Malls in the U.S.A.

Hi! I'm Sinjin from the Philippine Forums. Just curious about the malls around the United States of America. Please feel free to post pictures and info of your shopping centers. >

Is your city or part of town funky?

Every morning where I live it smells like farts and sewerage. I was just wondering if it's a problem where you're from?>

Most rudest people in US? (Re-take)

Choose from poll then post there. Thanks. >

Do older cities stink and do you like it?

Just curious--do older cities have that odor of industry, aged buildings and sewers, and do any of you consider that foul "smell" a part of those city's character that contributes to the "feel" of the city? I think that as long as a stinkin' city doesn't overwhelm you, but gives you a few foul whiffs of its venerable-ness, such malodorous experiences should be seen as charming and even slightly sexy. Makes you wanna lick the rust right off them aging sewer pipes!>

What American city has or will let itself go to hell?

What American city or cities have just completely let themselves go? In my opinion Detroit is not what it used to be but its on its way back...>

The first quarter is in. Check it out!

The first quarter is in. click What do you think?>

I NEED YOUR HELP

First of all, hello american forumers. I need your help cause I have to do a project on: the growth of cities in America and its immigrant population "75% of the population of America'sten largest cities were either foreign-born or only a generation removed from foreign born parents between 1880 and 1914" The problem is that I don't know how to focus it. I'm lost I don´t even know which are the ten largest cities in the USA (L.A., NYC, ?, ?...) nor where can I find maps seeing the growth of them and how immigration affected it, which are the most common nationalities in each one, the different districts.. and to find it on the net results really really difficult, and more for me. Im Spanish. well, if you could help, please post something thank you anyway>

Does anyone spend this much time commuting?

Check this story out. I saw it on the news last night. There is no way I could do this. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...in696990.shtml>

What do you like/love about Salt Lake City?

What do you like/love about Salt Lake City?>

ESPN's 2005 Sport Team Rankings

Each year ESPN ranks each pro-sport franchise on various factors from loyalty to City to winning records. Here is the top 15: 1. San Antonio Spurs 1 3 1 1 6 6 1 3 5 2. Detroit Pistons 2 2 6 3 8 8 2 39 3 3. Pittsburgh Steelers 3 9 5 2 24 22 4 11 17 4. Indianapolis Colts 4 1 8 14 11 69 6 6 29 5. Anaheim Angels 5 4 9 30 5 10 26 8 1 6. Atlanta Falcons 6 6 12 6 10 36 10 17 33 7. St. Louis Cardinals 7 18 3 5 16 14 8 19 21 8. Carolina Panthers 8 7 18 8 19 20 11 13 25 9. Atlanta Braves 9 5 20 21 28 37 19 9 14 10. New England Patriots 10 29 4 12 63 17 3 1 7 11. Houston Astros 11 43 2 7 12 3 5 30 42 12. Indiana Pacers 12 14 60 4 15 4 30 15 38 13. Chicago White Sox 13 27 11 41 13 51 7 2 28 14. Denver Broncos 14 24 26 11 44 23 24 20 9 15. Dallas Mavericks 15 23 7 22 33 2 25 28 44 If you want to see the method to the madness, clcik here: http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sport...franchiseRanks I LOVE how Indy's teams are both in the Top 15!! Despite what some may have thought about the Colts, they were not going anywhere and thus ranked high in City loyalty (as did our Pacers too).>

