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Washington Rail News February/March 2007 www.AllAboardWashington.org Publication of All Aboard Washington A Not-for-profit Consumer Organization “Moving forward...On Rail." The Battle for King County’s Eastside Rail Amtrak reauthorization reintroduced (again!) Line By Alfred Runte Amtrak has been without authorizing All Aboard Washington has never the morning, members of the press ap- legislation for many years. Last year’s been in a tougher fight than its cam- peared and interviewed our gathering, six-year reauthorization passed the Sen- paign to save the Eastside rail line, the including KOMO-4 News, The Seattle ate on a 93-6 vote but House leadership 47-mile BNSF alternate main line be- Times, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, would not allow the bill to come up for a tween Renton and Snohomish (the and KIRO radio. Saturday night, we vote in that chamber. Woodinville Subdivision). On Friday, were further invited by KIRO talk radio Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and January to participate on the David Goldstein Trent Lott (R-MS) are trying again, and 19, the Show. expect an authorization to pass Congress Corridor If the facts mattered (which they this year. On Jan. 16, the two senators Advisory don’t), we would be chalking this up as introduced S. 294, The Passenger Rail Committe a victory. The county, BNSF, and the Investment and Improvement Act, at a e of the Corridor Advisory Committee are rely- press conference with Amtrak Pres. Alex Puget ing on heaps of misinformation to con- Kummant at Washington Union Station. Sound fuse the public. The tracks are so old "It's not going to be that difficult this Regional they are only good for scrap (tell that to year," Lautenberg said of passage. Al Runte is interviewed by Council the Spirit of Washington dinner train); it The bill would authorize $3.2 bill. a KOMO TV at the All Aboard year for intercity rail service for the next Washington protest on Jan. met at would cost hundreds of millions to up- six years while requiring efficiency im- 19. Photo by Jim Hamre the Red- grade the tracks (nonsense); it would mond cost billions to effectively restore the provements to continue. For the first time, Regional Library for its final vote, while line (utter nonsense). Meanwhile, the there would be federal money available to partner with state governments to members of All Aboard Washington county is admitting that the trail will cost improve passenger rail service. stood outside the library to protest. $800,000 a mile (asphalt these days is Lautenberg and Lott said that having Other friends of the railroad joined us, not cheap), for that is exactly what they a viable passenger rail option is vital to making for a very respectable showing intend for their “environmentally the nation's economy and environment. of between 15 and 20 folks. friendly” trail – more asphalt. "We cannot depend entirely on airplanes No surprise: The advisory commit- Stay tuned to the Washington Rail and roads," Lautenberg said. tee sided with King County Executive News for regular updates. The line (and In addition to carrots, the bill offers Ron Sims, voting to rip up the tracks dinner train) closes on July 31 if we several sticks, such as expecting Amtrak and build a trail, “The Granddaddy of don’t prevail. We intend to. Meanwhile, to reduce operating costs by 40 percent All Trails,” as Sims prefers to call it. All make sure you contact all your elected over six years. "This is about reform and Aboard Washington was ready with a representatives both state and (See accountability," Lott said. "It's not just a poster by J. Craig Thorpe comparing Eastside Line, page 5) big chunk of money." Sims’s vision and our own. Throughout The bill would authorize $1.7 bill. in debt repayment, $7.8 bill. in new bonding authority and $340 mill. a year for matching grants. The senators said the grants would encourage overall invest- ment in the system as well as states' sharing in the cost of providing services. Kummant said the bill fits his vision of the rail network of the future, which would be a series of state rail networks threaded into national corridors. