Thursday, January 29, 2009
In his recent State of the State address, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland listed passenger rail service between Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland as a key part of the plan to stimulate economic growth and make Ohio stronger. He received a standing ovation from the audience as he said:
“We will work toward the restoration of passenger rail service between Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. Our goal is to link Ohio’s three largest cities by passenger rail for the first time in 40 years. This will be a first step toward a rail system that links neighborhoods within a city, and cities within our state.”
Ohio’s Department of Transportation and Amtrak have begun planning for rail service that would connect the state’s 3 largest cities by 2010. The state has requested federal stimulus funding for this project and for development of the more extensive Ohio Hub System. ELPC is working with partner organizations such as All Aboard Ohio to organize the already strong grassroots support for smart, efficient passenger rail transportation in Ohio.
Take Action: Ask Congress to adequately fund passenger rail in the economic stimulus
Full text of Governor Strickland’s speech is available here
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
A yearly investment of $3 million in passenger rail service could leverage $12 million in federal aid for Iowa and create a valuable link between Chicago, the Quad Cities and other cities throughout the Midwest. ELPC’s Deputy Director Kevin Brubaker and Iowa’s Department of Transportation Director Tami Nicholson briefed Iowa legislators on the potential benefits on Tuesday.
Improving rail transportation would create jobs, increase mobility, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and decrease global warming pollution, but more funding is needed to link Chicago and the Quad Cities. Illinois leaders are aggressively pursuing federal funds for passenger rail as a part of the economic stimulus package and mass transit advocates are working to increase the funds devoted to rail projects.
Take Action: Ask Congress to adequately fund passenger rail in the economic stimulus
Read coverage in the Quad City Times
Friday, January 23, 2009
Washington, D.C.: Governor Doyle (WI) spoke to Congress Thursday about Wisconsin’s share of the proposed $825 billion dollar stimulus plan and the importance of supporting a Midwest high-speed rail network with those funds. Wisconsin, which hopes to receive $2.5 billion for general purposes and another $500 million specifically for transportation, already has more than $137 million in proposed railway construction projects ready to go. Read more here.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Now that Congress has decided to fund rail corridor improvements across the nation, Wisconsin rail lines will likely benefit. According to Dave Zweifel’s “Plain Talk” in the Capitol Times:
“Wisconsin should be near the front of the line for a grant because the state has long been advocating for a Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison-Minneapolis passenger rail link.”
Read the full column.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covered Wednesday’s news conference in Madison where Mayor Cieslewicz, ELPC and others released a plan called “Build for America: A Five-Point Plan to Get Our Economy Moving.” The national plan calls for increased funding for rail and public transit, investing in cleaner cars, and better maintenance of our roads and bridges. The Mayor and ELPC were joined by Wisconsin Alliance of Cities, WisPIRG and 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin as part of the national Transportation for America campaign.
Read the full MJS article.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
On the heels of the Wall Street bailout and hours before the final presidential debate, community and business leaders joined together at Chicago’s Union Station to call on the next President and Congress to invest in better transportation policies for our changing 21st century needs.
Kevin Brubaker, ELPC’s Deputy Director, called for increasing support for rail and public transportation, saying that “Amtrak ridership in Illinois continues to break records. We’ve shown that if you build it, they will come. We need a forward-thinking transportation policy that reflects citizens’ desire to get around in a green and affordable way.”
Read the press release. Listen to the CBS radio story.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Wisconsin State Journal published an opinion piece by ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner on the benefits of developing a Midwest high speed rail network. Given the steep rise in prices at gas pumps and the cutbacks in airline schedules, consumers are looking for alternatives.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The U.S. House passed HR-6003, the Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act of 2008, by a veto-proof majority, 311 to 104. The Senate passed its version of the bill (S-294) last year by a 93 to 6 margin. The bill will now go to a joint House-Senate Conference Committee. If it becomes law, the bill will not only greatly increase funding for Amtrak, but carries the first-ever state matching grant program that can advance the Midwest high-speed rail network and state-generated passenger rail plans like it around the nation.