Phoenix, Arizonia

Well, many of the forumers and myself dislike Phoenix with Passion... So I think, I should make a thread and say some nice things about Phoenix. I mean, Phoenix can't be all that bad. If there are any Phoenix forumers, post some of your city. I will start things off by putting some stats about Phoenix. Population 2004: 1,418,041. The population density was 1,074/km² (2,782/mi²). Phoenix is currently the sixth largest city in the U.S. The Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is currently the fourteenth largest MSA of the United States, 2004 estimate of 3,790,000. It ranks as the eighth fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S, growing 34 percent between 1990 and 2000. Well, Phoenix is the largest capital city by population in the U.S., and the third largest capital city by area in the U.S. (behind Juneau, AK and Oklahoma City, OK). The racial makeup of the city was 71.07% White, 5.10% African American, 2.02% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 16.40% from other races, and 3.28% from two or more races. 34.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any country origin. Sports Arizona Cardinals (football) Arizona Diamondbacks (Baseball) Phoenix Suns (Basketball) Phoenix Mercury (women's basketball) Phoenix Coyotes (Hockey, wow they play Hockey down there) Wow, Phoenix is on a grid The road system in Phoenix laid out in a traditional grid system, with most roads travelling either North-South or East-West. I-10 from Los Angeles travels from the west through downtown, and exits the metro area travelling to the southeast towards Tucson. I-17 begins in downtown Phoenix and travels north to Flagstaff. US 60 also travels through the heart of the city, going to the northwest through the suburbs of Glendale, Peoria, and Surprise. It also exits to the east of downtown, travelling through the suburbs of Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and Apache Junction, and beyond. State route Loop 101 is also a major highway that forms a semicircle around the northern suburbs of the city, starting from I-10 in the west and travelling around to I-10 (via state route Loop 202) in the southeast. Sister cities: Calgary (Alberta, Canada), Chengdu (China), Ennis (Ireland), Grenoble (Rhone-Alpes, France), Hermosillo (Sonora, Mexico), Himeji (Japan), Catania (Italy), Taipei (Taiwan). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix%2C_Arizona so lets go and say something good about Phoenix whether it is about the weather, the housing, etc...>

Decline of Center Point

Its Center Point in suburb of Northeast Birmingham, Alabama. After Bessemer, Fairfield, Midfield and most suburb of West Birmingham went downhill in 80's and 90's, its growing more crime, gangs and poverty. Most medium class went changed into low class neigborhood, abandoned of beautiful mansion. Center Point will going be same as like this, I can't see until 2010 about heavily demographic changed into overweightly black. I feel against about sprawl over other counties in South region. The white flight makes me into painful as never stopped. Does its happened to ur city? Decline of Beaumont, TX? other?>

Vacation stooges: Working for free

Half of the nation's workers forfeit vacation days; workers in Newark leave most days on table. May 25, 2005: 5:02 PM EDT NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Memorial Day usually makes for a nice long weekend, but when was the last time you took a real vacation? U.S. workers are in the midst of a self-imposed "vacation crisis," according to a report by Universal Orlando Resort released Wednesday. It comes as no surprise that a resort operator would promote the idea that people should take more vacation. Still, the news may strike a chord with employees struggling under the weight of career demands. About half of the nation's full-time workers didn't use all the vacation days they earned in the past year, forfeiting eight days each on average, or nearly half the days available to them, the resort operator said. Newark, N.J., tops the list of places where workers received and took the fewest vacation days, while workers in Sacramento, Calif., received and took the most days, the survey found. "Can you imagine your reaction if you were told in a job interview that you were expected to work eight days each year for free?" Tom Williams, CEO of the parent company of Universal Orlando Resort, said in a statement. "Yet that's what about half of the American work force is doing," he added. "Ultimately, though, it's not just about whether you're taking full advantage of your compensation and benefits. It's about whether you're taking full advantage of life," Williams noted. Universal Orlando Resort compiled its figures based on the number of vacation days people in the 51 largest metro areas earned on average, and what percentage of those people reported taking vacation days throughout the year, using data from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Source: http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/25/news...isis/index.htm>

Which US cities are becoming more dominant?

Which cities are becoming increasingly more dominant in their region, as well as in the nation?>

