“They are totally different blogging platforms, so as the other person mentioned, you would have to recode the theme files (requires expertise). You really should get a WordPress theme. There are lots of free ones out there, or you can buy a premium t…

Avg. cost yearly for a car: 7-10k

Avg. cost yearly for transit: 800-900

Consider this current cnn/money.com on-line poll:

What’s your key economic issue this election year?

[color=red:f2a6ebc1c5]Gas prices 58%

Health care 16%

Jobs 16%

Housing 10%

Total responses to this question: 29427

http://money.cnn.com/POLLSERVER/results/39955.html

“Pain at the pump” is the game-changer. But what are you ready to do to make change happen?

I hear it from people all the time:

“How soon will we get passenger trains?…. light rail…. streetcars…. more and better bus service…. bikeways?….. pick your mode.

My answer? Make it an issue in every campaign and with every candidate that is seeking your vote. Don’t let a candidate leave the room without letting them know how you feel AND getting an answer from them about what they will do to address it.

Unfortunately, many advocates fall into the trap of what is called “preachin’ to the choir”. We banter back and forth on blogs like this and then log off, satisfied that we’ve sufficiently vented and that the world will now know how we feel. It doesn’t work that way.

As useful and well done as X-ing Columbus or any of a dozen other Ohio-connected blogs I know of are, most decision-makers (especially legislators) are either unaware they exist or don’t have enough time to log on to each and everyone to check the pulse of the voting public. Ya gotta reach out to them directly.

And what a great year to do it. We’re voting on what will be the first new President we’ve had in 8 years. We will be voting for members of Congress…. both Deb Pryce and Dave Hobson’s seats are up for grabs. There are state legislators that will be out there as well looking for our votes…. and candidates for everything from County Commissioner to whatever.

And our message to them needs to be direct:

You want MY voite…. get me a train. Pass a bill…. get it funded….and get something rolling.

I love my car (A Honda Civic / 34 MPG) as much as some of you. But I don’t want to be forced to drive it. How can there be the so-called “freedom of the open road” when we have no other choice but to drive a car…. and our other options are either limited or non-existant.

Ya wanna make that change? Ask your MOC (Member of Congress) or MOGA (Member of the Ohio General Assembly: You want my vote? Get me a train. If they don’t give you a good answer….tell them you’re voting for the other guy.

National Association of Railroad Passengers http://www.narprail.org

900 Second St., N.E., Suite 308

Washington, DC 20002-3557

Telephone 202-408-8362

For Immediate Release (#08-13)

June 3, 2008

OIL PRICES UNDERLINE NEED FOR MORE PASSENGER TRAINS

Statement of Ross B. Capon

Executive Director

National Association of Railroad Passengers

June 3, 2008

Transit ridership is at its highest level in 50 years, as reported last night on NBC Nightly News. There have been many other news reports about growing Amtrak and transit ridership. Most stories also have highlighted the historical underinvestment that prevents Amtrak and transit authorities from dealing with much more growth in the near term, and the budgetary problems that are forcing transit service reductions even as more people want to climb on board.

Today’s GM announcement about the closure of four more plants should send a clear message to Washington: we need a rapid and long-overdue ramping up of investment in Amtrak and transit to give people jobs when other parts of the transportation industry are retrenching and to let Americans leave their cars at home when they want to-—which they increasingly do. The time to invest in trains is now.

Nationwide, Amtrak ridership is up 11% for October-April, the first seven months of FY 2008, compared with the same period a year earlier.

American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reports that transit trips rose 3.3% in the January-March quarter, compared with a year earlier, with light rail up 10.3% and commuter railroad trips up 5.7%. Preliminary data indicate an even bigger increase in April.

Meanwhile, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) says March vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on the nation’s highways fell 4.3% from a year earlier, “the sharpest yearly drop for any month in FHWA history…The estimated data show that VMT on all U.S. public roads have dropped since 2006.” In addition, some small airlines have shut down, many small cities are losing air service, and major airlines plan big service reductions.

Last year, NARP released its Grow Trains Campaign to bring intercity passenger rail service to over 300 cities nationwide. In our June 25, 2007 news release, we correctly predicted the current days’ events when we said that “the average price of gas [is] expected to top $4 per gallon in the near future.”

The Grow Trains Campaign is needed now more than ever. Congress and the Administration need to make it happen.

