Most un-elected boards & commissions are accountable to the people we DO elect.  That is the case with boards and commissions for the State of Ohio.

 

Amtrak is a great example of a good idea that was badlky executed by the "electeds" in Congress.  It took 37 years for Congress to finally pass legislation that properly funds and develops passenger rail.  It took an unelected commission (The National Surface Transportation Policy Commission....at least in part) to nudge that process along.

Metroparks' board members are appointed by the probate judge--that is quite removed from electoral accountability.  Half of the Cleveland school board is appointed by the Mayor.  I don't follow the city school stories that closely, but have *only* seen favorable stories in the last few years. 

 

Then there is my unfavorite--the port authorities--a unit that is only in vogue because they have unique bond issuing powers that are denied to municipal governments.  Cleveland port authority commissioner Carney got to stay in his board position despite an "appearance of impropriety" (a conflict of interest sending business to his company).

 

The solution to the port authorities is to get the Ohio Department of Development to manage economic development.  Port authorities have taken on projects that have nothing to do with any "port" or transportation infrastructure.

 

At this moment, the League of Women Voters is noting that the Cleveland Port Authority is going around existing laws for managing affairs related to the "new" location for the port on E 55th Street. 

As I said..."most"...not all. 

 

By and large, the mere fact that electeds are in charge is no guarantee that an issue will be dealt with either completely or intelligently. The end product often comes out like sausage through a meat grinder.

 

Port authorities, for the most part, are getting major infrastructure projects addressed, though you're about right on with Cleveland's P.A.  Toledo's port authority is actually one of the best in the state (even given the foibles of its recently departed Executive Director).  I could name you several "inland" port authorities that are also getting the job done and done well: things that might not have ever been addressed if left up to elected mayors, councils and commissioners.

 

RE: Possible break through!  Chair Oberstar pledges infrastructure jobs bill by 11/17 - supported by House Way's and Means!!

 

APTA High Speed and Intercity Rail Committee,

 

During two public hearings late last week both the House T&I and Ways and Means Committees declared their determination to floor infrastructure jobs bills when the House reconvenes on November 17.  Obviously there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip but the cup is headed in the right direction and it’s full of our elixir.

 

Rumor has it that the funding will not be from traditional (trust fund or prior carbon credits) sources so are fair game for high speed and intercity rail investments. So it’s a time for the tide to rise that will float the boats of all the modes if we find a way to work cooperatively and quickly to support Jim’s leadership.

 

By CC of this I’ve asked our VC/Leg Chair Karen Rae to host our Legislative Committee in an mediate strategy session conference call and also request support and advice from the APTA staff.  Please stand ready for a full court press if needed.

As I said..."most"...not all.

 

By and large, the mere fact that electeds are in charge is no guarantee that an issue will be dealt with either completely or intelligently. The end product often comes out like sausage through a meat grinder.

 

Port authorities, for the most part, are getting major infrastructure projects addressed, though you're about right on with Cleveland's P.A. Toledo's port authority is actually one of the best in the state (even given the foibles of its recently departed Executive Director). I could name you several "inland" port authorities that are also getting the job done and done well: things that might not have ever been addressed if left up to elected mayors, councils and commissioners.

Thank you for your well reasoned and thoughtful comments.

:-)  Your welsome. You brought up some excellent points as well.

Note: as of this morning, the California High Speed rail bond issue referred to in this story was passing narrowly with over 95% of the vote tabulated.

 

Passenger trains gain favor with public, Congress

By JOAN LOWY, Associated Press Writer

Friday, October 31, 2008

 

 

(10-31) 17:17 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) -- After half a century as more of a curiosity than a convenience, passenger trains are getting back on track in some parts of the country.

 

The high cost of energy, coupled with congestion on highways and at airports, is drawing travelers back to trains not only for commuting but also for travel between cities as much as 500 miles apart.

 

Californians are considering selling billions of dollars worth of bonds to get going on an 800-mile system of bullet trains that could zip along at 200 miles per hour, linking San Francisco and San Diego and the cities in between.

