THE BENEFITS OF INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL (110–54) HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAILROADS, PIPELINES, AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JUNE 26, 2007 Printed for the use of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 36–685 PDF WASHINGTON : 2007 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Minnesota, Chairman NICK J. RAHALL, II, West Virginia JOHN L. MICA, Florida PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon DON YOUNG, Alaska JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina Columbia JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee JERROLD NADLER, New York WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland CORRINE BROWN, Florida VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan BOB FILNER, California STEVEN C. LATOURETTE, Ohio EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas RICHARD H. BAKER, Louisiana GENE TAYLOR, Mississippi FRANK A. LOBIONDO, New Jersey ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland JERRY MORAN, Kansas ELLEN O. TAUSCHER, California GARY G. MILLER, California LEONARD L. BOSWELL, Iowa ROBIN HAYES, North Carolina TIM HOLDEN, Pennsylvania HENRY E. BROWN, JR., South Carolina BRIAN BAIRD, Washington TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois RICK LARSEN, Washington TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, Pennsylvania MICHAEL E. CAPUANO, Massachusetts SAM GRAVES, Missouri JULIA CARSON, Indiana BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania TIMOTHY H. BISHOP, New York JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia BRIAN HIGGINS, New York JIM GERLACH, Pennsylvania RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida JOHN T. SALAZAR, Colorado CHARLES W. DENT, Pennsylvania GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California TED POE, Texas DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois DAVID G. REICHERT, Washington DORIS O. MATSUI, California CONNIE MACK, Florida NICK LAMPSON, Texas JOHN R. ‘RANDY’ KUHL, JR., New York ZACHARY T. SPACE, Ohio LYNN A WESTMORELAND, Georgia MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii CHARLES W. BOUSTANY, JR., Louisiana BRUCE L. BRALEY, Iowa JEAN SCHMIDT, Ohio JASON ALTMIRE, Pennsylvania CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota THELMA D. DRAKE, Virginia HEATH SHULER, North Carolina MARY FALLIN, Oklahoma MICHAEL A. ACURI, New York VERN BUCHANAN, Florida HARRY E. MITCHELL, Arizona CHRISTOPHER P. CARNEY, Pennsylvania JOHN J. HALL, New York STEVE KAGEN, Wisconsin STEVE COHEN, Tennessee JERRY MCNERNEY, California VACANCY (II) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAILROADS, PIPELINES, AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CORRINE BROWN, Florida Chairwoman JERROLD NADLER, New York BILL SHUSTER, Pennylvania LEONARD L. BOSWELL, Iowa THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin JULIA CARSON, Indiana WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California STEVEN C. LATOURETTE, Ohio NICK LAMPSON, Texas JERRY MORAN, Kansas ZACHARY T. SPACE, Ohio GARY G. MILLER, California BRUCE L. BRALEY, Iowa HENRY E. BROWN, JR., South Carolina TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, Pennsylvania PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon SAM GRAVES, Missouri JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois JIM GERLACH, Pennsylvania EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland LYNN A. WESTMORELND, Georgia MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine JOHN L. MICA, Florida DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois (ex officio) JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Minnesota (ex officio) (III) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON CONTENTS Page Summary of Subject Matter .................................................................................... vi TESTIMONY Blow, Larry, Senior Associate, United States Maglev Coalition ......................... 41 Bohlinger, Lt. Governor John, State of Montana .................................................. 4 Brubaker, Kevin, Project Manager, Midwest High Speed Rail Network Project, Environmental Law and Policy Center ................................................ 41 Busalacchi, Frank J., Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Transportation ...... 27 Capon, Ross, Executive Director, National Association of Railroad Passengers 41 Glynn, Hon. Astrid C., Commissioner, New York Department of Transpor- tation ..................................................................................................................... 27 Jackman, Hon. Robert N., Indiana State Senator and Chair, Midwest Inter- state Passenger Rail Commission ....................................................................... 27 Kempton, Will, Director, California Department of Transportation ................... 27 Nekritz, Hon. Elaine, State Representative of Illinois ......................................... 4 Parcells, Harriet, Executive Director, American Passenger Rail Coalition ........ 41 Peppard, Colin, Transportation Policy Coordinator, Friends of the Earth ......... 41 Schweiker, Mark, President and CEO, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Com- merce and Former Governor of Pennsylvania ................................................... 4 Williams, Hon. Velma H., Commissioner, City of Sanford, Florida .................... 4 PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS Brown, Hon. Corrine, of Florida ............................................................................. 59 Lampson, Hon. Nick, of Texas ................................................................................ 60 Oberstar, Hon. James L., of Minnesota ................................................................. 61 Rahall, II, Hon. Nick J., of West Virginia ............................................................. 65 PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY WITNESSES Blow, Laurence E. .................................................................................................... 66 Bohlinger, Lt. Governor John ................................................................................. 70 Brubaker, Kevin ....................................................................................................... 74 Busalacchi, Frank J. ................................................................................................ 80 Capon, Ross B. ......................................................................................................... 89 Glynn, Astrid C. ....................................................................................................... 96 Jackman, Hon. Robert N. ........................................................................................ 110 Kempton, Will .......................................................................................................... 116 Nekritz, Hon. Elaine ................................................................................................ 129 Parcells, Harriet ...................................................................................................... 132 Peppard, Colin F. ..................................................................................................... 142 Schweiker, Gov. Mark ............................................................................................. 149 Williams, Hon. Velma H. ........................................................................................ 154 SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD Glynn, Hon. Astrid C., Commissioner, New York Department of Transpor- tation, letter from Anne Stubbs, on behalf of the Coalition of Northeastern Governors .............................................................................................................. 107 ADDITIONS TO THE RECORD Placer County Transportation Planning Agency, Gina Garbolino, Chair, Board of Directors, written statement ........................................................................... 165 (V) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON vi VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON 36685.001 vii VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON 36685.002 viii VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON 36685.003 ix VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON 36685.004 x VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON 36685.005 xi VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON 36685.006 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:27 Feb 08, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\DOCS\36685 HTRANS1 PsN: JASON BENEFITS OF INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL Tuesday, June 26, 2007 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAILROADS, PIPELINES, AND HAZARDOUS