NARP Blog

Monday, August 24, 2009

The grassroots is continuing to get organized : in Florida to win Recovery Act funds for Tampa-to-Orlando high-speed rail (whose alignment and connectivity as currently planned leaves much to be desired), and in Michigan to save the state’s three Amtrak trains from state budget cuts.

Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) offers an accurate assessment of the predicament of transportation strategies for reducing pollution. It’s clear that the current gas tax-based funding model is ill-suited to the need, but very few lawmakers seem willing to consider anything different. Remember, though, that political will is a renewable resources, and it comes from all of us as active citizens. One sign that such political pressure can be brought to bear: the rapid growth of the Transportation for America coalition, in which NARP is a partner.

Excitement mounts in Idaho over the potential return of the Pioneer. Among those pressing for its revival: US Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID). Grassroots support for the train has always been strong in Idaho, a state not normally thought of as being home to public transportation riders.

Continuing signs of the unsustainable nature of short-haul air service in markets that could be served by high-speed rail. Relatedly, Southwest Airlines’ CEO has dropped his opposition to federal high-speed rail investment, saying he is not worried that better trains will ground short-haul flights. This doesn’t appear to be a very far-sighted outlook for an industry that needs to better prepare for the inevitable end of cheap oil, but with Congress beginning to formulate a fresh approach to the nation’s mobility needs, less voices in opposition to rail is certainly a good thing.

The Transport Politic assesses the composition of the Senate when it comes to support for funding transportation alternatives. Based on ten votes taken since January 2008, chances look good that future legislation funding rail and transit would attract 60 votes. The biggest obstacle, though, lies in bringing such bills to a vote in the first place by putting them on the agendas of the relevant committees.

Bloomberg’s US architecture critic hopes for the best from the poorly-planned projects to bring commuter trains into a deep underground station under 34th Street in Manhattan via new Hudson River tunnels (which received stimulus funding this week), while longing for Penn Station to return to its former grandeur. Along similar lines, our friends at the Midwest High-Speed Rail Association are discussing the importance of great stations to complement fast, frequent, modern trains. While one Midwestern city is looking to restore its downtown depot to a travel hub, another may have to let its grand station go.

Washington-based writer and blogger Ryan Avent offers an excellent rebuff to economist Ed Glaeser’s misinformed critique of rail development.

LCL: Washington State transit advocates herald the opening of the new Vancouver train; our paper urging restoration of the Gulf Coast Connector generates press coverage; the nation’s premier green building certification program is beginning to better incoorporate the fact that location (especially in relation to transportation services) matters at least as much as the resource-conserving design of the building itself; a significant progressive policy shift is afoot in Houston, and a major transit-oriented redevelopment plan takes shape in NARP’s backyard; “Mister Trains” concurs with our view on the use of recent federal money for trains; E: The Environmental Magazine‘s syndicated “Earth Talk” newspaper column touts train travel’s green bona fides; and despite overall drops in ridership nationally, more travelers are—as the slogan says—catching the Texas Eagle wave.

—Malcolm Kenton

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Friends of the Cardinal, a route support group composed of active train advocates (many of whom are NARP members) based in Charleston, West Virginia, issued the release below today. The story of the introduction and passage of Senate Bill 527 in the West Virginia legislature is a great model for grassroots advocacy—showing what we are all capable of, with a little time and energy, as citizens in a republic.

For Immediate Use, March 10, 2010:

By a vote of 97-0 the West Virginia House of Delegates passed a Bill which mandates that the West Virginia Rail Authority must “establish a state plan for transportation and local rail services.” The legislation requires that this plan meet the Federal requirements necessary to capture and administer Federal monies “for rail transportation, local rail services, and inter-modal facilities. . .” Further, the act allows the Authority to seek input from “freight and rail passenger associations.” The same Bill had already passed the WV Senate by a vote of 32-0 earlier in the session. The Bill now goes to the Governor Joe Manchin’s desk for his signature.

This legislation was developed in response to concerns expressed by many individuals about the lack of adequate planning for a passenger rail system for the state of West Virginia. The Friends of the Cardinal, a Charleston WV-based “Route Support Group” affiliated with the National Association of Railroad Passengers articulated these concerns to various members of the legislature. The National Association of Railroad Passengers is the largest citizen-based advocacy organization for train and rail transit passengers in the nation.

J. Charles Riecks, Chair of the Friends of the Cardinal, said: “I was very pleased with the overall positive response that passenger rail received in the West Virginia Legislature this year. Hopefully, this bill is just the beginning of a new day for transportation in the state of West Virginia.”

In speeches before several committees, and also on the floor of both legislative bodies, several members of the legislature spoke to the long overdue need for West Virginia to begin supporting a modern, customer-focused national passenger train network that provides a travel choice Americans want.

Friends of the Cardinal, particularly Riecks and Bonni McKewon, participated in the legislative process from start to finish, corresponding with nearly every legislator and calling upon other West Virginians to contact their Representative and Senator. As soon as Gov. Manchin signs the bill into law, the state Department of Transportation will begin work on the rail plan, an essential first step towards better train service in the state and a process in which NARP and Friends of the Cardinal will continue to be involved. With a strong plan and agreements with Amtrak, MARC and the host railroads in place, West Virgnia stands a much better chance of winning future federal funds to improve existing service and potentially to add new routes.

—Malcolm Kenton

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NARP blog

Flag Stops: Refilling the Coffers

Monday, August 24, 2009

Posted by Malcolm Kenton

Grassroots Pressure Gets Results

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Posted by Malcolm Kenton

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