Linguistic Fascism in the US: Student Suspended for Speaking Spanish

Quote:> Originally Posted by Washington Post > Spanish At School Translates to Suspension By T.R. Reid Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 9, 2005; A03 KANSAS CITY, Kan., Dec. 8 -- Most of the time, 16-year-old Zach Rubio converses in clear, unaccented American teen-speak, a form of English in which the three most common words are "like," "whatever" and "totally." But Zach is also fluent in his dad's native language, Spanish -- and that's what got him suspended from school. "It was, like, totally not in the classroom," the high school junior said, recalling the infraction. "We were in the, like, hall or whatever, on restroom break. This kid I know, he's like, 'Me prestas un dolar?' ['Will you lend me a dollar?'] Well, he asked in Spanish; it just seemed natural to answer that way. So I'm like, 'No problema.' " But that conversation turned out to be a big problem for the staff at the Endeavor Alternative School, a small public high school in an ethnically mixed blue-collar neighborhood. A teacher who overheard the two boys sent Zach to the office, where Principal Jennifer Watts ordered him to call his father and leave the school. Watts, whom students describe as a disciplinarian, said she can't discuss the case. But in a written "discipline referral" explaining her decision to suspend Zach for 1 1/2 days, she noted: "This is not the first time we have [asked] Zach and others to not speak Spanish at school." Since then, the suspension of Zach Rubio has become the talk of the town in both English and Spanish newspapers and radio shows. The school district has officially rescinded his punishment and said that speaking a foreign language is not grounds for suspension. Meanwhile, the Rubio family has retained a lawyer, who says a civil rights lawsuit may be in the offing. The tension here surrounding that brief exchange in a high school hall reflects a broader national debate over the language Americans should speak amid a wave of Hispanic immigration. The National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group, says that 20 percent of the U.S. school-age population is Latino. For half of those Latino students, the native language is Spanish. Conflicts are bursting out nationwide over bilingual education, "English-only" laws, Spanish-language publications and advertising, and other linguistic collisions. Language concerns have been a key aspect of the growing political movement to reduce immigration. "There's a lot of backlash against the increasing Hispanic population," said D.C. school board member Victor A. Reinoso. "We've seen some of it in the D.C. schools. You see it in some cities, where people complain that their tax money shouldn't be used to print public notices in Spanish. And there have been cases where schools want to ban foreign languages." Some advocates of an English-only policy in U.S. schools say that it is particularly important for students from immigrant families to use the nation's dominant language. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) made that point this summer when he vetoed a bill authorizing various academic subjects to be tested in Spanish in the state's public schools. "As an immigrant," the Austrian-born governor said, "I know the importance of mastering English as quickly and as comprehensively as possible." Hispanic groups generally agree with that, but they emphasize the value of a multilingual citizenry. "A fully bilingual young man like Zach Rubio should be considered an asset to the community," said Janet Murguia, national president of La Raza. The influx of immigrants has reached every corner of the country -- even here in Kansas City, which is about as far as a U.S. town can be from a border. Along Southwest Boulevard, a main street through some of the older neighborhoods, there are blocks where almost every shop and restaurant has signs written in Spanish. "Most people, they don't care where you're from," said Zach's father, Lorenzo Rubio, a native of Veracruz, Mexico, who has lived in Kansas City for a quarter-century. "But sometimes, when they hear my accent, I get this, sort of, 'Why don't you go back home?' " Rubio, a U.S. citizen, credits U.S. immigration law for his decision to fight his son's suspension. "You can't just walk in and become a citizen," he said. "They make you take this government test. I studied for that test, and I learned that in America, they can't punish you unless you violate a written policy." Rubio said he remembered that lesson on Nov. 28, when he received a call from Endeavor Alternative saying his son had been suspended. "So I went to the principal and said, 'My son, he's not suspended for fighting, right? He's not suspended for disrespecting anyone. He's suspended for speaking Spanish in the hall?' So I asked her to show me the written policy about that. But they didn't have" one. Rubio then called the superintendent of the Turner Unified School District, which operates the school. The district immediately rescinded Zach's suspension, local media reported. The superintendent did not respond to several requests to comment for this article. Since then, the issue of speaking Spanish in the hall has not been raised at the school, Zach said. "I know it would be, like, disruptive if I answered in Spanish in the classroom. I totally don't do that. But outside of class now, the teachers are like, 'Whatever.' " For Zach's father, and for the Hispanic organizations that have expressed concern, the suspension is not a closed case. "Obviously they've violated his civil rights," said Chuck Chionuma, a lawyer in Kansas City, Mo., who is representing the Rubio family. "We're studying what form of legal redress will correct the situation." Said Rubio: "I'm mainly doing this for other Mexican families, where the legal status is kind of shaky and they are afraid to speak up. Punished for speaking Spanish? Somebody has to stand up and say: This is wrong." © 2005 The Washington Post Company> >UN-F*CKING BELIEVABLE!!!>

