Appreciateion to the State of North Carolina, City of Charlotte, & Mecklenburg County

Resolution of Support to the State of California Regarding Construction of High Speed Rail

Whereas California must accommodate the transportation needs of more than 50 million people by 2030; and

Whereas high speed rail will provide the additional transportation capacity needed to meet these mobility needs at far lower cost than building new roads and runways; and

Whereas high speed trains have low environmental impact, high energy efficiency and operate on electricity, not oil; and

Whereas the California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA) and the State of California have initiated efforts to design, finance, build and operate the first true high-speed rail system in North America; and

Whereas the legislature of the State of California, with endorsement from the Governor and his administration, have enacted legislation placing the High Speed Rail Bond measure (Proposition #1) on the November 2008 ballot; and

Whereas the CAHSRA Board has adopted the required EIR/EIS completing work on a final alignment for the high-speed rail service, including potential regional improvements on the Altamont alignment, completing the preparatory work necessary for the November 2008 vote of the people of California, and

Whereas the vision and plans of the CAHSRA for high-speed rail will create a new, high quality form of transportation that will be integrated with virtually all existing transit and intercity rail services, as well as with major airports; and

Whereas the funds to construct this high-speed rail project will largely be spent domestically, employing national, state and local construction firms, creating state construction jobs, and permanent employment for train operations, management, maintenance and customer service; and

Whereas California’s initiative in high-speed rail will likely be replicated elsewhere in our country, placing California, once again, in a transportation leadership role; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED that the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) endorses the California high-speed rail ballot measure and urges Californians to support the high speed rail Proposition #1 on the November 2008 ballot; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution of Support be forwarded to the Chairman and the Executive Director of the CAHSRA, the Governor, the Secretary of the Business, Transportation & Housing Agency, the Director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the media in the State of California.

Adopted by the NARP Executive Committee, July 10, 2008.