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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAmtrak System NORTHWEST SPORTS BUSINESS NATION/WORLD ART & LIFE COMICS & GAMES OPINION David Horsey Poll Results Forum COLUMNISTS GETAWAYS NEIGHBORS o1 D CITY OF LAUREL HOME // CLASSIFIEDS // NWSOURCE // FORUMS // MONEY // WEATHER // HOME DELIVERY End neglect of Amtrak system Tuesday, October 9, 2001 SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD In rushing emergency funding to the airline industry, President Bush and SEARCH Congress took an important first step in bolstering the nation's transportation system But that wasn't enough. Bush and Congress must immediately take the next step: Boost spending on the country's passenger son: (0- date r rank rail system. Query Help Browse by date At yjr very least, Amtrak proved its worth in the grim days after the AFFILIATES terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., by taking up the transportation slack. Amtrak's nationwide ridership was up an average of rjW5ouree 17 percent Sept. 12-17. And that does not count travelers whose canceled airline tickets were honored by the railroad. Meanwhile, ridership on Amtrak's long-distance routes grew by 35 percent. J In the hard-hit Northeast Corridor, Amtrak added 2,000 more seats a day to its trains. As of Sept. 18, Amtrak had hauled 237 extra carloads of mail digitalcity, while many airlines were grounded. Amtrak could have done more -- and the nation's transportation system ` would have been less vulnerable to disruption -- had Congress not Home Dell" chronically neglected rail funding over the past 30 years. During that time, Amtrak has received $27 billion in federal subsidies, less than $1 billion a She Pa's front Pane year, driving the rail line into a vicious cycle of ridership losses due to inadequate funding. While technological advances in rail vehicle design have produced trains capable of high-speed travel, continued failure to fund maintenance and improvements in the roadbed has bridled that high-speed capacity. Terrorist threats and temporary economic downturns notwithstanding, people will continue to move about the globe on airlines. There is, however, a greater role for passenger rail to play on many domestic routes. It's estimated that as many as 60 percent of the flights that congest the nation's airports are "commuter" routes, many of which could be served by high-speed rail. TI HEA Priority sl meth, not Buy Rus= materials Percolate trickle do, Letters to End neglr system Food star immigran Free suer casual r terrorism US, rest) sufficient Letters to SII P ail Any Wawa d to your into: PItoGo Top local, bi sports news Plmobile Latest head] Webanable PIdesktor Get the late: your deeldol I.aein Create or ec SeattleP-I.o http://seattiep-i.nwsource.com/opinion/41932_amtraked.shtmi 10/9/01 u .. ------ ---- - - - - - - - uI v In the long run, it makes perfect sense to bolster the airline industry with a short-term influx of tax dollars. It also makes perfect sense to recognize amid this national crisis the longstanding crisis in passenger rail. Congress should move quickly to bolster interim emergency funding for Amtrak and to approve $12 billion in bonds for high-speed rail development. As President Eisenhower argued in calling for the construction of a national highway system, domestic transportation is an issue of national security. That security has been weakened by Congress' repeated failure to adequately maintain and intelligently expand the nation's passenger rail system. u Printer-friendly version C__`7 E-mail this story HOME // SITE INDEX If ABOUTTHE P-I // CONTACT US // JOB OPENINGS // HOME DELIVERY 101 Elliott Ave. W. Seattle, WA 98119 (206) 448-8000 Send comments to newmediaCcbseattle-oixom ©1999-2001 Seattle Past-Intelligencer Terms of Service/Privacy Policy 4Rg;;;; MONTANA/WYOMING Association of Railroad Passengers DUES ARE NOW DUE FOR TIDE YEAR $24.00 TOP 10 VISITED Obituaries Local News Headlines Classifieds Discussion Board College Sports Updated News Police Blotter Court Records Letters MORE NETWORK -Agriculture -AP Headlines -A_P_News -Archives - - Re Courtl _Records - Educatign - Families of