New surface transportation bill need to be “revolutionary,” Amtrak says

Written by jrood

February 14, 2001 Stressing that the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill should be "revolutionary, not evolutionary" when it comes to federal investment in intercity passenger rail, Amtrak testified before a Congressional field hearing in Chicago that "[t]he need for reliable, multi-year funding is our biggest policy challenge."

"Long-term, sustainable
funding is the key and without it Amtrak and the whole system will continue to
limp along failing to live up to the promise of what we know rail can do for the
nation," said Joe McHugh, vice president, government affairs and corporate communications.

McHugh explained that
previous federal surface transportation bills largely ignored and failed to
provide any meaningful support for the development of intercity passenger rail.
The current law expired in September 2009, but is temporarily extended through
December 31, 2010.

From replacing and
modernizing Amtrak’s aging fleet of locomotives and passenger rail cars to
creating new high-speed rail corridors, McHugh said is it critical to "find a
way to bring constancy to our capital funding program" because without it, "it
will be almost impossible for us to truly develop the type of system America
deserves in the 21st Century."

With the upcoming debate
on what should be included in a new surface transportation bill, "[w]e have a
real opportunity to give people another transportation choice, to make their
lives better and their communities healthier," McHugh stated. "[T]he investment
in Amtrak is worth it," he added, highlighting that America’s passenger
railroad is on pace to set an all-time ridership record this year.

McHugh noted one possible
route for stable funding is climate change legislation where "[f]unds developed
through a carbon pricing policy could be used for investments in cleaner and
more efficient modes such as rail, helping to reduce the nearly 30 percent of
carbon emissions that comes from the transportation sector."

McHugh testified before
the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads,
Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials along with key Midwest transportation policy
leaders.

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