Hotline #930 - May 17, 1996

The Senate is about to begin work on a 1997 budget resolution. On May 21, the Senate will vote without debate on several amendments including one from Senator Roth (R.-Del.) expressing the sense of the Senate that Amtrak should get a half cent of the gas tax. This does not actually give Amtrak the half cent, but approval could help lay the groundwork for half-cent bill S.1395. Rejection of the Roth amendment would be harmful. Co-sponsors include Baucus (D.-Mont.), Biden (D.-Del.), Dorgan (D.-N.Dak.), Exon (D.-Nebr.), and Snowe (R.-Me.).

The transit industry is working hard against this amendment and may be making progress with Amtrak friends Specter (R.-Pa.), Lautenberg (D.-N.J.), and Bradley (D.-N.J.). Remind all Senate transit supporters that S.1395 includes language protecting transit.

It is still important to contact House members -- particularly those on the Ways and Means Committee -- in support of the House half cent bill, H.R.2789.

The House approved its budget resolution this week. For 1997 and 1998, it would freeze Amtrak at the current appropriations level, with big cuts starting in 1999.

Republican Presidential Candidate Bob Dole resigned from his Senate seat on May 15. He had been the main force behind the stalled push to repeal the 4.3 cents of the federal gas tax last week. Now a new Senate Majority Leader will have to be elected. A leading contender is Trent Lott (R.-Miss.), who chairs the Surface Transportation Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee.

As a result, nothing new happened in the Senate this week regarding the gas-tax repeal or the Amtrak reauthorization bill, S.1318. It is still possible Amtrak will come up next week, which is the last week before Memorial Day recess.

In addition to the two Talgo train sets the State of Washington announced last week it would buy, Amtrak has signed a contract to buy a third set. All three will be used in the Pacific Northwest Corridor beginning in 1998.

Amtrak and the American Orient Express will form a new partnership to operate AOE's luxury train, taking advantage of Amtrak's existing operating and mechanical resources.

Amtrak service on the Pere Marquette line was interrupted on May 10 and 11 due to flooding and wash-outs on the CSX line south of St. Joseph, Mich.

DOT's next ISTEA regional forum is in Chicago on May 21.

The Federal Transit Administration has ordered a full safety review of Washington Metro, after a series of incidents during the winter and spring. The most recent was last week, when Arlington fire department and Metro officials had communications problems that made it difficult to respond to an electrical fire in a tunnel near Pentagon City station.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey late last week announced plans for a $1-billion, elevated, light-rail line from Kennedy Airport to the Jamaica Long Island Rail Road station. Mayor Giuliani properly criticized the plan, calling for a one-seat ride. Such an alternative could be built fairly simply by using the abandoned Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road.

Tomorrow is the first day of passenger service on the Cape May Seashore Lines in southern New Jersey. Initially, it will be a short shuttle service linking tourist attractions near Cape May, but someday it may connect to the Atlantic City line.

Officials in Oregon have said there are enough petition signatures to put a $750-million transportation measure on state ballots this fall. Half of the money would go to Portland light-rail expansion and the other half to road projects statewide.