For more on NARP’s Grow Trains Campaign, go to http://www.narprail.org/vision

The FHWA release, “Americans Driving At Historic Lows” is at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa0811.htm

APTA’s June 2 ridership growth release is at http://www.apta.com/media/releases/080602_ridership_report.cfm

APTA’s one-page first quarter ridership summary is at

http://www.apta.com/media/releases/080602_ridership_report.cfm

About NARP

NARP is the largest citizen-based organization advocating for train and rail transit passengers. We have worked since 1967 to expand the quality and quantity of passenger rail in the U.S. Our mission is to work towards a modern, customer-focused national passenger train network that provides a travel choice Americans want. Our work is supported by over 24,000 individual members.

noozer wrote A bill to reauthorize Amtrak and improve intercity passenger rail was approved and reported out by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure today. H.R. 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, authorizes $14.4 billion for Amtrak capital and operating grants, state intercity passenger grants, and high-speed rail over the next five years.

Wow, that’s great news! :D

bremkat wrote

Come to the Columbus Chamber’s YP Exchange, a free, issue-oriented forum for the young and talented, to learn about a transportation plan to move our city and state forward! The YP Exchange on May 20th will focus on the Ohio Hub Plan (passenger rail).

YP Exchange: Ohio Hub

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Did anyone go to this? I didn’t see anything on the announcement thread.

:D Huge news from Congress…. the next step is a full vote by the House…hopefully by a vfeto-proof majority….NOW is the time to be calling / e-mailing Cong. Tiberi, Pryce, Hobson and the rest of the Ohio delegation to support this.

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

U.S. House of Representatives, 2165 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515

http://www.house.gov/transportation

Hon. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Chairman

For Immediate Release, Thursday, May 22, 2008

Contact: Mary Kerr, (202)225-6260

[color=darkblue:6de9d3ba3d]T&I Approves Historic Amtrak Legislation

Bill authorizes $14.4 billion for passenger rail[/b]

[b]WASHINGTON—A bill to reauthorize Amtrak and improve intercity passenger rail was approved and reported out by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure today. H.R. 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, authorizes $14.4 billion for Amtrak capital and operating grants, state intercity passenger grants, and high-speed rail over the next five years.

“Today’s markup is a historic milestone, because the legislation we approved today is a truly significant and long overdue investment in the nation’s passenger rail system. We can address many of the nation’s most pressing transportation problems by improving Amtrak’s service and operations, because increased passenger rail ridership will alleviate growing highway and airport congestion,” said Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Chairman of the Committee. “The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, a bipartisan commission created by Congress, found that we should invest at least $66.3 billion through 2015 in our passenger rail infrastructure, stations, and rolling stock. This investment is essential to make passenger rail stronger, and in turn, to make our national transportation systems safer, less congested, and more environmentally friendly.”

The bill helps Amtrak bring its assets to a state-of-good-repair, improves service reliability and increases train speed; helps Amtrak replace its aging rail fleet; provides grants to pay salaries, overtime, and benefits to Amtrak employees; provides grants to alleviate “choke points” across the nation where lack of rail capacity is hampering ridership growth; and provides grants to enable states and Amtrak to develop and construct high-speed rail corridors throughout the country.

“Amtrak’s improved physical state and recent focus on customer service, along with increasing highway and airport congestion and rising gas prices, have made intercity passenger rail more popular and necessary than ever,” said Rep. Corrine Brown (Fla.), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. “Passage of H.R. 6003 will be the first major step in bringing our nation’s intercity passenger rail system into the 21st Century. The American people deserve the best passenger rail system in the world, and I believe this Amtrak Reauthorization will go a long way to raise the United States to its rightful place as a world leader in passenger rail.”

In the 108th and 109th Congresses, the T&I Committee reported out bills to reauthorize Amtrak. Despite strong bipartisan support in the Committee, Republican leadership did not allow the legislation to receive floor consideration. Since 2002, Amtrak has continued to operate under minimal annual appropriations, despite the Bush Administration’s repeated attempts to dissolve Amtrak.

“We ought to at least do in America what has been done in France to promote passenger rail service,” said Oberstar. “Our bill provides significant funding for state grants, giving states greater leverage to develop their passenger rail networks by partnering with the Federal Government to help fund up to 80 percent of the cost of developing state passenger rail networks. These grants will help develop rail systems in the emerging ‘mega-regions,’ bringing greater mobility to the fastest growing regions of the country. H.R. 6003 ensures the continued success and growth of our safe, efficient, and essential national passenger rail system, and through this legislation, we have created a lasting legacy for America.”

Major provisions of the bill include:

Ø Increases Capital and Operating Grants to Amtrak. The bill authorizes $4.2 billion (an average of $840 million per year) to Amtrak for capital grants and $3.0 billion (an average of $606 million per year) for operating grants. Past inconsistent Federal support has hampered Amtrak’s ability to replace catenaries, passenger cars, bridges, ties, and other equipment necessary for Amtrak to provide service. These capital grants will help Amtrak bring the Northeast Corridor to a State of Good Repair, procure new rolling stock, rehabilitate existing bridges, as well as make additional capital improvements and maintenance over its entire network. In addition, the operating grants authorized under the bill will help Amtrak pay salaries, health costs, overtime pay, fuel costs, facilities, and train maintenance and operations. These operating grants will also ensure that Amtrak can meet its obligations under its recently negotiated labor contract.

