RICHMOND, Va. – The federal government is chipping in nearly $30 million for 15 passenger rail projects across the country as Americans continue to drive less and take the train more, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said Tuesday.

Peters announced the funding Tuesday at the downtown Richmond Amtrak station, one of the sites that will benefit. The projects are aimed at boosting intercity rail capacity and on-time performance.

Also benefiting are two projects each in Vermont, Wisconsin and Illinois; and one each in Arizona, California, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Washington state.

Passenger rail projects receiving federal matching grants: $500,000 in federal matching grants are earmarked for Portland, Maine, area track improvements.

Peters also released new data showing that Americans, coping with high gasoline prices, drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in July 2008 than July 2007 – a 3.6 percent decline.