LaHood for Obama's Transportation Secretary: Good or Bad?

The strongest emotion surrounding Barack Obama’s pick of Ray LaHood, a congressman from Peoria, IL, for the top DOT job seems to be surprise. He wasn’t on any of the shortlists, and he’s a Republican without much transportation experience. Obama needed a Republican in the cabinet (Robert Gates is a registered independent), and for better or worse, transportation got him. Fortunately, he seems to be a strong moderate who is well-liked and easy to work with. Mainstream news outlets, such as the Chicago Tribune say that "Unlike many Republicans in Congress, LaHood has a record of supporting funding for Amtrak and public transit."

However, a closer look at his record tempers that view slightly. To start off with, some of his record is reassuring. He did vote for this year’s 2008 Amtrak reauthorization legislation and has supported other pro-rail and pro-transit legislation. He has also made comments against privatizing Illinois’s Amtrak rails, and has praised Amtrak subsidies in light of the larger funds given to highway and air interests. But some of his comments about high-speed rail and Amtrak are a bit worrisome. Our friend Robert Cruickshank at the CAHSR Blog has pointed to LaHood’s comments about high-speed rail in 2004:

LaHood said he considers Amtrak “the lifeblood transportation for small communities,” and he knows many college students from Chicago’s suburbs use trains to travel to school, Copley News Service reported via The Lincoln Courier.

“On the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak is fabulous,” LaHood added, “and after 9-11, it became the transportation of choice for a lot of people because they felt it was safer than flying.

“I think if we’re going to have a pot of money where we subsidize airlines and we subsidize the funding of highways, that we certainly ought to continue to subsidize Amtrak,” LaHood said.

He said, “I don’t think we can afford at this point, with the kind of deficits we’re running,” to be talking about high-speed rail.

While funding is his main concern, he said, “People in rural Illinois are not for high-speed rail… They do not want a train traveling 120, 125, 150 miles per hour through the rural areas, and I support them on that.”

As Cruickshank states:

Obviously 2008 is different from 2004, and the “HSR vs. Amtrak local” dichotomy that LaHood set up in these 2004 comments may no longer apply (if it ever did). But this doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in our new Secretary of Transportation, who ought to be someone who understands the ins and outs of transportation policy, particularly high speed rail.

I would also take issue from how he describes Amtrak here. It’s great that he supports our national rail carrier, but I think it’s critical to not write it off as a service for small communities and cash-strapped college students. That’s basically saying it’s a second-class option for those who can’t afford to fly or don’t have access to an airport. That’s fine for continuing the status quo, but if we want to improve our passenger rail system, even a little bit, we need to recognize that trains are there to provide fast and efficient service between major cities (and small towns) that is convenient and affordable for all Americans. We need a train system that people want to take, not one they have to.

That being said, perhaps we’re jumping the gun. He’s now operating under Obama’s administration. His effectiveness when it comes to rail will likely be a product of the administration’s views on the subject and willingness to impose them.

Conservative rail advocate, Paul Weyrich, dies at 66 on December 18th. Last mini-essay.

As talk about infrastructure stimulus heats up and as state leaders opportunity to advance new transportation goals in Wisconsin that meet the challenges of the 21st century. In addition to spurring ourprepare a wish list of projects to propose, we have a historiceconomy, targeted and wise infrastructure stimulus investments should help to solve our biggest transportation problems and produce real results for the long haul.

It is not enough to simply spend money. As many have pointed out, America’s transportation system isn’t just broke, it’s also broken. And Congress would be wrong to assume that with transportation more is always better. On the contrary, transportation contributes to many of America’s most pressing problems.

Our transportation system is the chief source of our nation’s addiction to oil, consuming two out of every three barrels, and leaving America vulnerable to volatile prices and hostile foreign regimes.

Each year Americans waste billions of dollars and millions of hours stuck in traffic - a problem that is often made worse by construction of new highways.

Too many transportation projects like Alaska’s infamous “Bridge to Nowhere” have been embarrassing boondoggles that erode confidence in government and divert dollars from more productive uses. Clearly, not every infrastructure dollar is equally well spent. As departments of transportation across the country eagerly offer wish lists, what rules should be established? There must be a commitment to spend for results rather than simply to inject dollars into the economy. The current federal transportation system primarily collects gas taxes from the states and then pumps those dollars back based on outdated formulas forged by political compromises that had nothing to do with achieving national goals.

