Hotline #80 - April 2, 1999

The Secretary of State in Illinois, Jesse White, reluctantly mailed a reinstated commercial truck-driving license to John Stokes, the driver indicted in the fatal March 15 derailment of the City of New Orleans. However, this week, White's office suspended it again after discovering a previously unnoticed speeding violation near Kankakee last June. Coupled with past moving violations, the newly discovered one allows the state to suspend Stokes' license for two more months, under federal law. The suspension begins June 1. Stokes has not yet been cited in the Amtrak derailment.

A bill that would raise gas tax revenues in Oklahoma to benefit passenger trains was killed late last week. Senate Joint Resolution 12 died in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee when that committee refused to consider the measure.

A Conrail freight train derailment east of Altoona on March 26 tied up that main line for about 20 hours, disrupting Amtrak service.

Ground was broken for an extension of Trinity Railway Express commuter service into Fort Worth, Tex., on March 27. An intermodal terminal is being built in downtown Fort Worth at 9th and Jones Sts. -- apparently reversing a plan to put it at the former T&P Terminal, which is being renovated. Amtrak has not announced whether it will leave the Santa Fe station for the new intermodal terminal. The new terminal reportedly would involve a walk of three or four blocks to reach the passenger platform, would require a longer back-up move for the Texas Eagle, and would reduce the number of tracks available to Amtrak at Fort Worth.

The Minnesota Transportation Commissioner, Elwyn Tinklenberg, and the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council chairman, Ted Mondale, on March 29 proposed creating a state fund dedicated to the development of major transit corridors statewide. It would be called the "Transit Mobility Fund," and would get 5% of the annual state motor vehicle excise tax dedicated to it starting in 2002. That's about $25 million a year. Light rail and commuter rail projects would be eligible for the funding, but the legislature would have to approve it.

A poll commissioned by the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad shows strong support across the state for passenger trains in selected routes, with more mixed response regarding how much government should invest. Routes from Milwaukee to Chicago, to Madison, and to Green Bay, and from Chicago to Madison, all got between 81% and 88% favorable responses. An Eau Claire-Minneapolis route got a 77% favorable response. On spending, 57% favored spending at least $100 million, with support dropping off for higher amounts. The highest support overall came from people under age 45 and independents and Democrats. People between 55 and 64 and Republican were less favorable. The Wisconsin & Southern has been talking to Amtrak about an express-oriented service from Chicago to Janesville and Madison, but the poll information should also be applicable to routes not involving that railroad.

The Washington State House Transportation Committee this week rejected funding for a second Seattle-Vancouver train -- even though the equipment is available and even though the Province of British Columbia is close to agreeing to many needed track improvements north of the international border, if the second train runs. The state Senate Transportation Committee will have a hearing of its own on April 5. Washington State NARP members should contact their state senators in favor of funding the second train.

Amtrak will restore Thruway bus service from New York Penn Station to Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports on April 5. On April 15, Amtrak will begin Thruway service from Temple to Killeen and Fort Hood, Tex., connecting with the Texas Eagle in both directions. On May 1, because of a bus company cutback, the Indianapolis-Davenport Thruway no longer will run west of Peoria.