 

In the Midwest, transportation officials are pushing a plan to connect cities in nine states in a hub-and-spoke system centered in Chicago. The nine states included in the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative are: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska.

 

............

 

___

 

On the Net:

 

Amtrak: www.amtrak.com

 

California ballot initiative: http://tinyurl.com/5q7d2x

 

Map of states included in the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative:

 

www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/onepagers/midwest.html#mwmap

 

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/31/national/w073935D50.DTL

 

 

Critics say it is unfair to require people in areas where there is no Amtrak service or infrequent service to subsidize the train travel of people in the few corridors where there is frequent, fast service.

 

"I do not think you can justify many, perhaps most, of the routes Amtrak is running," Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said during Senate debate last month. "Fundamentally, the romantic view that we are going to have some sort of major international rail system does not seem to be realistic."

 

 

And why should we continue to subsidize a Congress that hasn't served us well either?

 

To be serious, there are many roads and airports across the desolate west and rural south which do not have the volume to justify their continued existence, yet we as a nation continue to subsidize them. It's why Ohio is one of the "gas tax donor" states. People Sessions conveniently forget about that.

 

And then there's the irrigation programs in the southwest which we pay federal taxes for but get little or no benefit. I thought this was the UNITED States, not the union of independent states.

This is the first of five article by Time Magazine on what President-elect Obama's adminsitration needs to have for priorities to "Get America Back on Track":[/color]

 

Tuesday, Nov. 04, 2008

1. A New New Deal

By Michael Grunwald

 

We're all supposed to be keynesians now, so we should understand that government spending creates short-term economic stimulus, which is one reason the Bush-era bubble took so long to burst. But not all government spending is created equal. Obama needs to pump serious cash into the economy in a way that promotes his long-term priorities. That means billions for energy-efficient and climate-friendly infrastructure like wind turbines, solar panels and mass transit, but nothing for new sprawl roads that ravage nature and promote gas-guzzling. That means stronger levees and restored wetlands that will help protect New Orleans from the next storm, but no more traditional pork-barrel water projects that destroy wetlands and waste money. Mostly, it means revamping Washington's dysfunctional method of selecting and funding infrastructure projects.

 

..........

 

Find this article at:

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1856381_1856380_1856375,00.html

 

http://www.planetizen.com/node/35888

 

Blumenauer Tapped as Likely Secretary of Transportation

United States Government / Politics Politico Presidential Cabinet Transportation U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Posted by: Nate Berg

 

4 November 2008 - 11:00am

Democratic insiders have mapped out the possible face of an Obama presidential cabinet. Shortlisted for Secretary of Transportation are Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar.

 

"Sources close to Barack Obama have quite specific ideas about his most likely choices for a wide array of top jobs."

 

"The list is heavy on campaign heavyweights and Washington insiders, many of them from the administration of President Bill Clinton. So while surprises can be expected to crop up — especially on any Republican members of the Cabinet — many of the selections would likely be proven hands who would provoke little controversy. Obama has not communicated his final choice on any of these posts but plans to move very quickly if he is elected, according to the sources. They point to the political price that Clinton paid for dilly-dallying on his appointments and nomination."

 

"Here is the list of names being widely discussed in Democratic circles, compiled with the help of ABC’s Jonathan Karl and Politico’s Ben Smith. Some of the names are more likely than others, but all are being seriously considered by Obama advisers. Some of the sources would be involved in decision making, and some were making educated deductions."

 

http://www.planetizen.com/news/redirect_new.php?id=35888-0

 

 

 

Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar

 

I could do WITHOUT him! :x

Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar

 

I could do WITHOUT him! :x

 

Could you please explain why?  I don't really know anything about the guy.

I know a little bit about the guy and I'd like to hear an explanation why.

I like a lot of things about him, but Oberstar is the one person, apparently, most responsible for the end of the Delta Queen. I need to read more to get the details.

Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar

 

I could do WITHOUT him! :x

 

Could you please explain why?  I don't really know anything about the guy.

