Hotline #273 - December 13, 2002

House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Don Young (R.-Alaska) has a plan for the next highway/transit reauthorization -- a six-year bill with the gasoline tax increasing two cents a year (plus inflation indexing) for a likely total of 15 cents by the sixth year. By that time, he envisions a $60 billion a year highway program plus $12 billion for transit (which means a reduced transit share compared with today). As currently envisioned, there would be nothing for intercity passenger rail. Rail passenger supporters will be making the case that there should be, and that it is time for transportation leaders to take a more modern approach to transportation funding which emphasizes choices.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) voted to pursue raising the gas tax, at a December 6 meeting. A report from an APTA reauthorization study group calls for increasing the federal transit program to $14.3 billion by 2009. The amount in the 2003 transportation appropriations bill, which is in limbo, is $7.3 billion. This would be accomplished by a gas-tax increased to be proposed by APTA, all of which would go into the mass transit account. This would alter the "80/20" highway-transit split for such revenues that has been the case for 20 years (but preserve "zero" dollars from the Highway Trust Fund for intercity passenger rail).

American Road and Transportation Builders and National League of Cities have already called for a higher gas tax. It remains to be seen how a gasoline tax increase will mesh with the types of tax cuts the Bush Administration likely will push.

Amtrak's Pennsylvanian will be cut west of Pittsburgh with the January 27 timetable change, according news reports. The train will operate as a New York-Pittsburgh service, as it did before being converted to a Philadelphia-Chicago, express-oriented service in 1998.

The train was scheduled for the express, but the result was a passenger-unfriendly schedule with unattractive hours and lack of good connections at both endpoints. With express going away, Amtrak had three choices -- NARP's oft-stated first choice (repeated in an October 30 message to Amtrak), which is a New York-Chicago train on a schedule roughly opposite that of the Three Rivers (i.e., running overnight east of Pittsburgh); NARP's second choice, which is to return the train to a passenger-friendly New York-Pittsburgh pattern; or discontinuance. Amtrak has opted for the NARP's second choice. NARP this week asked Amtrak to consider extending the train to Cleveland or Toledo (where there space to store the train overnight).

Amtrak began using a new passenger facility at Kansas City Union Station on December 10. The space will be dedicated on December 17, 11:00 am. Public tours also will be offered then. Special honorees will be Carolyn and Pete McMasters, of the Missouri-Kansas Rail Passenger Coalition. They bought the last tickets sold by Amtrak at Union Station in 1985, and were on hand this week to get the first tickets issued in the new facility. They have volunteered more than 2,000 hours at Union Station since 1996.

Union Station was built in 1914 and its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak upon its creation in 1971. The building already was in decline and it essentially was closed in 1983, due to soaring heating costs and crumbling ceiling plaster. Amtrak operated from a "bubble" structure until the current facility (below Main St.) opened on December 1, 1985. Union Station sat vacant for a long period, until its resurrection as a science museum, which opened in November 1999.

However, an effort began to return Amtrak to the restored station, even before the museum opened. Former Amtrak President Tom Downs, who grew up in Kansas City (and once worked at Union Station) called the 1985 facility a "troll under the bridge" that was hard to find. But Amtrak's return to Union Station was hampered by the abandonment and destruction of the many passenger tracks and platforms. The 1985 facility sits just beyond the end of the old, elevated concourse, which survives and is part of the new museum complex. Much of the former track and platform space has been developed and cannot be reclaimed for rail use.

Therefore, a return by Amtrak to Union Station has involved rebuilding the platform area about where the 1985 platform was built, and the construction of a long, elevated, walkway along the old concourse structure to connect the platform with the main building. The walkway and platform areas are not enclosed, meaning exposure to the elements to passengers. Also, the walkway and platform are connected by stairs and one elevator -- no escalator -- which surely will hamper boarding and detraining procedures. Street entry will be through the majestic Grand Hall, with the Amtrak waiting and ticketing area in the former drugstore and soda fountain area (now next to Pierpont's Restaurant).

With the travel market continuing soft for all modes, Amtrak is continuing some discounts. A winter 25% discount is offered for booking January 7-February 15, for travel January 10-August 28 (except February 14-17 blackout). It must be booked at least three days prior to travel and is non-refundable, and not good on certain services (such as Acela Express, Metroliner, Downeaster).  Ask for discount code H259.

There is also a two-for-one discount, with the same dates and conditions as the discount discussed above. Ask for discount code H255.

Amtrak will restore checked baggage service to Tucson, Ariz., at least temporarily (through the holidays). Baggage for Tucson will be accepted on trains 1 (Sunset Limited) and 421 (Texas Eagle through-cars) through the origin date of January 7; on trains 2 and 422 through the origin date of January 8.

Key Holidays and Amtrak mark the 40th anniversary of the Reno Fun Train this winter. Two round-trips a week will operate January-March (one Fun Train and one Snow Train). Prices include two nights in a hotel in Reno, entertainment coupons in Reno, and entertainment on the train. Tickets are available only as part of a Reno package arranged through Key Holidays; consult their web site.

An upcoming edition of the Capital Region Roundtable television program will feature a discussion called "The Future of Passenger Rail." The program features NARP Executive Director Ross Capon and will be transmitted by the ResearchChannel on January 11 at 6:30 am, 11:30 am, 4:30 pm, 9:30 pm and January 12 at 1:30 am (all Eastern time). The ResearchChannel transmits programs by webcast, by satellite (channel 9400 on EchoStar's Dish500 Network), and by regular cable.

New York City Transit, the largest transit system in the U.S., moving over 7 million people a day, could be shut down by an illegal strike as early as 12:01 am Monday, unless agreement is reached in contract talks. It would be the first strike since April 1980. In the event of a strike, Metro North and Long Island commuter trains would provide more service to Bronx and Queens stations. The city has filed legal papers seeking massive fines from the unions if they strike, and $25,000 a day (doubled daily) from each striking worker. The state appealed for an injunction to block a strike. At a hearing this morning, a Brooklyn judge said his ruling could come as early as tonight. Any media outlet will have updates.

Commuter rail service should be extended from Kenosha to Racine and Milwaukee, according to the Transit Study Advisory Committee of the Southern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. The committee recommended commuter rail over other bus-rail or all-bus options. The capital cost would be $152 million, with $15 million in annual, net operating costs. There would be 4,100 weekday trips made. There will be public hearings in February.