For decades, the federal government has spent billions of dollars on highway projects with little evaluation and no accountability. That must change. Spending must be based on allocating dollars where they will yield the greatest results and guided by clear goals for what the transportation system should accomplish.

Thus the next Congress should spend taxpayers’ money more wisely by focusing transportation dollars on solving our nation’s biggest problems. Federal transportation money should be spent only on projects that produce real results over the long haul - for example, by reducing our dependence on oil, alleviating congestion, improving safety and supporting healthy, sustainable communities. For its part, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and other state DOTs should report on the results of how transportation stimulus money was spent. That sounds like common sense, but it would actually be a major advance. States should report back on the extent to which the projects funded with stimulus money increased or decreased jobs, energy security, carbon dioxide emissions and vehicle miles traveled. This accountability will help make sure money is not misspent.

In doing so, a transportation stimulus should move the nation toward a vision of the future and also protect the nation’s existing transportation assets. Emphasis should be placed on expanding clean, efficient transportation choices for Americans by prioritizing investment of new funds for street cars, light rail, commuter rail, rapid bus service, high-speed intercity rail and other forms of modern public transportation. The stimulus should allocate at least as much money to these transportation choices as to roads and highways. Doing so will encourage transportation investments that build dynamic and accessible communities, where more Americans can walk, bike or take transit to get where they need to go. Meanwhile, stimulus money allocated to highways and bridges must first address long-deferred maintenance and repair projects instead of new highway expansions.

Here in Wisconsin, a stimulus package could put people to work on vital projects we will need for the future, such as the Kenosha-Racine- Milwaukee commuter rail line, high speed intercity rail that connects our major metropolitan areas and fixing Wisconsin’s 1,300 structurally deficient bridges. These aren’t just good jobs programs to get through the recession. These are projects that will improve our economy for the 21st century. By ensuring that infrastructure stimulus money is spent wisely, we can ensure that Americans put back to work today can feel proud of what they’ve built for the future.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Newsweek: Building Back

America has failed to invest in its infrastructure for the past 50 years, and the bill is coming due. The situation is reminiscent of the ancient Roman Empire, which grew strong because of its advanced aqueduct system, but which fell into decline when that feat of engineering tumbled into disrepair. We're in danger of repeating that history, but it's not too late to fix the problem if we take decisive action now.

That's why Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and I formed Building America's Future earlier this year. Long before any of us realized we were in a recession, the three of us—a Republican, Democrat and an Independent—understood that America needs a large-scale, immediate investment in our nation's roads, schools, parks, hospitals, waterways, ports and more. We are extremely pleased to have heard President-elect Barack Obama pledge to do just that as part of his economic recovery plan. In fact, it's exactly what I talked to President-elect Obama about when I joined the nation's other governors in Philadelphia earlier this month.

Our infrastructure is more than just a quality-of-life issue. It is an economic issue. Americans waste billions of dollars while semi-trucks carry goods on gridlocked roads and lose millions of gallons of water in leaky old pipes. We lose time and dollars because our ports are not computerized or modern enough to meet today's demands. Our businesses lose real dollars because our buildings are not energy efficient. This kind of waste raises the costs of everything from clothing to cars to raw carrots. It's clear that the faster we can move people and goods, the stronger our economy is. In short, we are a dinosaur economy trying to compete in a space-age global environment.

We live in the country that first landed a man on the moon, that is responsible for the mass-produced automobile and that created the Internet. So why do we sit bumper to bumper on the freeway for two or three hours in order to get home from work during rush hour?

We're a society where e-mail, handheld devices, videoconferencing and thousands of satellites in orbit keep us connected. So why do Americans stand in long security lines at the airport, in our socks, just to sit in the terminal for hours as our flights get delayed because of overcrowded airport runways?

None of this makes sense in America. It doesn't make sense that in the greatest country on Earth we still rely on trains that go the same speed as they did 100 years ago, so our shipping times and commutes are longer than other countries. It doesn't make sense that we drive across unsafe bridges like the one that collapsed in Minnesota and live behind inadequate levees like those that failed in New Orleans.