 

 

He is spearheading the campaign to shut the Delta Queen down!    I'm pretty bitter about that and will be for awhile. 

 

I know all about the union issues of this mess, and the only thing Mr. Oberstar has proved to me is that he is EASILY able to be swindled and lobbied by these azzclowns.

 

Other than this issue, he might be a alright congressman, but he will never get any praise from me.

 

 

I doubt Oberstar will want to give up the Chairmanship of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.  It is way too important of a position, given how it stands that infrastructure will likely be a funding priority over the next several years.

I doubt it either. I'd love to see Earl Blumenauer as USDOT secretary and working with Oberstar on the T&I Committee, anyway. Those two would lead the prettiest revolution in transportation since the streetcars took over U.S. cities.

The incoming Obama administration wants your input.  Provide your vision for changing America's transportation system (or whatever else is on your mind):

 

http://www.change.gov/page/s/yourvision

Commentary: A jobs program that changed America

By Nick Taylor

Special to CNN

 

Editor's note: Nick Taylor is the author of six books, including "American-Made -- The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Work." He also has collaborated on five other books, including John Glenn's memoir. Taylor worked in politics in the 1970s, including Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign and a congressional run for John Lewis, and was a volunteer in Barack Obama's campaign.

 

(CNN) -- Companies today are slashing jobs with a meat ax. Recession looms or is already here, depending on whom you ask. Some predict unemployment rising into double figures.

 

We've got a bad case of the economic willies, and are scared about what lies ahead. Lessons from the Works Progress Administration can give us guidance for the future.

 

........

 

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/12/taylor.wpa/index.html

 

Contemporary with the WPA was the CCC, or Civilian Conservation Corps, comprised mainly of young men from unemployed families. A lot of the construction in state and national parks was done by CCC workers, and a lot of the things they built are still in use. A CCC-like organization could teach young people productive skills while repairing infrastructure, cleaning up urban blight, and restoring the quality of our natural and built environment.

I have a theory that the CCC was designed to move unemployed young men out into the countryside so that they did not hang around town and steal, fight and riot.  If that's what it was for, it worked!  There was a lot of street violence in Britain and Europe during their periods of high unemployment in the 1970s. 

It's not theory. That was the whole point. They also tried it with Job Corps in the 60s and it failed miserably.

Different time and circumstances.  Good intentions, but bad execution of a plan.

 

 

The broader point is worth noting, which is that much of the 60s Great Society/War on Poverty was an attempt to try again with New Deal programs and for the most part they failed. There was lots of corruption in the New Deal the first time as well.

 

To the transport issue, I'm all for rail, but it is worth remembering that we tried rail-driven growth once before and it resulted in a number of very nasty boom and bust cycles in the 19C. I agree that mass transit need not profitable to be a valuable investment, however, to get broad social support there needs to be places where the private sector can make big money - car production is obviously one spot, but compared to automobiles you just don't need enough of them to drive economic growth, real estate is another, but well that horse is quite dead and will be for a generation. I know we will continue to move about the country and the world, and with diminishing resources rail transit offers one of the best bangs for the carbon buck.

^ Rail shaped our development in 19th century boom/bust cycles, but rail did not fail. It was favored and was too powerful, then was regulated and over regulated and overtaxed at the time we started subsidizing the hell out of roads. Rail was regulated almost out of existence as we subsidized roads and oil and cars much to the expensive detriment of our culture. One thing this country has never tried is rail as part of a balanced transportation system.

The absence of government regulation of private financial flows and a near total lack of social safety nets (federally insurred banks, unemployment insurance, social security, etc) excacerbated the boom-bust cycles. The type of transportation system(s) that predominated in the nation is irrelevant to this issue. How that system was managed is not.

 

It's interesting to read public perceptions from the 1930s. There was a boiling over of hatred of all big business, especially interlocking directorates, corporate trusts and unchecked greed. Read Grapes of Wrath. Railroads were among the targets of that distrust, as were interurban railways, ironically. It's ironic because interurbans were being targeted by a growing cabal of automakers, oil companies and road construction companies which used small grassroots fronts to target these "omnipotent trusts which consolidate the economic and political power of electric utilities, electric interurbans and real estate interests." The publicly funded paved road was advertised and seen as much of a source of freedom from the corporate titans in the railroad and interurban industries as it was a freedom to travel when you wanted.

