Hotline #97 - July 30, 1999

It's looking more like the Senate transportation appropriations bill will get pushed into September, due to threats by Senators from New York and California to attach hundreds of amendments to it. Recess starts August 6. On July 26, the Senate voted to reinstate Rule XVI, meaning that legislative amendments to appropriations bills are subject to a point of order. This reverses a Republican ruling of a few years ago and might undermine Chairman Shelby's effort to shift some transit dollars from New York and California to other states. The Senate today did confirm Sylvia DeLeon to the Amtrak Board of Directors, which now has a full complement for the first time under the 1997 reform law.

Amtrak announced that, effective immediately (July 26), it would raise travel agent commissions to 8% for booking on most routes. The increase from 5% to 8% applies to all long-distance routes, the Midwest corridors, the Oklahoma and North Carolina trains, Amtrak trains serving Toronto and Montreal, both Vermont trains, and the Twilight Shoreliner. There is also a bonus program for ticket agents good through October 31 -- 12% and in some cases 16% commissions will result.

The Oregon legislature has approved an overdue state budget. It includes $10 million of the $14 million requested by the governor for the state passenger rail corridor. The main change this appears to mean from the original request is that the second Eugene train would use so-called Metroliner equipment rather than a new Talgo train. DOT officials said they hope to implement all the proposed new Thruway bus routes, and the target start date for expanded rail and bus service is July 2000.

The latest form of rage is air rage. Today's Wall Street Journal reports that Gordon Bethune, chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines, is seeking legislation to let the industry ban abusive passengers from all airlines for life. On July 22, a Continental gate agent suffered a broken neck after allegedly being thrown to the floor head-first by a passenger. The passenger's attorney tells a different story, but no one disagrees with Bethune's statement that unruly passengers are a growing problem.

Meanwhile, the Senate has passed a 60-day extension of the Airport Improvement Program, which may expire because Chairman Shuster is committed to a multi-year bill. Senator Hollings (D.-S.C.) is said to be open to Shuster's ideas to the extent of linking aviation spending with aviation tax revenues.

In Dade County, Fla., a penny sales tax for transit vote failed by a 2-1 margin. The tax would have been used to improve mass transit dramatically, building several new rail lines, and to eliminate tolls on area highways.

Deutsche Bahn, the German railway company, yesterday launched a luxury high-speed super-train that runs non-stop between Cologne and Hamburg, knocking around 41 minutes off the 261-mile journey, for a 3:20 hour running time. Reuters said tickets on the so-called Metropolitan trains are $98. The service's marketing chief said he is looking to take between 10 and 20% of travelers away from the airlines.

City transportation officials in Greensboro, N.C., say restoration of the old railroad station downtown could begin this fall.