What does it take to reposition a US city, + or -

What does it take to totally reposition the importance and status of a US city, either positive or negative? How does a city recreate itself, either positively or negatively, to make it happen? What am I getting at? No matter what changes occur, New York remains the nation's largest and most powerful city. LA and Chicago alone continue to be the other two truly global city, based on size and importance. SF continues to charm and attract. DC's governmental role remains basically the same. The good things that happen in Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, and Seattle don't separate them from each other. Boston still relies on eduation to be the drive for the econmy. Detroit continues to lose population and deals with issues of decline (despite valiant and positive efforts within the city). Minneapolis inches up, but still is groped with midwestern Milw, Cleve, StL, Indy, etc. All small moves in relationship of cities to each other and to the nation at large. So what would it take to for a city to make a MAJOR move, upward or downward? I'm talking about places like Las Vegas that used its unique gaming economy to reinvent itself into a major player in offering the trappings of the American good life. Or perhaps Orlando, where a mouse transformed a city. Or even Miami increasingly cashing in on its role as link between US and Latin America. I don't believe steady growth in a variety of categories will change positoning, but I believe finding that one special thing that redefines a city very well might. What I'm saying is that steady growth in a city like Atlanta in convention business and air travel or even Coca Cola will not move Atlanta away from the pack. Something like I described above for Vegas, Orlando, Miami could. In the next 10 to 40 years, can you see any city repositioning itself...and what would be the significant positive or negative factor that might make it happen?>

What is Unique about your city?

For NYC: Skyscapers Greasy food Statue of Liberty Media Powerhouse Site of one of the worst terrorist attacks the world as seen>

Financial Markets Will Show Growth in 2006 as U.S. Economy's Expansion Continues

Press Release Source: Mesirow Financial Financial Markets Will Show Growth in 2006 as U.S. Economy's Expansion Continues - Forecast Mesirow Financial Chief Economist and Panel of Investment Experts at Second Annual Outlook Event Wednesday December 14, 1:54 pm ET CHICAGO, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. economy's expansion will continue in 2006 and financial markets will show significant further gains, led by strength in equities, hedge funds and private equity, it was forecast today at the Second Annual Outlook Event hosted by Mesirow Financial, a Chicago-based diversified financial services firm. With Chief Economist Diane Swonk leading off, Mesirow Financial's Second Annual Outlook event was attended by nearly 500 clients and reporters at the Westin River North Hotel. The firm's Chairman and CEO, James C. Tyree, moderated the event which also featured market outlooks in the areas of equities, fixed income, hedge funds, private equity, currency, real estate and insurance. -- U.S. Economy (forecast by Diane Swonk, chief economist, Mesirow Financial) "The economy's current expansion turned 4 years old in November, and if recent expansions serve as any guide, it still has a long way to go. Real GDP growth is expected to slacken over the year, ending at 3.4%. The CPI is expected to rise in the first half of the year and then abate as oil prices stabilize and growth slows, ending 2006 at 2.3%. Corporate profit growth will remain in double-digit territory; I expect it to be at 15.5% at year end." Swonk's complete forecast for 2006 can be found in the December edition of her newsletter, Themes on the Economy, found at http://www.mesirowfinancial.com/pdfs...hemes_1205.pdf . -- Equities (forecast by Michael Crowe, senior managing director, Equity Management) "We are forecasting a 10% year-over-year increase in earnings per share and a slight multiple expansion of the S&P 500 for a total of 15% return in 2006. Large caps will outperform small caps and growth stocks will outperform value for the first time in a number of years. Merger and acquisition activity will remain strong and favorable tax treatment will continue to support stock buybacks and dividend initiation and increases." -- Fixed Income (forecast by Steven Luetger, senior managing director, Fixed Income Management) "Volatility in the bond market will increase significantly. We expect the Fed Funds rate to reach 4.75% during the year and end at 4.25%. The 10-year Treasury will end the year at 4.75% and the 30-year will end at 5.25%. Corporate spreads will be range- bound +/- 20 basis points and mortgage spreads will be range-bound +/- 30 basis points. Overall total return for the bond market in 2006 will be in the 3% to 4% range." -- Hedge Funds (forecast by Stephen Vogt, senior managing director, Advanced Strategies) "We are forecasting 9% to 11% returns in hedged equity strategies for 2006, once again dominating returns. There will be select opportunities in hedged credit strategies as some large issuers will default. Multi-strategy portfolios of hedge funds will again show returns in the 7% to 9% range." -- Private Equity (forecast by Marc Sacks, senior managing director, Private Equity) "We do not expect a rebound in the U.S. IPO market for private equity-backed companies. Acquisitions by strategic buyers, or other financial buyers, will continue to be the main exit path for private equity investors seeking liquidity in 2006 for their portfolio companies. Assuming that strong corporate earnings growth and low-cost acquisition debt persist, we expect buyout deal volume to match, or exceed, the estimated $175 billion completed in 2005. We are forecasting $24 billion of new venture capital investment during 2006, representing only a slight increase (perhaps 10%) over 2005 investment levels. We do not anticipate the buyout industry to repeat the estimated $70 billion surge of distributions to investors generated during 2005, but expect that strategic buyers will renew M&A activity during 2006. The coming year will show a moderate decline in new fundraising from the estimated $115 billion raised during 2005 as many of the industry's largest private equity firms have completed their fundraising and will not return to the market until 2008 or beyond." -- Currency (forecast by Gary Klopfenstein, senior managing director, Currency Management) "The currency market in 2006 will be driven by opposing forces. China is moving toward a more flexible exchange rate and the U.S. is fighting the huge twin deficits of budget and trade. These factors are pulling hard to move the U.S. dollar lower -- a 10% to 15% revaluation lower is possible, particularly compared to Asian currencies. At the same, time the European Union is experiencing discord and stagnation and U.S. interest rates continue to rise, pushing the dollar higher. I expect that the euro will reach 1.3 and the dollar against the yen will be 112 during the year." -- Real Estate (forecast by Richard Stein, senior managing director, Real Estate) "Interest rates continue to be a fear for real estate investors. If interest rate increases ramp up too quickly it could negatively impact the real estate market, leading to a correction in cap rates which could result in falling property values. While concern over a nationwide housing bubble continues, we believe that all indications show the housing market is in a state of equilibrium. Despite rising vacancy rates in downtown Chicago, currently hovering around 20%, new office space is in demand by large users. In the next eight months, almost 1.3 million square feet of new space will be added to the market with three more buildings coming on-line in the next several years. Tenants for these new buildings are leaving other downtown office buildings which will perpetuate ongoing high vacancy rates and a tenant-friendly market through 2007." -- Insurance (forecast by Brian Diedrich, senior managing director, Insurance Services) "In the property and casualty market we will continue to see the impacts of the devastating hurricane season. Premiums for commercial property coverage are expected to rise as much as 20% in some areas. We expect premiums in the Midwest to stay relatively flat with modest increases up to 10%. Healthcare costs will continue to rise, with premiums increasing 8% to 15% for mid-size employers. In the homeowners area, I anticipate premiums in the Gulf region to rise 20% to 30% or more with deductibles also increasing as high as 10%.">

