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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMT Assn of Railroad Passengers (3)MONTANA ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS - MTARP DEDICATED TO: RETAINING, IMPROVING AND INCREASING RAIL PASSENGER SERVICE IN MONTANA APRIL 2008 2110 tVIN'GATEI.,,~EBFIJ. IN'G,g, MONTAN'A 59102 406-6.$2-1339 email - iimabifl~q~resnan, net Web site www. mtaro, om ItELENA MEETING 2/29 the meeting went fairly well consider/ng the ~roblems encountered before the meeting. We mci a good crowd of over 75 interested people. i~ae speakers we had w~re very infoimative and Io were a few others called upon to make :ommeuts. The speakers included: Hal Cooper m electrification of passenger Wains; G-il vlalory on the single self contained units being >uilt by the Colorado Railcar Co; Dereck James tbout Amtrak; Dick Turner f~om Mt DOT;. the ~erson from University of Montana who is in ?narge of the study being done there. Lyada Zrost of Montana Rail Link, Barbara Rauf of INSF; State Senator Dave Lewis; staffreps kern Tester, Baucus, and Rehberg office, a rep br Travel Montana, two reps from the ]overnors office were introduced and asked if hey had any comments, and a member of-All kboard Washington - the advocacy group t~om hat state. It was stated and we acknowledged hatwe had agreed fxom the start that we were tot seeking to replace the Empire Builder with ervice in the South. We stated that we have ~een trying to get groups in the cities served by t~e Empire Builder to improve the depots and he area around it including the platfoim for .oarding and de-boarding. W-HAT CAN YOU DO? We encourage each and everyone of you to get out and work for what we have got going for us. We need to have you send letters and email.to every member of Congress to encourage them to help solve some of the coun~3r's economic problems, transportation inequities, plus saving lives and by having better rail passenger service. That we need to have the ability to travel most anywhere in our great country by passenger rail service. Have you seen the TV commercial about the person sitling on a donkey talking about what should be done. Well the statement here is to "get off our ass's and do something". I stated that the members of Congress from Montana are on our side of the ledger. We need to encourage members of the House to get a bill similar to S294 through the House and sent to the President. It must pass by a large enough margin to have the capability of oveariding the President's veto. 2tds is only one project for you to do. The other is to encourage thc state politicians that they MUST allocate funds to gct this rolling. Both projects must be done before January. REGION 8 MEETING The meeting was held in Portland Oregonl Our organization was represented by _M/kc Acldey and Bar~ Green who kept a record of the meeting to inform the members of MARP. MARP ANNUAL MEETING 9/20/08 BILLINGS RIMROCK MALL - CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE AT 1PM. COPS SHOP. OUTSIDE DOOR. RAILROAD DAY NARP Celebrates Railroad Day by calling on Congress to invest in a balanced national transportation system. Washington, D.C. March 13, 2008-As the 2008 Raikoad Day opened on Capitol Hill, the National Assoc/ation of Railroad Passengers (NARP) renewed its call to Congress to invest in a comprehensive, multi-modal transportation system th~ includes passenger ffains: '2~tilroad Day provides an opportunity to emphasize that a variety of sectors rely on a strong and vital rail system, as well as to reiterate the inter connectivity between strong freight and passenger raft systems," said Ross Capon, executive director of NARP. NAP~P will bc visiting lVI~mbers of Congress as part of Railroad Day delegations to urge Congress to: * Enact the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act. 8.294, approved by th~ Senate on a 70-22 vote, contain.