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Deepwater Horizon, Energy, U.S. DOT and Trains
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Quoting again from the June 11 Philip Stephens column in Financial Times, “The reason the Deepwater Horizon rig is there is because the US consumes a quarter of world oil production even though it has only one-twentieth of the population.”
A major reason that the US has such high per capita energy consumption is our high reliance on automobiles and aviation. The world has an average of 107 motorcars per 1,000 inhabitants, but the U.S. has 765 cars per 1,000 people. That compares with 516 in Europe (15 nations), 188 in the Russian Federation, 14 in China and 11 in India.
Simply raising CAFÉ (miles per gallon) standards does not address the “external” energy costs of the automobile—including pedestrian-unfriendly development and widely-spaced buildings which themselves consume energy inefficiently.
In 2007 (the most recent figures available), automobiles averaged 28% more energy consumed per passenger-mile than Amtrak. Domestic airlines averaged 19% more than Amtrak. If the nation had invested adequately in passenger trains, Amtrak’s showing would have been even better.
Secretary LaHood deserves credit for the fact that the draft U.S. DOT Strategic Plan FY 2010-FY2015 [PDF] says most of the right things. Here are some quotes from the Executive Summary, starting with its first sentence: “President Barack Obama supports a transformative U.S. transportation policy that improves public health and safety, fosters livable communities, ensures that transportation assets are maintained in a state of good repair, supports the Nation’s long-term economic competitiveness, and works to achieve environmental sustainability…In addition to the sustainable development patterns associated with livable communities, DOT will also promote the substitution of carbon intensive travel on congested highways and airways for use of more energy efficient transportation systems, including rail, water, and pipelines where feasible.”
We need the White House to connect those dots more frequently!
—Ross Capon
Posted by NARP
Tags: consumption, deepwater horizon, energy policy, obama, oil dependence, oil disaster, oil spill, ray lahood, strategic plan, transportation, us dot,Szabo: Higher-speed Passenger and Freight Trains Can Coexist
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
A recent article in the Economist magazine discusses some freight railroads’ concerns that higher-speed passenger trains on their tracks would hamper their business. Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo—whose agency has proposed guidelines that railroads accepting public funds should meet regarding passenger service levels—wrote the following unpublished letter to Economist in response:
Your article “High-speed Railroading” (July 24) did an excellent job of articulating the many benefits of the American freight rail system, which is truly the best in the world. The Obama Administration has committed significant resources to maintaining and improving that system, through investments in crucial freight rail infrastructure like the recent TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant for the Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Rail project.
However, the assertion in the article that freight and passenger rail cannot successfully coexist is not supported by the facts. On the contrary, passenger and freight rail have been successfully sharing infrastructure since the beginning of railroading more than 150 years ago. With good modeling, planning and engineering, we can ensure capacity levels appropriate to the operating needs of both. That is why we are working closely with States and host freight railroads to reach operating agreements that define responsibilities, achieve balance between the private and public interests, and ensure optimal operations for both interests.
The Economist implies that these balanced agreements are unachievable, but through open dialogue and good-faith negotiations, the States and the freight railroads can finalize agreements that ensure strong service outcomes and allow both types of rail to prosper. In many cases, high-speed rail investments will add double and triple tracks, as well as new sidings and signal improvements, which over time will allow freight and high-speed passenger trains to coexist at the optimal speeds for each. This process will require hard work, but win-win agreements that grow passenger and freight rail service will bring the highest level of benefits to the nation by relieving highway congestion, improving air quality and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. That’s a win for every American citizen.
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: federal railroad administration, freight railroads, grant agreements, high-speed rail, infrastructure, public benefits, public funds, trains, transportation, us dot,Flag Stops: Getting At the True Cost
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Federal Railroad Administration released a summary of the applications received for the next round of high(er)-speed intercity passenger train funding—$8.5 billion requested by 25 states, with only $2.3 billion available. These applications drive home the error Congress is making in reducing next year’s funding figures for the high speed rail program. Former Rep. Al Swift and the American High Speed Rail Alliance share NARP’s sense of urgency that Congress must increase the available funding if we want a train network that will help us meet our mounting energy and mobility challenges. Fortunately, it’s not too late to make your voice heard—the full Senate has yet to finish its version of the 2011 transportation spending bill, and the measure will likely go to a conference committee once the Senate acts.