 

But as they say: meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Rock on KJP! :banger: :banger:

 

We won't get fooled again.

The broader point is worth noting, which is that much of the 60s Great Society/War on Poverty was an attempt to try again with New Deal programs and for the most part they failed.... 

An interpretive guide at Shiloh National Battlefield in Tennessee told me that none of the good homes that I saw were there before LBJ's Great Society programs.  LBJ's programs allowed the South to succeed in the last few decades. 

 

BTW, Medicare was an LBJ Great Society program: I cannot imagine an America were every senior citizen had to struggle for health care in the manner that 47 million uninsured Americans do right now.  It would be horrible.

Rail was directly implicated in the nature of the boom-bust cycles of the 19C. The 'problem' with rail is that it extremely capital intensive on the front end and there is little room for error when it comes to track placement. Build a rail line that ends up not connecting two useful points and there is a lot of capital wasted (the same could be said for roads, but most roads aren't that capital intensive - interstate highways are the exception). The financing for rail was often based on lies, lies, damned lies - lots of Europeans lost a lot of money betting on American rail - though they lost even more betting on South American rail.

 

I love rail and I love dense cities, but I also know that there good reasons why people rebelled against the collectivist - not necessarily a negative connotation, but simply descriptive - nature of rail transit. In the same fashion, the problems with the landlords - which was associated with the rise of rentier class- was a big driver for individual homeownership. I'm not saying these are reasons not pursue greater rail investment and the densification of the urban form, but they need to taken into account.

 

As to the Great Society, there are positives - though as an Ohioan I find the purposeful and gov't sponsored transfer of wealth to the South from the North starting really with the New Deal and continuing to the present to be deeply problematic. Part of Ohio's (and MI, NY, IL, PA et al) problem is that federal gov't has been systemically disinvesting in the North for 80 years.

The federal government also has been systematically disinvesting in transit and in cities in general during the same period. People may have been ticked off at landlords and at the "collectivist" nature of transit, but it was massive government subsidy (and other policies) of roads, highways, individual home ownership and suburbanization that paved the way (literally) for them to leave the cities and transit. This all has been done at tremendous hidden cost, and now that many people are finally seeing this and seeing the benefits of urban living and rail, it behooves the government to lay the tracks to reverse past policy.

We live in democracy. Often they were responding to a more general will of the people. The gov't is us, we may not like or agree with who the us includes, but we can't escape it. I don't disagree that gov't policies have exacerbated sprawl and a car only environment.

Group: AIG's woes put public transit in trouble with banks

 

From Emily Anderson

CNN

 

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The ongoing financial crisis could put public transit systems nationwide at risk of defaulting on more than $2 billion in loans backed by troubled insurer American International Group, an industry advocacy group said Thursday.

 

The problem stems from "lease-back transactions" -- made from the early 1990s through 2003 -- in which transit agencies sold equipment to banks and then leased them back.

 

"Thirty-one transit agencies nationwide used these leverage lease actions to finance assets," said Rob Healy, vice president of government affairs for the advocacy group American Public Transportation Association.

 

[...]

We live in democracy. Often they were responding to a more general will of the people. The gov't is us, we may not like or agree with who the us includes, but we can't escape it. I don't disagree that gov't policies have exacerbated sprawl and a car only environment.

 

If the people are wrong though, don't the people that govern have a responsibility to explain the situation to the public and make objective decisions?

We live in democracy.

 

No we don't. We live in a corpocracy. The average citizen isn't engaged in politics, informed on political issues and doesn't carry the influence as much as medium-sized and large corporations. On that score, Americans are sheep and are herded in whatever direction that's favored by the powers-that-be.

