increasingly congested, the need for an efficient, fast and comfortable mode of alternative travel has been felt in many countries of the world. One of the possible solutions is the Magnetic Levitation Propulsion System or high-speed trains called the Maglev train (short for magnetic levitation). The recent question mark over the safety of air travel and the fear of flying created among the general public by the events of 9/11 has renewed interest in the Maglev technology. This paper discusses how the Magnetic Levitation Propulsion System works and briefly overviews its history of development. The different types of designs developed so far, the cost of developing such systems, and the potential for its expansion and use in transportation systems in the United States and all over the world is also discussed. The author uses photographs and plan drawings to illustrate points.

From the Paper
"We all know that the opposite poles of a magnet attract while the like poles repel each other. This is the basic principle on which the Magnetic Levitation Propulsion System works. In magnetic propulsion systems, powerful electromagnets are used. The three basic components of a maglev train system are: A large electrical power source, metal coils that line the track or guide-way, and large magnets attached to the underside of the train. There is no conventional engine in maglev trains. Instead, the force for propulsion is achieved by a combination of the magnetic fields created by the electrified coils in the tracks (called the guideways) and the guideway walls."

Tags:James, R., Powell, Gordon, T., Danby, Transrapid, Amtrak