sent to the whitehouse today:
Since it's in the news today, a needed reform of the transportation department is so glaringly obvioius: support our nation's train network. This is one more area where we need a *change we can believe in*, done by a popular, liberal president that can make a sweeping change in the face of gurgling right wing bluster.
I saw that on the dept of transportation's website about the budget, it says that 'the administration' wants to curb federal subsidies. Why? Why are we just feeding amtrak enough to let it limp along and fail, instead of truly getting behind a mode of transportation that can improve so much about our country, from pollution to socialization. Just look at this text from
the DOT website:
First there's what will be spent on roads:
Ensuring Solvency of Highway and Surface Transportation Programs
Fulfills the President’s multi-year commitment to invest in surface transportation without raising taxes or subsidizing transportation spending using other tax dollars. $39.4 billion for the Federal Aid Highway program.
Includes the final installment of the $286.4 billion in highway, transit, and safety program spending agreed upon in the last surface transportation reauthorization act.
Provides new flexibility to manage funds in the Highway Trust Fund so the existing tax structure can continue to support authorized spending for all surface transportation programs.
Then, what will be given to the railroads:
Taking Steps to Rationalize the Nation’s Intercity Passenger Rail System
Curtails Federal subsidies. $800 million for Amtrak, which represents a significant but necessary cut to the railroad's Federal subsidy.
Requires that Amtrak control its operating losses and focus on services that offer the most promise.
Reserves the bulk of funds for capital investment so improvements may continue along the heavily trafficked Northeast Corridor.
Reflects that Amtrak has taken few steps to align its business with the traveling public’s demand for intercity rail service and that it consequently continues to hemorrhage taxpayer funds.
***
$286.4 billion! vs $800 million. Please! There's no comparison. What should be done is to basically make riding the train so cost effective for the customer that it would be foolish to drive or fly. Currently, taking the train any real distance (in other words, taking the eastern seaboard out of the equation) it's close to three TIMES the cost to take the train than to fly... and takes twelve times as long. This makes no sense for anyone, and thus it's no surprise people think Amtrak is a joke.
It should be cheaper to take the train - and sleep on it in comfort - than driving the same distance and staying in hotels.
Further, the rule should be made to put passenger trains ahead of freight trains on schedules and tracks. It's rediculous that we put cargo ahead of people in our train schedules. Passenger trains should get there on time.
I could go on and on about how citizens mixing with one another and seeing the countryside will be better for society, but enough already.
I want to suggest that the Amtrak budget be figured out to truly provide good service to travelers, and then just pay that whole amount out of the highway budget... it'll be barely a rounding error for them.
Since it's in the news today, a needed reform of the transportation department is so glaringly obvioius: support our nation's train network. This is one more area where we need a *change we can believe in*, done by a popular, liberal president that can make a sweeping change in the face of gurgling right wing bluster.
I saw that on the dept of transportation's website about the budget, it says that 'the administration' wants to curb federal subsidies. Why? Why are we just feeding amtrak enough to let it limp along and fail, instead of truly getting behind a mode of transportation that can improve so much about our country, from pollution to socialization. Just look at this text from
the DOT website:
First there's what will be spent on roads:
Ensuring Solvency of Highway and Surface Transportation Programs
Fulfills the President’s multi-year commitment to invest in surface transportation without raising taxes or subsidizing transportation spending using other tax dollars. $39.4 billion for the Federal Aid Highway program.
Includes the final installment of the $286.4 billion in highway, transit, and safety program spending agreed upon in the last surface transportation reauthorization act.
Provides new flexibility to manage funds in the Highway Trust Fund so the existing tax structure can continue to support authorized spending for all surface transportation programs.
Then, what will be given to the railroads:
Taking Steps to Rationalize the Nation’s Intercity Passenger Rail System
Curtails Federal subsidies. $800 million for Amtrak, which represents a significant but necessary cut to the railroad's Federal subsidy.
Requires that Amtrak control its operating losses and focus on services that offer the most promise.
Reserves the bulk of funds for capital investment so improvements may continue along the heavily trafficked Northeast Corridor.
Reflects that Amtrak has taken few steps to align its business with the traveling public’s demand for intercity rail service and that it consequently continues to hemorrhage taxpayer funds.
***
$286.4 billion! vs $800 million. Please! There's no comparison. What should be done is to basically make riding the train so cost effective for the customer that it would be foolish to drive or fly. Currently, taking the train any real distance (in other words, taking the eastern seaboard out of the equation) it's close to three TIMES the cost to take the train than to fly... and takes twelve times as long. This makes no sense for anyone, and thus it's no surprise people think Amtrak is a joke.
It should be cheaper to take the train - and sleep on it in comfort - than driving the same distance and staying in hotels.
Further, the rule should be made to put passenger trains ahead of freight trains on schedules and tracks. It's rediculous that we put cargo ahead of people in our train schedules. Passenger trains should get there on time.
I could go on and on about how citizens mixing with one another and seeing the countryside will be better for society, but enough already.
I want to suggest that the Amtrak budget be figured out to truly provide good service to travelers, and then just pay that whole amount out of the highway budget... it'll be barely a rounding error for them.
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