Hotline #128 - March 3, 2000

Amtrak released the first part of its "Network Growth Strategy," the first results to be released from the Market-Based Network Analysis that Amtrak has been working on for 18 months (and continues to work on), on February 28. For more detail on the Network Growth Strategy, please visit last week's hotline, as updated on February 28.

S.1144, with passenger rail "flexibility" for state use of federal transportation funds, may be on the Senate floor next week. Amendments to delete the passenger-rail provision are possible; urge your Senators to oppose them.

There is now a House counterpart to S.1900, the High Speed Rail Investment Act. H.R.3700 was introduced February 29 by Amo Houghton (R.-N.Y.). The lead co-sponsor is James Oberstar (D.-Minn.). Please ask your Representative to join the growing list of co-sponsors, or thank him/her for co-sponsoring. The other sponsors are Bachus (R.-Ala.), Boehlert (R.-N.Y.), Clement (D.-Tenn.), English (R.-Pa.), Jefferson (D.-La.), Lewis (D.-Ga.), Millender-McDonald (D.-Cal.), Rahall (D.-W.Va.), Blumenauer (D.-Ore.), Borski (D.-Pa.), Conyers (D.-Mich.), Filner (D.-Cal.), LaTourette (R.-Ohio), Matsui (D.-Cal.), Chris Smith (R.-N.J.), Costello (D.-Ill.), Frost (D.-Tex.), Thomas Barrett (D.-Wis.), Brown (D.-Ohio), Frank (D.-Mass.), Gilman (R.-N.Y.), Lampson (D.-Tex.), McNulty (D.-N.Y.), Romero-Barcelo (D.-P.R.), Sweeney (R.-N.Y.).

Meanwhile, these Senators became co-sponsors of S.1900--Edwards (D.-N.C.), Wyden (D.-Ore.), Durbin (D.-Ill.), Bryan (D.-Nev.).

The National Governors Association, at their winter meeting in Washington, on March 1 passed a resolution calling for funding passenger rail programs at fiscal 2001 at the total level authorized for Amtrak, $989 million. The White House on February 28 issued a statement supportive of Amtrak and the $989-million funding level.

House and Senate conferees have reached agreement on a long-stalled, three-year, $40-billion aviation reauthorization bill. A main sticking point has been House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bud Shuster's insistence that the $10 billion in federal aviation taxes be used only on airport construction, and that a certain amount of general funds be firewalled -- restricted only for aviation use -- each year. He did not get that, but Senate conferees agreed to guarantee that aviation spending would be at least what was collected in aviation taxes. But the process would still be subject to the annual appropriations process, contrary to Shuster's wishes. Still, it appears that aviation funding is set to rise from $10 billion this year to $12.7 billion next year.

Amtrak West Capitol Corridor service changes on February 27 included a 7th Sacramento-Oakland round-trip (mid-afternoon northbound, evening southbound), a 4th Oakland-San Jose round-trip (by extension of existing trains 723 and 724).

Two Thruway round-trips connect Redmond and Bend, Ore., to/from the Coast Starlight at Chemult since January 7. They run Sundays, Tuesdays, Fridays, morning and evening. A tri-weekly bus from Portland Union Station to Redmond, Bend, Burns, Ontario, and Boise started March 2 (this bus connects at Bend for Eugene and Coos Bay).

The Denver Regional Transportation District on February 16 voted to truncate the proposed Central Platte Valley light-rail spur by about 1000 feet, because it has not been able to reach agreement with railroad and development companies to go all the way to Union Station. The resulting 1.5-mile spur, to open in summer 2001, will still serve the new Broncos Stadium and Pepsi Center. The District will still leave open the later possibility of extension in to Union Station.

More delays, possibly into 2002, are in store for the proposed twice-daily Columbus-Cleveland passenger rail service, which is supposed to provide relief during the massive reconstruction of I-71. Ohio DOT had budgeted $32 million in capital improvements, but now CSX is demanding over $60 million. Some advocates in Ohio have expressed concern that CSX is gold-plating its request.

The San Francisco Muni F-Market streetcar line extension from Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf begins service March 4.

In a clear display of bad public policy, Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R.-Colo.) on February 24 introduced S.2090, a bill to end the 24-cent a gallon federal diesel fuel tax for a year or until prices return to their 1999 levels. Campbell, a former trucker, was responding to an earlier rally by independent truckers protesting higher prices. Others question how much of an emergency there really is, considering that the prices aren't that high when inflation is factored in, and considering that consumption has yet to decline. Still, the bill has the support of both the Republican and Democrat leaders in the Senate.