Increases Funding in the Face of
Booming Demand, Soaring Gas Prices
Washington, DC - The
US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved close to $15 billion
yesterday to promote rail travel, relieve bottlenecks and to begin investment in
a new generation of high speed rail. The Passenger Rail Investment and
Improvement Act of 2008 (HR 6003), which passed by a veto-proof vote of 311 –
104, would invest $14.9 billion in Amtrak and developmental grants for intercity
rail over the next five years.
“Americans are
searching for alternatives to paying high prices at the pump and the headaches
of air travel. This legislation is a good start and it saves billions that
would otherwise be spent on expanding existing airports and highways” said John
Krieger, an advocate for transportation at U.S. PIRG.
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.
As with the Senate
bill which passed 70-22 last fall, the House bill establishes a competitive
state grant process for high-speed corridors with matching grants of up to 80
percent.
Both bills also
include 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. The House
and Senate will assign a conference committee to reconcile differences in the
bills and get a final product to the President, who has threatened a
veto.
“Congress has
recognized that we need 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. “If the White House is paying
attention at all, then the President will approve this much needed and
widely-supported legislation as soon as it reaches his desk.”