^ Political issues are not resolved through deliberation leading to a logical conclusion with the press as a fair arbiter and a fair source of information.  Instead, the corporate leaders use linguistics to put images into the minds of the public through news coverage or promotions (commercials).  Once the public settles into a "frame of reference", it is damn near impossible to present the whole story and settle the matter through deliberation in a democracy. 

 

We have been (mis)led to a consensus on how to deal with other nations (referring to the Iraq War).  People don't have a realistic view on how to manage energy use due to overt propaganda in the press. Americans don't have a clear understanding of the proportions of our taxing and federal spending.  (I could go on, but I won't.)

Stewart Udall said in 1972 what a lot of us are saying now. From today's NY Times:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/opinion/16goodman.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

 

November 16, 2008

Op-Ed Contributor

Have You Driven a Bus or a Train Lately?

By ROBERT GOODMAN

 

Amherst, Mass.

 

THE federal government is giving General Motors, Ford and Chrysler $25 billion in low-interest loans, and the companies are asking for up to $25 billion more. These same companies have spent millions of dollars lobbying against federal fuel-economy standards and are suing to overturn the emissions standards imposed by California and other states. In exchange for the loans, Congress should first insist that the automakers stop fighting these standards. But it should also make sure that better outcomes will result from these billions than just fuel-efficient cars.

 

The Obama administration should ask the companies, as a condition of financial assistance, to begin shifting from being just automakers to becoming innovative “transportmakers.” As Barack Obama’s new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, recently said: “You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste. It’s an opportunity to do important things you would otherwise avoid.”

 

As transportmakers, the companies could produce vehicles for high-speed train and bus systems that would improve our travel options, reduce global warming, conserve energy, minimize accidents and generally improve the way we live.

 

 

. . .

Related to the above article....some thoughts of my own:

 

TIME FOR A GREEN WPA?

 

LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS, FOLKS.

 

I think as advocates and citizens concerned about the future of our country, we should put forth a far-reaching proposal to address many of today's needs by going back to the days of FDR and the New Deal.

 

If we adopted the ideas set forth by Stuart Udall in 1972, we would be well on our way toward addressing many of the ills that affect the United States. Think about it. A massive program to use vacant or soon-to-be-closed auto plants to manufacture rechargeable highway vehicles, buses, light rail and intercity passenger cars would create many, many good paying jobs.

 

The economic impact would also be felt in other ways, as construction crews build rail and transit lines, as well as highways. Really, we are still building vehicles and roadways...it's just railroads instead...and the size of such a program would probably exceed the Interstate Highway program.

 

Again, many of our nation's ills would be addressed:

 

Economic Development - good paying, non-outsourceable jobs, which would support many service industries.

 

Environmental - Reduces our carbon footprint by diversifying away from oil-fueled vehicles. 

 

Land use - Would promote denser communities Diverse transportation portfolio - allows people and business to use the modes that best suit their needs

 

Energy efficiency - Promotes better economy and partly addresses our depency on foreign oil.

 

Better quality of life - for above and other reasons, such as a more affordable lifestyle, by not having to own a car. Walkable communities are healthier communities

 

Social issues - Those at the bottom of the economic ladder will find it easier to get around affordably and also find better paying jobs.

 

There are so many upsides to this, it's a no-brainer.

 

We do need to think of ways to fund this...how about taxes on imported oil? How about cap and trade? What else? So what should we do?

 

I think we, as advocates should put together a call for this green WPA together as soon as possible and send it far and wide to everyone we can think of. Friends, elected officials, businesspersons, unions, contractors, automakers, our congresspeople and the Obama Administration should be included.

 

From there, we need a champion in Congress or the Administration who will direct staff and resources to put more meat on the bones of this idea.

 

I've been thinking about this for a while and I also think this is a very opportune time to push this. I still think we are a country capable of doing great things and I also think we need something to rally around to pull ourselves out the doldrums we are now in. It's a patriotic cause.

 

If you are up for this, I want your thoughts. I'd like to do something about this as soon as possible.

 

Regards,

 

Buckeyeb

Recent testimony before Congress of the aforementioned Wisconsin DOT Sec. Busalacchi.