Ø Develops State Passenger Corridors. In an effort to encourage the development of new and improved intercity passenger rail services, the bill creates a new State Capital Grant program for intercity passenger rail capital projects, and based on the New Starts transit capital program administered by the Federal Transit Administration. The bill provides $2.5 billion ($500 million per year) for grants to States to pay for the capital costs of facilities and equipment necessary to provide new or improved intercity passenger rail. The Federal share of the grants is up to 80 percent. The Secretary of Transportation would award these grants on a competitive basis for projects based on economic performance, expected ridership, and other factors.

Ø Provides Funding for High-Speed Rail Corridors. The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, established to develop a national transportation vision to address surface transportation needs for the next 50 years, recommends that the United States establish a high-speed rail network that spans the entire country. The bill authorizes $1.75 billion ($350 million per year) for grants to States and/or Amtrak to finance the construction and equipment for 11 authorized high-speed rail corridors. The Federal share of the grants is up to 80 percent. The Secretary of Transportation would award these grants on a competitive basis for projects based on economic performance, expected ridership, and other factors.

Ø Alleviates Rail “Choke Points.” Many of Amtrak’s service routes outside the Northeast Corridor suffer from poor service reliability and on-time performance because of freight traffic congestion. This congestion prevents Amtrak from retaining and attracting new ridership, and increases Amtrak’s operating costs. The Department of Transportation Inspector General recently reported that if Amtrak achieved an 85 percent on-time performance outside the Northeast Corridor in fiscal year 2006, it would have saved Amtrak $136.6 million, or almost one-third of its operating budget. Amtrak is required by law to have preferred access on freight corridors; however, freight railroads do not always comply with Amtrak’s access rights. The bill addresses this problem by providing congestion grants to Amtrak and the States for high-priority rail corridors in order to reduce congestion and facilitate ridership growth.

Ø Reduces Amtrak’s Debt. Federal support of Amtrak was cut drastically in fiscal year 2000 and 2001, forcing Amtrak to assume a large amount of debt to stay in operation. Amtrak has aggressively targeted this debt, paying down $600 million from 2002 through 2007. Our bill helps Amtrak to take further steps to reduce its debt, authorizing $345 million each year for debt service through FY2013. This funding will allow Amtrak to focus its resources on improving existing services and making additional capital and operational improvements.

Ø Establishes an RFP for High-Speed Rail Service. A provision of H.R. 6003 directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue a request for proposals for projects for the financing, design, construction, and operation of an initial high-speed rail system operating between Washington, DC, and New York City. Proposals would need to meet certain financial, labor, and planning criteria, as well as a detailed description to account for any impacts on existing passenger, commuter, and freight rail traffic to be considered. If the Secretary receives a qualifying proposal, she would be directed to form a Commission to study any proposals received. Finally, the Secretary would issue a report to the Congress on the Commission’s findings. Any further action on a proposal would need legislative approval by Congress.

Ø Resolves Disputes between Commuter and Freight Railroads. Currently, no Federal guidelines exist to mediate disputes between commuter rail providers and freight railroads over use of freight rail tracks or rights-of-way, nor is there a standard forum for negotiating commuter rail operating agreements. The bill establishes a forum at the STB to help complete stalled commuter rail negotiations, helping our rail network operate as efficiently as possible. This section is identical to what was included in H.R. 2701, the “Transportation Energy Security and Climate Change Mitigation Act of 2007”, as ordered reported by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 20, 2007.

###

gmcsoccer wrote the biggest problem with passenger rail in this country is that the tracks are all owned and maintained by the rail freight companies, so the usage is regulated by them, and it both reduces the possibilties to expand service and it slows the movement across the tracks. until Amtrak controls their own rails where they can move with true high speed trains this isn’t going to make sense across much of the country.

all this having been said, the 3 C idea would be great and i’m sure i would use that. outside of ohio, i would probably never use this. southwest to chicago and philly have served me well for a very low cost. i don’t see rail competing with that, and i am unlikely to pay much for rail service where i can drive in the same amount of time unless i can get around without my car, so forget indy, louisville, etc. maybe dc or new york…maybe.

Amtrak does own the NEC between CT and DC — a small part of the reason their service is better there…….the other part is based on extremely high density and relatively short distances between cities.

all this having been said, the 3 C idea would be great and i’m sure i would use that. outside of ohio, i would probably never use this. southwest to chicago and philly have served me well for a very low cost. i don’t see rail competing with that, and i am unlikely to pay much for rail service where i can drive in the same amount of time unless i can get around without my car, so forget indy, louisville, etc. maybe dc or new york…maybe.

