Hotline #164 - November 10, 2000

Last week's election does not change the fundamental pro-rail message we need to send to Congress (whose lame duck sessions begin November 13 and 14) and the White House -- continue working to reach a deal on the tax bill, and include the High Speed Rail Investment Act provisions. That's too important to put off for another year. [Of course, the defeat of Senate Finance Chairman Bill Roth means it likely would be much more difficult to get these provisions enacted next year.]

There were several rail-related ballot initiatives on November 7 -- here are some results:

California -- (Santa Clara County) Measure A providing a 30-year, half-cent sales tax for transit was approved by a 70-30 margin. The $6 billion in revenues will go toward extending BART from Fremont to San Jose, building two additional light-rail lines, and electrifying the Caltrain commuter line. Also, Alameda County Measure B (approved by an 81-19 margin) provides a half-cent sales tax generating $1.4 billion for highway, bicycle/pedestrian needs, and transit (including the county's share for BART to San Jose).

Florida -- (statewide) A constitutional amendment requiring the state to build a high-speed rail system was approved byt a 53-47 margin. If the amendment survives expected legal challenges, construction of a high-speed rail (or maglev or monorail) system linking the five largest urban areas, capable of at least 120 mph, must begin within three years.

Missouri -- (Kansas City) Question 1 was rejected by a 39-61 margin. It would have provided a 0.5-cent sales tax for 20 years for the local funding match for a cross-shaped, two-line light-rail system.

New Jersey -- (statewide) Public Question 1 was approved, amending the state constitution to put about $400 million per year of petroleum and auto sales taxes into the transportation trust fund over the next four years, to benefit highways and transit.

New York -- (statewide) An initiative to issue $3.8 billion in transportation funds was defeated by a 53-47 margin. Intercity passenger rail would have gotten just over 1% (a little over $40 million), but it would have been the first state bond issue in nearly 20 years with any intercity passenger rail money.

Texas -- (Austin area) Voters rejected by a 50.4-49.6 margin (just 1,851 votes) a plan by Capital Metro for a $919-million light-rail system. Metro has the option of reformulating the plan and coming back to voters in a year, but there are concerns that highway interests will see this week's defeat as an opportunity to divert some existing sales tax revenues from transit to roads, citing Austin's traffic problems. Meanwhile, other "transportation" bonds for road projects appeared to have been approved by area voters.

Utah -- (Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber counties) An additional quarter-cent-per-dollar sales tax for transit expansion was approved by a 55-45 margin. The revenues will support plans that include Ogden-Salt Lake City commuter rail, light-rail extensions south to Draper and west to the airport, and more service on existing rail and bus lines.

Washington -- (statewide) Initiative 745 to divert 90% of the sales tax revenue now dedicated to local transit systems to highways was defeated, 58-42. This terrible proposal could have crippled local transit agencies and also quite likely the Pacific Northwest High Speed Rail Corridor. King County Proposition 1 to raise sales taxes was approved by a 53-47 margin. This was necessary to make up for lost transit revenues after last year's Initiative 695 reduced the motor vehicle excise tax that provided much transit and rail funding. Although I-695 was ruled unconstitutional earlier this fall, the state legislature voted to keep I-695's $30 registration fee cap.

Amtrak's first Acela Express high-speed train set will have its formal launching November 16. The train, carrying invited guests, will travel non-stop between invitation-only ceremonies at Washington, New York, and Boston. The train is expected to leave Washington about 10:00 am, and New York about 1:00 pm. It is expected to appear in displays and on selected Metroliner schedules until the first day of regular, revenue service, December 11.

A truck derailed an Amtrak train at Moorpark, Cal., on November 4, derailing three of the five cars. Twenty-eight passengers and one crew member received minor injuries. The truck driver was killed, and a truck passenger critically injured. The train was northbound Pacific Surfliner #773 bound from San Diego to Goleta. It was running cab-car forward, and the impact caused the cab car -- a new Surfliner car delivered just this year -- to overturn. The National Transportation Safety Board said it would investigate the accident partly to see how the cab car's reinforced collision posts performed. The crossing was on a private, rural farm road, protected by signs. One witness told the California Highway Patrol that the truck did not stop at a stop sign at the crossing.

Amtrak accepted the first of 85 new diesel locomotives at Chicago on November 2. The balance of the $200-million order of General Electric P-42 locomotives will be filled over the next 12 months. Amtrak already owns a number of P-42's, but the newest one is the first to have a paint scheme compatible with the new Amtrak logo introduced in July.

At the Southeast High Speed Rail Conference in Richmond November 9, a Canadian Pacific official described his company's program to put short-haul truck containers on the rails. Montreal-Toronto-Detroit service began in June, and CP is in talks with Amtrak and Norfolk Southern aimed at extending the service to Chicago on the back of Amtrak trains early next year. The equipment is to be tested at 100 mph next month at Pueblo, Colo.

Also at the conference, Norfolk Southern Senior General Counsel Wiley F. Mitchell, Jr. -- who is leading the NS team studying public investment in rail infrastructure as an alternative to widening the Interstate highway from Harrisburg, Pa., to Chattanooga, Tenn. -- said that since 1950, U.S. railroads have applied for and received permission to abandon 82,884 route miles, about twice the length of the Interstate highway system. Mitchell said public policy should mandate that rail be considered as an alternative to any major highway improvement. He said the freight rail network includes many places (such as on NS east of Asheville, N.C.), where circuitous rail routings are not competitive with modern, parallel highways. He said it will take public investment to create modern rail infrastructure in such places.