If we were to come up with an analogy, I'd compare our situation to running a company. Imagine trying to compete in today's business world of BlackBerrys, e-mail alerts, videoconferences and PowerPoint when all you have is an IBM Selectric typewriter and a single telephone landline. You're going to get beat. And when you think about America's aging infrastructure, we're going to get beat, too—by our competitors China, India, Europe and Brazil. Travel overseas and you see faster commuter trains, better public transportation, double-decker freeways, and more efficient ports. Meanwhile, infrastructure spending as a share of gross domestic product in the United States has dropped 25 percent over the past 20 years. So, government spending is at an all-time high, while investment in our critical infrastructure is at a historic low.

Recession or no recession, our nation desperately needs to update infrastructure that lags behind that of even some developing countries. But it is also true that a recession is the perfect time to put money into long-term investments like massive public-works projects because it creates jobs while pumping up our economy. It's like hitting two homeruns with one swing. FDR knew that when he created the New Deal.

Californians didn't know this in 2006 when they said yes to $42 billion in infrastructure investments. But what has been an added benefit is that the money from those investments is being pumped into our state's economy right now, when it's most needed. For every $1 billion in infrastructure projects, we create 18,000 jobs—and that's a conservative estimate. In 2008 alone in California, we've committed more than $10 billion dollars in infrastructure investment, which will create at least 200,000 jobs over the life of that investment. And when our state unemployment rate has broken 8 percent, that kind of investment has a profound effect.

A massive national infrastructure investment program would give a boost to our economy right now. We have already identified $136 billion in projects across the country that, within 120 days of the new president's administration, would lead to orders from American factories and job offers to American workers. Steel beams would be ordered, as would cement, design employees and more. More than $28 billion of those projects are in California, and that would mean at least 500,000 jobs here, beginning immediately. Time is of the essence, and all infrastructure dollars must produce real results. The members of Building America's Future strongly support a "use it or lose it" requirement to any infrastructure investment to ensure that new funds will be used to put Americans to work immediately and not languish unspent or tied up in red tape.

By following California's lead, the new administration will be improving the quality of life for Americans, enabling us to compete better with our competitors around the globe, and putting shovels in the ground immediately in order to create needed jobs. The nation's governors stand ready to help.

What are the Benefits of High Speed Rail If Done? Video

Senator Kerry's December 1st Town Hall Meeting in Cambridge, MA Regarding High Speed Rail

Press Release Regarding High Speed Rail for America Act: November 25th, 2008

Kerry-Specter Bill Would Create Jobs, Stimulus, Infrastructure Investment
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor Ed Rendell Applaud National High-Speed Rail Initiative

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) introduced a bill to create new jobs by updating the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. The High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 would transform America’s outdated and underfunded passenger rail system into a world class system.

“At a time when our economy desperately needs a jumpstart, we need an effective national investment that puts Americans back to work,” said Sen. Kerry. “A first-rate rail system would protect our environment, save families time and money, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and help get our economy moving again. The High-Speed Rail for America Act will help fix our crumbling infrastructure system, expand our economy, and match high-tech rail systems across the globe.”

“We must continue to focus our energies on building and maintaining a strong national passenger rail system in order to ease congestion of air and highway corridors connecting high-growth markets, as well as to meet energy and environmental goals,” said Sen. Specter. “The High-Speed Rail for America Act is an investment in our nation’s infrastructure and has the potential to provide tremendous economic opportunities throughout Pennsylvania and the nation.”

Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Joe Lieberman (I-CT.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), cosponsored the legislation.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell both voiced their support for the high-speed rail initiative.

“Creating a national high-speed rail network is an ambitious goal, but one that gets more urgent by the day,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Investing in modern infrastructure is vital to the nation’s long-term economic and environmental health - and in the short-term, it would help put more Americans back to work. Many countries in Europe and Asia are investing in high-speed rail, and if our economy is going to remain competitive, we have to start catching up. Greater investment in our railways is a top goal of Building America's Future, the infrastructure coalition that Governors Rendell and Schwarzenegger and I created. I applaud Senator Kerry for tackling the issue head-on, and I strongly support his efforts to create the high-speed rail network our country needs.”

“This long-overdue national investment in high-speed rail would help to stimulate economic recovery while creating good jobs that cannot be outsourced,” said Gov. Rendell, one of the founding co-chairs of the Building America’s Future coalition. “Expanding our nation’s critical rail infrastructure will make our transportation network more efficient, reduce traffic pressure on our already busy interstate highways, and improve the environment.”