~ both Amtrak funding and a new federal/state partnership program for passenger train development that will help implement NARP's vision for the future of American wausportation. * Reject President Bush's inadequate 2009 budget proposal for passenger trains The Administration's funding proposal for Am'zak is a 40% cut from the prior year and according to Capon, "disi~gards Americans' concerns about rising gas prices, the environment, and hours of lost productivity due to highway and aviation congestion." * Include set-asides for passenger trains in climate :hange legisla!ion~ Despite data from Oak Ridge National Laboratovd indicating that Amlrak uses 21% [ess energy per passenger mile tha~ cars and 15% less ~han airplanes, passenger trains are given short shrift or ignored in both major climate chunge bills in the Senate. '~ Support lax c~edits for all railroads. These credils help 5nnnco capital improvements to increase the efficiency, ~0ced and reliability of rail networks for both passenger md freight trains. A thre~-year tax credit program for maaller (Class II and Iff) railroads expired December ~1, 2007. )il its 40th nnn/vers~ last year, NARP proposed a ,,rid-and-gateway networked train system that would ~onnoct cities and communities across America on rail ines already in existence or already planned, and would ~rovide for alternative service when emergencies such ~ this arise. Chat vision for America, and a map illustrating possible outes, can be found at www. nammil.org/_ vision. ~IARP's proposal also influenced the report released in annary by the National Surface Transportation Policy Md Revenue Study Commission (NSTPRSC). That report, "Transportation for Tomorrow," detailed legislative and financing rocommendatioBs to ensure sustained and balanced investment in various critical modes of~auspor~tion, including rail. Railroad Day on the Hill is an annual tradition sponsored by railroads, by businesses that rely on rail service, and by trade associations. The event is an opportunity to demoustrato to Congress why railroads and mil infrastmctore deserve Congressional support Ross Capon or Matt MeLzer (202) 408-8362 reanon@~lurmail, or~ diohnson~l,org COMIVIENTS BY B L T~nuy~o~. Reg ProfEngimmr Passenger' service is a ~ c~me~e r~ by ~e US Com~fion ~ ~e f~ gov~t ~ h not a state r~p~. ~ ~ 2~ m~ ~el ~ci~t ffa~ ~d 20% mo~ effici~t ~ ~ ~1. ~ of~ O~ ~ Nafi~ ~b~. c~es ~t ~ ~ ~ ~ w~e a c~ g~ (ff go~ ~ut 23 mil~ p~ ~on or 46 ~ p~ ~on for 2 people. ~ m~ of p~s~s b~ C~ ~d S~e ~ fide ~ ff~ ~ save 15 million ~llom of~el w~ to &e o~. It ~bly ~ ~st $120milli~ye~W ~ ~e ~ on &e so,em ro~, but pass~g~ ~o~d ~ ~ ~o~ $~0 milli~. Fuel sa~ ~o~d be ~ ~ ~ rest of ~ cost. S~ ~ ~o~ hsuc ~ ~ look ~ ~ ~ ~ Mon~. ~cs ~ gong b~ ~ ~ ~g ~ e~s~ on ~e ~a~. ~ ~ ~ h~e subsi~ a~. ~ ~c c~B~ ~ ~d ~ ~e fe~ ~t. · e ~i~ ~o~s f~ ~c c~l.~so~e ~ is us~ to $6? p~ ~s~ m ~ a c~ ~ ~insI W ~ ~. A200 ~e ~p ~ ~ ~ $g5, by~ $7g. ~ has ~y c~s ~g m be ~p~ ~ ~n~ss F~ ~ ~ woffid cost about $100 milli~ ~d ~o~ ~t ~t 40 ~ ur $2.5 milli~ p~ ye~. Fur s~, Iow ~ re~l~ low c~t ~avel it ~ we~ w~ it. From the MARP Pres/editor: The complete letter from Edson Tennyson, who is not a resident of Mentana, but has fatrJly here, was sent to Senator Ion Tesl~r with instruoiion to shea~ with Senator Baucus aud Congressman Rehberg. Mr Tennyson worked for Rail Sevden in V~s and re~sin~ interested in rail passenger service. I have forwarded the complete letter to the Montana DOT. The Montana DOT has sent me a letter that they have contra~t~d with a finn Cambridge Systemalics to do the study and is asu~cing help from our or~mizaiion which we will do, when we cmr Our sm'veys being performed by U of M will be given to DUES / CARDS Dues are $25 per year and we do not pro-rat~ the tmaoant. In other words if you join in Suly or at any other time it is $25. Thc fiscal yeur of the Montana Association of Railroad Passengers is September 1 through August 31 of each year. So for a dues stating 2008-2009 you must start paying Sept 1, 2008. That is why our annual meeting is in September which this year we will meet September 20 in Billings. We also will send out some complementary cards to some who support us in theft position. DUES/DUES CARDS We have created a dues card for you, so you can show that you belong to our organization and that you are active in advocating restoration of Passenger Raft service in Montana and in improving the existing Passenger Rail route in Northern Montana. We all need to spread the word about our organization and effort we have made in getting our goal to fulfillment. THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FLYER: CONNECTING THE DOTS OUT WEST In case you don't already