Invests in the Future in the Face of
Booming Demand, Soaring Gas Prices
While rail
ridership increased by record numbers, House legislation introduced late last
week would invest $14.4 billion to promote rail travel, relieve bottlenecks and
begin investment in a new generation of high speed rail. The Passenger Rail
Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (HR 6003) would invest $14.4 billion over
five years.
“This
legislation wins the Triple Crown. In addition to providing Americans
alternatives to paying high prices at the pump and the headaches of air travel,
a revitalized rail system will save billions that would otherwise be spent on
expanding existing airports and highways” said John Krieger, an advocate for
transportation at U.S. PIRG. America’s
economic competitors in Europe and Asia are
spending billions for networks of high speed rail traveling over 200 mph. In an
age of oil scarcity, we can’t afford to fall further behind.”
As with the
Senate bill which passed 70-22 last fall, the House would establish a
competitive state grant process for high-speed corridors with matching grants of
up to 80 percent. Presently, highway projects typically receive federal
matching money equaling this 80 percent level of cost sharing, while public
transportation projects typically receive a 50 percent match. The proposed
legislation also includes necessary funding for infrastructure repairs and
investment in improved efficiency, unlike past passenger rail allocations which
barely provided for operations along the system while long-term sustainability
suffered.
Amtrak
reported the fifth straight record year for ridership in 2007. Meanwhile total
vehicle miles for cars and trucks fell for the first time since the oil crisis
of the 1970s.
“America needs
to be investing in the trends of the future, and that means more and faster
rail travel. Anyone who has been to a gas station or airport lately can see
that,” said Krieger.