 

Testimony on “Investing in Infrastructure: The Road to Recovery”

Before the

House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

by

Frank J. Busalacchi

Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Chair, States for Passenger Rail Coalition

Written Testimony

November 10, 2008

Frank J. Busalacchi, Secretary

Wisconsin Department of Transportation

 

Thank you for holding the recent public hearing, “Investing in Infrastructure: The Road to Recovery.”

 

The States for Passenger Rail Coalition (SPRC) strongly believes that federal financial investment in transportation infrastructure should include funding for our intercity passenger rail network. While the proposed economic stimulus package appropriately includes funding for Amtrak, we believe it should also include funding for states to invest in intercity passenger rail corridors. Our coalition of 31 states has surveyed our members, who have identified over $1.4 billion in ready-to-go rail projects.

 

From an economic development perspective, at least five specific and critical aspects of intercity passenger rail investment are worthy of consideration:

 

1.

Intercity passenger rail investment will lead to rail-oriented development around stations and increase the demand for retail services in stations and nearby.

2.

The job creation power of intercity passenger rail investment is strong, with $1 billion in investment creating 30,000 jobs. This estimate is confirmed in studies of the nine-state Midwest Regional Rail System and the Hub Corridor in Ohio.

3.

As railroading is essentially a fixed asset, rail investments overwhelmingly lead to job creation here at home as most jobs cannot be exported.

4.

Swings in commodity prices, particularly in the price of motor fuels, make the cost of auto driving a hardship for some citizens. Intercity passenger rail investment will provide a critical mobility option.

5.

Substantial rail investment has the potential to revitalize the nation’s industrial base as plants gear up to produce rail supplies and equipment.

 

Investment in rail infrastructure produces a positive return on investment. The Wall Street Journal of November 4, 2008, reports that every $60 of investment in infrastructure produces a $95 return in growth of the gross domestic product (GDP). Further, the 2008 Nobel Prize-winning economist, Dr. Paul Krugman, predicts that the current economic situation is likely to continue for a significant period of time. Professor Krugman wrote:

 

“The usual argument against public works as economic stimulus is that they take too long: by the time you get around to repairing that bridge and upgrading that rail line, the slump is over and the stimulus isn’t needed. Well, that argument has no force now, since the chances that this slump will be over anytime soon are virtually nil. So let’s get those projects rolling.”

 

Investment in intercity passenger rail is consistent with the recommendations of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The Commission recommended an annual investment of $5 billion in its December 2007 report to Congress, Transportation for Tomorrow. More recently, AASHTO adopted a policy calling for an average annual intercity passenger rail investment of $5.75 billion or $34.5 billion over six years.

 

Over the past year, passenger rail ridership increases have exceeded all growth expectations. Here is a brief summation of ridership growth and continued demand for intercity passenger rail services across the country.

 

The Keystone Service, which operates between Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and New York City, had a 19.8 percent increase in ridership, surpassing one million passengers in 2008. Ticket revenue increased by 20 percent, to $24.7 million.

 

New York's Empire Service, which operates daily between New York City, Albany/Rensselaer and other upstate New York destinations, carried 994,293 passengers in the past year, a four percent increase over the same period last year. Ticket revenue topped $41 million, a 6.5 percent hike over the previous year.

 

On the Downeaster, operating several times daily between Portland, Maine, and Boston, Massachusetts, ridership grew 31 percent, reaching 474,492. The Downeaster also earned $5.8 million, a 36.7 percent increase in ticket revenue from a year ago.

 

Steep growth in ridership is also reported from the Amtrak hub in Chicago, with Hiawatha Service ridership up nearly 26 percent on the trains sponsored by the Wisconsin and Illinois state transportation departments. Nearly 750,000 passengers rode the seven daily round-trips between Milwaukee and Chicago last year, an increase of more than 150,000 passengers.