Walker wrote

bremkat wrote I’m surprised this hasn’t been posted yet:

It has:

http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14062

8)

Boy is my face red.

Oh, wait, there’s an icon for that. :oops:

bremkat wrote I’m surprised this hasn’t been posted yet:

It has:

http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14062

8)

Interested in a way to free up money for travel in your personal budget? Would you like an alternate mode of transportation to choose from to get you to Cincinnati, Cleveland, other Great Lakes cities or even Toronto?

Come to the Columbus Chamber’s YP Exchange, a free, issue-oriented forum for the young and talented, to learn about a transportation plan to move our city and state forward! The YP Exchange on May 20th will focus on the Ohio Hub Plan (passenger rail).

YP Exchange: Ohio Hub

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Station 67, Columbus Fire Fighters Hall

379 W. Broad Street (next to Spaghetti Warehouse)

Columbus, OH 43215

Presentation by Stu Nicholson, Public Information Officer, Ohio Rail Development Commission

Free to attend!

http://www.columbus.org/members/networking-yp.aspx

http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/resources/more/hr_6003/

http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/resources/more/s_294/

Keep in mind that Senate Bill 294 has already been passed overwhelmingly (93 to 6). Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown,m who is also a co-sponsor, voted for it. Senator George Voinovich voted against it.

And here is the latest progress report on HR-6003 from the NARP website:

On Tuesday, May 20, at 2:30 PM, the House T&I Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials will mark up H.R. 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008.

The mark-up will be web cast on the committee web site. This bill was introduced May 8, and was the subject of a subcommittee hearing on May 14. The video of that hearing, links to witness statements, and “full summary of subject matter” are available here.

The bill is significant partly because of its co-sponsorship. It was introduced by full committee chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) on behalf of himself and the subcommittee chair Corinne Brown (D-FL) and the ranking members John Mica (R-FL, full committee) and Bill Shuster (R-PA, subcommittee) and 34 other original co-sponsors.

During the hearing, Amtrak President and CEO Alex Kummant gave a forthright, pull-no-punches answer when Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) observed, “There is a lot of talk about construction of a new ARC [Hudson River rail] tunnel going into the City, and I just want to know what impact it’s going to have on Amtrak. And are you going to be able to work with New Jersey Transit when this is done?”

Kummant: “Our biggest concern is the total capacity on a north-south basis through New York. And so, I think a legitimate question to ask is, ‘Is there going to be a tunnel that reaches into Penn Station and allows the total Northeast Corridor capacity to expand? Or is it only something for New Jersey going into the City?’ I think that’s something we continue to have fairly strong feelings about and would like to continue a dialogue on…If there is an overall design and structure that precludes any capacity expansion on north-south, I would say that’s an issue for the entire region. It’s not just Amtrak’s issue, and that’s something we need to be talking about.”

Shortly after the above exchange, Chairwoman Corinne Brown (D-FL) asked, “Mr. Kummant, the intercity passenger rail opportunities that are present along the Southeast Corridor to improve connections and improve our economics along the East Coast, do you want to respond to that?”

Kummant said that, for example, if he was given $10 or $20 billion, “one of the first things I would look at, actually, is going South, rather than necessarily changing things in the North. We obviously want to do all the state of good repair [NEC and existing system], but we all know that DC to Richmond is one of the most congested corridors in all modes in the country, and would be a very natural place to put capital in. And then, you frankly imagine an electrified system from DC down to Atlanta. North Carolina has a wonderful rail program and I’m sure would embrace that. I think of it in tranches from DC to Richmond, Richmond to Charlotte, Charlotte to Atlanta. But I think that would be an enormous opportunity for the whole region and tie these high-growth population centers. And then we truly have an Eastern Corridor, not [just] a Northeast Corridor. So, I think that would be an enormous opportunity.”

As we reported last week, Oberstar also introduced H.R. 6004, again on behalf of himself and Brown/Mica/Shuster. This bill is known as RIDE-21 (the Rail Infrastructure Development and Expansion Act for the 21st Century). It would provide for bonds for high speed rail (including Maglev) and for the Alaska Railroad to be issued by a state, group of states or interstate compact. For each year from FY2009 to FY2018, there would be $1.2 billion in tax exempt bonds and $1.2 billion in tax credit bonds. H.R. 6004 will not be marked up on May 20.

Towards the end of Wednesday’s hearing, Chairman Oberstar reported that he had met with House Ways & Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY), who “is very supportive” of the tax credit bonds (for HSR) but reported that the Congressional Budget Office requires offsets of at least $4 billion. Said Oberstar, “Our two committees will have to work on that. That wasn’t the answer I was hoping for.”