Around Tennessee

Around Tennessee http://www.drivehq.com/file/Show.asp...=0&refID=27481 >

SanFrancisco

a beatiful city http://www.drivehq.com/file/ShowFold...=0&refID=27481 >

US cities: pushing the accelerator

We'd all like to think our city is heading in the right direction, pushing hard to make itself better. On the board, we often compare cities, but we don't always have a good tool to compare how they are changing, growing. In essence, how each is pushing the accelerator. So let's give ourselves the opportunity to do that right now. It's really very simple. We track a city's speed of development, acquisition of future oriented economy, quality of life issues, and exciting urbanization using the following accelerator model (which maxes out at 100): 0 (at a standstill)_______50 (average growth)_______100 (Look out:full speed ahead!!) positive growth should be measured by city's size and importance, comparing where it was, with where it is, and most importantly where it is going. In essence, the city's acelerator number is generated by looking at the city and seeing what is happening there. the comparison comes with other cities afterwords. Thus smaller Atlanta could get a higher rate than larger New York if you preceive Atlanta is moving forward based on its current size and status faster than New York is. Using the above: 1. take any city (cities) you choose 2. give them an accelerator number 3. explain why you think it deserves that number for its rate of positive growth/change So you decide the number: 58, 36, 74, 91, 8, 17, 44....whatever!>

candy cane lane

im not sure if this subject has come up but i know each area has their own candy cane lane, i remember one in california in possibly altadena, east of la cresenta and north of pasadena, and it was pretty cool, there is one i just discovered in a vital source a milwaukee magazine, its in west allis (old burb of milwaukee) between 92nd and 96th and oklahoma and montana, its allright, its got a santa and snowman dudes dressed up and there were loads of cars checking it out yesterday, including some weird red bus, i forgot the name of the red bus, but im wondering if anyone knows if there is an original candy cane lane and if anyone can post photos of their candy cane lane, i am still waiting to get a new computer so it will be still a bit before i can post photos,>

Which major US city has the least "bad/ghetto" neighborhoods?