 

The Illinois DOT also supports service between Chicago and Downstate Illinois, with more than one million passengers riding the routes, the first time that milestone has been reached. Ridership on the Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service corridor, via Bloomington-Normal and Springfield, is up 14 percent.; the Illini and Saluki route to Carbondale, via Champaign and Mattoon, ridership is up 15 percent. On the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg to Quincy via Galesburg and Macomb route, ridership is up 19 percent and totals 231,701, including local travel on the Southwest Chief and California Zephyr between Chicago and Galesburg.

 

Elsewhere in the Central U.S., Kansas City to St. Louis ridership is up by more than 30 percent on the two daily round-trips sponsored by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The Heartland Flyer ridership between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City increased by 18.5 percent on the daily round-trip supported by the Texas and Oklahoma state departments of transportation.

 

In Southern California, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service operating between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, carried more than 2.89 million passengers, a seven percent increase. Ticket revenue was more than $51 million, an increase of nine percent.

 

In the Central Valley, the San Joaquins service, Oakland/Sacramento to Bakersfield, carried nearly a million passengers (949, 611) an 18 percent increase with $2.9 million in ticket revenue, a 21.6 percent increase. July 2008 ridership topped 100,000 passengers for the first time in the history of this service, a 32 percent increase over July 2007.

 

In Northern California, more than 1.69 million passengers rode the Capitol Corridor service, Auburn to San Jose, a 16.8 increase over the same period last year. Ticket revenue was up 23 percent, reaching $22 million.

 

In the Pacific Northwest, ridership on the Amtrak Cascades service, Eugene, Ore. to Vancouver, B.C. was up more than 12 percent (760,323). Ticket revenue exceeded $20 million, an increase of 15 percent. This service has seen double digit increases for the past nine months (January - September 2008).

 

Collectively, the North Carolina state-supported Carolinian and Piedmont services carried 361,368 passengers and brought in more than $17 million in ticket revenue. Offering daily service between Charlotte and New York, the Carolinian increased ridership by 15.3 percent, totaling 295,427 passengers. The Piedmont, which operates daily between Raleigh and Charlotte, NC, carried a total of 65,941 passengers, which represents an unprecedented 30.4 percent increase. Ticket revenue on this route also saw a significant increase of 29.8 percent.

 

The point of providing this detailed update on our nation’s passenger rail corridors is to clearly explain the depth of the surge in passenger rail ridership that is occurring across the country. Citizens want this mobility option. However, states are working to overcome serious deficiencies in rail equipment and expansion of frequencies. In addition, we continue to work with our freight rail partners on the issue of on-time service.

 

States are ready to invest the funds. For example, in September 2008, US DOT Secretary Mary Peters released $30 million to twelve states for intercity passenger rail improvement projects. Another ten states and $93 million worth of ready-to-go projects went unfunded because the fiscal year 2008 appropriation for the state grants program was only $30 million. Under HR-2095, the Amtrak/rail safety bill signed into law this month, the state grants program is authorized at $100 million for 2009, increasing to an average of $380 million per year.

 

As the Coalition’s just-completed survey demonstrates, the states are ready to proceed now with over $1.4 billion in additional state sponsored stimulus projects. These projects can be initiated quickly – $1.3 billion can be obligated within 90 days and an additional $159 million can be obligated within 120 to 180 days. States have completed preliminary engineering, conducted environmental work, and developed relations with freight railroad partners to develop projects that can be rapidly delivered.

 

However, as was noted by members and witnesses, 100 percent federal funding is essential to move many of the projects forward during a 90 to 120-day obligation window. While there are meritorious projects that have a portion of their funding available from state funds, many do not. Further, as has been noted at both the Committee’s hearing and other recent hearings, state budgets throughout the country are strained, making any local match requirement difficult to achieve.

 

I appreciate this opportunity to share my views on the needs of the passenger rail community. States stand ready to invest federal funds from a stimulus bill into the nation’s passenger rail network. We believe this investment will create American jobs, improve our surface transportation system network, and put passenger rail on a path to becoming an integral part of how our nation addresses the mobility needs of its citizens.