The High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 builds upon the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 which reauthorizes Amtrak and authorizes $1.5 billion over a five-year period to finance the construction and equipment for eleven high-speed rail corridors. It provides billions of dollars in both tax-exempt and tax credit bond and provides assistance for rail projects of various speeds. The bill creates the Office of High-Speed passenger rail to oversee the development of high-speed rail and provides a consistent source of funding.

Specifically, the High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 provides $8 billion over a six-year period for tax-exempt bonds which finance high-speed rail projects which reach a speed of at least 110 miles per hour It creates a new category of tax-credit bonds – qualified rail bonds. There are two types of qualified rail bonds: super high-speed intercity rail facility bond and rail infrastructure bond. Super high-speed rail intercity facility bonds will encourage the development of true high-speed rail. The legislation provides $10 billion for these bonds over a ten-year period. This would help finance the California proposed corridor and make needed improvements to the Northeast corridor. The legislation provides $5.4 billion over a six-year period for rail infrastructure bonds. The Federal Rail Administration has already designated ten rail corridors that these bonds could help fund, including connecting the cities of the Midwest through Chicago, connecting the cities of the Northwest, connecting the major cities within Texas and Florida, and connecting all the cities up and down the East Coast.

Senator Kerry's Speech on High Speed Rail for America Act

The following speech was given by Senator Kerry last month regarding High Speed Rail for America. Personally I find this speech well-written and well in-depth and shows that this proposal has potential to gain support.

While the U.S. is investing heavily in other forms of transportation, our investment in world class rail is dwarfed by other countries. For example, Germany's federal government gives its states $8.9 billion a year for rail projects, France spends twenty times more per capita on rail than the U.S., and the Ministry of Railways in China invested $19.6 billion in rail in the first half of 2008 alone. That is why we need to provide a constant source of funding for investment in high-speed rail. The High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 will take our outdated and underfunded passenger rail system and transform it into a world class system.

The High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 builds on the authorization of highspeed rail grants by providing billions of dollars in both tax exempt and tax credit bonds. It provides assistance for rail projects of various speeds. The bill creates the Office of High-Speed Passenger Rail to oversee the development of high-speed rail and provides a consistent source of funding. This office will ensure that we have the leadership to keep this mission on track.

High-speed rail is often the fastest and most reliable way to get from downtown to downtown between most cities 100-500 miles apart. High-speed rail can save up to an hour per trip when compared to air travel and reduces trip time by more than 50 percent compared to driving. The legislation provides $8 billion over a 6-year period for tax-exempt bonds which finance high-speed rail projects which reach a speed of at least 110 miles per hour. This speed is often most practical for corridors of less than 100 miles or for less travelled routes which cannot justify the investment into world class high-speed rail traveling at 150 miles per hour.

The High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 also creates a new category of tax-credit bonds: qualified rail bonds. There are two types: super high-speed intercity rail facility bond and rail infrastructure bond. Super high-speed rail intercity facility bonds will encourage the development of true high-speed rail. The legislation provides $10 billion for these bonds over a six-year period. Rail projects that reach a speed of at least 150 miles per hour will be eligible for these bonds. This would help finance projects including the proposed California corridor and make needed improvements to the Northeast corridor.

Rail infrastructure bonds will fund projects approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation and be part of a State's official rail plan. The High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 provides $5.4 billion over a 6-year period for this type of bond. The Federal Rail Administration has already designated ten rail corridors that these bonds could help fund, including connecting the cities of the Midwest through Chicago, connecting the cities of the Northwest, connecting the major cities within Texas and Florida, and connecting all the cities up and down the East Coast. These are projects that are ready to go, but they need a source of financing.

The need for a bold shift in the way we approach transportation is clear. Traffic congestion continues to worsen in cities across the country, creating a $78 billion drain on the U.S. economy with 4.2 billion lost man hours of work and 2.8 billion gallons of wasted fuel. Last year, domestic flight delays cost the economy $41 billion and consumed about 740 million additional gallons of jet fuel waiting on the ground. Passenger rail reduces congestion and is an effective alternative to highway and air transportation. Americans want alternatives--and we can deliver them. We must focus on making the transportation sector part of the solution to global climate change. The transportation sector accounts for approximately one-third of U.S. CO2 emissions--and automobiles make up 60 percent of that. Public transportation is an essential part of the solution to global warming. According to the American Public Transportation Association, public transportation reduces CO2 emissions by 37 million metric tons annually and saves the average American household over $6,000 annually.