know about us, we are Rails Inc, New Mexico passenger Rail action group. We are an all-volunteer 501-o-3 devoted to the return of Rail as our dominant mode of land ~amportafio~ Our primary strategy is to point out the many ways that Rail, in all its many forms, benefits the public; that Rail and Rail transit are in fact shrewd investments of the taxpayer's dollar (not a bloody subsidy). As part of our Five Point Program (see our Web site), we'd like to see the establishment of Amtrak Superliner service from E1 Paso to Shelby Montana, via Albuquerque, Dew/er, Cheyenne, etc. We're osIling it the "Rocky Mountain Flyer". We think this will require a united ~ffort on the part of the DOT's, Govemo~s, members of 2ongress and advocacy groups in the five states along he proposed route. The obvious benefit of the RMF a~ould be the linking tofi~her of Amtrak's four principal ~restem routes, thereby greatly improving passenger tall connectivity in North America. Other benefits of h/s service weald be numerous, and the e~es very · easonable ( and job-generating), especially for the long Some of Amtrak's most successful routes are those sponsored by one or more states. Further, we think that Amtrak could do a pretty good job if they ever once got enough money to do it right The rolling stock sitting around waiting for repair and rehab in their holding yards would more than enable what we propose, with enough left over to improve other routes. Passenger Rail is among the few products or services in America in which Supply is artificially restricted in the face of great and increasing Demand. Some Free Market. We have correctly pointed out in New Mexico that any political leader who sticks out his / her neck for more and better passenger Rail will find said neck pretty safe after all----not from the flat-earth special interests, but from the general voting public. Here's an example of how great issues work together, and of how Rail can drag other issues up with it as it rises: Since a major obstacle to smooth and seamless Rneky Mountain Rail service is the large number of coal trains in Colorado and Wyoming, a speedy switch to renewable energy would also help to ett'ect a speedy Rocky Mountain Flyer. Such a double switch, as it were, could become a triple switch; the third being increased passenger-related revenue to offset the loss of coal-hauling revenue for freight carriers like the BNSF and the UP. See "Paying For Itself" and other articles on our Web site -www. nmrails.org- for information on the many other benefits of Rail service to towns and cities along this or any route, such as fuel energy economy and sustainable development / re-development. JW Madison, For Rails EMPIRE BUILDER RIDER STATS STATION 2007 2003 Total Mt 153,760 129,064 Whitefish 66,507 56,708 Shelby 16,894 14,662 Havre 16,941 14,113 Glacier 24,692 17,479 Wolf Point 7,806 7,446 Malta 3,775 2,896 Cut Bank 3,091 3,033 Glasgow 6,334 5,422 Libby 5,483 5,276 Browning 2,237 2,029 As you can see no station decreased. There is a project underway to help get the stations upgraded and repaired. MONTANA ASSOCIATION OF ' RAH,ROAD PASSENGERS 2110 WINGATE LANE BII.I.INGS, MONTANA 59102 406-652-1339 email iimabiff _C~RESNAN.NET web page www.mtarp, org NON-PROFIT ORO U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 309 BILLINGS, MONTANA Mayor, City of Laurel 115 W. 1~ St. Laurel, Mt 59044 APR 1 7 2008 CITY OF LAUREL TI-IlS EDITION OF TI-]E OFFICIAL NEWS FOR "MARF' IS WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS. WE ASK YOU TO THANK AND TO SUPPORT TI-IF_Iv[ WE 1~.~ MORE LIKE THF_aM_ BE A DUES PAYING MEMBECR OR BE A SPONSOR OF TEIE NEWSLE'I"r~,. OR BE'YrP-,R YET, BE BOTI-[ PLEASE I-IELP[ [ LEWIS TREE ~F_.ttVICE 225 SHERMAN ROCK SPRING6. WY 307-382-86?5 MCCARTNEY-WARF CONSTRUCTION INC POBOX163 Wltr£~ln_SH, MT 59937 406-862-5449 OR 862-7646 ROBERT & CA~ FISHTAIL, MT HAL COOPER PASCO, WASH AC, KLEY PAINTING 1603 JACKSON ST MISSOULA. MT 59802 406-72S-2178 DEPOT EN'i'IiKPRISES JANEL MADRAZO BU'rr~., MT 59701 406-494-4968. CHICO HOT SPRINGS PRAY, MT 59065 406-333-4933 DON'T LET OD~R ORGAlqIZATION GO TI-~ SAME WAY TI-IE CABOOSE HAS GONE, -- KEEP US ON TRACK AND GOING. PAY YOUR YEARLY DUES NOW]i! PAY YOUR SPONSOR F~ll NOW- FOR FUTIJI~ ISSUES]! WE ARE GAINING GROUND AND MAKING OUR POSITION KNOWN.