Kerry pushes high speed rail

 

Senators John F. Kerry and Arlen Specter introduced a bill today to fund high-speed rail lines along the East Coast and in several other key areas of the country.

 

Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said the legislation would help repair the nation's crumbling infrastructure, and at the same time create jobs when the country appears headed for a deep economic recession.

 

.........

 

 

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/11/kerry_pushes_hi.html

^I ache to see this work out.

You need to visit Europe.

 

Until then, enjoy my pictures from my visit last year:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,12977.0.html

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,13123.0.html

Stimulus: The stuff Obama would build

The president-elect is proposing a massive project to overhaul the nation's infrastructure, but can it keep a deep recession at bay?

By Steve Hargreaves, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Last Updated: November 26, 2008: 8:10 AM ET

 

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- America may soon get a whole lot of new stuff.

 

As part of a new, massive spending plan designed to jumpstart the economy, there's talk of spending hundreds of billions of dollars on new roads, bridges, trains, schools, power plants, transmission lines and energy-efficient homes.

 

Details on the plan are few. Numbers tossed around range anywhere from $300 billion to $700 billion, and include other measures aimed at stimulating the economy such as tax cuts and money for businesses.

 

...........

 

Find this article at:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/26/news/economy/obama_infrastructure/index.htm?cnn=yes

 

For New Transportation Secretary, a Hard Road Ahead

By Lyndsey Layton

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, November 25, 2008; A02

 

The next transportation secretary will walk into an agency that oversees an outdated air traffic control system; congested roads, rails and skies; crumbling highways and bridges; and a financing system teetering on collapse.

 

Transportation experts, both parties in Congress and the current White House agree that the traditional ways of easing congestion and funding transportation are not working and that a fundamental overhaul is needed.

 

A key problem is the Highway Trust Fund, which generates about $50 billion annually for road, bridge and transit projects. The vast majority of this money -- about 82 percent -- goes to roads and bridges, while 15 percent goes to transit and 3 percent toward highway safety.

 

 

..........

 

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/24/AR2008112402457.html?hpid=topnews

 

I found this article about Oregon's plan to tax per-mile:

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/04/442.asp

 

I haven't heard about this before.  I just don't think that this will work in the US.  People would be too paranoid about having GPS devices in their cars and being tracked.

^ This is one option being discussed in Ohio by the 21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force. Don't know if it will be advanced as a recommendation, but it's an idea that was still on the table as of recently.

I haven't heard about this before. I just don't think that this will work in the US. People would be too paranoid about having GPS devices in their cars and being tracked.

 

It's been going on in Oregon for a while, so it is happening in the U.S. And most new vehicles sold in the US already have GPS in them. But it's true that the irrationality of Americans will have to be addressed if this idea will take hold nationwide.

Desiring some measure of privacy as to your comings and goings is not irrational or paranoid.  Not everyone is thrilled at how ubiquitous GPS has become, and not everyone in that group wears a tinfoil hat.  That said, I'm fully supportive of a mileage tax.  It could be measured in other ways.  Truck drivers were paid by the mile long before satellites watched our every move.  I'm not sure how to do congestion pricing without either surveillance or tollbooths, neither of which is all that neighborly.

I'd rather have a yearly odometer check than any sort of gps based system. Since we don't have regular inspection in Ohio, you could do it like insurance in which you're required to fill in the mileage on an honor system, but any time you were pulled over the cop would check, plus random inspections via lottery would deter cheaters. It should be on the state tax form. I might even give folks the option of paying a simple rate or calculating the exact tax (sort of like the standard deduction versus itemized).

^Why would you oppose a GPS-based system? 

 

It seems that if you go on the honor system of filling it in on your insurance, that just complicates the process of the cop checking on your mileage status, enabling cheaters in the first place, etc.  I'd rather there be no question of what one's mileage is, how much they owe, and not to give police one more vice to battle.

We could just have annual inspections when tags are renewed.  No honor system, no burden on police.  Building a file on the movments of every individual is not just an invasion of privacy but a major one.  I trust people to honestly fill out insurance forms much more than I trust people to not misuse that kind of data.