Other noteworthy stories:
—Malcolm Kenton
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: al swift, american high speed rail alliance, bridge over the valley, congress, gary friedly, high-speed rail, portland press herald, public transportation, save money, take action, transportation funding, us dot,Flag Stops: If you build it…
Monday, December 20, 2010
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Transportation chief strongly defends train investment. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood appeared on NPR’s Weekend Edition on Saturday (click for audio and transcript) to forcefully respond to growing criticism of the Obama Administration’s approach toward developing faster and more frequent train service in selected corridors through grants to states. He tells host Scott Simon that new Chicago-Dubuque and Chicago-Quad Cities lines should be seen as initial segments for service that will extend to the Twin Cities and Omaha, respectively. “If you build it, if you make it comfortable, if you make it so you can afford it, and get there in a timely way, I believe this is what Americans want,” the Secretary concludes.
LaHood followed the radio appearance with a guest column in Sunday’s Orlando Sentinel, arguing that “we can no longer rely exclusively on roads as a strategy for economic growth over the long term.” Americans in 50 years will see a national passenger train network as indespensible, LaHood posits, the way Interstate highways are currently viewed. He points to states where construction on upgraded track has begun or will begin next year, linking significant short-term service improvements to a longer-term vision for a “national high-speed rail network.”
The State of Virginia announced a landmark agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway to bring extended Amtrak Northeast Regional trains from Richmond directly into Norfolk via Petersburg, using the former Norfolk and Western line that currently hosts heavy container traffic the Port of Norfolk. Federal and state funds will be put to “speedy” work starting in 2011 to bring the track up to passenger-train standards, allowing for a 79-mph top speed. Look for more about this in this week’s Hotline News.
In other news from the Old Dominion, Gov. Bob McDonnell, trying to close the state’s budget gap, proposed eliminating the Virginia Rail Advisory Board. By giving all intercity and commuter rail stakeholders (including passenger advocacy groups) a forum for dialogue, the Advisory Board’s existence has played no small part in putting Virginia ahead of most states in terms of the development of its passenger train network (witness the smashing success of year-old Amtrak service between Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Washington, and Northeast Corridor points). NARP member Dan Peacock defends the Advisory Board in a letter to the editor of the Washington Post.
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The City of Birmingham, AL, is moving forward with an attractive design for a new intercity rail and bus depot to replace the current not-so-attractive facility located underneath the tracks. The modern, airy building, to be located on Morris Avenue between 16th and 19th Streets, will be able to accommodate two passenger trains at the platform simultaneously, as well as Greyhound and city buses, taxis, and a shuttle bus to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Birmingham currently sees only two daily Amtrak trains—the north- and southbound Crescent between New York and New Orleans—but should see more in the future.
Finally, a personal anecdote that illustrates the importance of having travel choices. My mother and I traveled from Washington DC this past weekend to visit three attractions in north-central New Jersey. Since the destinations were fairly spread-apart and one was not transit accessible, we rented a car (which also wound up being less expensive than a round-trip Amtrak ticket to Newark). The car worked well for touring places that aren’t located near passenger train routes (we returned via a scenic road that hugged the Delaware River), but had we taken the train to Newark and rented a car there, we would have saved about two hours of travel time and avoided paying for gas and rather hefty tolls. So, in the end, the train may have cost roughly the same or less than the rental car, even with the high Northeast Corridor fares.
A safe and joyous holiday season and best wishes for the new year from all of us at NARP!
