Legislation – Page 21 – Railfanning.org

Bloomberg Supports Mica’s High Speed Rail Plan

June 1, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is supporting a Republican legislator’s plan to solicit proposals for high speed rail in the Northeast Corridor and other corridors around the nation. A plan from U.S. Rep. John L. Mica, R-Fla., “demonstrates the kind of ambitious, pragmatic thinking about our future,” Bloomberg said. “Investing in modern mass transportation is critical to New York’s future, and all options should be on the table. No idea should be ignored or dismissed simply because it is ambitious. That is not how America’s greatest infrastructure marvels — from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Grand

Mica: Partnership Needed to Improve Nation’s Rail Network

June 1, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The country needs a partnership among “freight railroads, the federal government, Amtrak and other stakeholders” in order to improve the nation’s transportation system and protect the environment, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee says. “When we look for ways to improve our nation’s transportation system and protect the environment, nothing should be a higher priority than improving our rail capacity – for freight, passenger and high speed service,” said U.S. Rep. John L. Mica, R-Fla. “I am concerned that one tool we already have for improving capacity – the Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RIFF) loan program

Commerce Committee Announces NTSB Reauthorization Hearing

June 1, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee will hold an NTSB reauthorization hearing. The hearing will focus on the activities of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and its legislative reauthorization proposal. The NTSB’s current authorization expires on Sept. 30. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., will chair the hearing, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. June 5.

House Committee Approves Transit Bill

May 31, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure earlier this month approved a broad transit bill that aims to support public transportation agencies and increases incentives for commuters to choose transit options HR 6052, known as the “Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008”, addresses the nation’s energy crisis by encouraging the growth of public transit, proponents say. “As the price of gas approaches $4 a gallon, more and more commuters are choosing to ride the train or the bus to work rather than drive alone in their cars,” said Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the

Rail Network Could Face Major Congestion in Coming Decades

May 30, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Congestion on the nation’s rail network is expected to increase over the next two decades and could eventually pose a major problem, members of Congress warned. Since deregulation of the freight railroad industry in 1980, Class 1 freight ton-miles have increased 93 percent, while miles of track have decreased 40 percent, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., said. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that the demand for rail freight transportation will increase 88 percent by 2035, and their studies estimate that an investment of $148 billion in infrastructure expansion will be needed over the ext 28 years to

Rep.: High Gas Prices Help Rail Travel

May 23, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Higher gas prices and congestion on the nation’s highways are helping to make railroads a more viable travel alternative, a congresswoman says. “Amtrak’s improved physical state and recent focus on customer service, along with increasing highway and airport congestion and rising gas prices, have made intercity passenger rail more popular and necessary than ever,” said Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. Congress’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved a bill to reauthorize Amtrak and improve intercity passenger rail. HR 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, authorizes

Bill to Reauthorize Amtrak, Improve Intercity Passenger Rail Moves Out of Committee

May 23, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — A bill to reauthorize Amtrak and improve intercity passenger rail was approved and reported out by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. HR 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, authorizes $14.4 billion for Amtrak capital and operating grants, state intercity passenger grants, and high-speed rail over the next five years. “Today’s markup is a historic milestone, because the legislation we approved today is a truly significant and long overdue investment in the nation’s passenger rail system,” said Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the committee. “We can address many of the nation’s most

Schumer Named Porker of the Month for Rail Project

May 15, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) named Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., its May Porker of the Month for attempting to use the tax code to earmark a $2 billion subsidy for a commuter rail between Manhattan and the JFK airport. Schumer wants to take advantage of the New York Liberty Zone (NYLZ) tax credits, which were intended to stimulate the redevelopment of downtown Manhattan after 9/11, for a rail project that has been under consideration since well before 2001. Sen. Schumer added the project to Senate Amendment 4585 to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2881). After questions

Amtrak Looking at $800M Budget for 2009

February 9, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — President Bush’s proposed $3.1 trillion budget for Fiscal Year 2009 provides $800 million for Amtrak, roughly 40 percent less than the passenger railroad’s $1.3 billion budget this year. But that’s not enough, says Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure “In the last budget of his term in office, the President could have used the opportunity to make a bold statement about the state of the Nation and his hope, his vision, for its future,” Oberstar said in a news release. “Instead, the President stayed well inside his ideological comfort zone.

President’s Spending Plan Recommends $1.62 Billion for Transit Construction, Including New Projects in Nine Cities Across the U.S.

February 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — President Bush has recommended a $1.62 billion funding package for Fiscal Year 2009 that includes new projects in nine cities across the nation. This New Starts amount is part of a total public transportation budget proposal of $10.1 billion, a 6.8 percent increase over Fiscal Year 2008. “Well planned, cost-effective transit is crucial to relieving congestion, protecting the environment and reducing dependence on foreign oil,” said Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters. The budget proposes $200 million in funding for nine new projects in the “Small Starts” program, and four existing small starts projects. The spending plan also recommends