Which one?>

How imp. is concept of DC to concept of US?

The new United States decided on a unique decision for its capital city. Rather than keep it in an existing location, like the way New York and Philadelphia served the government, a planned city, dedicated to the new government and the new nation became the choice. How important a decison was this for the new nation...and the nation it became? How much of a factor was the development of the monumental (perhaps imperial) city of Washington to the growth and development of the US? This question goes far beyhond just government,m but the symbolic effect this city has for our nation. From a power perspective, in many ways DC was a backwater and did not play a major role until the Depression and WWII. But symbolically it was always there. How much did it matter that Washington was planned for government and became the reflection of American nationhood?>

README: ALL MEMBERS READ BEFORE POSTING

In recent weeks, the persistent creation of threads which are plainly not within the intended scope of this subforum have become problematic. Thus, this message exists to apprise members of exactly what should be posted here, and what shouldn't be. As folks can see in this forum's reworded descriptor, the United States Urban Issues forum is specifically and exclusively for threads to discuss and/or post pictures of highrises, urbanity, architecture or other topics which are directly related to the built environment of US cities. (transit, environment, population growth and so on) If a thread that you would like to create isn't specifically and directly discussing a portion of this range of topics, then it should be posted elsewhere. The alternative is most likely the NASF Skybar. Additionally, members should bear in mind that on-target threads which are discussing an inherently local or regional issue should go in the proper regional or metro forum, not the US Urban Issues forum... In an effort to clean this forum up and get it back on target, many threads have been moved and/or deleted. Moved threads have a redirect. Deleted threads are just plain gone. Additionally, it has also come to our attention that many threads are being created which serve no purpose, as they possess no real content, and basically do nothing but consume space... Examples would be... What's cities in US are the most safest? What's cities in US that have higher utilities bills? top 3 banks in US? Inside each thread, there was nothing but the question repeated... The thread's creator didn't post any of his own commentary, or say anything even remotely informative. And it's obvious that the topics have absolutely nothing to do with the topic that this site exists for (skyscraper cities!). Frankly, these threads aren't even worth discussing, since in most cases the factual answer can be found via a web search in about 30 seconds... We strongly discourage the creation of such threads, unless there is sufficient content provided to spur meaningful discussion. Forumers should take note that from here on out, we expect threads to be created in their appropriate forum, and to contain actual content. Objectionable threads may be moved, but will most likely be deleted. Members who persist on misposting threads, or creating threads which are effectively useless may face disciplinary action. And lastly, it is important to note that nothing has actually changed, except the level of accountability that members will be held to. If you're not one of the people causing the problem, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about.>

