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Grassroots Pressure Gets Results
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.
Check out this video of the passage on the House floor.
—Malcolm Kenton
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: accomplishment, advocacy, grassroots, improvement, legislature, lobbying, passenger trains, rail plan, senate, victory, west virginia(2) Comments
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