NARP hits YouTube, hopes for the Sunset, omissions of a high-speed rail critic, transit cuts cripple Berlin, why more should be spent on transportation in a recession, and more.
NARP continues to expand its online presence. We have just released our first YouTube video. It is designed for those who are less familiar with NARP’s work, so please share it widely with friends, family, co-workers and other acquaintances. You can also use our convenient web form to share with us why you are invested in our cause and why others should be concerned about high-quality transportation choices.
Our friends at Trains for America echo the feeling among much of the rail advocacy community that Amtrak’s report on restoring service between New Orleans and Orlando leaves much to be desired. Of course, the final decision rests with Congress because Amtrak doesn’t have enough money to run the train. That’s why it’s important that Amtrak receives its full requested appropriation for Fiscal Year 2010, and then some.
Not only does the transportation and housing spending bill that passed the US House of Representatives on Thursday contain a boost for high-speed rail programs—more than the President sought—it also funds six rail transit projects, from Miami to Chicago to Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Honolulu. (Source: Congressional Quarterly)
A New York Times blog entry casts doubt on the greenhouse gas-reduction benefits of California’s high-speed rail project. The writer says that the heavy carbon-intensity of the line’s construction should be taken into account, but he doesn’t factor the construction of existing highways or airports into their carbon footprints and fails to consider the low-carbon lifestyles that rail would foster. Luckily, several astute readers have addressed these omissions in the comments.
A Michigan business blogger says her state’s share of Amtrak’s operating budget should be cut because of the sour economy. In reality, the recession argues for doing the exact opposite. The recession is a convenient excuse for curtailing all sorts of public investments. Transportation investments, particularly those that provide better, greener mobility options, create jobs and keep the economy moving. For the sake of consistency, the author should also call for diminished highway spending.
The airline industry continues to slide deeper into a financial hole, as revenues per passenger mile are declining by greater percentages each month. While the recession has contributed to a drop in demand for all longer-distance travel, rising fuel and labor prices are already forcing cost cuts and will continue to create trouble for airlines. Once the economy recovers, travelers will face greater headaches when flying, and the demand for better alternatives will intensify.
A spate of technical problems has forced dramatic service cuts on Berlin’s S-Bahn system of rapid surface-level trains. The consequences have been disastrous, but perhaps not as catastrophic as a similar mishap for a major US rail transit system, thanks to the redundancies inherent in the other rail transit offerings available to Berliners. If a city like New York were to cut 70% of subway service, the choking of roadways with cars, taxis and buses would be unimaginable.
LCL: Another free marketeer decries a rail expansion plan simply because, like virtually all transportation systems in the world, it will require government investment for both construction and operation; Secretary LaHood reiterates his foward-looking commitments, touts the recent high-speed rail pre-apps, and hones in on reducing vehicle miles driven as key to trimming transportation’s carbon footprint; A good rant on the many advantages of rail transit over rapid buses; A look inside Chairman Oberstar’s surface transportation plans; and How many reminders do we need that overdependence on cars is bad for us?
The auto subsidies roll on: GMAC, the financing arm of General Motors, is likely to get a $5.6 billion new capital injection from the US Treasury “in the form of preferred equity,” according to two unnamed sources. [Financial Times]
Columnist Dan Walters offers up reasons for his skepticism towards the viability of California’s planned new high-speed rail corridor. He shortsightedly limits his estimate of the line’s economic benefits to the direct construction and operation jobs created. The indirect boosts to the economies of the cities served by the route—as they are literally brought closer together—would be far greater than its direct impact on employment. The CAHSR Blog has a point-by-point rebuttal. Meanwhile, CAHSR’s list of backers is growing by the day.
Travel writer Rob Lovitt heralds recent expansions to the Amtrak network—including the Northeast Regional extension to Lynchburg and the addition of a Portland-Vancouver Cascades round trip—and the railroad’s second-highest yearly ridership total in its history, as signs that trains’ popularity is growing.
The Gulf States are set to spend over $100 billion on rail projects in the coming years—no, we’re not talking about Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida (though we wish we were!).
CQ’s transportation reporter Colby Itkowitz contrasts political attitudes towards transportation in the US with those in Germany, where highways and inter-city rail receive equivalent funding because the country’s leaders recognize that transportation is a “major basis of prosperity and quality of life.” It is up to the majority of Americans who know this to be true to press as hard as we can to translate our vision into better public policy. [Streetsblog DC]
Amtrak’s study of returning service to the North Coast Hiawatha route is generating anticipation along the line, as reflected in articles in the Bismarck Tribune and the Missoulian.
LCL: An Amtrak service milestone reminds residents of Port Huron, Michigan, of the train’s importance to the area’s economy and quality of life. *** Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood issues an ultimatum to the Florida legislature, saying the state will lose federal funds for a “shovel-ready” commuter rail line if it doesn’t pitch in its share. *** My hometown newspaper strongly endorses North Carolina’s bid for Recovery Act high-speed rail funds, calling the expansion of passenger rail capacity “a critical infrastructure investment.” *** The Idaho Statesmanexplains local rail advocates’ concerns—echoed by NARP and Sen. Michael Crapo (R-ID)—with Amtrak’s Pioneer restoration report. *** A slice of life at a typical stop on a long-distance train.
Many reasons cited for car ownership drop, a way to show that conventional intercity trains actually do make money, Schwarzenegger’s missteps, and more.
The number of cars owned by Americans dropped by 4 million in 2009, even given the less-than-ideal state of alternative transportation. The recession and the “cash for clunkers” program contributed to the trend, but weren’t the only factors. “Increased urbanization, gas prices, traffic and congestion, automobile saturation and even concerns regarding climate change” were also cited in an Earth Policy Institute report. The benefits of less driving will grow as intra- and intercity rail, in particular, become more attractive.
A privately-commissioned financial impact study finds that the proposed Northern Flyer train, which would connect Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer with the Southwest Chief by running between Oklahoma City and Newton, Kansas, would generate $3.20 in regional economic benefit for every $1.00 of capital and operations cost. The train’s backers are taking the laudable approach of quantifying all its external benefits in dollar terms and adding them to the overall calculus, producing a much truer reflection of its economic impact than a mere comparison of revenue from passenger fares to both capital and operating costs.
An air-travel-weary young guest newspaper columnist from Eugene, Oregon, tries taking the train to Colorado. “When I fly, I tend to lose things: my bags, my wallet, my temper, my dignity, etc,” he writes. “Traveling with Amtrak is all about gains—friendships and experiences, mostly.” His trip would have been a lot more direct if the Pioneer was back in service.
If you were the governor of a state facing a record budget gap and a worsening transportation problem compounded by a booming population, would you be quick to recommend cutting gas taxes that pay for public transportation? Well, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to do just that [PDF]. Luckily, voters may get a chance to preserve transit funding in November.
Amtrak is offering 100 bonus points (the equivalent of frequent flier miles) to current Amtrak Guest Rewards (AGR) members who are Facebook “fans” of the railroad—and 750 bonus points to non-AGR members who join AGR. Go to Amtrak’s Facebook page and scroll down for the link.
LCL: CNN Tech shows how worldwide recognition of train’s lower environmental footprint is a key factor in the mode’s resurgence—particularly in China and Europe, but also in the US. * * * A new military complex in the Washington suburbs won’t be transit accessible—giving traffic planners headaches that could have been avoided with forethought. * * * A Yale history professor ponders how modernizing the US passenger rail network would enhance our global competitiveness.
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