The US Economy Thread - Projects and News

I decided to start this thread to create a collection of stories on news about the US economy as well as more local stories on new plants, expansions, hirings as well as layoffs. Since the national media tends to mostly give stories on layoffs and other bad news but rarely reports news on local hirings, etc., I thought this might be a good place to collect a variety of articles to give a more balanced perspective. Feel free to add your own articles and news. A few of the ones I've going to add immediately here aren't totally new news, but I haven't seen them anywhere so I doubt most people have heard about them. So here goes. This first one is BIG!! http://www.railjobs.com/railroadjobnews/news2.html The Indianapolis Star July 04, 2004. Railroad companies anticipate hiring boom Jul. 4--Marcos Zavala drives a screeching locomotive up and down a track in Downtown Indianapolis by flipping a few switches on a black remote control box hanging from his dirt-clad overalls. Zavala, 56, has worked on railroads since 1980, from the Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. in Texas to The Indiana Rail Road Co., where he's worked for 16 years. In about six years, he'll build his last freight train. That's when Zavala will be eligible for full retirement after 30 years in the industry. He is one of the thousands of aging baby boomers who are expected to retire from the railroad industry in the next few years -- which means more vacancies to fill. U.S. railroads expect to hire 80,000 workers nationwide over the next six years, according to the Association of American Railroads. At the end of 2003, they employed 221,000. Two other reasons account for the projected job spurt: an improving economy and an increase in business. Industry officials say this growth dispels myths that the rail freight industry is dying. "They think we're an age-old dinosaur," said Sue Ferverda, vice president of human resources at The Indiana Rail Road Co., based in Indianapolis. "Working in the industry, I know that railroads will be moving more and more products over the next 20 years. It is a very exciting time." Tom White, spokesman for the association, said intermodal freight has been booming. Rail intermodal service moves truck trailers or containers by rail and another type of transportation. These containers transport lots of consumer goods, from toys to bottled water. Intermodal traffic surged from 3 million units in 1980 to more than 10 million this year, White said. The industry is almost up 9 percent compared to last year, he said. Railroad companies nationwide have seen greater customer demand, as well. For Canadian Pacific Railway, which operates about 90 route miles between Terre Haute and Bedford, a rise in grain traffic and freight traveling to and from China are driving demand, said Laura Baenan, communications manager for the company's Midwest region. Railroads are also taking some business from the trucking industry, said Tony Hatch, an independent transportation analyst. It's cheaper to use railroads for longer-haul freight compared to trucks. As business rises, officials also expect retirements to accelerate, in part thanks to a 2002 change in the federally operated railroad retirement program. The change in the Railroad Retirement Act lowered the age that workers with 30 years of experience can receive full benefits from 62 to 60. "More workers (are) leaving at a time when demand is at an all-time high," Hatch said. Now, railroad companies are anticipating hiring more field personnel. CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Corp. project thousands of hirings in upcoming years. These railroad companies are the main freight train companies running in Indiana, operating more than 3,000 miles of track in the state -- about 91 percent of Indiana's route miles. Florida-based CSX estimates it will hire nearly 4,500 workers through 2005, while Virginia-based Norfolk Southern expects to hire about 2,000 people a year over five years. Company officials said they do not know how many people might be hired in Indiana. The Indiana Rail Road Co. operates about 140 miles of rail in the state with 99 workers. Ferverda plans to create six new railroad operating positions within six months. That's positive news for recent hires like Billy Alumbaugh. He's training to be a train operator. "It looks good for the future of new employees like me," said Alumbaugh, 36. "It looks good for the future of railroad business." He's spending three months in training and said every day is different -- he may end up working on a coal train, riding a locomotive as a third man, or switching cars at the company's Palestine yard. Indiana fares well in the freight business. As of 2002, Indiana was ranked ninth in the nation for the number of total rail miles running through the state -- with 4,623 miles, according to the Association of American Railroads. The No. 1 state, Texas, had 10,347 rail miles. Historically, railroad employment has been on the decline. Railroad employment peaked in 1944 with 1.7 million workers. The railroad industry went through a 20-year period of no significant hiring, White said. "Technology allowed the railroads to eliminate a lot of jobs to improve efficiency," he said. The number of Class I employees decreased by about 50 percent from 1980 to 1990. These include employees working in line-haul freight railroads that earn an annual operating revenue of $272 million, as determined by the federal government. Even with the projected thousands of new workers, though, the number of total railroad workers will continue to decrease, according to a June report by the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. "What it will boil down to (is) 110,000 will leave, 80,000 will replace them," said Jim Metlicka, public affairs specialist for the board. Despite such declines, railroads are searching for new talent. AMDG Inc., an Atlanta-based recruiting and training company, will hold a testing and interview session for CSX in Indianapolis on July 15. The test costs $25. Individuals who are hired through AMDG will complete three training phases: five weeks of classroom training, one week in a controlled environment and 12 weeks of on-the-job training. Norfolk Southern held hiring sessions in at least four Indiana cities in June as part of its multicity search for workers. More than 25 railroad hopefuls strolled into the Best Western hotel lobby in Lafayette, eager to see their future as a conductor trainee. Rudy Husband, Norfolk Southern's director of public relations, said the company looks for employees with good attitudes and experience. "We want to make sure that the people we hire understand the need to be safe, not reckless in their duties," Husband said. "Any experience in heavy machinery setting is helpful." Industry officials say train engineers -- conductors and locomotive engineers -- are the most in demand. Conductors earn an annual average salary of $67,128, according to the railroad association. Personnel who maintain locomotives and freight cars earn $48,853, while locomotive engineers earn an average of $75,162, peaking at $110,000.>