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Rail Grants Are Answering People’s Demands
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
The following letter to the editor was published in the Washington Examiner:
Since passenger train improvements have enjoyed bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, we reject your suggestion that White House unveiling of passenger-train Recovery Act grants constitutes turning a deaf ear to the recent Massachusetts election.
Indeed, polls—and Amtrak’s rising ridership—show that Americans want more trains. Put “travelers” atop your list of “those who are quite pleased by the projects.”
The majority of dollars will go to upgrade existing trains, producing tangible service improvements within one or a few years. At the other end of the spectrum, our children may look back and thank those who pushed the California and Florida very-high-speed projects. Very high energy prices threaten the future of short-distance air service.
—Ross Capon
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: amtrak, congress, high-speed rail, obama, public, ridership, trains, upgrades, washington examiner, white house,Washington looking to expedite infrastructure projects
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Image: Metro
President Barack Obama has identified 14 infrastructure projects to be fast-tracked in a Presidential Memorandum, a move recommended by his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. As a result of this order, the permitting and environmental review processes under the supervision of federal authorities will be expedited, allowing these high-priority projects to begin construction and start employing Americans.
One of the projects the Obama Administration identified would extend Los Angeles Metro’s light rail system, bringing it closer to the Los Angeles International Airport.
The White House has this to say about the project:
The Crenshaw/LAX project will extend the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LA Metro) existing Green Line light rail nearer to the Los Angeles International Airport and connect it to the Expo Line light rail. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is providing additional targeted technical assistance to shorten the approval time for this project by several months. In addition FTA and LA Metro will pilot FTA’s new streamlined risk assessment approach for major transit projects to ensure risks and associated mitigation measures are identified and addressed promptly.
I was lucky enough to get a guided tour of Metro’s transit-rail system today as part of NARP’s Council of Representatives meeting taking place this week in Los Angeles. We rode along the Green Line while listening to Metro planners narrate their vision for Los Angeles’ transportation future. I even noticed a few commuters eavesdropping, leaning in to soak up the unexpected information being provided by these peripatetic lecturers. I certainly couldn’t blame them; the forethought displayed by these Metro employees was wonderful to listen to, and hinted at a Los Angeles no longer bound by highway gridlock.
What was clear, though, was that Metro wasn’t being dictated to by the Obama Administration. To the contrary, Los Angeles’ transportation officials had impressed upon the White House that they could do more than the current federal surface transportation authority allowed. This echoes other stories I’ve heard from transit planners, who chafe under a federal transportation framework that favors road-building over rail-laying. While not many cities have a mayor with the national profile on infrastructure that L.A.’s Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has, I can’t help but wonder how many transportation agencies across the U.S. are chafing for the opportunity to revitalize American cities.
Metro is confident that they can lead the way in showing how to build efficient transit, quickly. And now, we know Capitol Hill is paying attention.
Posted by NARP
Tags: american jobs act, los angeles, metro, obama, transit, white house,Join NARP and the White House this Wednesday to talk trains
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Ask senior officials about the U.S. DOT’s plan for passenger rail
UPDATE: The dial-in number has been changed to (866) 814-1933
On Wednesday, November 2nd at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, senior officials from both the White House and U.S. Department of Transportation are inviting NARP Members to participate in a conference call to discuss the transportation infrastructure elements in the American Jobs Act.
This should be a great opportunity for passenger train advocates to find out more about the what the Department of Transportation has in mind for intercity trains and high-speed rail, and how the Administration plans to bring world-class passenger rail to America.
Feel free to share this invitation with your network of passenger train advocates.
(This call is off the record and not for press purposes)
WHAT: White House Conference Call with Senior Administration Officials from US DOT and White House
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2nd
Start Time: 11:00 am EST
Dial In: (866) 830-5331 (866) 814-1933
Passcode Title: Transportation Elements of the American Jobs Act
Posted by NARP
Tags: american jobs act, infrastructure, transportation, usdot, white house,NARP members communicate passenger needs to White House officials
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
The call hosted by NARP and the White House today produced some very fruitful discussions about the direction of the passenger rail program in the U.S. Led by Deputy Federal Railroad Administrator Karen Rae, talks centered on what practical effects the President’s transportation infrastructure plan—part of his proposed American Jobs Act—would have on Amtrak and high-speed rail.
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| Los Angeles to *Jacksonville | Through SE Colorado? |
Rae explained that the President envisions the construction of 4,000 new miles of track, and would bring a $6 billion infusion in rail funds this year to enhance and expand current service levels. That $6 billion breaks down to $4 billion for competitive grants to states for high-speed and intercity upgrades (including equipment expansion), and $2 billion to Amtrak for state-of-good repair work (making sure existing Amtrak service can operate at optimal levels). That figure does not include $9 billion that would go to transit and commuter rail—systems that link with intercity rail to get passengers to their final destination. Rail is also eligible to compete for the $5 billion for “TIGER-like” projects.
The question & answer portion was as interesting as the presentation, if not more so. We got to hear the concerns from train passengers all over the country, and how they’d like passenger rail to develop in America in the coming years. Participants included:
- Aaron from Newton, Kansas, who was worried about the deterioration of track along the Newton-Albuquerque portion of the Chicago-Los Angeles Southwest Chief route*. At 70 years old, he explained how the Chief plays a vital role in ensuring his mobility as a senior in a rural community, and that he doesn’t know how’d get around if his town lost service.
- Penny from Baltimore explained how she needs trains to commute everyday to her job in Washington, D.C. She described how she engages in advocacy as part of her normal commute, explaining to other passengers the real danger of declining levels of service if Amtrak and commuter agencies aren’t properly supported by elected officials in Congress.
- Several people spoke of the need to restore Amtrak’s Sunset Limited service to the Gulf Coast region (between New Orleans and Florida). With a tourism industry hurt by the BP oil spill in the Gulf, these trains are incredibly important to getting American tourists to visit struggling coastal towns.
Posted by NARP
Tags: american jobs act, fra, karen rae, southwest chief, sunset limited, white house,©2010 National Association of Railroad Passengers | » NARP website
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