The demand for alternative forms of transportation is only growing. The number of people riding Amtrak surged by more than 13 percent in July 2008 from a year earlier--the most passengers carried in any month during Amtrak's 37 year history. Amtrak ridership set an all-time record for fiscal year 2008, achieving growth of 11 percent. As we look towards economic stimulus legislation next year, we must rethink the approach we have taken towards mobility in this country. Countries around the world have realized the benefits of high-speed rail and continue to build out their systems as we fall farther and farther behind. For far too long, we have not made adequate investment in our infrastructure. We cannot let this pattern continue. We have all heard the skeptics and cynics dismiss the idea of high-speed rail for decades, but due to high energy prices, increased passenger rail ridership, and the need to reduce greenhouse gasses, the time is ripe for a big change. Not only will this change create a modern and reliable transportation network in the Untied States, it will provide tens of thousands of good new jobs and help stimulate the sluggish economy. I pledge to continue fighting for the development of a modern high-speed rail system connecting the major cities across America, and I ask all my colleagues to support making this vision a reality.

Senator Kerry for High Speed Rail

I was looking on the blog, 'Trains for America' and the author posted the full letter Senator Kerry sent out to his fellow colleagues concerning a proposal he has made. You can read it below.

Dear Colleague:

With gas prices over $4 a gallon, I believe the sense of urgency has finally arrived, and the time is ripe to make a long-term investment in passenger rail – and make the United States a world leader again in high-speed rail. It would reduce the congestion on our highways and in the skies, reduce our use of foreign oil, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. High-speed rail would be the fastest and most reliable way to get from downtown to downtown for most city pairs between 100-500 miles apart, saving up to an hour per trip when compared to air and cutting trip time by more than 50 percent compared to driving. Perhaps most importantly, the bill would create tens of thousands of good new jobs and help stimulate the sluggish economy.

That’s why I am writing to ask for your support for the High-Speed Rail for America Act. The legislation creates the funding mechanism to create a world class high-speed rail system in the United States, and establishes an office of high-speed rail in the Federal Railroad Administration to ensure we have the leadership needed to keep this mission on track.

I know that you’ve heard the skeptics and cynics dismiss the idea of high-speed rail for decades. But recently, we have seen a shift in the way Americans are using transportation that indicates the time is ripe for a big change. The American Public Transportation Association recently reported that streetcars, trolleys and other light rail experienced a 10.3 percent increase in ridership for the first quarter of this year. It’s no secret why this is happening: According to a 2007 report by the Texas Transportation Institute, traffic congestion continues to worsen in cities across the country, creating a $78 billion drain on the U.S. economy with 4.2 billion lost man hours of work and 2.8 billion gallons of wasted fuel. In 2007, domestic flight delays cost the economy $41 billion and consumed about 740 million additional gallons of jet fuel. Passenger rail is an effective alternative to highway and air transportation. Americans want alternatives – and we can deliver them.

I believe the High Speed Rail for America Act helps to point the way forward. The bill provides a consistent source of funding – over the course of six years, this bill provides $200 million per year in grants, $3 billion in tax exempt bonds, $10 billion in tax credit bonds for high-speed intercity rail facilities, and $5.4 billion in tax credit bonds for rail infrastructure. The legislation is designed to fund high-speed passenger trains that can reach a speed of at least 150 mph as well as passenger trains for shorter distances which can reach a speed of 110 mph.

We have ignored our rail infrastructure for far too long and this bill is an important step towards creating a modern and reliable transportation network in the United States. If you would like to be an original cosponsor of this legislation or need additional information… [contact information omitted].

High Speed Rail Corridors

This is an interesting map I found while looking through the many blogs and websites I've added to this particular blog and I feel that while it will require a sizable amount of investment, this is possible and should have be dealt with a long time ago; now its the time to do so. I can already imagine trains running 150-180mph crossing from coast to coast of our country. Acela and CHSA was the launching pad, let's move forward.

California Moves Forward with High-Speed Rail

Although Proposition 1A was passed back on November 4th, I thought it would be important to reiterate the importance of this victory was for not just the people of California but for the entire United States -- that passenger rail is not dead in this country.