—Malcolm Kenton
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: amtrak station, birmingham, bob mcdonnell, high-speed rail, interstate highways, norfolk southern, npr, orlando sentinel, passenger trains, rail advisory board, ray lahood, travel choices, us dot, virginia, weekend edition,Senate Passes 2012 Transportation Funding Levels; House Up Next
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Earlier today, the Senate passed a $108 billion transportation budget by a 69-30 vote that would protect most surface transportation programs from serious cuts. Passage of this “minibus”—a package of three appropriations bills—is the next step in setting funding for the rest of Fiscal 2012.
| Rail is replaced on Norfolk Southern’s portion of Amtrak’s Chicago-Detroit line. Photo from US DOT. |
It appears that the Senate’s Amtrak numbers are the best that we can get. It is important that they hold. However, there is a serious danger that House-Senate negotiations could result in a compromise that puts Amtrak below the Senate number even though that number is already very tight and likely to force layoffs and some deterioration of service, though not outright service cuts.
For Transportation Nation, Todd Zwillich writes, in “Senate Approves Austere Transpo Spending Bill; High Speed Rail Funding Plummets”, that a no-increase bill is actually a step back:
It funds most transportation, transit and highway programs at or near levels for the Fiscal year that ended Sept 30. But when factored for inflation, it amounts to cuts to many programs. That’s largely because of new spending caps in place after Republicans and Democrats agreed to cuts during the federal debt limit fight last summer.
…
One big loser: High speed rail. The Senate bill has a mere $100 million for President Obama’s high speed rail initiative. While $10 billion has already gone to the program through stimulus and other spending, Congress is getting set to essentially zero it out for 2012. House Republicans have shown no appetite to fund high-speed rail further.
Zwillich certainly has a point. As much as NARP appreciates the Senators who fought—and fought hard—to get the $100 million in high-speed rail funding into the bill, it’s a pittance compared to the government investment provided to other modes. What’s more, this vote came on the same day as the release of the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s new business plan that shows constructing the line would create one million new construction jobs.
And it’s not just high-speed rail. There are some victories in the rail portion of the bill, including $15 million in preliminary funding for the Gateway Project, which would build new rail tunnels under the Hudson River. But the $1.48 billion provided for Amtrak ($544 million for operations, $937 million for capital and debt service) barely allows Amtrak to maintain existing levels of service, much less prepare for surging ridership. Coming in a year when Amtrak broke records with 30.2 million passengers, it raises serious questions about whether the 112th Congress has a grasp on what needs to be done to prepare a foundation for American economic competitiveness in the 21st century.
—Ross Capon and Sean Jeans-Gail
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: 2012 appropriations, amtrak, high-speed rail grants, infrastructure, population growth, ridership growth, transportation funding, transportation nation, us dot,Transportation investment is inherently valuable; job creation is an important side benefit
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Hat tip: Streetsblog Capitol Hill
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is understandably fond of emphasizing the number of jobs that projects funded by his Department, particularly those under the High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail program, have created or will create. He reiterated this case in testimony before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee yesterday.
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| London’s Paddington station. Photo by dipfan on Flickr |
Given the persistently high national unemployment rate, touting job creation is an important way to win the support of Americans and the officials they elect. And it’s certainly true that the construction and replacement of railroad infrastructure and the operation of passenger train systems generates good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced.
But perhaps job creation should not be thought of as the number one reason to invest in transportation and infrastructure upgrades. Instead, the value to the economy and society inherent in the efficient, reliable movement of people and goods should be enough to justify a consistent, high level of investment in transportation. This is the conclusion reached by five former Secretaries of Transportation of both parties who participated in a panel last week at the University of Virginia.
President Ronald Reagan’s deputy transportation secretary James Burnley put it this way:
We need to convince the American people that we need to invest in transportation infrastructure because we need to invest in transportation infrastructure. If we sell that idea – not as a jobs program, but because it affects the ability of our economy to grow over time, our international competitiveness and all the other things that we believe it affects, then we’ve got a fighting shot at convincing the American people that the resources that we believe ought to be devoted to transportation should be devoted to it.
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: auto dependence, economics, job creation, mobility, transportation funding, transportation investment, us dot,©2010 National Association of Railroad Passengers | » NARP website
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