Lubbock -Lifestyles -Local News - National News - Obituaries - Photo Galleries - Religion -Science Wire (AP) . State News -stocks - Technology Wire (AP) _ - Updated News - Weather - Weather (AP) -World News BUSINESS: •AP Business Wire . Business 8 Industrial • Business Monthly A-J LOCAL NEWS POWER SEARC Click category name fc LOCAL > Regional > Education > State > National > Wor:c > Police > --oud advanced search, or u: below for quick search Previous, Story I Next Story ro Lubback0_ n_line Friday, September 28, 2001 web Last modified at 12:37 a.m. on Friday, September 28, 2001 r° Stocks © 2001- The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Classifieds Get an AJ. Subscribe I A_1 Sales Outlets I SEARCH Amtrak rail plans move full speed ahead ARCHIVES Previous Lubbock Onli By CHRIS VAN WAGENEN -- pages am stored in a A.J Business Editor eiample, the January: 1998 edition is archive The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce is expected to 119". 98. Archives be( announced today that it plans to form a coalition of cities aimed at bringing Amtrak rail service to the South Plains MISS A DAY? Michael Reeves, vice president of governmental affairs, Sun I Mom l Tues I w I Sat said the chamber intends to call on other communities Thurs l Fn situated along a proposed Dallas-to-Denver route, which is being referred to as the Caprock Chief. "We're going to start meeting with these communities to 1-806-744-48 build support for service to this region," he said. rigpaaR Reeves said the coalition will be loosely patterned after L Ports-to-Plains, whose member cities in four states support a 1,000-mile route that would connect Denver to the Mexican border through Lubbock. Reeves said the chamber has already conducted informal talks with officials in Abilene, Amarillo and Denver. Earlier this month, chamber officials met with Tim Geeslin, president of the Texas Association of Rail Passengers, who stated his commitment to the Caprock http://www.lubbockonLine.com/stories/092801/loc 092801067.shtml 10/1/01 tn ?FY7 }EII ///?) " /?-lubboek. I HOMEI - Business, Headlines Stocks OPINION: the chamber's board of directors voted to On Thursday -Columnists - Discussion FOrym , support a resolution to expand rail Amtrak service to -Editorials Lubbock. - Letters -Submit a Letter ENTERTAINMENT: voted to support the High Speed the board In addition AP Arts Wire • . , - -Around Town Rail Investment Act • Headlines . • LubbockMusic,com -Movie Times osed bill by lawmakers on Capitol Hill is The ro • TV Listi SPORTS: p p designed as a new funding source for rail service -AP.Sports S nationwide ports - College , . -Community . Sports - GolfServ -High School Next week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure • High, School Scores Committee is expected to introduce a $71 billion funding - Pro Sports -RedRaiders.com package that would allow states to build high-speed -SEC_Football passenger lines. MARKETPLACE: • Classifieds •n ifi d N i l-Cl Reeves said Amtrak is already entertaining the possibility • ass e s at ona e- of extending its service to Lubbock via one of two routes Sh pping Mall - hoping_ Subscriptions! - the Caprock Chief or the Texas Eagle, which will be rerouted through Midland/Odessa from the West Coast. MIYIV V_UI , _rvnYiU STUDENTS119Rf 1 ES In the meantime, Reeves said, Joy Spencer Smith, CLASS FIEIDS general manager of Amtrak's Southwestern Business SPECIAL 5€GTIONS Group, is expected to meet with the chamber Nov. 7. Chris Van Wagenen can be contacted at 766-8744 or cvwagenen@lubbockonline.com interAct I LubbockOnline.com 0 Back to Top a Send_this sto_ry_to a friend Convert ths_story_into a_printa_ble_format 0 Discuss this %tor ri our Discussion Forum O Send a letter to the Editor about this story This site, and all Its cpnt_ent0-2001 The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal • The Lubbock Avalanche-loumal - 806-762-8844 i Privacy_Statement i Email Addresses Newsroom Contacts I iNe_wspaper Links I Need_Help__with LubbockOnline The Press Club of Dallas 2000 - Katie winner for News-Related Websites - News Content http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/092801 /loc_092801067.shtml 10/1/01