Below is the press release from the Chairman of the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA):

History will remember this night, when Californians demanded a new transportation system for California’s 21st Century travel needs. Thanks to tonight’s vote, a state-of-the art, new transportation choice will link every major city in the state and move people and products like never before. The citizens of California have put the 21st Century golden spike in the ground with a clear affirmation of high-speed trains.

As Chairman of the High-Speed Rail Authority, I pledge to honor the spirit of those who established our state’s pioneering transportation system, by working to build a first-in-the nation high speed train system to benefit future generations.

This effort will improve our once-matchless transportation systems in California by delivering a high-speed train system that will cost two or three times less than expanding freeways and airport to accommodate millions of new Californians by 2030.

A reliable 220-mile per hour electric high-speed train system will reduce our dependence on foreign oil by more than 12 million barrels per year and reduce greenhouse gases that causing global warming by 12.7 billion pounds annually. In short, we seek to reduce traffic congestion, protect our environment and give energy and life to our economy to the tune of 450,000 new jobs.

In turbulent economic times, this vote is particularly satisfying. The voters have demanded we face the future by planning for continued population growth at a time in which airports and freeways have reached capacity.

Our approach will be grounded by public-private financing and guided by scrupulous fiscal discipline and accountability. We accept the charge to build this train and we recognize our enormous responsibility to the current and future residents of this great State. We will live up to their expectations and aspirations.

And here is a video describing the benefits of the High-Speed Rail Network:

Amtrak's Strategic Importance

The United States was built not just by the hard work and dedication of people from every single ethnic background -- it was built on the strength and extent of the nation's railroad network. The United States would not be so vast, from the East Coast megalopolis area of Boston, New York and Washington D.C. to the small rural towns of the Midwest to the opposite coast; the West Coast, where an entire new frontier was opened up for expansion and opportunity.

It was the Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869; that allowed a new era to begin however through the late 20th Century, the Railroad industry was in shambles and on the brink of collapse. President Nixon was forced to approve Amtrak (the only national provider of inter-city service today) to keep even a small fracture of passenger travel open but it was the airlines that had taken over but now in 2008, we truly see the strategic importance of keeping our railroads alive with gasoline more expensive than it has in the last 8 years and airlines failing left and right; this is perhaps the golden moment railroads have been waiting for.

Amtrak, which is officially known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, but does business under the former title, currently is underfunded and underutilized. If there was no Northeast Corridor (Boston-New York-Philadelphia-Trenton-Washington D.C.) and the the network throughout California; there would be no Amtrak today. With prices in fuel increasing, people are using more and more public transit systems than they have in the last 40 years and this will only continue to be used since there is no prediction as to when the economic climate in airlines will be in their favor.

Regarding airlines: as they continue to cut routes to/from smaller, less profitable locations; these unfortunate communities have lost one of their only options for transportation, forcing them to drive, thus adding more cars onto the nation's highways and in direct response, adding more greenhouse gases into the environment which impacts global warming. If the railway was present in these communities, more people would use the train and their local economies would not be hurt as much by the loss of the airline or effects of driving.

Below is a map of the current Amtrak network:


Note the gaps in service - these areas could see much improvement and perhaps greater expansion in their local economies if Amtrak was present. Amtrak barely owns the rails it runs on -- almost all the tracks are owned by private frighting companies which dispatch trains via their own operators. So this is a second blow -- lack of unity on top of lacking services to rural, out-of-the way communities. What about the other factors that play into this?

Money. Everything revolves around money in this day and age and Amtrak barely has the funds to operate. As of the last Federal Budget, Amtrak received $1,325,000,000 from the Federal Government's general fund. This is an embarrassment. Other developed, industrialized countries spend more on their rail networks than ours. If we are truly one amongst the French, the Germans, the Spanish and even the Japanese, we need to give more money to Amtrak. Only money will allow the network to expand. The majority of Amtrak's budget is spent into its Northeast operations (no surprise here since this is where 75% of its ridership is) and it getting costlier and costlier to run.

Without Amtrak or railroads in general, America's economy would be on the brink of irrefutable devastation alas, President-Elect Barack Obama brings hope to Amtrak as he will be a vocal supporter of additional funding and believes that with careful investment and innovation - America will see the expansion and revival of rail transit in the United States. Obama was the cosponsor of the following act: The Passenger Rail Investment and Innovation Act of 2007. May we see greater days ahead of the expansion, renovation, revitalization and revival of passenger transportation in the United States.