MyDD :: Action Alert: High Gas Prices? Let's fund TRAINS!

Action Alert: High Gas Prices? Let's fund TRAINS!

by futurebird, Fri May 23, 2008 at 10:59:03 AM EST

If you care about mass transit and Amtrak here is something that you can do TODAY that will help Amtrak. Call, email, FAX or go see your representative to tell them to be a cosponsor for H.R. 6003!

H.R. 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, was just approved by the Railroads Subcommittee and it will help Amtrak a lot. So, we need to get on this right away to keep the momentum going! It will be much easier to get that limited floor time and ensure passage of the bill if there are more co-sponsors. Currently, there are only 41 cosponsors. But, the bill needs 218 or more cosponsors to get "floor time" -- so you should ask your representative to step up to the plate and be a cosponsor! Tell them it's for the environment, for giving people alternatives with fuel costs so high, and for helping Amtrak continue to grow despite Bush's efforts to shut it down for the past 8 years. Ridership has been going up in recent years so it's time to start funding passenger trains again!

So, contact your House of Representatives member and ask him or her to co-sponsor H.R. 6003! You can find your Representative by visiting http://www.house.gov and putting your zip code in the box at the upper left hand corner of the page.

The National Association of Rail Road Passengers says:

At yesterday's hearing, the full committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) called the event a "historic day." Let's keep the momentum going and get the bill to the House floor!

So, contact your representatives, people! Ask them "Why aren't you a cosponsor yet?"

-To find out if your Rep is one of the lucky 41 who are already cosponsors go here.

- Here is some more info about the bill. (Some of you are wonky and want to read the bill. Here is it!)

PS. We just need to contact the House right now, not the Senate, they already passed their version of it.

Poll

Votes: 4
Results : Vote Link : Polls

Tags: amtrak, trains, gas, oil, environment (all tags)

Permalink :: 5 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Action Alert: High Gas Prices? Let's fund TRAI (none / 0)

Well, I'm moving to Charlottesville, Virginia, which has the good fortune of being on the Amtrak line... but it'd take a huge investment in the network to get trains back up and running as a viable resource. It's not a bad idea, but I think it's more of a too-little, too-late prospect at this point.

Not that I think we should defund Amtrak, of course. I loathe having the federal government have to shore up things, but I think Amtrak is worth the resources.

Serious question- Is This Snark?

by ragekage on Fri May 23, 2008 at 11:26:01 AM EST

I'm planning ahead ten or twelve years... (2.00 / 1)

... considering where I'll move when it's retirement time (no way I'll be able to afford to stay here in Westchester County, NY!) and being within a short drive (or preferably, a moderate walk) of an Amtrak station is number one on my list of requirements.

Ignorance is weakness. Get strong.

by tbetz on Fri May 23, 2008 at 01:34:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Maglev or high speed trains (none / 0)

I don't know how much energy conventional trains save when you account for the extra infrastructure that goes into a dedicated lines for regular trains. Is it a little bit of savings or a lot?

We need to look at France's high speed trains or Shanghai's Maglev system. Ideally Maglev would be great in terms of energy consumption. BUt I read some mixed things about its success in Shanghai.

I think Maglev would be fabulous in the northeast corridor, LA, and the Bay Area.

For me the biggest benefit of trains would be the convenience of walking into the train without elaborate security checks. You get a high speed rail going in the northeast, and no one will bother flying from Boston to DC to Boston to NY. And even the amount of road trips would go down.

by Pravin on Fri May 23, 2008 at 11:34:24 AM EST

High speed rail is AWESOME (none / 0)

Anyone who has taken an ICE or TGV train in Western Europe can tell you all about it... I recently was in Germany, amsterdam and france and took TGV, ICE and Thalys trains.

I am a frequent business traveller and I can tell you right now that I would be willing to accept 1.5 - 2x increases in travel time to use high speed trains

They are way more comfortable and convenient.

france and germany have AWESOME public transportation

by CaptainMorgan on Fri May 23, 2008 at 12:23:55 PM EST

Re: High speed rail is AWESOME (none / 0)

And if it's the northeast corridor, travel time may even be less via high speed trains.

We need to invest in new tracks.

by Pravin on Fri May 23, 2008 at 02:10:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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