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Updated June 12, 2009
PASSENGER TRAIN ADVOCATES HAVE A CHANCE TO SET THE NATIONAL GOALS OF OUT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
Transportation Committees in both the Senate and the House have come out with long-awaited bills containing guidelines for exactly what the next five-year federal transportation spending plan should accomplish. These two bills both set forth a series of goals that NARP strongly supports, including increased use of passenger and freight trains and reduced per capita highway vehicle miles traveled. There are two things you can do to make these proposals a reality:
- The Senate version of the bill sponsored by Senators John Rockefeller (D-WV) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), the Federal Surface Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009 (S.1036), sets forth strong goals including an “increase [in] the total usage of public transportation, intercity passenger rail services, and non-motorized transportation on an annual basis.” Highway lobbyists are already fighting the passage of this bill; urge your Senator to cosponsor this important piece of legislation!
- The House version of the bill sponsored by Representatives Russ Carnahan (D-MO), Rush Holt (D-NJ), and Jay Inslee (D-WA), the National Transportation Objectives Act of 2009 (H.R. 2724) sets the same goals, but goes further by including aggressive performance standards. Urge your Representative to cosponsor this important piece of legislation!
TAKE ACTION! Make your voice heard in Washington!
You can access your Members’ webpages by going to the Senate website and choose your state from the drop-down menu. The House website asks for your zipcode to be taken to your Representative’s page.
NARP’s toll-free Congressional Hotline is being updated with new members’ information and phone numbers and will be available soon. You can call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121.
A sample message is presented below.
Several NARP members have asked why we do not offer the “free email and fax service” that some other non-profit groups provide. Please read this article from the Washington Post that discusses these services’ ineffectiveness. Although it takes a bit more effort, making phone calls and going through Members’ websites (links we provide above) will ensure that your message is heard and documented.
Sample message to your Members of Congress
(Be sure to include your mailing address to prove that you are a constituent)
Dear Representative/Senator:
Now is the time for Congress to act to expand passenger trains as a travel choice for Americans. Transportation is responsible for 70% of U.S. oil consumption and despite recent, temporary, drop in gas prices, passenger train ridership remains strong. A balanced system with a well developed passenger train system is needed now more than ever. Some important goals the H.R. 2724/S. 1036 (pick two or three):
[Brackets denotes unique to House version]
Reduce per capita vehicle miles traveled [by 16 percent].
Increase walking, biking, and public transportation usage [by triple].
Reduce transportation-generated carbon dioxide level by 40 percent.
Reduce delay per capita [by 10 percent].
Increase proportion of freight transportation provided by railroad and intermodal services by 10 percent [House version: 20 percent].
[Achieve 0 percent population exposure to at-risk levels of air pollution.]
Improve public safety and lower congestion costs by reducing traffic crashes by 50 percent.
Increase share of major highways, regional transit fleets and facilities, and bicycling/pedestrian infrastructure in good state of repair condition by 20 percent.
Reduce average household combined housing plus transportation costs [by 25 percent], using 2000 as a base year.
[Increase by 50 percent the number of essential destinations (work and non-work) accessible within 30 minutes by public transportation or 15 minutes by walking, for low-income, senior, and disabled populations].
(Including a few lines about why a balanced transportation system is important in your life adds value to these letters, showing that they are not computer generated)
Thank you for considering my views.
Sincerely,
Things to keep in mind when writing your elected officials
A couple of pointers to maximize the effectiveness of your message:
- When writing elected officials, keep your message brief (one page or 4-5 E-mail paragraphs) and to the point (talk about only one issue at a time).
- While E-mail is convenient, many offices are overwhelmed with E-mail correspondence; especially spam. For optimum effectiveness, fax is the best way to communicate with your legislators. Don’t discount E-mail, but don’t be surprised if you do not receive a response. Send all U.S. Mail to district offices, not Washington, D.C. Anthrax/poison screening is still in effect.
- Refrain from insults! Anger accomplishes nothing
- If you choose to call, you will likely speak with the elected official’s legislative aid for transportation
- Offer to follow up a phone call with a fax or E-mail with more details
- Let the NARP office know if you receive a response with incorrect information and the NARP staff will contact them!
Informational Resources
NARP Pushes The Facts. Home of our “Amtrak Fact Check” and other resources you can use to get the truth out about Amtrak. Includes the 2006 Fact Check and a list of key Congressional offices.
Passenger Rail Funding & Statistics and other Advocacy Tools...data about specific services, ridership, and other benefits of rail travel.
If you aren’t already a member, please join NARP to further our cause!
If you are a member, please consider making a special donation to help our efforts!
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