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Bothell) and Maria Cantwell (D-Edmonds) are not yet Two visions of the future of downtown Bellevue: on the left is King County’s, with a bike cosponsors of S. 294. For more details trail on the Wilburton Trestle (top right) and a jammed up I-405; on the right is All on its provisions go to: Aboard Washington’s, with the Eastside line preserved and enhanced to provide www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/ regional and intercity passenger rail service as an alternate to driving I-405. Art by J. resources/more/s_294/ Craig Thorpe page 2 trips – and found he could use transit for US Senators Lautenberg (D-NJ) and From the desk of most of his transportation needs, leaving Lott (R-MS) have reintroduced a rail the Government his now-repaired car at home. Mike says funding bill, now numbered S. 294, es- Affairs Director travel time is about the same and he can sentially the same as that which passed "....read the paper, nap and am getting the Senate 93-6 last session. House by more exercise walking to the bus stops. leadership did not allow it to be voted on, Lloyd H. Flem My stress level has never been lower." but with the new Congress, it seems Mike also will use Sounder when the "re- likely to fully pass in 2007. verse commute" – Seattle to Tacoma – Passing an authorizing bill like this is Energy, Climate, Transportation begins. "I will never drive to Portland or easier than getting monies appropriated, – Be Like Mike!; US Senate Bill Vancouver BC again. I've taken the Am- particularly when transportation generally 294 – A Decent Little Start trak Cascades train to both cities at least and rail funding specifically is not a top a half dozen tim es this year,” he said. tier priority with most in Congress. The Now virtually "everyone," including Mike also awaits completion of Seattle main job of rail advocates will be to help President Bush, agrees that that the US Link and the South Lake Union streetcar, educate our US Senators and Repre- pattern of energy use has major faults further enabling urban rail transportation. sentatives on the importance of rail and that human-induced climate change Mike is making it work within our ex- investments. is a serious issue. The few remaining isting system, which is still primitive in its Criticisms of S. 294, which are rela- holdouts to those realities are like the to- intercity phase compared with peer na- tively few from those aware of rail issues, bacco execs who deny the health dan- tions in Europe and East Asia. Now, have come from two distinct directions. gers of cigarettes. leaving the car at home (or even not One school opposes the bill essentially Obviously, there is and because Amtrak will remain will be considerable debate Cleaner-running vehicles with better the designated operator of about how to approach intercity passenger trains in energy and climate change mileage are laudable goals, but far from the USA. This school also problems. Again, there is the only ones we should seek in terms of favors major organizational strong agreement that our changes, including ever-growing reliance of our transportation policies and behaviors. separation of Northeast imported petroleum is not in Corridor infrastructure from our national interest. One point of owning one, like some Pearl Neighbor- hood Portland friends, who rent a car on running trains and believes the monetary agreement, from Bush advisors to the Si- loss of the National Network (long- erra Club, is to get better motor fuel mile- those occasions when they want to travel to beach or mountains) will suffice only a distance) trains are excessive for value age from our near-infinitely large fleet of received. private motor vehicles. (Debate is on how portion of the time or, in the absence of public transportation, any of the time. Ex- From the other corner comes opposi- much mileage improvement and how it tion to S. 294 based on the belief that the should be achieved.) What is generally ample: I could get to the Lewis County Historical Museum in downtown Chehalis bill is a clandestine effort to destroy Am- absent from the conversation is a need trak! Obviously both views cannot be for the American populace to achieve ac- (the site of our June AAWA meeting) from Olympia by foot, bus and train, but it correct. cess to places without always driving In my view, the bill offers not just more those private motor vehicles. Too often, would take 2½ hours, 21 minutes of which are on the Amtrak Cascades. I do handouts to a fatally-flawed Amtrak or its we hear "cleaner cars" is the panacea, near-certain demise, but a decent mix of even from the Green community. drive. But like Mike, I would never drive to Portland or downtown Seattle, though needed reforms, including opening the Brutal opinion: While the probably- door to the possibility of the freight rail- unattainable goal of zero-emission vehi- carpooling is grudgingly acceptable. Like Mike, I can work, relax, and enjoy our roads again operating passenger trains, cles would bring about less air pollution as well as some Federal bucks. Amtrak and greenhouse gases, the other forms glorious Northwest landscape on the Cascades, avoiding the linear root canal President Alex Kummant, in joining Lau- of environmental and societal damage tenberg and Lott at the send out of S.