News & Events:
Press Releases: 07/29/03
For Immediate Release - July 29, 2003
Contact:
Rick Harnish, Executive Director, Midwest High Speed Rail Association
Office: 773-334-6758 Cell: 312-339-0116
Statement on the Bush Administration's proposal
for Amtrak Re-authorization
The Bush Administration has released their long awaited proposal
for the future of interstate passenger rail service in the United
States. We applaud the concept of federal matching grants for railroad
development, but the proposal is fatally flawed.
The Administration's proposal is founded on a level of interstate
cooperation never achieved in any other program. In fact, the federal
government was created specifically to handle the responsibilities
envisioned for the often-touted interstate compacts.
Even the designers of the Interstate Highway program recognized
this fundamental structure of our government. That program used
a 90% federal matching grant to compel compliance with a single
nationwide plan compiled from state plans by the federal government.
Unlike highways, on which any motorist can drive, railroads require
a close relationship between the infrastructure provider and the
user and virtually all intercity passenger rail routes are interstate
in nature. Therefore, the Federal government must be involved in
planning and funding the nation's intercity rail operations.
One need look no further than the Los Angeles to Las Vegas corridor,
the second largest travel city pair in the nation, for a clear example.
Despite being largely in California, the state with the most progressive
and successful railroad program, no regularly scheduled train has
operated between those cities in the more than five years since
the service was announced.
We are glad to see that the Administration has made a serious proposal
for a new railroad program. Unfortunately, a program requiring this
level of interstate cooperation will not create the railroad services
that will preserve the mobility, economic strength and national
security of the nation.
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